Prairie View Bathroom
Not every problem announces itself right away. For this Cedar Falls family, the signs showed up slowly. A shower that wouldn't stop leaking. Water damage creeping into the basement. What followed was a full rebuild: a dual-showerhead shower, a sculptural freestanding tub, and a space that turned the most frustrating room in the house into their favorite one.
Key Features
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Walk-in shower with dual showerheads
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Freestanding tub
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Wood parquet-look tile floors
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Tile walls with custom niche
Timeline
4 weeks
Location
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Investment Range
$50,000-$60,000
The Family
When a couple relocated from out of state and settled into their nearly new home in Cedar Falls, they expected the hard part was behind them. The house was only a few years old. It should have been move-in ready. Instead, they discovered the master bath was hiding a serious problem — and it wasn't going away on its own.
The Challenge
The shower tile had been installed poorly by the previous builder. Water was quietly working its way through, eventually showing up as leaks in the ceiling of the basement below. The shower was completely unusable, which meant using the hall bath for showers.
Beyond the damage, there was the frustration of it: a new home that had already let them down. They hadn't skimped or cut corners. They'd done everything right. And still, something as basic as a morning shower was off the table.
They also wanted more from the space. The existing layout included a built-in bench that ate into the shower footprint, and a builder-grade tub that felt utilitarian rather than restful. They had the bones for something special. They just needed a team they could trust to get it right.
Working Together
New to the area, they didn't have a local network to pull from. They turned to Google and read through reviews carefully. Big Woods Construction kept rising to the top. What sealed it was the first consultation. Brandon and the team took time to explain exactly what was happening with the leak, what it would take to fix it, and what the path forward looked like. No runaround, no vague estimates. Just a straight answer from people who clearly knew what they were doing.
For a couple who had been burned by a contractor before, that clarity was everything.
The Plan
Big Woods walked them through a four-step process that made a complex project feel manageable:
First, the team measured the space and developed a design concept so the clients could see the vision before any decisions were locked in. Second, a detailed estimate was presented so they knew exactly what the investment looked like. Third, Megan sat down with them to understand their style preferences and brought three distinct tile and color concepts to the table. They visited the Big Woods studio, chose the tile they loved, and selected plumbing fixtures that would complement the existing vanity without requiring a full replacement. Then construction began.
When a plumbing rough-in accidentally nicked drywall on the other side of the wall, the team caught it and handled it before it became the client's problem. They didn't have the original paint color on hand, so Big Woods brought in their painting partner with a custom color-matching tool. The repair was seamless. The clients barely had to think about it.
The Transformation
Choosing to tear out an entire shower, tub, and floor in a house they'd only recently moved into wasn't a small decision. But they'd already been living without a functioning master bath. Waiting longer wasn't really an option. They committed, and the project began.
Four weeks later, the master bath was unrecognizable in the best possible way. The shower is now a full dual-showerhead experience, with the extra footprint that was freed up by removing the old bench. A custom shaving niche, positioned lower on the wall as a built-in footrest, adds a thoughtful touch that makes the space feel designed rather than generic. A sculptural freestanding tub anchors the room, turning a purely functional space into one that invites you to slow down.
New tile floors, fresh trim, and carefully chosen paint tie the whole room together, working in harmony with the existing vanity that was worth keeping all along.
They love it. What was once the most frustrating room in the house is now the one they look forward to every morning.
Customer Experience
"When we discovered our shower was leaking we spoke with a number of different companies. Big Woods right away stood out above the rest. They helped us understand what was most likely going on and what would be needed to fix it. Unfortunately that meant ripping out our entire shower, tub, and flooring. Brandon walked us through the construction and Megan helped us design the bathroom that would work best for us. The entire Big Woods crew was great to work with, especially Knock Knock Tile. We absolutely love the results and would highly recommend Big Woods to anyone!"
