Practical aging-in-place upgrades for older Boston-area bathrooms: grab bars with proper blocking, comfort-height toilets, wider doors, slip-resistant floors, handheld showerheads, and better lighting — without the hospital look.

Two bathrooms in Newton rebuilt around a new floor plan: walls came down, new framing and door openings went up, and new plumbing, electrical, insulation, and two fully waterproofed walk-in showers followed — then tile, drywall, vanities, mirrors, and paint. Here is what the real scope of work looked like, step by step.

A Walpole bathroom rebuild: walk-in shower on a mortar base with full waterproofing, a pocket door, a window reframed with decorative glass, a linen closet relocated from the hallway into the bathroom, plus new tile, vanity, shower valve, toilet, exhaust fan, and lighting. Here is what the real scope of work looked like.

Quincy shower-to-walk-in remodel: demo, framing, cement board, waterproofing, and tile — what the job really involved.

A tub or shower liner and a full bathroom remodel solve different problems. Here is a plain checklist for Boston-area homeowners on when a liner can be enough and when it is time to open the walls.

A Lexington homeowner replaced the bathtub — and used the opportunity to take care of the work around it: a new shower valve and drain, full waterproofing with cement board above the tub, new wall and floor tile, a shortened baseboard heater, a scraped popcorn ceiling, and new vanity, mirror, toilet, fan, and finishes. Here is what was done and why each piece happened while the tub was out.

What does the code require behind your shower tile? In Massachusetts: a nonabsorbent wall finish running at least 6 feet up (IRC R307.2), approved backers only — no regular drywall (IRC R702.4.2/R702.3.7.1), and a watertight shower pan turned up 3 inches under site-built bases (248 CMR 10.10). Here’s what each requirement says.

Adding a half bath to an older Boston home? Five places the space hides, plus what Boston and Newton require for plumbing permits.

A Lincoln master bathroom got a new walk-in shower built from the ground up — mud base, cement board, full waterproofing, hexagon mosaic floor — plus fresh tile above the jacuzzi tub, new floor tile, a new vanity with built-in cabinets, and finishing. Here is what the real scope of work looked like.