Before and After: 5 Bathroom Remodels in Western NY

By Mid City Home Restoration Team | March 21, 2026

Nothing tells the story of a remodel like seeing the before and after side by side. These five bathroom remodeling projects represent the range of work Mid City Home Restoration handles across Western New York. From quick cosmetic refreshes to full gut renovations, each project followed our documented 14-stage project lifecycle with a written scope, photo-verified quality, and a final walkthrough before closeout.

Every project shown here was completed within a 45-mile radius of Lockport, NY. Homeowner names have been omitted for privacy, but the locations, scopes, and timelines are accurate.

Project 1: Full gut renovation in Lockport

This bathroom had not been touched since the 1970s. The tile was cracked, the grout was discolored, and there was visible water damage on the ceiling from years of poor ventilation. The homeowner wanted a complete reset.

We gutted the room down to the studs, addressed water damage in the subfloor, and rebuilt everything from scratch. The scope included new large-format porcelain tile on the shower walls and floor, a floating vanity with quartz countertop, recessed LED lighting, and a properly vented exhaust fan. A licensed NY electrician handled the new circuits and GFCI outlets. A licensed NY plumber relocated the drain and supply lines to accommodate the new layout. All licensed subcontractors provided proof of active NY licensing and insurance before starting work.

Highlight: The homeowner had been living with a non-functional exhaust fan for over a decade. The new ventilation setup made an immediate difference in moisture control and air quality.

Project 2: Moderate remodel in North Tonawanda

The bones of this bathroom were fine, but everything on the surface needed to go. The vanity was falling apart, the vinyl flooring was peeling at the edges, and the paint was chipping from moisture buildup. The homeowner did not want to change the layout, just update everything they could see and touch.

Mid City Home Restoration replaced the vanity and mirror, installed subway tile on the tub surround, laid new luxury vinyl plank flooring, and repainted the entire room. We also upgraded the outlets to GFCI, which required a licensed electrician. The result was a bathroom that felt completely new without the cost or timeline of a full gut renovation.

Highlight: The subway tile with contrasting grout gave the tub surround a clean, modern look that the homeowner had been wanting for years.

Project 3: Cosmetic refresh in Amherst

Not every bathroom remodel needs a sledgehammer. This homeowner in Amherst had a bathroom that was structurally solid and functionally fine, but it looked dated. The brass hardware, dark paint, and builder-grade mirror made the room feel stuck in the early 2000s.

We swapped all the hardware to brushed nickel, replaced the mirror with a framed option, updated the light fixture (same circuit, no wiring changes), repainted the walls and ceiling, and re-caulked the tub surround. The entire project took four days and made a noticeable difference in how the room looked and felt.

Highlight: This project came in under $4,000 and was completed in under a week. It proves that a meaningful transformation does not always require a big budget or a long timeline.

Project 4: Tub-to-shower conversion in Buffalo

The homeowner was dealing with mobility concerns and the existing tub was becoming difficult to use safely. They wanted to remove the tub and replace it with a walk-in shower that included grab bars and a built-in bench. This was both a functional upgrade and a safety improvement.

Mid City Home Restoration removed the fiberglass tub and surround, re-routed the drain (licensed NY plumber), waterproofed the shower pan, and installed porcelain tile on the walls and floor. We added a frameless glass panel, ADA-height grab bars, a built-in corner bench, and a handheld showerhead on a slide bar. The finished shower is safer, easier to use, and looks significantly better than the old tub setup.

Highlight: The grab bars and bench were installed into blocking behind the tile, not into drywall. That means they are rated for actual load-bearing use, not just decorative placement.

Project 5: Half-bath addition in Pendleton

This was not a remodel. It was a new bathroom built from scratch in space that was previously an underused closet beneath the staircase. The homeowner needed a half-bath on the first floor and had the square footage to make it work.

Mid City Home Restoration framed the walls, ran new plumbing (licensed NY plumber) for the toilet and pedestal sink, installed a new electrical circuit with a GFCI outlet and vanity light (licensed NY electrician), tiled the floor, and finished with paint, trim, and a wall-mounted sconce. Permits were pulled through the Town of Pendleton, and all inspections passed on the first visit.

Highlight: The homeowner went from one bathroom in the house to two, which made a real difference for their family of four. The space under the stairs turned out to be just the right size for a functional half-bath.

See more projects

These five projects represent a sample of the bathroom work Mid City Home Restoration has completed across Western New York. For more examples across all service categories, visit our portfolio page.

If you are thinking about a bathroom remodel and want to see what is possible in your space, book a free site visit. We will walk the room, talk through your options, and deliver a written scope with fixed pricing. No pressure, no guesswork.

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