Is this bathroom remodel estimate high?

Question

My husband and I are looking to gut and replace our bathroom. It is currently very dated and requires a little plumbing updating. Part of the gutting will be removing an existing linen closet and a built-in vanity and a built-in hamper. The room is 6 by 9 feet with a standard-sized shower/tub insert. We plan on getting standard-grade replacement tub, shower insert, toilet, and vanity. Aside from some plumbing updating, there is no structural issues or any "catches".
We live near Boston, Ma. Our estimates for this project so far have been $12,500 and $16,700. Do these estimates sound high? We would like to do this ourselves (as we usually do everything ourselves) but we are expecting a baby very soon and we don't have the time or ability to do it ourselves right now.
Thanks in advance for any input.

Answer 1

I'm a contractor in Phoenix. If you are just putting standard tub and enclosure back in with standard sink/vanity and nothing way too expensive on the plumbing fixtures, the 16,700 sounds a little high. It should be around 10-12K. The Boston market may be very different though. If the contractors are very busy there, then the rates go up. It's all about supply and demand. The best thing to do is to get 3-4 estimates from random contractors. Talk with them, ask many questions. Generally, it's not best to go with the highest or the lowest bid. Sometimes, the low guy is just low balling you and he will just hit you with extra charges later on with a change order. Go with the guy somewhere in the middle and that you feel comfortable with. AND DO GET REFERENCES.... call other people he's done work with. If he hesitates to give you numbers, don't go with that one. AND NEVER HIRE an unlicensed contractor, you will get burned. AND NEVER pull permits yourself for anything... including the plumbing. Make the licensed contractor hire a licensed plumber to do the plumbing.

In short, those prices don't seem outrageous, just a tiny bit high... but that could just be do to the market conditions in the Boston area.

Good Luck!!

P.S. Good luck trying to renovate a bathroom for $1200 Twelve Hundred LOL No Way!! If you did it yourself, you'd have to buy the cheapest of everything at Home Depot and you would be disappointed in the end because your bathtub would scratch just by looking at it!!

I'VE BEEN READING.... HERE'S MORE.... Your husband could do the tear out.... that might save you like $400.... but remember, you'd have to haul the stuff to the landfill yourself. That's the least expensive part of the job.

What's gonna cost you is the plumbing.... a cheap tub is $200 for the kind that scratches when you look at it. Porcelin on Steel. A decent tub is gonna run around $500. Then you have the shower diverter.... that's your faucet in the tub... about $200 for a decent one... a nice one is about $300. Then you have a sink... and faucet for that.... and a toilet... another 150 -500 depending on the model. Don't forget about updating any pipes ... The plumber alone is gonna run $3000-$5000 depending on the fixtures.....After that, the guy still has to repair the sheetrock, paint, install flooring and trim... and he had to install the vanity and mirror...new exhaust fan if applicable... buy all that stuff.... pay his liability insurance, gas and insurance for the truck and the truck payment... he also had to spend time with you when he estimated the job... and probably at home spend a few hours figuring out the estimate itself. He has loads of overhead that people don't see. On top of all that, he still has to make a profit to feed his family!!! .... and to top it all off... he probably had to run around and estimate 10 other jobs and do the paperwork on those jobs before he got hired for just 1 of them!

Don't let the people who try to minimize the cost of the job fool you.... There is a lot involved that people don't really comprehend. Anyone that says run up to Home Depot and do it yourself for $1200 to $2500 is only fooling themselves. You'll probably end up hiring the contractor about half-way into the job anyway :)

Oh, and I agree with Champ The Plumber below.... You really didn't state a lot of detail about the job.... things like ceramic tile and wallpaper could cost a lot too. He's right that the plumbing is not 6000-8000 also. probably 3-5.

ok, I have to add this comment about what Steel_N_F said.... Itemized Bill from the contractor? Should the contractor itemize all his overhead costs on that bill too? An itemized bill is not representative of the true picture as to where the expensises are. It would give a false impression of overages. You shouldn't hound your contractor for an itemized bill unless it is for a change order (add on) after the original contract is signed.

Answer 2

The price of demolition is what is making it look expensive. It costs a lot to rip out the bathroom. Also, how is your old tub and debris going to be removed? Do you intend to rent a dumpster? That costs a few hundred just for the dumpster! It all depends on the materials. If you think this guy does good work, but want to save some money on the materials, you should be able to do that. In my area, you can do a small bathroom remodel from anywhere from $3000K up to 10K. If you let the contractor do everything, you are paying for his time to run to plumbing supply, tile stores, etc. If I were you, I'd supply the materials and fixtures, and negotiate a fixed price for his work. Don't forget that if you are updating an old bath, you want to be sure that there are GFCI outlets, green backer board, etc...everything up to modern day code. Good luck and get a few more estimates for comparison. Even Lowes and Home Depot have design services and installers--maybe you can go to one of the stores, and talk to a designer and get a quote for comparison. Good luck...

Answer 3

I live in the southwest ,so I am not familiar with the prices out there. One idea I have is for you to buy the fixtures I.E tub, vanity, sink and toilet. You can get great deals on seconds for half the cost. Your husband can probably do the tear out of the old stuff and save a little there Bathrooms are expensive but I would get a few more estimates with what I have told you in mind. Good Luck

Answer 4

Most plumbers double the fixture price to get a rough estimate, standard fixtures are not 6 to 8 thousand dollars, however the term gutting means stripping the room to the wood and replacing flooring and walls, also finish treatments take much of the price, wallpaper, tiling; you don't state enough detail and you are in a high priced area. The difference in the two estimates should tell you that they are not representative. I would try to get a recommendation from a friend or neighbor who has had work done in your area. With the pressures of a new baby, a snag in your do-it-yourself scenario could cause real problems. Happy Parenthood!

Answer 5

Does sound high and I'm in Connecticut! What I would do is price everything you need and want like your vanity, toilet, tub/shower en closer and have them justify the cost. Contract the work yourself and over see the job, be your own contractor and you hire the trades it might be cheaper for you. Good luck.

Answer 6

A tad high but remember the thieves on Beacon Hill get about 1/2 of that and the Ins companies get about 1/4th of that. The junk stuff from HD is about $2,500 So less than 1/4th of that is his expenses and income Plus landfill fees

Answer 7

Most contractors charge about $200 to $500 per person, per day DOE and what is involved like how many people, equipment, etc.. And parts are usually marked up some too.

I would worry more about will they show up and work everyday. Remember you do get what you pay for. And Loyalty is something you can't buy either.

Good luck!

Answer 8

we remodeled ours for 1200 and we did the work ourself , we replaced the floor and put tile down and a new shower , toilet and cabinet , so if you know what you need and how to do it , lowes or any other hardware store would be better , go get estimates of the supplies you want and see what it comes to and then you'll know what they are adding for labor cost , good luck

Answer 9

If you really want a full picture of what the expenses are , request an itemized bill and or estimate from your contractor .

Answer 10

Yes that's a bit high, depend on the vanity choice etc, but it should still be below 10K