I’ve been lurking for a while, what a great forumn you guys have here…
I do a half dozen or so bath remodels every year, and they ALWAYS seem to take longer than they “should”. They are usually a complete demo, some floor joist/sub-floor repair, stud replacement, cement board backer for tile floor, and tiled tub or shower suround, beadboard lower wall with trimmed shelf, smooth drywall above beadboard and on the ceiling. I’m blessed with a reliable plumber and a good carpenter/tiler/helper. Generally they are about 40 square feet, and nothing is plumb/level to begin with, but damn close when we leave. It’s always one guy at a time in such small spaces but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t always take four weeks what with waiting for stuff to dry, etc. Throw in a few supplier delays or what have you and it sometimes gets to six weeks! I live on Cape Cod so it’s really damp, mud, grout, etc takes two days to dry. I usually leave everything primed, but not painted…Does anyone else take this long, or am I just too slow?
Replies
I do a lot of bathroom remodels and they usually take about three weeks, but i usually only work on them about five or six hours a day. I typically replace the tub or shower pan ,backerboard and tile the surround and floor, replace the shower valve, do the base board, new toilet, sink and cab., paint, and of coarse all the demo.
Gutted to studs...always. 2 guys, 2 weeks...demo to paint. No inspections. Inspections will add a week or 2, and for fixture replacement, slight relocations, and light electrical work for the experienced is a waste of time.
Ahh, I neglected to mention relocation and venting - many old houses here are not vented, and the entire DWV gets replaced as they are usually cast and galvy in poor condition.
Hey, "Bathfitter" says they can do it in a day! What's the problem??
I think the best thing you can do is explain to your customers up front why a comprhensive bath remodel takes so long. I try to avoid jobs where there is only one shower in the house. Living without a shower tends to make people edgy after a few days. I always ask if they have any vacation plans and try to schedule around that.
Try to have all materials on site before you start, especially special order stuff. This would help avoid delays caused by backordered materials. Custom vanity tops are often a problem, but often they can't be ordered until the walls are finished. Maybe regular schedule updates to the stone shop would help. Are you using sheetrock and mud? Try blueboard and plaster. That's a one-day project and creates less dust.
Keep up the good work!
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
First off......welcome to this Breaktime nut house.lol (you'll see)
How long?
Well, that's really a hard question being that there's so many variables in each bathroom.
There won't be an answer here that'll help you price a job if thats what your hoping for.
If its just curiosity than I'd say tween' 3-4 weeks with one helper and direct replacements.
Far as dry time on the mud, I always do the first cpl a coats with 90 minute mud.
The rock work itself can take quite a while depending on all the cut out, corners etc etc.
Wonderboard work, type of tile etc etc.
Also if its on the second floor.shlepping everything up there and the debris down.
I try and lower contractor garbage bags out the bath window on a rope to keep the house clean and to speed things up.
Its too broad a question to give an accurate answer...
Once again welcome to BT
BE well
andy
My life is my passion!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
The drywall will take only 3 hours.
Sez so here http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&msg=43159.1&maxT=14
Don't know if that includes dry time or not.
Joe H
And if it is your bathroom, and you live there, the correct answer is "forever".
;o)
Norm
I read that "entertaining" thread yesterday...it takes about three hours to cut a hole in the side of a cedar shingled, timber-framed 1870's house amd properly install a window, too, right?
I wasn't fishing for prices as I generally just double the price of what I think it should cost, that way I only "lose" money half the time. Heh.
Or only lose half as much.........
Joe H
How long for a bath remodel???? Six foot. Having lived with 5ft and 6ft, I'd say go with the 6..........oh, now I see. Long, as in time, not long as in length......
takes longer that it "should" ...
classic words of an off-site boss!
If they seem to be taking 4 weeks ...
I'd say ... maybe 4 weeks is your answer.
Sounds a lot like the boss a buddy of mine had ...
At one meeting ... to berate the "slow" employees ... he said he went over the job logs from tha last coupla years ... said they were "consistently 15% over time and budget" .... "almost each and ever job was 15% over" ....
and everyone better start working 15% harder and faster ...
My buddy raised his hand ... said he had an idea ...
How about coming up with your final numbers ... and simply add 15% to all the numbers ... since you're consistently off by 15% with your math?
Guess it was one of those meetings you go in ready to quit.
True to form ... no changes were made ....
said company is now bankrupt and disbanded.
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
HEy Free
2 weeks dude.2 weeks.were you been?
Be The Money Pit
andy"My life is my practice"
However long it takes to do it right and do it well. I usually allow 3-4 weeks for a bath job, and I do it all myself, with my son lending a hand in the demo phase.
All these replies are starting to scare me.
My wife told me last week that her mother is coming to visit the first week of June and asked if I could remodel the guest bath by then. In this case , remodeling includes a complete gut job, completely reframe two walls, relocate the tub, and some electrical.
And, I'm supposed to do all this evenings and weekends.
Just wait til she sees what I want in compensation.
Dont start until mom gets there. Its sure to shorten the time that is really important.
The thing is, I really like my MIL., so I enjoy her visits.
I just wish my wife realized that real life schedules don't always match those on TV.
I remodeled the guest bathroom in the last house I owned and it took me oh....... about a year.
My mother in law wouldn't visit if it wasn't done and I just seemed to always be busy doing other things.
Any nagging from the wife was well worth the one year.
Guess you better get off the computer and start whacking away in the bathroom : )
I never met a tool I didn't like!
I am currently just over 2 months into my master bath remodel. Total gut job, moved toilet and sink, bath in same place, adding a separate shower. Added 2 small walls and removed 2 other walls. Door added to bathroom, was open to bedroom before. Tiled the floor which use to be carpet and lino. All this on second floor of home. Working on evenings and weekends with a toddler in the house that takes 2 hour naps, so no work when he is sleeping. Just about done, probably another week or so. Just set the toilet tonight. Hope this give you an idea what you are in for Shep.
Dan"Life is what happens when you are making other plans." - John Lennon
OUCH! That hurt!
I get enough "hints" from my wife.
Cleaned that one up!!!Gooood werk..rhymes with....