2 Bathroom Remodel Quote

PacNWStructures

Hey everyone, I'm new here but have been looking at the site for months, thought I would finally post a thread. I'm a framing foreman and have been doing it for the last 10 years full time. I love doing it but it's a killer on the body. Anyway, I've been remodeling part time, fixing up houses about every 3 years on the side for myself and have really enjoyed doing it, so much so that I'm starting to do it full time. My employer has been slow so I've been doing some remodeling for the last year for friends and family to pay the bills and it's been great. Anyway, I'm finally licensed and insured, and just turned a quote in for remodeling 2 bathrooms and replacing a tiled front entry in a house.

Here's the skinny on the project:

-Both bathrooms need to be completely torn out (5'x11')
-Move showers and toilets which means extending rough-in and water lines
-Frame a new wall between bathrooms
-Sheetrock, texture, paint
-Set new cabinets
-Set new shower and tub, install new valves and trim
-Tile floors, tile tub and shower surrounds, tile counters
-Set sinks, faucets
-New base trim
-Install new lighting fixtures, mirrors, towel bars, shower curtain bars
-Relocate heating ducts

Also, I need to tear up the old slate in their front entry and lay new tile along with new base trim (about 80 sq ft of tile.)

Now, there's nothing in the project I haven't done and to me it's fairly simple assuming I don't run into anything to bad once I start to demo. I will do one bathroom start to finish and then the next so the HO's have a bathroom at all times. So what I want to know is if the quote of $11,960 I gave them was fairly reasonable or way off. Thanks for taking the time to look and I'll try to post more in the future.

Milhaus

Sounds cheap to me...I just did one bath (with quite a bit more demo and drywall work it sounds like and a lot less tile work) for more than that. But I don't where you're at and what your overhead is, and what kind of profit you want to make and what fixtures/tub surrounds/tile you are using. Lots of variables. Still sounds cheap.

Plumbing sub around here would eat that estimate up having to come back for two different installations. But I completely agree with keeping a bath open for the homeowner.

reveivl

I did a single bath gut, move plumbing, tile wainscot and floor, rewire etc. for ~12k recently, but as already stated, there are a lot of variables. You can easily spend that on fixtures alone.

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send_it_all

I hope that quote is for labor only. Even if it is, it's pretty low for gut jobs. It sounds like you are performing all of the work alone. If that is the case, I would estimate that it will take you at least 2 weeks per bathroom...probably more like 3, possibly a little longer. Even if your overhead is low at this point, that price will only cover payroll for a worker of your skill level. It won't cover all of your overhead and it certainly won't leave you with any profit after all is said and done. It is very important that you consider ALL of your expenses when pricing jobs like this. I think somewhere around 8k per room (labor) is more appropriate based on your description of the job.

PacNWStructures

I live in Portland, OR and I will be doing all of the work myself. As of right now I have no employee's and I kind of like it like that. Sometime down the road I might pick up a couple of guys. There really isn't anything to fancy in the bathrooms, they pretty much want to replace all of the pink sinks, tubs, and toilets. I thought it might be a little low but I'm okay with that. You live, you learn right? I figured it would take me about 2 weeks for each bathroom and a couple of days for the entry. Thanks for the responses.

Mike Finley

So in Portland Oregon they don't require a plumbers license to pull the plumbing permits or for licensed plumbers to do plumbing? No electrical license either?

aWorkaHolic

Don't forget to add another week for inspections and corrections, assuming this is permitted.

PacNWStructures

The HO's already have pulled the necessary permits for doing the work themselves. The husband was going to do the work himself but since then has decided not to because he now feels he bit off more than he could chew. I'll call for the inspections and be there with the HO when he comes to answer any questions he might have.

aWorkaHolic

Post pic's of before and after.

PacNWStructures

Will do....

Bob Kovacs

So when the inspector finds problems with the plumbing, and you start talking, and he asks "who are you?", and you reply "I'm the guy who did the plumbing", what are you going to do when he red-tags the job for having an unlicensed plumber working in the homeowner's house????

It's these types of situations you need to avoid if you want to succeed in this business- especially since your insurance company won't cover any claims due to faulty plumbing work that you perform, and will likely cancel your policy as well.

BTW- at $12k for 4-5 weeks work, you're pretty much working for Home Depot wages. Once you back out say $3-4,000 for the materials (at least, I would think), that leaves around $2k/week. Now take out for the costs of operating a legitimate business- insurance, licenses, taxes, truck expenses, tools, etc.- ohhh, and let's not forget PROFIT, and you're down to maybe $800/week- not exactly big bucks for a contractor who's taking all the risk.

Bob

wolffhomerepair

Around here you will get red tagged for doing the work when a HO pulls the permit no matter what the work is.

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copusbuilder

I certainly don't want to lynch you but it does sound a little dicey?

Any argument at all and he has you by the short and curlys.
No one here can tell if your high or low on the info you gave. If you are buying material it sounds pretty low to me.

You have to start somewhere

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kevjob

that arrangement in Denver would get you a fine and you wouldn't be able to pull permits for a while.

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Dan_Public

There are some very good comments so far, but I didn't see anyone mention the subfloor.

If the house has pink fixtures, then the house is maybe 50 years old? Given the age and given that you're tiling the floors, have you looked at the subfloor? What kind of material did they use? What's the condition? Is the current floor tiled? What is the condition of that? Any cracks? Any flexing in the floor?

If the original floor is tile that's in good condition AND the subfloor doesn't have damage, you may be OK. OTOH, if the floor is linoleum or carpets (yes some people did that), OR the subfloor is particle board (they did a lot of that in the late '70s and '80s around here), OR subfloor is in poor condition, OR the joists are not stiff enough, then you may end up with a lot of additional just to get to point of starting the remod.

Maybe it's just me, but the thought of getting a call back because tiles are poppin' or grout failing kinda gives me the "quivers".

Good luck,

Dan.

PacNWStructures

The house is only about 25 years old, floor is in good condition. Everything is going fine with the bathrooms, and I do appreciate all of the comments, questions, and advice. I've already had a few inspections and everything is going fine. I know the inspector that is coming out and have worked with him on many projects, no worries about the HO pulling permits....he cool with it. I wouldn't do it unless I knew what I was getting myself into. I did raise my price after they changed their minds on some things like going from fiberglass shower pan to tile, tile to marble on countertops, etc. I'll post pics when I'm done....

copusbuilder

Good for you!! It just goes to show we are a bunch of idiots Glad it's working out and hope other "newer folks" see you response

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Steve Hammond

go dart

CAN'T IMAGINE ANYTHING MORE FRIGHTENING THAN A FRAMER BUILDING A MUD PAN SHOWER BASE. BET THESE REMODELS GO WELL

Gordo

Can I fly you up to do some of my work? I'll even pay for room and board.

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