Bathroom remodeling in Mesa, AZ

Mesa was laid out in the nineteenth century on a grid of wide streets, and the blocks near downtown still carry homes from the early and middle twentieth century. West Mesa filled in during the 1960s and 1970s, with Dobson Ranch as its best-known planned community. East Mesa grew through the 1980s and 1990s, including numerous age-restricted communities popular with retirees and winter residents. Eastmark, in the southeast, dates from the 2010s.

A typical Mesa house from the 1970s or 1980s is a single-story with two bathrooms. The hall bath has a tub with a tiled or fiberglass surround. The primary bath is modest, often a shower stall, one sink and a toilet in a room not much larger than a closet. Fixtures and tile from that period are worn now. The rooms are small, so the work is contained: a new shower, vanity, floor and fan change how the whole bath functions.

Residential permits are issued by the City of Mesa through its development services office. As a rule, a permit is needed when supply or drain piping is rerouted, wiring is added, or a wall is altered, and is often not needed for direct replacement of finishes and fixtures. The requirement for a given bathroom is confirmed with the permitting office beforehand. Some pockets of east Mesa are unincorporated county islands, where Maricopa County handles permits instead. Mesa also has historic districts close to downtown, where exterior changes are reviewed.