HELP WITH BATHROOM REMODEL

[msmayor]

Thank you for all the information. We have a master bathroom to re-do, too. Shortly after moving in, the large Jacuzzi tub leaked thru the floor into my garage below. Shortly after that, we found a shower leak. At first we were trying to find contractors and get that fixed first. But with all the hassle and problems of finding someone, we decided to do the smaller bathroom first. For our master we don't plant on changing floorplan, or electrical or plumbing. We want to fix the shower and tub which means getting a new tub and re-tiling everything, including the floor because the tile is cracking. We though since we were doing so much work, we'd do some cosmetic changes. Small ones. Keeping the counter tops but changing countertop. New mirrors, light fixtures and paint. Lowest quote for master was $30,000 and highest was $40,000. Actually highest was $48,000 but that was so ridiculous, I didn't respond back. All of that is labor...have to supply tub, shower, countertops, lighting, mirrors and paint. That is not changing out fixtures.

One of the contractors I got an estimate from told me they could not do my main bath for less than $30,000(where there were no plumbing or electrical changes) and my master would cost $50-80,000... I politely said no thank you and moved on.

Designing a bathroom can be a complex thing because you will need to consider the layout, the fixtures and the overall appearance. It will also cost you some money when you hire a professional designer. For your bathroom size it would cost you around $300 - $400 per sq.ft. Also consider the average working days for remodeling your bathroom. When you are hiring a bathroom designer they would be charging you per hour. For the basic design it can cost you around $1400 to $ 2000 but when you add the prices for the specific items in can average to $2500 to $3000 (http://www.fixr.com/costs/bathroom-design). Designers may also offer you one-time consultations which they can give you advice on what kind of design you should do. For the one-time consultation it can cost you around $200 to $225. Also don’t forget to include the labor cost for your workers. Also try to get at least three estimates which can help get the average cost for your bathroom.

I don't think you need a designer at all unless you are looking at a huge, complex change in the floorplan. The choices CAN be overwhelming, but if you do some looking around ahead of time (like on Pinterest) you can find lots of great ideas that will assist you in picking out what you want. I'm an accountant, not a designer...and my builder loved my choices so much he said he's using them in a model home he's building for a development.

 

[HopperFan]

We have a 9 foot by 5 foot small secondary bathroom we would like to remodel. It's all builder original. White square tiles on floor and in shower, short/ugly vanity, etc. Just had a contractor give me an estimate and would like to share with you all the cost and ask if this sounds right. I know cost will differ from area to area, but generally I think it should be in the general ballpark. The price he gave me was $8000. That does not include tile, tube, faucet, light fixtures, trim for can light, mirror, exhaust and paint. So, for the most part it seems to be labor but he did put in his estimate: $800 for vanity and install of, and &650 for granite countertop & install of (that was included in the $8000).
TIA

I would be asking for a detailed quote of the entire job, everything you expect him to do, and it broken out. This way there will be none of the "oh I didn't quote you to do that, it will be an extra ..." You would know every single thing he plans to do for you for that money. No way I would enter a lump sum, open ended contract with no end price in sight.

I would then price out all supplies that I am to provide to get my end price. This will help you see if it's in your budget, and if you need to adjust your plans any.

It's been a few years and we did some work ourselves (we tiled floor and painted, installed our own cabinets) but a 7' x 10' with full tub/shower, toilet, large decorative vanity with granite, built in "kitchenette" cabinet/counter with mini fridge and wall cabinet with built in microwave, tiled floors, built in wall heater, sheet rock walls, ceiling and all decor .... plus jackhammer floor and installation of all new plumbing and prep work for shower .... $12,000. Just studs for walls to prettiest bath in my whole house.

 

[tvguy]

I would be asking for a detailed quote of the entire job, everything you expect him to do, and it broken out. This way there will be none of the "oh I didn't quote you to do that, it will be an extra ..." You would know every single thing he plans to do for you for that money. No way I would enter a lump sum, open ended contract with no end price in sight.

I would then price out all supplies that I am to provide to get my end price. This will help you see if it's in your budget, and if you need to adjust your plans any.

Great suggestion. My contract did bid with a very detailed work and materials sheet. "Panasonic model XXXXX 1200 cfm vent fan. Labor to install Panasonic model XXX 12000 cfn vent fan." ETC.
My contractor added 40% to the price of anything he purchased. He tried to get us to buy as many items as we could ourselves to avoid paying that. Faucets, toilets, dishwashers, microwaves, no problem. But clearly he was not going to let us order any custom made things like counter tops and cabinents, where measurements were critical. That meant if there was a mistake, HE (or the subcontractor) was responsible for fixing the mistake out of THEIR pocket, not mine.

 

[CAFarmerGirl]

This thread makes me very happy my husband is so handy! We are redoing our master and changing everything. We will be combining the closet with the bathroom, moving plumbing, adding a wall, etc... We will definitely be less than $10k.

 

[samarcus]

Not using a designer. Not using a bathroom remodeling company (they're even more expensive). Going with general contractors. Not changing layout, not moving plumbing or electrical or adding anything new like a rain shower. Minus the $800 for vanity and $600 for granite...all materials not included (tile, tub, lighting, shower doors, etc.). The rest was all labor.

Then it's good that you're able to save up on the cost since remodeling is an expensive thing to do. If your already experienced in DYI projects then this will help you a lot in remodeling your bathroom but do try to get a second opinion even if it's one time only.

 

[Mayra123]

We have a 9 foot by 5 foot small secondary bathroom we would like to remodel. It's all builder original. White square tiles on floor and in shower, short/ugly vanity, etc. Just had a contractor give me an estimate and would like to share with you all the cost and ask if this sounds right. I know cost will differ from area to area, but generally I think it should be in the general ballpark. The price he gave me was $8000. That does not include tile, tube, faucet, light fixtures, trim for can light, mirror, exhaust and paint. So, for the most part it seems to be labor but he did put in his estimate: $800 for vanity and install of, and &650 for granite countertop & install of (that was included in the $8000).
TIA

We have a 9 foot by 5 foot small secondary bathroom we would like to remodel. It's all builder original. White square tiles on floor and in shower, short/ugly vanity, etc. Just had a contractor give me an estimate and would like to share with you all the cost and ask if this sounds right. I know cost will differ from area to area, but generally I think it should be in the general ballpark. The price he gave me was $8000. That does not include tile, tube, faucet, light fixtures, trim for can light, mirror, exhaust and paint. So, for the most part it seems to be labor but he did put in his estimate: $800 for vanity and install of, and &650 for granite countertop & install of (that was included in the $8000).
TIA

We have a 9 foot by 5 foot small secondary bathroom we would like to remodel. It's all builder original. White square tiles on floor and in shower, short/ugly vanity, etc. Just had a contractor give me an estimate and would like to share with you all the cost and ask if this sounds right. I know cost will differ from area to area, but generally I think it should be in the general ballpark. The price he gave me was $8000. That does not include tile, tube, faucet, light fixtures, trim for can light, mirror, exhaust and paint. So, for the most part it seems to be labor but he did put in his estimate: $800 for vanity and install of, and &650 for granite countertop & install of (that was included in the $8000).
TIA

 

[Mayra123]

We have a 9 foot by 5 foot small secondary bathroom we would like to remodel. It's all builder original. White square tiles on floor and in shower, short/ugly vanity, etc. Just had a contractor give me an estimate and would like to share with you all the cost and ask if this sounds right. I know cost will differ from area to area, but generally I think it should be in the general ballpark. The price he gave me was $8000. That does not include tile, tube, faucet, light fixtures, trim for can light, mirror, exhaust and paint. So, for the most part it seems to be labor but he did put in his estimate: $800 for vanity and install of, and &650 for granite countertop & install of (that was included in the $8000).
TIA

I recently renovated almost same size bathroom. It includes toilet, vanity, counter, bathroom faucet, bathtub and so on. I had a total cost of $6000.

 

[_19disnA]

I would recommend getting three detail quotes and then you can compare who is doing what and for how much. You can also tell a lot about the quality of the contractor by how they handle the quote. Prices vary by region and how busy they are, so there isn't a lot of value in trying to compare that here. Obviously, the price of fixtures/tile/vanities/light fixtures....etc. can vary quite a bit so a lot of that depends on your budget. I don't see the need to pay a 'designer' to do what you can basically do for yourself, particularly if just updating one bathroom to give it a refreshed look.

 

[QueenElinor]

We took a small bathroom down to the studs (even the floor). New everything except the sink. I'm guessing it'll be 25k when we're done, but I live in a small mountain town where costs are slightly above average.

Not that this advice will help anyone who's in the middle of a remodel, but our cost-saving step was to buy a much smaller house than the max we could afford.

Now that it's time for the remodeling I can pretty much do what I want to since we saved hundreds of thousands upfront already. It takes a lot of stress out of the calculations. I've hired people who have a good reputation & do a fabulous job and that's my only concern at this point.

 

[cmmc]

Some condos and houses built between 1995 to 2007 used Kitec water pipes - these pipes will definitely burst eventually so condo owners are being forced to replace all the pipes in order to have insurance. I know of one guy in Toronto with a small 1 Bedroom unit that has to shell out $5000 just to replace the pipes.