Dear Folks,
Thanks for the “demolition accessories list” from when my dilema was posted in Help Wanted. Ok, I took your advice & got a bid from a professional. Please tell me if I’d be taking it in the shorts. For > 8 grand I am proposed to get:
Tango Heritage 54″ bathroom sink,vanity, cabinet lighted all-in-one thing @ $5786.,tax included in that figure. The faucet/ hardware set @ $200. Removal & disposal of two walls and dropped ceiling, removal & disposal of existing vanity, mirrors, silverfish et al. Replacement w/ new ceiling & all electrical & plumbing work required @ $1980. Sum $7966.75
To me that sounds like a lot. Is it realistic to you guys? I’ve shopped around a little but mostly for cabinets or sinks and such; not the whole shootin’ match!! Who can you trust? I need to rethink the ductwork & then leave it alone. That’s a tar-baby for sure.
Going nuts,
Gab
Replies
Gabby,
I have no idea what this "Tango Heritage 54" bathroom sink" all in one "thing" is, but it sure sounds like a lot of $$ for it.
I believe you could do better if you purchased a vanity, sink top, cabinet, light fixture mirror etc.. individually. But if this is what you like, fine. Just seems like a lot of money is going to one big "contraption", pardon my decscription.
Anywazz, I really can't tell you one way or another about the price. There are just toooo many variables involved. Where are you located? My bath remodels start at approx $12,000 for a standard size bath. But thats not telling you much.
p.s. The pic is dead!
Edited 2/9/2004 10:09:39 PM ET by Woodrow
Edited 2/9/2004 10:10:48 PM ET by Woodrow
Dear Woody:
Did the picture go this time?
Gabby, as the others have said, it's impossible to give a price without seeing the job. If the cabinet is made of thin particle board, the drawer bottoms are thin and flex easily, there is any melamine(even on the inside) then the price is too high. The rest of the job sounds like a real bargain in my area, especially for a rush job. I have no idea where in the country you are.Kem, custom furniture and cabinets in San Francisco
Dear Kem,
Thanks pal. We're in Ft. Liquordale, FL. The prices in San Francisco must be something very special; not for the fainthearted. (but it's the best city...)
Gab
Kem,
Hi again. I just spoke to the lady from the showroom. Yes, there is particle board, then it has a veneer of "timber wood" (no specific identification), then lacquering. No melamine. It seems pretty rigid but ... It's still a whopper of a price.
Gab
Gabby, particle board will swell and fall apart if water stays on it for too long. It may be fine for years if it stays dry, so check for plumbing leaks on a regular basis. If you get the cab., seal the joints in the area under the sink with a small bead of silicone caulk to keep water from wicking into the ends of the boards.Kem
You basically want an estimate from a bunch of blind people, cause we can't see diddly of what you either want or need to have done. Is the place being gutted, tub removed, floor shoveled up? Tile involved? New drywall? Reframing? You mention replumbing, anything (sink, toilet, tub) being moved, or are we redoing plumbing because it is antiquated? Electrical, needs upgrading? What about lights, fans, GFCI? What about heat? Skylights? Any trim details? Who's gonna buy the new TP holder, or shower rod?
Lotsa details need to be worked out, very little of which have been presented. Not that I could give an accurate estimate anyway, without snooping around for several visits. Location also drives labor prices, not to mention code compliance from building inspectors, not that that should matter.
Bottom line, I guess I can't tell you if the price is good or out in the boondocks, since the whole big flick thing is MIA.
Incidently, Welcome to BT. I apologize if this comes across sarcastic or rude, it's not meant to be. Trying to compare prices sight unseen is difficult at best, impossible most likely. Maybe getting a second opinion might help?
Dear Nuke,
Hi, good evening. We're looking at taking out the original, 1967 archaic plumbing, sink,vanity,cabinet, mirrored nightmare. There is a dropped ceiling,( w/ those horrible inset plastic pieces & some of the insets look like styrofoam), that houses big a/c ductwork, two walls have to go but they're not "big", the marble floor is good (2years ago we had that installed). The old sink/cabinet unit floor space will have to have 2 pieces of 2'X2' marble put in before the new sink/cabinet of course. Yes we need lighting, wiring etc. Our place is a little condo approx 1200sf, in Ft.Lauderdale. I was dreaming that it could get finished relatively quickly. Does that help to calculate the bid?
Gab
It's tough giving an estimate without being there, and I know nothing of the going rates in Fla. There would be questions that still need to be resolved. Are the walls load bearing? What will happen to what was once the wall? Finished flooring, new linen closet, ets. What are you going to do with the ceiling? Get rid of the dropped stuff, sure, but will you frame out the ceiling and drywall? Maybe you can build soffits around the ducts if they are against a wall.
Even answering those, and more, I couldn't give you a good guess. What I can do is let you compare. I'm drafting a proposal for a complete gut job on a bathroom for a friend. All drywall must go, along with all fixtures, including the cast iron tub and the hideous window above it. A new fiberglass two piece tub and surround will be brought in (through the exterior wall), skylight installed, new vent fan/heater/light installed above the tub, oak vanity with matching medicine cabinet (inset in reworked double stud bay) and towel storage cabinet above the toilet. Two new circuits, including a 20 amp GFCI breaker for the fan. All new tub plumbing, toilet, sink, etc. The only thing that isn't being replaced is the door (don't ask why, she just loves her door.) She dislikes tile, so I'm putting down underlayment and vinyl after stripping the old stuff.
And all this for about ten grand, which is fairly cheap in New England, considering.
If you have reservations about the price you were given, maybe you should shop around for another. I hate recommending that, though, since I know nothing of the original bid or the guy presenting it; he might be square and the second opinion could be lowballing. You gotta do what makes you comfortable, I guess. If you find out more about the contractor, maybe you'll find you don't need a second opinion.
Hope that helps.
I never met a tool I didn't like!
For a complete bathroom, soup to nuts, well done, it sounds well within reason.
If it's done hastily, by guys who are clock watchers and break takers, who are unconcerned with work quality, then it's a rip off at nearly any price.
Bath projects are more demanding and complex than the size of the room would lead you to believe. Details have to be spot on in the rough in stage. And water is enemy #1.
I guess that the bottom line here is that price is only one consideration. You will be almost living with the guys doing the work. I would look for integrity and good workmanship. Attention to details. Look at former projects and references, and trust your human instinct for choosing a guy with integrity. The rest will follow.
IMHO, of course!
Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
I do alot of bathroom remodels, as a matter of fact i would like to ONLY do bathroom remodels. I just finished a small one, total gut, removed cast iron tub and framed up for a total tile shower, removed old cabs and built her new ones, removed all floor tile and put in new, new vanity tops and fixture paint bla bla bla...ran about 6600.00 I do alot of the work myself so I can be a little cheaper. bath room size was around 10x8. Your price seems ok. He will probably go over too.You would be surprized how the little things add up. I am amazed myself how the draws disappear!. I always worry if I will make enough. ( I am a poor businessman,....poor in both senses)
In doubt, do it yourself! save alot of money. Dont wanna? Then get a second bid.
ps..that first price for the cab seems way out there though.