[KermieB]

Ok, here's the latest project and the numbers on it....

I was in Lowe's trying to order a door that the client could afford and turned to the guy waiting to be next and said something along the line of "If you're in a hurry, I'll wait because I've got nowhere else to be today and this may take a while." Well, me being nice led to us having a conversation and of course that led to me making sure he knew what I did for a living. He said that his bathroom "Really needed some attention" and I sent him to my web site ReBuildMyBath.com to look around. This was on a Saturday, and Monday morning his wife called.

The ceiling had been repaired from an upstairs leak but looked horrible. I couldn't believe the guy had charged them to leave it that bad. The floor around the toilet was rotten, and the floor under and in front of the shower was completely gone. So much so, that when we peeled the linoleum up I fell through the floor. The linoleum was the only thing holding you up.

It had a built in vanity, a stuck on mirror and the linen cabinet was closet. The toilet was almost directly behind the vanity. There was no exhaust fan, only one light on the ceiling and a pair of sconces over the vanity.

I emailed her two SketchUp shots where I moved the toilet over behind the shower out of site, recommended a free standing cabinet with granite top for a vanity, new recessed lights, and me building her a nice linen cabinet to do away with the big bulky closet door. I would completely gut this bathroom down to the studs and ground. The entire floor came had to be replaced.

Selling price was $14,500. It took me 10 days to complete because my new brain surgeon helper is a total dumbass and can't do anything without me holding his hand. Total out of pocket for materials, fuel, my help and indidentals was $5,700 leaving about $8,800 (gross) profit.

Here's the before and then the SketchUp shots.

 

[KermieB]

Now, here's the "during" with the floor out...

...and the finished product.

Some of you may notice that I don't show the new linen closet. The reason is that is doesn't have doors on it yet. I build my cabinets but I buy doors which takes about two weeks to get and I didn't order until the day that I installed the cabinet, just in case I had to change the size or design to get it down the hall and into the bathroom.

I also added an exhaust fan, and seven LED recessed light fixtures.

 

[marbledust]

Look's pretty good,

Do you have pic's of the shower base water proof system you used?

 

[marbledust]

Look's pretty good,

Do you have pic's of the shower base water proof system you used?

 

[KermieB]

Look's pretty good,

Do you have pic's of the shower base water proof system you used?

I use a rubber liner with a three piece drain, pour and float the floor with a 4 to 1 mix.... install Durock walls, seam the joints with a modified thin set and then use either RedGard or AquaDefense water proofing. I'll roll it on with a small roller and use three coats. Works wonderfully.

 

[marbledust]

Is that a 2x4 sister joist?

 

[KermieB]

Is that a 2x4 sister joist?

Yea... anytime I have a mild water damage that's not worth ripping out joists, I'll do this. Costs very little and adds that extra little bit of protection. Had I needed support they would have been 2 x 8's. This just guarantees that I have a good base to nail or screw into from the top.

 

[madmax718]

So you moved the toilet, and then shrunk the tub/shower unit.

Very nice job. Doesn't look like much of a crawl space, I'd think you'd need to remove the floor anyhow for new plumbing.

Do people really use those "seats"? Other than for the mrs to shave her legs while she showers...

 

[Robie]

Do people really use those "seats"? Other than for the mrs to shave her legs while she showers...

I think that's the main purpose.

 

[CarpenterSFO]

Do people really use those "seats"? Other than for the mrs to shave her legs while she showers...

I've had an occasional long hard day where I've crashed on the seat in the shower until the hot water ran out.

 

[Spencer]

Thanks for the pics and detailed description. I'm a one man bath and kitchen guy also. Love seeing your plans, action shots, and after pics. Nice work and glad to hear you made money on it.

Do you always work with a helper? To me it seems like somedays a helper would be really nice and some days they would be twiddling their thumbs and completely in the way in a bathroom remodel.???

 

[CarpenterSFO]

....
Selling price was $14,500. It took me 10 days to complete because my new brain surgeon helper is a total dumbass and can't do anything without me holding his hand. Total out of pocket for materials, fuel, my help and indidentals was $5,700 leaving about $8,800 (gross) profit.
....

Nice project, Kermie.

I'm curious about your accounting: did the $5700 include your wages or salary, or do you count them as part of gross profit?

 

[KermieB]

So you moved the toilet, and then shrunk the tub/shower unit.

Very nice job. Doesn't look like much of a crawl space, I'd think you'd need to remove the floor anyhow for new plumbing.

Do people really use those "seats"? Other than for the mrs to shave her legs while she showers...

No..didn't have to shrink the shower. I just swapped their placement. It was a 60" fiberglass one piece tub and shower unit which I cut into pieces with a Sawzall.

The crawl space was fine, but I had to rip up all the floor anyway because it was all rotted. I do, however cut "trap doors" in floors so I don't have to crawl under houses. I'm 53 and I just don't like it anymore, and I'm always putting down new Durock and tile anyway.

The seats... well, I rebuilt my shower a coupl of years ago and my wife uses it for a toe hold to shave, but we have a handheld on a slide bar and I'll sit down on the seat often when I'm dead tired.

 

[KermieB]

I've had an occasional long hard day where I've crashed on the seat in the shower until the hot water ran out.

Aaaaaah... then you should get a tankless unit. That way you can sit there until you prune up. LOL

 

[KermieB]

Thanks for the pics and detailed description. I'm a one man bath and kitchen guy also. Love seeing your plans, action shots, and after pics. Nice work and glad to hear you made money on it.

Do you always work with a helper? To me it seems like somedays a helper would be really nice and some days they would be twiddling their thumbs and completely in the way in a bathroom remodel.???

Well that's a good question. I've had really good helpers and really crappy helpers. The good ones are worth their weight in gold and cant cut as much as 30% off the time it takes to do a remodel. The problem with that is that they usually cost a lot, so unless you've got a lot of work lined up, then you're pretty must busting out.

I've had it both ways. I never do kitchens by myself. It would take too long and one man really can't effeciently handle cabinets safely. Especially one that's had surgery on both shoulders and doesn't want to risk going through that again.

If I have a moderate amout of work lined up I'll work by myself in most cases. I'm currently a loner and the job is going very smoothly. There will come a time, I'm sure, where I can no longer handle the physical aspects of what I do, like carrying that heavyass tile saw, and boxes of tile, and I'll find a keep a helper.

 

[KermieB]

Nice project, Kermie.

I'm curious about your accounting: did the $5700 include your wages or salary, or do you count them as part of gross profit?

Because people are curious and want to know this stuff, I've included these numbers in my job photos. I've had threads locked by the mods for asking somebody what the "going rate" was for a certain type of job in an area. He accused me of being a home owner instead of simply looking up some of my old posts and KNOWING I am real.

That's the reason I include numbers for anybody that is curious to know these things. I live in rural South Carolina. Obviously, my costs and expenses are vastly differnent than someone who, let's say, works in Manhatten, or highrises in Orlando.

When you see me use the term "Gross Profit" I am referring to the DIRECT OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES for that particular job, not including money going in my pocket. That's not taking in account, my normal operating expenses, like the cost of my truck, insurance, cell phone, tools, etc. On average, it costs me between $12K and $15K a year to "be in business" regardless of how much or how little I work, you can do the math.

 

[CarpenterSFO]

...[Discussion of gross profit]...

Sure, I understand what you're saying. I don't want to hijack the thread, but it's quieted down, so I will...

Just for talking's sake, consider assigning yourself an hourly wage or salary that makes sense for you and your location, and include that as part of your cost of goods sold (COGS). You personally earning a living is an expense of your business. Now consider gross profit after that, and you have a better sense of the profitability of the business - the premium that you receive over and above the wage that you could earn working for someone else.

In my limited accounting experience that would be a more conventional way of looking at gross profit for a small business, even a one-man band, and it's what I think of when you say "gross profit". It's a less optimistic number, of course.

I asked because even in your location it seemed to me that your COGS was too low.

Now, I'm no accountant.

Again, nice project.

- Bob

 

[trussme]

I did have a post here. Can a mod message me whats up....

 

[TNTRenovate]

Thanks for the pics and detailed description. I'm a one man bath and kitchen guy also. Love seeing your plans, action shots, and after pics. Nice work and glad to hear you made money on it.

Do you always work with a helper? To me it seems like somedays a helper would be really nice and some days they would be twiddling their thumbs and completely in the way in a bathroom remodel.???

I user one and sometimes two.

 

[mikeswoods]

I've always had a helper---now we need a helper for my 'helper' because he is to highly skilled to waist time cleaning and carrying materials---

It is all about efficiency---doctors have nurses and orderlies--best use of manpower.