Bathroom Remodel Electrical in Vancouver, WA (Hazel Dell, 1920s Home)

We did the bathroom electrical on a remodel of a 1920s home in the Hazel Dell neighborhood of Vancouver, WA. It was for a general contractor partner who brings us in when a remodel opens up 100-year-old walls and the wiring has to come up to current code. This one had all the usual old-house surprises.

What old bathrooms look like inside

When the drywall came off, it looked like most 1920s walls:

• Old newspaper and wood shavings stuffed in the stud bays as insulation
• No dedicated bathroom circuits. Lights, fan and outlet all on one 15-amp circuit
• No GFCI on the vanity outlet
• A bath fan that was either missing or vented into the attic instead of outside
• A switched outlet instead of a real fan circuit

In a finished room you can’t see any of that. In a down-to-the-studs remodel, it all has to come up to the 2023 NEC that Washington adopted in April 2024. That’s why a remodel usually turns into a small rewire.

What we did

• A bath fan circuit with a humidity-sensing switch, so the fan runs until the moisture’s gone instead of on a timer
• Ducted the fan outside, tied into the metal duct the GC’s HVAC sub put in, so it doesn’t blow into the attic
• GFCI protection on the vanity outlets per 2023 NEC 210.8(A)
• A dedicated 20-amp bathroom circuit for the outlets, separate from the lights and fan, per NEC 210.11(C)(3)
• AFCI protection on the light circuit where we changed it, per NEC 210.12

You won’t see any of that in the finished bathroom. Wiring an old house to code is work nobody sees, and it keeps the new room safe for the next 50 years.

Why GCs bring in an electrician they trust

On a remodel, the electrician comes out several times:

1. A walk-through before demo to find the surprises (knob and tube, shared neutrals, a small service)
2. Rough-in after framing to set the boxes, cans, switches and fan, and run the circuits
3. Inspection with whoever issued the permit
4. Trim after drywall and paint to put in the outlets, switches, lights and fan, and test it all

Each of those has to land on a day that works for the drywaller, painter and tile setter, or the schedule slips. That’s why GCs keep a short list of electricians instead of going with the cheapest bid each time. Our contractor page covers how we work with GCs.

If you’re thinking about a bathroom remodel

Three things change the price, so it’s good to know them up front:

1. How big is your service? A 100-amp panel in a 1920s house may not handle a new bathroom, a heat pump and an EV charger in the same year. You may need a 200-amp service upgrade first. Our guide to signs you need a panel upgrade covers the warning signs.
2. Is there already a dedicated bathroom circuit? If so, trim costs less. If not, we run one at rough-in.
3. Where does the bath fan vent? Venting into the attic doesn’t meet code. If yours does, plan on a new duct to an outside wall or the roof.

Planning a bathroom remodel in an older Vancouver home? Call 360-828-7143 or send us your project details for a free estimate.