How much is NORMAL: small bath remodel

[silibran]

It is always best to get at least three bids on a job. You will know so much more from talking to three contractors. Get your bids on paper. Check the contractor's supplied references, and check the BBB to see if there are any unresolved complaints with him. Do your homework before signing the dotted line.

And I think that doing some of the work yourself is a good idea to save costs.

[eddiehaskell]

I wouldn't pay $3k, but it doesn't sound extreme to put in a tub, vanity, tile the floor and tile the tub surround. If you went with bigger tiles like a 12x12, he could probably knock out your bathroom in 2 days. I helped my handyman install subway tiles around my shower pan about 7 feet up the wall and it was very tedious work considering the size of the tiles (grouting takes much longer too). They look great, but I would've went with a larger tile if I could do it over.

BTW - MAKE SURE he's prepping the walls correctly by using cement backer board (no drywall...even the purple kind) with a proper vapor barrier. I used 4-5 coats of Redguard liquid membrane, but you can also use plastic or tar paper hung behind the cement board. 90% of the contractors I contacted did not know how to install tile in wet areas properly...once I found out they didn't know exactly how to do it, I moved on to the next person. If I have to teach a contractor he better be willing to work cheap.

[Girl]

Originally Posted by TrapperL

You've already been robbed when you walked into Home Depot. Why would you expect to not be robbed again on the labor? No qualified contractor is going to let you supply him with materials from a source he normally would never buy from. Home Depot sells RETAIL. You can't pay more for materials.

When we did our kitchen remodel in 2012, I provided all materials save the actual construction materials, the windows, the new sliding glass door and the paint. I provided the cabinets, the appliances, the countertops, the lighting, the new sink and the flooring. I made sure that all my materials were at the house ready for installation when the project began so that there would be no wait times. I spent a year researching and purchasing the items for my kitchen to ensure I got the lowest pricing - even my GC commented that I got some better deals than he could have.

In the end, we came in several thousand UNDER budget thanks to my thriftiness, and at least 30% less than most other contractors were going to charge me for a kitchen in which they made all the purchases.

Did I use HD or Lowe's for all my purchases? I think I used HD for our pendant lights, but that's it. But everything else was still bought at "retail" prices (but on sale or clearance). My GC had no problem installing anything I provided, and seemed to like the fact that all the materials were already available for him to install as they were needed. We had no change orders, we had no delays, and it was a seamless project from beginning the end.

And yes, my GC was qualified - licensed, bonded, in business for several years. He was considered a "mom and pop" type contractor when we initially contacted him for a quote, but due to our referrals (he has done work for many of our neighbors who have gone on to refer others to him as well), he is now so busy and in demand all year round due to referrals that he has a 9-12 month wait list for even the smallest of projects.

When we go to remodel our master bath in a couple years - you can bet I'll contact him. And you can bet he won't have a problem when I tell him that I already have the cabinets, the tub, the shower tiles, the flooring, the sinks, the faucets, the lighting and the countertops.

[chet everett]

There are far more folks that try to anticipate all the materials needed but end up badly missing the mark and then having to scramble to find "the thingy that goes behind the dealymabop" only to end up wasting days of the contractor's time.
While it is commendable when someone manages to pull this off I would caution that missing items o "overbuying" can be a real issue.

I further caution that there is even less room for error in a bath -- from toilets that have the wrong flange-to-wall offset to improper adhesives to incorrectly sized cabinetry it can be a real horror show to see a pile of mistakes compound the cost of projects.

The reality is that there are skills that a contractor learns by dealing with the day-in-day-out challenges of finishing off a very high cost :: small space room like a bath and it makes sense to seek out the contractors that have demonstrated their mastery of such projects.

Further, as countless "call me to fix it" contractors can attest, simply having the correct materials WITHOUT BEING FULLY AWARE OF HOW TO PROPERLY install such things can ultimately lead to the worst kinds of errors -- throwing away costly materials when the true professional has to "make it right" is not a recipe for saving money.

[PLBR]

I feel that letting most contractors show you what they offer and do, results many times in cookie cutter remodels. And many are not up to date with the latest styles and products. Many electricians ect..are not keeping up with the newer smart home gadgets.