Bathroom: quote for complete refurbushment

AceP

To be fair that's not a bad quote, the only thing that's on the high side is the rubbish removal. However, with skip prices going north of £200 now as waste transfer stations are charging extortionate amounts per tonne, you can't really blame them. At the end of the day, if you've seen the builders work and it seems worth it to you then go for it, but shop around first. HTH

PlutoinCapricorn

Thanks AceP.

I definitely don't want the bottom of the range - I thought it very funny when I saw that Tesco do a Value range and B & Q have takeaway bathrooms! I know that you pay extra for quality.

I will see whether they can justify those figures. I will not commit to anything until I have got satisfactory answers and have checked prices elsewhere.

mehera

robatwork wrote: »

I won't comment on those individual charges but I would expect to pay £3000-£5000 for a complete bathroom that size including everything ie old suite out, replaster, tile, new suite etc. Depends on quality of new suite and location of course

At the very top end paying 3-5k - and it is not a very big bathroom now is it?

At the lower end (cost of new suite being a major factor!) it could be done for 2k possibly . . ..

You can get suites for £200 and they might not be as bad as you think!

Also you can pay £800+ for real luxury suites - £150 just for taps ect . ..

I think that is a bit overkill for many and often I dont think the quality justifys the high prices sometimes . . .

It more depends where you buy from in fact!

LEJC

Just to give you a rough idea...we had this bathroom done last year created from an empty room,so all pipework etc needed..not a particularly expensive suite but funtional ...cost £3800..

.

keystone

AceP wrote: »

To be fair that's not a bad quote,

How do you know? OP has not yet told us the full extent of the quote.

the only thing that's on the high side............ is the rubbish removal.

Are you seriously suggesting that a £ 1,300 labour cost for stripping out a bath, basin, loo, any redundant pipework, and tiles is VFM. That's 1 to 1½ days work depending on access to get it into a skip for goodness sake. Are you seriously suggesting that a £ 1,500 labour cost to put in a new suite in the same location as the old one represents value for money? Thats at least a factor of two (probably more like 3x) too high. The only justification for that sort of money is if it includes the suite but OP hasn't confirmed. I've already commented on the tiling element.

.............is the rubbish removal. However, with skip prices going north of £200 now as waste transfer stations are charging extortionate amounts per tonne, you can't really blame them.

Now here we can agree but only up to a point. They can't possibly been needing more than two skips and no practical reason not to get it all into one. How can that possibly justify a £ 700 bill?

At the end of the day, if you've seen the builders work and it seems worth it to you then go for it,

OP didn't say the quote was from a builder. He doesn't need a builder for this job he needs a bathroom installer and avoid builders mark-ups and profits on sub-contracted work. Don't forget he said:

I had a quote that gave me a shock!

and I'm not at all surprised that it did.

I'm afraid that I am suspecting that you are either a client who has suffered these sort of ripoff prices and now going through a self-justification exercise or you are an installer who charges these sort of ripoff prices and going through similar motions. Sorry if that appears harsh but this is supposed to be a money saving site.

....but shop around first.

Exactly. Worryingly though OP has thanked you for confirming that the prices he has released up to now are "fair". They are not and I'm quite confident saying that even though I have zero knowledge of site conditions.

Cheers

keystone

PlutoinCapricorn wrote: »

I definitely don't want the bottom of the range - I thought it very funny when I saw that Tesco do a Value range and B & Q have takeaway bathrooms! I know that you pay extra for quality.

Installation costs are not proportional to price of sanitary ware. The labour involved in installing a £ 100 suite (bath, basin. loo) is very similar to a £ 1,000 one.

I will see whether they can justify those figures. I will not commit to anything until I have got satisfactory answers and have checked prices elsewhere.

Good man.

Cheers

AceP

keystone wrote: »

How do you know? OP has not yet told us the full extent of the quote.

Are you seriously suggesting that a £ 1,300 labour cost for stripping out a bath, basin, loo, any redundant pipework, and tiles is VFM. That's 1 to 1½ days work depending on access to get it into a skip for goodness sake. Are you seriously suggesting that a £ 1,500 labour cost to put in a new suite in the same location as the old one represents value for money? Thats at least a factor of two (probably more like 3x) too high. The only justification for that sort of money is if it includes the suite but OP hasn't confirmed. I've already commented on the tiling element.

Now here we can agree but only up to a point. They can't possibly been needing more than two skips and no practical reason not to get it all into one. How can that possibly justify a £ 700 bill?

OP didn't say the quote was from a builder. He doesn't need a builder for this job he needs a bathroom installer and avoid builders mark-ups and profits on sub-contracted work. Don't forget he said:

and I'm not at all surprised that it did.

I'm afraid that I am suspecting that you are either a client who has suffered these sort of ripoff prices and now going through a self-justification exercise or you are an installer who charges these sort of ripoff prices and going through similar motions. Sorry if that appears harsh but this is supposed to be a money saving site.

Exactly. Worryingly though OP has thanked you for confirming that the prices he has released up to now are "fair". They are not and I'm quite confident saying that even though I have zero knowledge of site conditions.

Cheers

Are you in the trade? Last year I used three different builders, and one tradesman I found online to remove and install bathroom suites in 3 houses I refurbished. It took them around 5 days, and the one where the piping was moved took longer.

The way I see it:

Day 1 -Remove old bathroom ware, toilet, sink, bathtub, and all tiles

Day 2 - Move pipes if need be (if locations are moving) or re-skim or fill and sand down walls to ensure flat finish.

Day 3 & 4 - Install all ware and tiles.

Now this can go up depending on what type of tiles they are, some are more difficult to work with, crack easily etc. Also if underfloor heating is being introduced then it will take an extra half day at least as it includes a fair amount of work and needs to set before it can be tiled over.

I'm no expert, but your "1 or 1.5 day" completion is completely unrealistic IMO, I've never seen anyone complete it in this time. Again I'm going on a full refurb and not bits and bobs.

mehera

I am a plumber - and therefore do not do all aspects of bathroom installs myself however I have managed them on many occasions:

If you use individual tradesmen you are likely to save as the guy who 'does it all' likely subs it out and therefore you pay double!

LEJC - your bathroom looks fairly simple really. There is no reason why you could not have done similar for 50-60% of the total cost!

You do not need to spend £4000 on a bathroom like that - I would get no work at all if my prices where that high!!!!!

You even get numptys offering bathroom installs for £200!

Yes costs can escalate but bathrooms are like boilers - there are a lot a guys out there charging an arm and a leg for it!!!!

ROUGH GUESTIMATE:
- Tiling £300-£600 labour plus tiles ect
- Suite inc. basic taps and materials to fit - £300-£400
- Labour for a suite swap (ie: no extra work!) £400- £800

I have been generous here but this shows you that cheap jobs are possible!

This is between a grand and 2k in total although I have not included tiles and extras.

Still for me you would have to have a VERY expensive suite, a wetroom, or huge bathroom, or a LOT of extra work needed, to get even get near to the 4 grand mark!!!!!

keystone

AceP wrote: »

Are you in the trade?

Oh does it show that much?

It took them around 5 days, and the one where the piping was moved took longer.

I normally work on 10 days as a "rule of thumb" in an occupied property. That allows for not getting in the way too much, unseen issues arising to be dealt with, ensuring they have facilities at the end of each day even if that means taking something out again the following day, replaster if necessary (I use a tame spread - can't do it myself to save my life), electrical work (again using a tame qualified sparks), strengthening floor for tiling if needed etc etc etc.

Day 1 -Remove old bathroom ware, toilet, sink, bathtub, and all tiles

I agree. I was being generous allowing them an additional ½ a day to go up and down "n" flights of stairs, squeeing it all through nine inch gap etc - all the things that make getting the stuff out a little more challenging. Thats why I can't understand your describing £ 1,300 as a fair price for that element.

Day 2 - Move pipes if need be (if locations are moving)

I agree

or re-skim or fill and sand down walls to ensure flat finish.

No you're under there IMO. My spread does two coats of finish for a professional job. He needs a day to do that. If its back to bare brickwork then its a day to dryline properly or put on a bonding/browning coat. In a small bathroom such as this there is no room for two people to work at the same time so things must be done in series rather than parallel

Day 3 & 4 - Install all ware and tiles.

Umm Ok ish. Again you described iro £ 1500 as a fair price for pipework and install bath, basin and loo plus an additional £ 1,300 for tiling as mentioned by OP. Thats £ 1,800 for 2 days (your number not mine) work and that does not compute TBH.

Now this can go up depending on what type of tiles they are, some are more difficult to work with, crack easily etc.

Agreed.

Also if underfloor heating is being introduced then it will take an extra half day at least as it includes a fair amount of work and needs to set before it can be tiled over.

and also replacing the crappy wooden floorboards with WBP ply for a suitable substrate as well. More like a day to ½ than a half although I concede you did say "at least".

I'm no expert, but your "1 or 1.5 day" completion is completely unrealistic IMO,

Ummm thats not what I wrote. Would you like to read it again please?

I've never seen anyone complete it in this time.

LoL. Neither have I.

Again I'm going on a full refurb and not bits and bobs.

Granted but you are also working on the basis of an empty property. Start when you like, finish when you like, make as much noise and mess as you like.

Cheers

keystone

mehera wrote: »

LEJC - your bathroom looks fairly simple really. There is no reason why you could not have done similar for 50-60% of the total cost!

You do not need to spend £4000 on a bathroom like that - I would get no work at all if my prices where that high!!!!!

You even get numptys offering bathroom installs for £200!

Yes costs can escalate but bathrooms are like boilers - there are a lot a guys out there charging an arm and a leg for it!!!!

ROUGH GUESTIMATE:
- Tiling £300-£600 labour plus tiles ect
- Suite inc. basic taps and materials to fit - £300-£400
- Labour for a suite swap (ie: no extra work!) £400- £800

I have been generous here but this shows you that cheap jobs are possible!

This is between a grand and 2k in total although I have not included tiles and extras.

Still for me you would have to have a VERY expensive suite, a wetroom, or huge bathroom, or a LOT of extra work needed, to get even get near to the 4 grand mark!!!!!

I think these numbers are as under as OPs are over and not generous at all. LEJCs costs is not that far off the mark in my opinion. Typically:

£ 400 to ripout and dispose.
£ £ 1,300 plumbing, fitting, tiling and decorating.
£ 500 General materials (plumbing bits, ply, plasterboard, addy and grout.)
£ 400 for the spread
£ 400 for the leckie
£ 500 suite
£ 500 tiles

Total £ 4k. OK you can play with the numbers but its good for a ballpark.

Cheers