This means the fixtures - the toilet, sink, vanity and items like towel bars, light fixtures, medicine cabinet. Unless otherwise noted, this material is tossed in the debris pile. We usually save the interior trim for possible reuse or at least for reference.

The next things to go are the wall and ceiling finishes. This can be very messy work. Walls and ceilings are usually either sheet rock or lath and plaster, both of which break up into pieces as they are removed. We bag up the debris to get it through the house as neatly as practical. Tile set on mortar beds is especially stubborn to remove but eventually comes out after a lot of prying and hammering. The trick of all of this is to get the bathroom side of the wall stripped without disturbing the other side of the wall.

After the walls and ceilings are stripped bare, we can look at the wiring in the room with a eye towards removing what we will be replacing. We often need to move the locations of electrical switches, outlets and light fixtures. The most practical thing is to cut the old wiring out now and terminate the line feed safely in an accessible junction box. Later we will install new electrical wires and boxes that meet current electrical code. The flooring is then stripped back to the sub floor.

The last item to be removed is the bath tub. If it's an older extra deep cast iron tub in good condition it may be worth refinishing it in place. This costs about as much as a new tub and is not nearly as durable as the original porcelain enamel. As well we often need to pull out the tub anyway if sub floor repairs are necessary.