Short Hills homes are built on a different scale. Primary baths can be bigger than a Manhattan studio, kitchens often open to family rooms with fifteen-foot spans, and a single remodel may involve a structural beam, a second dishwasher and a stone slab that takes four people to carry. The questions owners ask here are less about whether something can be done and more about how to do it without surprises.
This guide is written for that kind of project. It covers primary suites, steam showers, heated floors, tile removal and the planning choices that keep a large remodel on schedule. Costs are typical 2026 planning ranges as of October 2026; high-end estates often run above them, and your written quote sets the real price.
In a larger home, the most valuable document is not a drawing but a plan of attack. A master scope lists every room you expect to change over the next few years, the mechanical work each will need and the order that makes the most sense.
A one-page summary can list rooms in order, rough budgets, decisions needed and approximate durations. We prepare one during the site visit stage so every phase connects. It also makes it easier to decide whether to bundle a kitchen and primary bath into one project to save on mobilization and permit costs.
Short Hills primary baths commonly aim for a double vanity, a large shower, a freestanding tub, a private toilet room and often a walk-in closet next door. When owners enlarge a bath into adjacent space, plumbing, framing and electrical all change at once.
A steam shower turns the enclosure into a sealed room. Hot, moist air must not escape into the framing, so the ceiling is sloped, the walls and ceiling are fully waterproofed with a vapor-resistant system, the door is sealed, and a generator is sized to the volume. Tile and grout should be chosen to tolerate heat and humidity, and large stone slabs need a stable substrate. Ventilation outside the shower still matters.
Whether you pick a standard curb or a curbless design, the threshold is where water tries to escape. Our guide to how to waterproof a shower curb the right way explains the layering of membranes, corner treatment and flood testing.
Electric mats under tile feel luxurious in winter. They need a dedicated circuit and sensor, a stable underlayment and a layout that avoids fixtures. Install them with the tile plan so a cut or niche does not collide with the heating element.
Slabs and large porcelain panels look seamless but are unforgiving about flatness and heavy to move. They need a stiff, flat substrate and an experienced installer. Plan the delivery path, the number of people needed and the fabricator's schedule well before demolition.
Large homes usually carry several smaller bathrooms, and they are where owners can use bold materials at modest cost. A powder room needs only a few square feet of tile, so a dramatic stone, handmade tile or patterned floor is affordable. Children's baths benefit from durable porcelain, simple fixtures and slip-resistant floors. Guest baths are good places for wall-hung vanities and wide-format tile that reads as clean and calm.
Behind these rooms sit decisions that matter more than finishes: exhaust fans sized to the room and vented outside, shutoff valves that are easy to reach, access panels at tub fills and a layout that lets one plumber service several fixtures from a single chase. Including these details at the start costs little and avoids opening finished walls later.
Flooring decisions in large homes often extend beyond a single room. Continuous hardwood through a first floor, tile in the kitchen and mudroom, and stone in the bath are common combinations.
For wet rooms, tile and stone lead the field. Vinyl plank has a place in secondary baths where budget and comfort matter. Our comparison of the best flooring for bathrooms: tile, LVP or stone explains the trade-offs for water resistance, maintenance, comfort and cost.
For adjoining rooms, wood or engineered wood floors create a warm look, but they need a stable moisture environment and proper transitions at wet rooms. Our premium flooring installation in Short Hills team can coordinate with tile work so heights, thresholds and finishes line up from room to room.
Some Short Hills homes have older tile set in mortar beds or glued to concrete in basements, sunrooms and additions. Removing it is demanding. Our article on removing tile from a concrete subfloor outlines the methods, and the key point is the dust. Cutting and grinding release respirable crystalline silica, and OSHA's silica standard calls for wet methods, vacuum dust control and respirators where needed.
These are typical 2026 planning ranges for the New York metro area, not quotes. Large rooms, slab stone, custom work and structural changes frequently push Short Hills projects to or beyond the top of these ranges. A written, itemized quote governs.
| Item | Typical 2026 planning range |
|---|---|
| Full bathroom renovation | About $30,000-$60,000+ |
| Kitchen remodel | About $25,000-$85,000+ |
| Tile installed, floors | About $20-$45 per sq ft |
| Tile installed, shower and bath walls | About $30-$80 per sq ft |
| Kitchen backsplash installed | About $30-$90 per sq ft |
| Tile removal | About $4-$12 per sq ft |
| Waterproofing membrane system | Adds about $3-$10 per sq ft |
| Subfloor prep and leveling | About $2-$8 per sq ft |
| Selective demolition and haul-away | About $8-$30 per sq ft |
Use our bathroom renovation budget planner to test choices, and read the NYC renovation cost guide for 2026 for regional context.
The more you invest in finishes, the more it costs to get the invisible parts wrong. A steam shower with a vapor leak, a stone floor on a flexing subfloor or a beam that was not engineered can undo a very expensive room. For a house you plan to keep or sell at a premium, the cheapest bid is rarely the safest.
A licensed, insured team brings:
For painting after construction, our interior painting services in Short Hills match finishes room to room, and if your plans reach further, ask about our luxury apartment renovations in Short Hills approach to high-finish interiors.
Large Short Hills kitchens are often the center of the household: breakfast, homework, entertaining and sometimes a second working kitchen for caterers or large gatherings.
In a big room, think in zones: cooking, prep, cleanup, baking, beverages and storage. Each zone has its own counter space and appliances, which reduces traffic jams. A large island can serve as a prep zone and a landing area, but leave generous clearances around it.
Professional-style ranges demand serious exhaust, often more than a typical hood provides. Make-up air may be required for large hoods under code, which affects the mechanical plan. Decide appliance models early because dimensions drive cabinetry, and delivery lead times can be long.
Slab counters and full-height backsplashes look clean, while tile backsplashes add pattern and texture. Deep drawers, appliance garages and pantries make large kitchens livable. Open shelving looks good in photos and requires diligence in life.
Short Hills is part of Millburn Township, and building permits are issued by the municipal construction office under the Uniform Construction Code, administered by the NJ Department of Community Affairs. Structural, plumbing, electrical and mechanical changes typically need permits and licensed trades. Because scope determines requirements, call the office with your plan. Our permit guide explains the general approach, though its examples focus on New York City.
If your home sits in a locally designated historic area, exterior changes may be reviewed. Ask the township whether your address falls inside one.
New Jersey requires home improvement contractors to register with the Division of Consumer Affairs. See NJ Consumer Affairs for the program and ask for the registration number and insurance certificate before you sign.
If your house was built before 1978, paint disturbed by paid work triggers the EPA's lead rules. Certified firms must use lead-safe practices, which include containment, minimized dust and cleanup. Ask for proof of certification before demolition begins.
| Stage | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Site visit, design and selections | 2-6 weeks |
| Permits and engineering | Weeks, depending on scope |
| Long-lead orders (cabinets, slabs, glass, fixtures) | 4-12 weeks, ordered in parallel |
| Bathroom construction | 3-6 weeks |
| Kitchen construction | 6-12 weeks |
Custom work and structural changes extend these figures. We recommend finalizing selections before demolition, because decisions made mid-project are the most common cause of delay. A weekly meeting or update keeps choices moving.
We begin with a site visit that treats the whole house as the context for your kitchen or bath. We measure, check framing and mechanical capacity, and talk through your goals for each room and for the years ahead.
Our design-and-build team then prepares a written, itemized quote. Demolition, structural work, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, tile, cabinets, counters, specialty systems and paint appear as separate lines. Allowances are labeled, so you know where choices can move the number.
We handle permits, coordinate licensed trades and protect the rest of the home with dust barriers, floor protection and daily cleanup. Waterproofing is tested before tile. Lead-safe practices apply in older houses. When something unexpected appears, we stop, document it and give you options.
Because large projects involve many people, we assign clear responsibilities. You have one point of contact for decisions and updates, our crew leads each trade in sequence, and licensed subcontractors handle the plumbing and electrical permits. Weekly updates summarize what was finished, what comes next and what decisions are needed from you, so a long project never feels like a black box.
Finally, we walk the finished work with you and clear the punch list. For many owners, the biggest benefit is simply having one team to call from the first drawing to the last coat of paint.
We serve Short Hills, Essex County, New Jersey, ZIP 07078, which is part of Millburn Township, plus nearby towns and the rest of northern and central New Jersey within roughly a 50-minute drive of New York City.
The area is known for large colonials and estates on generous lots. Access is usually easy compared with dense Hudson County towns, so deliveries of slabs, cabinetry and equipment are manageable. The challenges lie in scale, structure and finish expectations. For contrast, see our pages for Hoboken and Jersey City, where compact buildings change the job, or the New Jersey renovation contractors near NYC overview. For tile fundamentals, read our complete tile installation guide.
A site visit and a written quote are the fastest way to turn a vision into a plan and a price.
Your estimate is free, and the quote is written so you can share it with an architect, designer or lender. If you are already working with a designer, we are glad to build from their drawings and price them line by line.
We donate 5 percent of total project cost to a nonprofit of your choice. Ready to begin? Request your free estimate and tell us about your Short Hills home.