I have put off some smaller but much needed repairs and updates in our master bath because I knew we would ever be doing a full remodel. I think the time has come. I got a bid from a GC that I used a couple years ago for a kitchen remodel in this same house. We were very pleased with him and the work so I'm certainly inclined to proceed with him on this project.

I kind of was just hoping y'all could check and make sure nothing seemed out of line on the numbers.

We will be removing the tub and he will be moving the shower across the room. Also requires a new window and some external brick work with the layout we like.

Images of proposed layout, current pics, and quote…

Howdy, prices didn't seem too bad for the current market conditions, but some extra details would be nice.

I'd be mostly curious in the waterproofing system they are using for the shower enclosure.

Schluter kerdi systems or someone very similar are among the best and offer lifetime leak guarantees.

I own a local remodel company, the provided bid numbers are a little vague to know exactly what's included or if there's added literature describing the break down of all services included for each line item price.

Clay Picone '05

Thanks Clay! Good question I'll ask what system they'll use for the shower. I think Red Guard is another good one.

I thought it seemed reasonable but a buddy thought it was high so thought I'd ask more knowledgeable folks.

we did our master bath sand it was in the mid 50k range but we did not move as much plumbing around as you are doing (if I am following the drawing correctly). It appears you are moving absolutely everything, so to me the plumbing charge seems low.

What kind of cabinets are you getting? We paid about 10k but ours were 100% custom red oak stained.

Also total demo in both our projects was not that high either

Assuming I'm reading CapCity right.....I agree that when I heard the scope and price it seemed reasonable. But looking at line items, they seem high....

For example, we did a kitchen w/ 60 sq ft of countertops for a decent amount less than that $3,500.

Much larger area, but we were charged $4/sq ft (plus materials) for wood flooring. I'm assuming your closet isn't 200 sq ft....Also doesn't seem you'd need $8/sq ft floors for the closet?

Been a few more years since we did our bath but frameless shower glass we did had two sides, 6'x5' and was $2k....I know that's an aged quote but still seems high...

Do the cabinets include fully custom cabinets in closets? $13K for two bathroom vanities seems high.

Quote:

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Also requires a new window and some external brick work ...

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...this seems to be missing from the quote.

Also, is it safe to assume that you don't have a post-tension slab?

Nice house!

quality of materials matters here...

quality of the cabinetry - painted lower quality paint grade wood make them more affordable
quality of the glass for the shower - low iron glass is more expensive, any sort of coating is more expensive...not just more but double
quality of the countertops - quartzite, marble, granite?
quality of the tile - ceramic, porcelain, travertine

Thank you that is a good reference point. And yes, you are looking at that correct. He will be moving the plumbing to the opposite corner.

I would have to inquire or look back and see if I have info on the cabinet details. I do know he would probably use one of the same cabinet makers he used for our kitchen and we are really happy with those. They are paint grade.

Thanks for that response. I kind of had the same thoughts. I felt like overall the price was reasonable, but that some of the line items seemed high. shower glass seem high to me. I did my own shower remodel six years ago and of course I used a contractor for the glass. I remember it being around $2000 but it's hard to compare with inflation and building materials.

Great catch! I will ask him to make sure he is not missing that detail

I did not mention it in my original post, but we originally got this bid two years ago, but I decided to hold off due to cost, and I was glad that I did (due to a couple of unexpected big ticket items we had to replace shortly after we held off).

This week I reached out to him through email to ask him to give me a new bid based on current prices so it is certainly possible he overlooked something.

Valid point. I think we will be happy with paint grade cabinets for this project. We have been very happy with them in our kitchen. I know quartz is one of the options for the countertops. We are really happy with the quartz we have in our kitchen.

I might ask him if I can do most of the demo work and eliminate those line items or most of it anyway. I have the tools and the ability to do all this, but realistically, I may not have the time.

ClayPicone said:

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I'd be mostly curious in the waterproofing system they are using for the shower enclosure.

Schluter kerdi systems or someone very similar are among the best and offer lifetime leak guarantees.

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Extra info here for consideration for the OP. Schluter is a stickler for their system to be installed by a licensed installer, and that all their products are used (even things like thinset), otherwise they won't honor the warranty.

Also, feedback I've heard from a few shower guys is that the life of the membrane isn't better or worse than a traditional membrane. A traditional membrane installed correctly by a quality installer still a good system. But if you're going to be in the house for 25 years or more, that's where the Schluter product really starts to show it's worth.

Schluter does make a good product, though.

Bean, thank you for the response. Good point about the warranty being only for certified installers. I will definitely make it a point to ask questions of that contractor. I am by no means and expert, but I did use the Kerdi system when I remodeled my shower and our last house. I found it very easy to use and I literally never done a project like that before in my life. I'm definitely confident that whoever my GC uses will be competent.

Definitely plan to be in his house for many years so I want everything to be done right (edit to say I would want that anyway, of course). I appreciate the insight.

The cabinets at $13K, what does that include?

For two vanities and a linen closet, that could be high, but lacks some details. Are they 6-7' long each, how many drawers, etc? But what is 42" COD's? Is that referencing the closets? I am not familiar with that. What do the closets look like? $13K may be a great price, or a high price, but a lot of specifics left out (quality/type of materials, drawer slides, finish). Elevations would be very helpful. What about mirrors?

All good questions for me to ask. Thank you!

Seemed too low to me, then I saw your allowances and owner provided fixtures. Good luck!

There are variants of shower glass. Go with the higher end. Worth it.

Permits?

you can get away with lower quality glass that has that green tint to it and on the edges, depending on the lighting and viewing angles and the tiles behind/around it. We do not have low iron in one bath and do in the other and I can barely tell the difference

Is there a type of glass or a coding that can really truly eliminate or minimize water stains? We have hard water here in San Antonio. I hate using the squeegee.

we got one shower without the coating...I do believe it would help, but we clean it weekly with vinegar and just keep up with it. Don't let it go too long either. If you ned something with a little more umph, try barkeepers friend.

Have a shower doors of Houston shower glass setup with showerguard. I think I destroyed the coating over the years with abrasive cleaners like barkeepers friend. New contractor recommends rain x

We did shower guard and it's held up well. It's been a rental property, so know they aren't squeegeeing it or spending time to clean, and still crystal clear.

bam02 said:

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All good questions for me to ask. Thank you!

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As a cabinetmaker, I will expand a bit (or a lot?) on some of the cabinet related questions to ask. You have a huge project there, and it can be overwhelming; decisions, cost, time frames, workers in your bedroom space for weeks.....

Drawings:
Who is doing them? A designer, cabinet person, contractor? There should be a plan (top) view as well as elevations (what they look like from front and sides). Like many things, a good plan is a good start. Half-azzed contractors or cabinet makers can miss (or just not know about?) a lot of details. The drawings' importance is frequently overlooked but they are part of the 'contract' of what you are expecting vs. what they deliver. I recently had a friend who did an elaborate closet, $25k in cabinets. The drawings were terrible, but they were assured verbally everything will be okay. The message never got through and what was delivered was nowhere near what they were expecting. 75% had to be ripped out and redone. They didn't pay extra and were happy in the end. But it cost an extra month and a lot of irritation due to finger pointing.

Cabinets:
Material? Veneer core plywood, MDF core, or flake core? What are the interiors? Melamine (white formica like stuff), or faux wood, or real wood veneer? Where is the material sourced from? Chinese made plywood is awful. The formaldehyde content is so high it smells horrific. How thick are the cabinet boxes? I use only 3/4" thick, but the stock industry usually uses 1/2" thick material. (This is not a huge hill to die on.)

Drawer slides:
Drawers make life better in a bathroom but are usually more expensive. For better cabinetry Blum makes an undermount slide that is pretty much the industry standard. There are also ball bearing side mount slides which are strong and will last forever. Then there are enamel runners. Not sure how particular you are for slides? You may have some decent size vanities, you want them to function nicely for you.

Finish:
Opaque? Paint or lacquer? How are the interiors of the cabinets finished? Clear on the wood veneer (and drawer boxes) or painted throughout? I always prefer maple interiors of the cabinets to match the drawer boxes.

Installation:
Who is doing it?

Misc:
Mirrors? Framed like a picture on a wall? Or just a big piece with no frame?
Linen closet...contractor built or cabinetry? Shelving? Pullouts?
Medicine cabinets? Need them, or use vanity drawers for that kind of storage?
Closets...site built? Or cabinetry? If so, you want a combo of shelves, drawers, and hanging. How particular are you about the closet, how does your significant other feel about the closet? There can be a huge difference between a basic closet and a well planned one. If you put clothing on inside the closet, you want everything there and well organized.

I hope this helps. I know it may be overwhelming, but if you are dropping this much money, you are staying in this house for many years to come, and you want your significant other to be happy, getting all this worked out will go a long way to avoiding problems and making you satisfied. If you need any more clarification or have any other questions, let me know.

Any discussions about the potential future consequences to drilling so many drainage holes in this foundation?
IF reif.conc THEN thinking ... rock hits windshield, then the cracks begin ....
Just want happy faces after a remodel ....

I am not a fan of huge wasted floor space in a bathroom. I'd add more space to the master closet.

1) put the shower where you remove the tub. Plumbing is already there.
2) move door to toilet closet to where you rip out the old shower.
3) move the closet door so new shower can be bigger and extend into the room.
4) add 2nd sink where you have the existing "L" vanity on the right. Can tap into existing drain and hot/cold water.
4) expand closet where the sink was on the left. This could even be a linen cabinet that and doors face into the bathroom and the entire cabinet backs into the closet.

My 2 cents for a bathroom renovation that costs lots less and gives you more closet.

dubi said:

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I am not a fan of huge wasted floor space in a bathroom. I'd add more space to the master closet.

1) put the shower where you remove the tub. Plumbing is already there.
2) move door to toilet closet to where you rip out the old shower.
3) move the closet door so new shower can be bigger and extend into the room.
4) add 2nd sink where you have the existing "L" vanity on the right. Can tap into existing drain and hot/cold water.
4) expand closet where the sink was on the left. This could even be a linen cabinet that and doors face into the bathroom and the entire cabinet backs into the closet.

My 2 cents for a bathroom renovation that costs lots less and gives you more closet.

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we are contemplating a similar renovation and my swears she does want to shower in front of a window. What are the fixes for that.

Glass block, translucent film, just getting really comfortable with your neighbors….

I moved a shower in front of a window and bricked it in. Personally, I don't want to introduce a leak vulnerability.

In my case, the window was in a dog run, so the match wasn't a big deal. If I had to do it on the front of the house and I couldn't find a match, I would consider filling the window with a contrasting color brick (probably something similar to the facia) and different pattern.

We redid our master bath five years ago. Just before Covid. We moved the shower and one of the sinks. It was a pretty big deal in our whole home remodel. We dropped 25k. Given everything since then with Biden inflation and contractor shortages your bid seems pretty good IMO.

The original bid was from January 2022 and it was for $47k.

I know lumber and building materials skyrocketed with Covid and then flattened out, but with inflation continuing across-the-board I was afraid the new bid would be much higher than this.

2019… good timing on your part!

I'd put in a horizontal window at the top of the wall opening that is above boob height. Then close in the rest of the opening. This gives you lots of light but you are not exposed while showering. .

You'd still want something screening/obscuring the window, though, right?