Spa-quality bathroom renovations built with the same care as every other room in your home — custom tile, bespoke vanities, and lighting that actually flatters.
Bathroom Remodeling Near You
Bathroom remodeling in an older home is one of the most technically demanding renovations a contractor can take on. The plumbing, the waterproofing, the tile work, the vanity, the lighting — every trade intersects in a small space, and the margin for error is essentially zero. A failed tile installation or a poorly planned layout isn't just an aesthetic problem. It's a moisture problem, and moisture problems in old homes with plaster walls become very expensive very quickly.
Fred Beese approaches bathroom remodeling the way he approaches everything — as a craftsman who designs and builds the whole thing himself. He understands how the trades interact, how to waterproof properly, how to design tile layouts that work with the room's proportions, and how to create lighting that makes a bathroom feel like a retreat rather than a utility room.
For homeowners in Chestnut Hill (19118), Wyndmoor (19095), and the surrounding communities of Eastern Montgomery County, Fred is the bathroom remodeling contractor who brings real skill to a room that demands it.
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Full Scope Bathroom Renovation
01
Walk-in showers, wet rooms, curbless entries, and full-surround tile — designed with an artist's understanding of pattern, scale, and proportion. Fred lays tile himself and designs layouts that treat the bathroom as a space to be composed, not just waterproofed.
02
Handcrafted vanity cabinets built specifically for your bathroom — double vanities, floating designs, period-appropriate styles for historic homes. Custom millwork storage that fits the room rather than fighting it. No stock cabinets retrofitted to approximate the right size.
03
Bathroom lighting is almost universally done wrong — too harsh, too flat, or placed in ways that create unflattering shadows. Fred designs bathroom lighting with the same professional understanding of light that he brings to every project: warm, layered, and designed for how you actually use the space.
04
Updating bathrooms in Victorian, Tudor Revival, and Craftsman homes without destroying their character. Period-appropriate tile selections, salvage fixtures where available, custom millwork that complements the home's original language. The result should feel like the home always had a beautiful bathroom — not like one was recently installed.
05
Complete bathroom tear-outs — down to the studs, proper waterproofing, new plumbing rough-in, new electrical — rebuilt from scratch. For older homes where decades of previous renovations have created problems, starting fresh is often the only honest option. Fred manages the whole scope.
06
Small spaces, big impact. Powder rooms are the one bathroom in the house where you can make a design statement — a dramatic tile, a statement vanity, unexpected lighting. Fred brings the same care to a powder room renovation that he brings to a master bath, because the craftsmanship is visible in both.
Selected Work

Custom Tile • Arched Alcove • Period Fixtures • Read Case Study →



Drywall • Plumbing • Fixtures • Read Case Study →


Why Fred Beese Builds
Most tile contractors install. Fred designs. There's a significant difference between a competent tile installation and a tile layout conceived with an artist's understanding of scale, grout joint proportion, pattern, and how the tile will interact with the light in the specific room. Fred's film and design background shows most clearly in his tile work.
Older homes have specific bathroom challenges — cast iron drain lines, original plaster walls that can't tolerate standard cement board approaches, subfloor conditions that require careful assessment before any tile goes down. Fred has worked in hundreds of older homes and knows how to handle these conditions without shortcuts that create problems years later.
Bathroom lighting is the most personal lighting in the house — it's where you see yourself every day. Fred designs bathroom lighting with warm color temperatures, diffuse sources, and placement that eliminates harsh shadows. A bathroom remodel that gets the lighting right feels like a completely different space from one that doesn't.
How It Works
Fred assesses your existing bathroom — plumbing, subfloor, walls, lighting, layout — and gives you an honest picture of what needs to happen and what it will cost.
Tile, vanity, fixtures, and lighting selected together as a system. Fred guides you through choices with his designer's eye — no decision made in isolation from how it interacts with everything else.
Tear-out, proper waterproofing, plumbing and electrical rough-in. The work you'll never see once it's done — but which determines whether the bathroom holds up for the next 30 years.
Tile installation, vanity build and install, fixtures, lighting, trim, and caulking — all finished to the standard your home deserves. Fred doesn't leave until it's right.
Common Questions
Bathroom remodeling in the Chestnut Hill and Wyndmoor area ranges from approximately $8,000–$18,000 for a powder room or half bath update, $18,000–$40,000 for a full bathroom renovation with custom tile and vanity, and $40,000+ for a master bath gut renovation with layout changes, high-end materials, and historic preservation work. Fred provides a detailed estimate after seeing the specific bathroom — costs vary significantly based on the existing conditions, which in older homes can be quite different from what they appear before demolition.
A powder room or half bath typically takes 2–3 weeks. A full bathroom remodel runs 3–5 weeks. A full gut renovation of a master bath with custom tile work and a bespoke vanity can take 6–10 weeks. Fred works with a small number of clients at a time, so your bathroom gets focused, consistent attention rather than being fit in around other jobs.
Yes — and this requires genuine expertise in older construction. The Victorian, Tudor Revival, and Craftsman homes of Chestnut Hill and Wyndmoor have specific conditions: original plaster walls, cast iron drain lines, subfloor conditions that need careful evaluation. Fred designs bathroom updates that respect the home's architectural character — appropriate tile selections, period-compatible fixtures, custom vanity millwork that complements rather than fights the house's original language.
Yes — Chestnut Hill (19118) and Wyndmoor (19095) are Fred's primary service area for bathroom remodeling, along with Glenside, Flourtown, Erdenheim, Springfield Township, and the surrounding communities in Eastern Montgomery County and Northwest Philadelphia. If you're searching for a bathroom contractor near Chestnut Hill or a bathroom remodeler near Wyndmoor, Fred is worth a conversation.
Three things: First, Fred designs and builds the whole bathroom himself — tile layout, vanity, lighting, trim — rather than subcontracting pieces to different tradespeople with no shared design vision. Second, his background as a film lighting professional means bathroom lighting is designed with real expertise, not as an afterthought. Third, his deep experience with the specific older homes of Chestnut Hill and Wyndmoor means he handles the conditions these homes present — plaster walls, original plumbing, period proportions — the right way.
Yes. Fred serves Jenkintown, Glenside, Cheltenham, Flourtown, Oreland, and all of Eastern Montgomery County in addition to Chestnut Hill and Wyndmoor. Many homes in these communities were built in the same era and share the same architectural character — original tile, cast iron plumbing, plaster walls. Fred's experience with these specific conditions makes him a strong fit for bathroom work throughout the area. Request a free estimate through this website.
The main cost factors are the size of the bathroom (powder room vs. full bath vs. master suite), what's behind the walls (older homes in Jenkintown, Glenside, and Cheltenham often have cast iron drain lines, outdated wiring, and subfloor conditions that need attention), whether you're changing the layout (moving a toilet or shower requires new rough-in plumbing), material choices (standard tile vs. custom mosaic, prefab vanity vs. live-edge custom), and whether the project involves historic preservation work. Fred provides an itemized estimate after visiting your home — he won't quote a number without seeing the actual conditions.
It depends on the home and your goals. In a 1920s Tudor or a 1940s Colonial — common in Chestnut Hill, Wyndmoor, and Jenkintown — a period-appropriate restoration can preserve character that adds genuine value to the home. A modern update in the same home can look disconnected if not done carefully. Fred's approach is to evaluate what the home's architecture is asking for, then design a bathroom that works for modern life while respecting the home's original language. He's done both vintage restorations and modern updates in historic homes — the right answer depends on your specific house.
Ask who personally does the work (Fred builds every bathroom himself — no subcontractors you've never met), how they handle surprises behind walls (critical in older Montgomery County homes where conditions behind tile are often unknown until demolition), whether they design the layout or just install what you specify (Fred does full design), and whether they provide a fixed project price or bill hourly. Ask for examples of completed bathrooms in homes similar to yours. A contractor who's uncomfortable with these questions is a contractor to avoid.
Start Your Bathroom Project
Whether you're updating a powder room or gutting a master bath, Fred brings the same level of care to every project. Reach out to schedule a design conversation — no pressure, just an honest discussion about what your bathroom needs.
What Clients Say
“We initially hired Fred to build a bedroom closet for us, and his work has been truly exceptional. His attention to detail, combined with a strong sense of aesthetics, is rare to find. He takes the time to refine every aspect of the work.”
“We had a fantastic experience working with Fred Beese! His communication was incredibly clear from start to finish, so we always knew exactly what to expect. His prices are reasonable, but what really sets him apart is his vision — he offered suggestions that elevated the final result.”
“Fred is truly an artist. He built a fence for me and collaborated every step of the way. I highly recommend him especially if you want the end result to be outstanding and beautiful.”
“Fred is an outstanding contractor. His communication skills are excellent. He keeps you informed every step of the way and is extremely easy to work with. His attention to detail really sets him apart, and it shows in the quality of his work.”
“Fred Beese has done much work for me on my house over the years both as a craftsman and as a contractor. His work is uniformly excellent. He is responsible, meticulous, very knowledgeable across the range of construction skills.”
“Fred does excellent work! He can do pretty much anything you need done from electrical to carpentry. He is a pleasure to work with.”
Tell us about your project and Fred will be in touch within 24 hours.