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I know this has been discussed many times so I apologize up front. I have a 9 by 5 bathroom we are looking to gut and remodel. We are looking to keep it basic as it will be used by kids for the next 18 years and know it’s going to take a beating. We received a quote for 18-20 thousand ball park which is just to high for what we are getting in my opinion. Basic tub (450$) and toilet (350$) 1500 for the vanity. Basic tile in the shower up the wall and sheet rock for the rest. No plumbing or electrical changes. Mid line fixtures. Tiled floor. I figured 12-14 k since we weren’t tiling all around the walls. Anyone have a few recommendations. We have 2 more contractors coming this weekend but I’m expecting a crazy number still.
I feel your pain and wish I could point you to a reasonable alternative. My DIL's parents recently had a bathroom of similar size (I think theirs is 6 x 10) redone in just the manner you described and it cost them $13K done by a contractor who is the father of one of my DIL's good friends and so he gave them a break on the price. They had new floor tile put in but only paint on the walls; they went with a Sterling acrylic shower kit in the tub area so no tiling in that area either. The Sterling units install direct-to-stud and so no drywall required except from the top of the unit to the ceiling.
It cost me almost $10K last year just to have an existing tub replaced with a Kohler Choreograph shower and fixtures, new exhaust fan, and new Toto toilet earlier this year. That said, $3600 of it was for the materials. And I went for the cheaper Toto toilet (Drake) instead of the one I really wanted (Clayton) which would have been an additional $500.
Last edited by BBCjunkie; 10-30-2018 at 08:53 AM..
I'm in the process now. I think your quote is rather high. We picked out the materials and anticipate the cost under 18K. The bathroom is only 5X7, but not using bottom of the line cheap stuff either. Working on shower doors now, which might raise the price.
Not all of us can afford the contractor bathrooms. Find a handyman to give you a quote.
I could write a novel why this is often a terrible idea, but I'll leave you with this.
Make sure your handyman renovator is fully versed in waterproofing a tub or shower properly, knows electrical code and wont take shortcuts, doesnt rely on sharkbite fittings for all the plumbing work.
I dont doubt there are handymen out there that will do an amazing job, but I've seen too many of their competitors doing such shoddy work who were hired because of a low price.
I could write a novel why this is often a terrible idea, but I'll leave you with this.
Make sure your handyman renovator is fully versed in waterproofing a tub or shower properly, knows electrical code and wont take shortcuts, doesnt rely on sharkbite fittings for all the plumbing work.
I dont doubt there are handymen out there that will do an amazing job, but I've seen too many of their competitors doing such shoddy work who were hired because of a low price.
^^^All this ^^^
I've heard too many horror stories about handymen found on Craigslist or in the Pennysaver or through bulletin board ads. That said, a friend of mine who lives in North Carolina knows of a fellow in her town who set up as a handyman in his early 60s, after having worked full time for decades for local renovation contractors. He had gotten to the tipping point healthwise where he needed to cut down the workload from almost-every-day to a couple of jobs a week, i.e., semi-retired. He didn't want to go the full route of setting up his own business, having employees and all the hassles etc as a supervisor, so hiring out as a handyman worked out for both him and his customers. Plus, as my now-retired plumber used to say, sometime it's a huge challenge to find a helper or employee who will do the work as meticulously as one would do it oneself.
There's a dispute between my contractor and my supplier/designer regarding the bathtub. The supplier wants to sell us a cast iron tub, which he says holds up longer, but of course costs more. The contractor doesn't like installing cast iron tubs because they are very heavy and is pushing for a steel tub. Both don't think acrylic is very good.
Opinions/advice, please?
Edited to add I guess this really isn't a Long Island question, but I just piggybacked it onto the recent bathroom contractor thread. Moderator can move it to the house forum, if appropriate.
There's a dispute between my contractor and my supplier/designer regarding the bathtub. The supplier wants to sell us a cast iron tub, which he says holds up longer, but of course costs more. The contractor doesn't like installing cast iron tubs because they are very heavy and is pushing for a steel tub. Both don't think acrylic is very good.
Opinions/advice, please?
Edited to add I guess this really isn't a Long Island question, but I just piggybacked it onto the recent bathroom contractor thread. Moderator can move it to the house forum, if appropriate.
Get the cast iron. There is a huge difference in quality. Screw the contractor. If anything he may charge a couple more dollars but, he shouldn’t
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