You've got to be f@#$% kidding me. Bath remodel.

[Dmitry]

So wer're going to remodel our existing master bathroom. 8x12.

Wants -

full gut

steam shower

soaker bath

tile on floor and in shower 

in-line fan

heated floor

towel warmer

nice vanity

nice light

new toilet

move toilet a foot or two

Hansgroche fixtures

Got 3 quotes  - $35k, $43k, $55k. 

WTF...

Anyone done this recently? Am I crazy to think these prices are crazy?

[Scott Dolan]

No, and yes. 

Hell, the steam shower alone accounts for around a fifth of that. 

[sgcim]

I got a guy from Ghana to do the tiling in my co-op apt's bathroom for about 1 or 2k. He had to sneak in the tiling and his tools, because he didn't have a license, and he didn't think the co-op board would approve him.

I got my entire apt. painted by an ex-engineer who had an NBD and became born again, for $900. He came in whenever he had the time and took a few months...

[Dmitry]

1 hour ago, sgcim said:

I got a guy from Ghana to do the tiling in my co-op apt's bathroom for about 1 or 2k. He had to sneak in the tiling and his tools, because he didn't have a license, and he didn't think the co-op board would approve him.

I got my entire apt. painted by an ex-engineer who had an NBD and became born again, for $900. He came in whenever he had the time and took a few months...

Yeah, that sounds cool. Hook me up with their numbers.

When we bought our first house, and didn't know anything about anything, I hired a company ran by born-agains, who employed convicts in their rehabilitation program. Didn't know that then... One of the said convicts destroyed the newly-placed bamboo floor with a nail gun, right in front of me. Did you know that refnishing bamboo floors is a real bitch?! Neither did I. Cause it shreds. Oh, also, they laid down the floor with a serious slant. Like if you put a marble in one corner, it would roll quickly to an opposite corner...diagonally. 

Now I want impeccable references, pedigree, a family tree dating to the second crusade. One GC I'm not hiring because he came for a meeting in our house and asked if he could take a pee.

 

1 hour ago, Scott Dolan said:

 

Hell, the steam shower alone accounts for around a fifth of that. 

That's what she said. I mean the certified bathroom designer. Except she said $20k for the steam shower. OK then..

Edited April 20, 2017 by Dmitry

[Jim Alfredson]

Our recently completed bathroom remodel cost $18k. The room was already gutted by me and I also did the tile flooring myself. The contractor built the shower (no steam shower) which is a 4 x 4 with glass door and subway tile, re-used a dresser we found for the sink vanity, and did all the finish work including re-hanging a severely crooked door. But the plumbing was really simple (probably could've done it myself) as was the electrical. I couldn't really believe how much it cost. Except for the actual framing (which was tricky due to the weird shape of the room), I could've done pretty much the entire job myself. However, with my schedule, it would've taken 9 months to complete instead of a few weeks. So...

But yeah... it's expensive.

[stephenrr]

Demo for new kitchen and extensive renovation of adjoining bath begins May 15.  All new Subzero-Wolf appliances; all new custom oak cabinets; new tile floor; new lighting; all new granite.  Turning half bath into full with deep soaker tub, glass walled shower with body jets.  Estimated 6 week project with estimated budget of well over six figures.  Yes.  Construction projects are extremely expensive.  My advice, find a contracter who speaks spanish--I'll wager he knows a master craftsman tile person.  All three of our bathrooms are works of art due to floor, wall, and ceiling tile.

[rostasi]

Get rid of the heated floor and towel warmer and you can cut another chunk out of the price.

[sgcim]

3 hours ago, Dmitry said:

Yeah, that sounds cool. Hook me up with their numbers.

When we bought our first house, and didn't know anything about anything, I hired a company ran by born-agains, who employed convicts in their rehabilitation program. Didn't know that then... One of the said convicts destroyed the newly-placed bamboo floor with a nail gun, right in front of me. Did you know that refnishing bamboo floors is a real bitch?! Neither did I. Cause it shreds. Oh, also, they laid down the floor with a serious slant. Like if you put a marble in one corner, it would roll quickly to an opposite corner...diagonally. 

Now I want impeccable references, pedigree, a family tree dating to the second crusade. One GC I'm not hiring because he came for a meeting in our house and asked if he could take a pee.

 

That's what she said. I mean the certified bathroom designer. Except she said $20k for the steam shower. OK then..

I guess you're kidding about hooking you up with their numbers, but the guy from Ghana was rec'd by a musician/business owner, who was 'connected', so I guess the guy did such a good job, because I used the 'connected' guy's name.

I rec'd him to another musician, who can be a real hard-on, and he hated the guy so much, he left the job half-done, and never came back!

The born-again guy also did a great job, but he has literally disappeared. Nobody knows where he is. Brilliant guy, though; he used to handle the huge estate of some billionaire that has a building named after him in NYC.

[Dmitry]

1 hour ago, rostasi said:

Get rid of the heated floor and towel warmer and you can cut another chunk out of the price.

No way. I want to die on that radiant-heat floor, clutching onto the towel warmer. 

 

[Chuck Nessa]

51 minutes ago, Dmitry said:

No way. I want to die on that radiant-heat floor, clutching onto the towel warmer. 

 

That can be arranged for another 5 grand.

[Dmitry]

1 hour ago, sgcim said:

I guess you're kidding about hooking you up with their numbers, but the guy from Ghana was rec'd by a musician/business owner, who was 'connected', so I guess the guy did such a good job, because I used the 'connected' guy's name.

I rec'd him to another musician, who can be a real hard-on, and he hated the guy so much, he left the job half-done, and never came back!

The born-again guy also did a great job, but he has literally disappeared. Nobody knows where he is. Brilliant guy, though; he used to handle the huge estate of some billionaire that has a building named after him in NYC.

Yeah, I was being tongue in cheek. I'm pretty sure the Ghanaian does great tiling work. You're in NYC? 

You have to understand that where I am it's either "a guy with a pick-up or a white van", or an expensive remodeling company, with nary anything in-between. I have yet to find a good reliable remodeler who doesn't charge the holy s@#t fees. 

BTW, what did you mean by " ex-engineer who had an NBD"? What's a NBD? 

57 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

That can be arranged for another 5 grand.

Cheaper than the tile work I was quoted. And definitely an option at this point in my life. Thanks, Chuck!

[sgcim]

1 hour ago, Dmitry said:

Yeah, I was being tongue in cheek. I'm pretty sure the Ghanaian does great tiling work. You're in NYC? 

You have to understand that where I am it's either "a guy with a pick-up or a white van", or an expensive remodeling company, with nary anything in-between. I have yet to find a good reliable remodeler who doesn't charge the holy s@#t fees. 

BTW, what did you mean by " ex-engineer who had an NBD"? What's a NBD? 

Cheaper than the tile work I was quoted. And definitely an option at this point in my life. Thanks, Chuck!

Nervous breakdown. He was in charge of a very expensive apartment complex in Boston, and the pressure was too much for him. He became an alcoholic, and then was 'born-again' .

My mother met him at church, and she used to get him to do stuff around the house. When he quoted the price to paint every inch of my co-op apt., I almost broke out laughing!

I just signed his little contract as fast as I could. He wound up fixing a whole bunch of other stuff for free.

To my credit, I did tip him.

Yeah, NY.

[catesta]

Shit does get expensive. We just went through a total re-wire. To prep for it we had to have all the old insulation removed plus many years worth of debris in the attic space like roof shingles, wood, old duct work, etc. Then, when the electrical work was completed we had it all re-insulated. Starting next week we have a drywall/plaster guy coming in to patch up all the fuckin' holes. Next up is a new central air unit and then like Dmitry, a bathroom re-do.

[alankin]

Good quality work seems to cost twice as much as you think it should be.   

[Dmitry]

On 4/26/2017 at 5:16 PM, catesta said:

Shit does get expensive. We just went through a total re-wire. To prep for it we had to have all the old insulation removed plus many years worth of debris in the attic space like roof shingles, wood, old duct work, etc. Then, when the electrical work was completed we had it all re-insulated. Starting next week we have a drywall/plaster guy coming in to patch up all the fuckin' holes. Next up is a new central air unit and then like Dmitry, a bathroom re-do.

You bought in Park Slope? Congrats. Love the neighborhood! I just drove through it yesterday.

We're going to a bathroom showroom this week. Gonna pick out some tile and hardware. I'm prepared for the sticker shock, I think. Like it's been said - quality fixtures and quality work cost money.