Key Takeaways
- Verify the license yourself through SC LLR. It takes about two minutes and it is public information.
- Ask for a certificate of insurance sent directly from the insurer — not a photocopy from the contractor’s folder.
- For any home built before 1978, EPA Lead-Safe (RRP) certification is a legal requirement, not a bonus.
- A quote that expires when the salesperson leaves your driveway is a pressure tactic, not a price.
- Get the change-order policy in writing before work starts, especially the answer to “what if you find rot?”
- Large deposits are the most common warning sign in residential remodeling. Be cautious of anything approaching half up front.
Step one: verify, do not trust
Everything a contractor tells you about credentials is checkable, and most of it takes minutes. Do this before the first appointment, not after.
South Carolina contractor licensing
Residential and commercial contractors in South Carolina are licensed through the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR), which publishes a free public license lookup. Search the company name, confirm the license is active and not expired, and confirm the classification actually covers the work being proposed.
For reference, Patriot Showers LLC holds SC General Contractor license #CLG.127566 (Building-BD2), and you can verify it directly with LLR rather than taking our word for it. Any company that hesitates when you ask for a license number has told you what you need to know.
Insurance — and how to actually check it
You are looking for two things: general liability coverage, and workers’ compensation for anyone working in your home. The distinction matters. If an uninsured worker is injured on your property, that can become your problem.
The right way to verify is to ask the contractor to have their insurance agent send a certificate of insurance (COI) directly to you, listing you as certificate holder. A COI that arrives from the insurer confirms the policy is active today. A photocopy in a sales folder confirms a policy existed on the day it was printed.
EPA Lead-Safe certification
If your home was built before 1978, federal law requires that renovation work disturbing painted surfaces be performed by a firm certified under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule. This is not an optional credential, and a large share of Greenville-area housing predates 1978. Patriot Showers is EPA Lead-Safe certified (#NAT-F330949-1). Ask any contractor for their certification number if your home is that age.
The eleven questions worth asking
Ask these at every estimate. The answers are more revealing than the price.
- Who physically performs the work — employees or subcontractors? Neither answer is automatically wrong, but you should know who will be in your home and who is accountable for their work.
- Exactly what material am I getting? “Acrylic” covers 100% virgin acrylic and regrind blends. Get the specific product in writing. See acrylic vs. tile.
- What happens if you open the wall and find rot? You want a specific process and a stated pricing method, not “we’ll take care of you.”
- Will you show me photos of what is behind my old shower? A yes here signals a company that expects to be checked.
- What exactly does the warranty cover — product, labor, or both, and for how long? Ask to read the actual document, not the brochure.
- Who honors the warranty if you go out of business? Manufacturer-backed product warranties survive a contractor closing. Labor warranties usually do not.
- Is this price still valid next week? The answer separates a price from a tactic.
- How much is the deposit, and what is it for? Materials manufactured to your measurements justify a deposit. Half the job before anyone shows up does not.
- Do you pull permits, and are they included? Requirements vary by municipality. You want to know who is responsible.
- How many of these have you done in my area, and can I see three recent local ones? Local, recent, and specific — not a national portfolio.
- What could make this take longer than one day? An honest company has a real answer. Ours is structural or plumbing surprises once the old unit is out.
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What a complete written quote contains
Most homeowners get quotes that cannot be compared to each other because they describe different amounts of work. A complete quote is specific enough that a stranger could read it and know exactly what will happen.
- The full scope: what is removed, what is installed, what is repaired
- The specific product and pattern, named — not just a category
- Fixture make and finish
- Glass type and configuration
- Every accessory: shelving, niches, grab bars, seating
- Debris removal and haul-away
- Permits, if applicable, and who obtains them
- The change-order policy, in writing
- Payment schedule, including deposit amount and timing
- Warranty terms — product and labor stated separately
- Expected timeline and what would extend it
- Total price, all-in, with the date it was issued
If two quotes differ by thousands, the cause is almost always scope rather than markup. Put them side by side against this list before you conclude that one company is expensive. The step-by-step method is in our walk-in shower cost guide.
Red flags
Any one of these is a reason to slow down. Two or more is a reason to end the appointment.
| Red flag | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| “This price is only good today.” | A real price reflects real costs, which do not change when a salesperson gets in the car. |
| Large up-front deposit | The most common pattern in remodeling complaints. Be cautious of anything approaching half the project cost before work begins. |
| No written contract, or a one-page total | Without a scope in writing, there is nothing to hold anyone to. |
| Cash-only, or payment to an individual | Removes your paper trail and your card-dispute options. |
| Vague about license or insurance | Both are public, verifiable, and easy to produce if they exist. |
| Cannot name the specific product | Someone selling a material should be able to say precisely what it is. |
| Door-to-door with an unsolicited urgent problem | Especially common with older homeowners. Never sign at the door. |
| Discount for letting them “use your home as a showcase” | A decades-old script. The discount is normally already in the price. |
| Pressure aimed at one spouse or an older homeowner alone | Any legitimate offer survives a conversation with family. |
| No local references or recent local work | The strongest evidence a company can give is work down the road. |
What a good in-home consultation looks like
The estimate itself is a useful sample of how the company operates. A good one has a recognizable shape.
- They ask about you first — who uses the bathroom, what is not working, whether anyone has mobility concerns, how long you plan to stay in the house.
- They measure carefully, more than once, because manufactured panels have to fit a room that is rarely square.
- They look at the existing condition — the current unit, the surrounding walls, the floor, and any signs of past leaks.
- They bring materials to you so you can see patterns and finishes in your own lighting, which never matches a showroom.
- They explain the trade-offs, including where their product is not the right answer.
- They give you a written all-in price the same day, with the scope attached.
- They leave when you ask them to, and the price is still good tomorrow.
That is how ours run, and it is a fair standard to hold anyone to. If a consultation feels like a closing sequence rather than a measurement and a conversation, that impression is usually correct.
Specialist or general contractor?
Both are legitimate. They are suited to different projects, and picking the wrong one is the most common structural mistake homeowners make.
| Bath & shower specialist | General remodeling contractor | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Replacing the shower or tub itself | Full gut renovations, layout changes |
| Typical timeline | As little as 1 day | 3–6 weeks |
| Flooring, vanity, toilet, lighting | Not included | Included |
| Moving walls or plumbing locations | Generally not | Yes |
| Crew familiarity with the exact job | Very high — same work daily | Varies by project |
| Typical cost for a shower-only project | Lower | Higher |
We are specialists. If your project is a walk-in shower, a tub-to-shower conversion, or a tub-and-shower replacement, that focus is exactly why we can do it in a day with a lifetime-warranted product. If you want new flooring, a new vanity, and a relocated toilet, you want a general contractor, and we will tell you so at the consultation rather than sell you half a project.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify a contractor’s license in South Carolina?
Use the free public license lookup published by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR). Search the company name, confirm the license is active and unexpired, and confirm the classification covers the work being proposed. Patriot Showers LLC holds SC General Contractor license #CLG.127566 (Building-BD2), which you can verify directly with LLR.
What insurance should a bathroom remodeler carry?
General liability coverage and workers’ compensation for everyone working in your home. Ask the contractor to have their insurance agent send a certificate of insurance directly to you, listing you as certificate holder. A certificate that comes from the insurer confirms the policy is active now; a photocopy only confirms a policy existed when it was printed.
What is EPA Lead-Safe certification and do I need it?
If your home was built before 1978, federal law requires renovation work that disturbs painted surfaces to be performed by a firm certified under the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. It is a legal requirement rather than an optional credential. Patriot Showers is EPA Lead-Safe certified, #NAT-F330949-1.
How much deposit should I pay a bathroom remodeler?
A deposit is reasonable when materials are manufactured to your measurements, since the product cannot be resold to anyone else. Be cautious of anything approaching half the project cost before work begins — large up-front deposits are the most common pattern in residential remodeling complaints. Get the payment schedule in writing before you sign.
Is a “today only” price ever legitimate?
Genuine seasonal promotions exist, but they run for a season, not for the length of a sales appointment. A price that expires the moment the salesperson leaves your driveway is a pressure tactic. Every legitimate company will let you review paperwork and will honor the quote afterward.
Should I hire a specialist or a general contractor?
It depends on scope. A bath and shower specialist is the better fit when you are replacing the shower or tub itself — the work is faster, usually less expensive, and performed by crews who do that exact job daily. A general remodeling contractor is the right choice when you are changing the layout or also replacing flooring, vanity, toilet, and lighting.
What questions should I ask at a bathroom remodeling estimate?
Ask who performs the work, exactly which product you are getting, what happens if rot is found behind the wall, what the warranty covers and who honors it if the company closes, whether the price is still valid next week, how much the deposit is and what it pays for, who pulls permits, and for three recent local references. The answers tell you more than the price does.
