A bit steep to install new bathroom?

fibernie

Is anyone out there who can give an opinion on this? We have a bathroom tiled floor to ceiling and need a complete re-fit. Local plumber has provided this quote on the understanding that we would rip out the tiles ourselves and provide all the sanitaryware. Plumber would provide all building and plumbing materials including tile adhesive.

Details:
Supply skip
Remove old suite
Remove old plaster
Re-board and re-skim walls - plaster only on top half.
replace all waste pipes
fitting of new shower tray
alteration and renewal of pipework for new shower, toilet, basin and towel warmer
reposition loo
fit new bath and panel
replace section of flooring which has rotted
tile and grout half bathroom walls (8sqm)
supply and fit ply wood floor in prep for floor tiles
tile and grout floor (6.5m squared)
fit acqua boards in shower
fit shower and enclosure
fit vanity units, toilet, basin and towel rail

Cost £2775. Bathroom goods we've looked at at B&Q around £2000. Was hoping to do the whole job for £3500. Is that totally unrealistic?????

Thanks for looking.

mikeopvc

I reckon that's a bit pricey, especially since it's mostly labour.
Where are you?
Perhaps you could cost the rest of the materials yourself then you can see how much you are being charged for labour, ask him how many days it will take him.

Mike

fibernie

Thanks... I thought that. We're in the North East. This guy didn't say but another (quote yet to arrive) said it would take a working week. That makes it a pretty big hourly rate. I was thinking it would be about £1500. Will be interesting to see the second quote.

Canucklehead

Good afternoon: a material and labour intensive installation based on the details provided by you. I would recommend trying to source your sanitaryware and other bathroom fittings from plumbers' merchants as opposed to the sheds e.g. B&Q to reduce your costs/get better quality gear. Has the plumber been recommended to you/have you seen his/her work? Quality bathroom installations don't come cheap...get at least 3 written, full specification quotations from plumbers recommended to you by sources you trust or to find a qualified plumber visit www.iphe.org.uk

HTH

Canucklehead

fibernie

Thanks... he came with some brochures from plumbers merchants so will look through those and see how repricing affects things. He comes recommended, and was really impressed by him. May be able to bring costs down by changing shower type etc.

BobProperty

The bits that would worry me are commented in blue

fibernie wrote: »

Details:
Supply skip
Remove old suite
Remove old plaster
Re-board and re-skim walls - plaster only on top half.
replace all waste pipes
fitting of new shower tray
alteration and renewal of pipework for new shower, toilet, basin and towel warmer
reposition loo - does this include new external pipework and a new hole in the wall? Does this have to connect to an old cast iron stack?
fit new bath and panel
replace section of flooring which has rotted - piece of string job
tile and grout half bathroom walls (8sqm)
supply and fit ply wood floor in prep for floor tiles
tile and grout floor (6.5m squared)
fit acqua boards in shower
fit shower and enclosure
fit vanity units, toilet, basin and towel rail vanity units?Could be loads of work just doing them.

Cost £2775.

£2775 might not be outrageous. I totalled this up at a bare minimum of £1800 using the most optimistic of assumptions.

mikeopvc wrote: »

....Perhaps you could cost the rest of the materials yourself then you can see how much you are being charged for labour, ask him how many days it will take him.

Mike

Including or excluding the extra day the tile adhesive takes to dry because you didn't buy Rapidset?
You have to be careful trying to make savings on materials. Often the tradesman can buy a better product at the same price, or a more cost effective product because they know what to use.

fibernie wrote: »

.....I was thinking it would be about £1500. Will be interesting to see the second quote.

As I said above, my most optimistic estimate is £1800. Depending on the actual site conditions, I would think you will be lucky to get someone to do the same spec for £1500. Whatever happens please let us know. We tradesmen on here like to hear about the end costs and products.

fibernie

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment on my post. I really appreciate you taking the time.
To try to answer some of your blue highlights - there would be no need for new hole in wall and I think a small extra section of external pipework.
Agree about the rotten floarboard - 5mins work??
Vanity units - one would be below sink, and thought about one to cover cistern. Not too much work I think.
I'm now looking at plumbworld.co.uk to see if I can source materials cheaper. Do you have any experience of them?
I promise to let you know the outcome.

booty40uk

Hi
I agree with BobProperty in that there is a lot of work involved there. ie relocating a toilet could turn into a bit of a mare if, like Bob says, there is the hole to drill through the wall and then connect into an existing stack.
Also, the cost of all the building materials is going to mount up quickly........18mm ply around £30 a sheet, aqua panel not at all cheap, decent tile adhesives (bal) expensive but good, copper at an all time high plus fittings. I wouldnt be suprised if the material bill alone got up to the £400 mark. Then theres a skip; £140 where i am to have one on the road.
Personally i would allow at least 2 working weeks for the work (though i do work on my own).
My bare minimum price for your job would be £2000 and thats cutting it tight and not allowing for any "suprises" which invariably crop up in a bathroom.
Keep us informaed as to how you get on.

Andy

katherinef1974

Sounds ok to me I've been quoted £2500 for a similar project for labour and materials including new plumbing etc

Fleeting_Glimpse

Hi

Seems fair to me also.

Those vanity units take more than twice as long to fit as a standard toilet and basin!

I hate them!

danger-mouse_5

Its a fair price, this is my line of work and i charge simliar amounts.If your bathroom fitter is well recommended, insured and fully qualified i would surgest using him.