Bathroom Renos - Am i missing some fundamentals as to the price

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Bathroom Renos - Am i missing some fundamentals as to the price

gedc

355 posts

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#295202 11-Mar-2022 21:13

As per a previous post, we are needing to redo our bathroom / walk in tiled shower as the membrane failed. Single story concrete floor. Taking the opportunity to tile from floor to ceiling - as well as new floor tiles etc - about 22sqm. Also involves replacing the 6 year old vanity with a smaller wall mount, taking down 2 x 1m stud walls and digging the concrete patch up so we can move the toilet back 30cm to the wall - where it was moved from about 6 years ago. 90% of the plumbing was re-done last time. Not a lot required in that area.

We've been to 4 different companies ( bathroom renovation firms) and the price is eye watering.

I've done plenty of in-home building work / house renovations over the last 30 years and have priced out the various aspects. I optimistically priced it out and as an example allowed $130/ hour for tiling + cost of product. Same with other trades.

The quotes are coming back in at the $30k to $45k mark !! The top end is about $25k more than i figured out working from the bottom up and adding in a chunk for profit.

I'm trying to get quotes broken down into some meaningful numbers so I can figure out if the vanity I can personally source for $1300 is being oncharged at $2000 etc / labour charge rates. I've factored in council exemptions, drawings, materials, labour and demolition / disposal.

Now considering bringing in tradies to undertake their distinct pieces of work instead of project managing via a company. I'm all for profit and making a nice living but these prices seem ott. Some are booked up for 2 months. Others can start in 2 weeks so not all are busy / in demand.

What am i missing other than my Scottish genes kicking in. Is this pretty normal pricing ? Pent up market demand/ Wait and see for a few months where it goes given cost of living increases / less demand in this space?

Cheers.

networkn

Networkn
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#2885203 11-Mar-2022 22:09

To be honest, right now there is plenty of gouging going on because there is plenty of work. That is stupid money for what you want done. You could take annual leave from your job and project manage it yourself and you'd save serious money.

Having said that, we are doing some similar things and the biggest issue is tilers who we called 4 people and earliest we could find someone was July and 2 said nothing till November! Our tiling job could be done in 2 half days.

$1000 for a vanity with sink and tapware of decent quality, about $800 in painting.

The issue is timing and getting people.

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elpenguino

3376 posts

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#2885224 12-Mar-2022 00:16

I'm investigating using this company : https://www.refreshrenovations.co.nz/case-studies

As you can see from their past projects, there are some hefty price tags for bathrooms. I think some of that is the convenience they offer and I presume some of that is also contingency costs.

I got them to cost a project (tanking our basement) and their quote was $24k + GST. I've almost completed that job as a DIY and I will have spent $4k by the time I finish it.

Like you say, I agree people need to make money but where's the $20k +GST going?

I was not provided an itemised breakdown for this so there was no labour rates or material costs given.

Unfortunately, a lot of bathroom work will be specialist stuff so DIY is ruled out to some extent but you can certainly project manage which is probably what we will do.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

Lias

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#2885272 12-Mar-2022 10:05

You've got a general labour shortage and Covid staffing issues combined with a building supplies shortage, rising inflation, insane gas prices, jittery financial markets and WW3 possibly around the corner.

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elpenguino

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#2885274 12-Mar-2022 10:16

While that's all true you'll see many of the sample projects on the page I linked to are from pre covid
I think in general these Reno service companies charge heftily for the service.

We're considering getting them to do the drawings and then to project manage ourselves. We're lucky enough to have another bathroom to cope with the inevitable delays.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

chez

93 posts

Master Geek

#2892813 27-Mar-2022 16:20

It's ridiculous out there. I recently renovated my small bathroom. I project managed it. I had the builder, bathroom tradie, tiler and plumber did few stuff then I did the rest (plastering/skim coating wall imperfections, installing architraves, painting, installing the floor). I also built my own vanity cupboard from the scratch, re-using the previous runner and drawer boxes of the old vanity. Quotes I received before was 10K, 15K and 18K. I spent less than 6K for all the tradies I brought in including the materials (new tap, vinyl plank flooring, paint, timber).

The tricky part is finding the reliable tradies to do your job.