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[house_cat]

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@RedTop wrote:

I think that price tag is outrageous for what you want done, but again, you are in CA, and things are done differently there than here in WV.  

In 2007 we paid WV Rebath $8,000 to remove our one piece fiberglass tub and shower in the main bathroom, and the one piece fiberglass shower unit in the master bath.   The contractor installed Duroc in both bathrooms, new tub and wall surround, and new custom made shower base with wall surround.   They were here 4 days.   

Last year we did a kitchen update; custom built cabinetry, Formica countertops, new ceramic floor tile, new wall tile, added a new outlet, and a new refrigerator for $15,000.   The job took 9 days from start to finish.   

We would never have been able to do either job with a CA contractor!    Yet another reason I'm grateful to be living here in West Virginia.  

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My husband's "Papaw" left him land in Louisa, KY.  We've often joked about leaving here and building there, but since we'd have no employment there.. I suppose it wouldn't be a good financial move!

[house_cat]

@Tigriss

I agree about the walk-in shower, which is why we wanted to get rid of the tub.  My son's room has a separate bath, with a walk-in shower, but it's not available to us since it's an en suite to his room.

[Tigriss]

@house_cat What a great ma you are for your son to have such a masterful room!  I had to share a room with my sister for years and then got my own room and had to share a one sink bath with her.  

I can also see that since you already have a bathroom (master bath) with a separate bath/shower, you can spare the tub in the other bath as a nice, possibly two person, shower in the other bath that is future ready!  I know bathing the kids when they have a shower is nicer when we don't have to deal with the getting out of the shower/tub combo and water, but if the room was tiled and sloped to the drain, it would all just run down hill!  It would be good for showering the dog down as well if you had a seat to park on while you bathed him/her.

Resale on it wouldn't really be effected, especially if it is done nicely.  Clean and simple are good ways to always go.

[Kalli]

We've been lucky with regard to contractors.  My FIL built our first house when we were newlyweds.  We paid him but he gave us a great deal!  

Then when we bought some acreage and built the home we live in now, he helped in addition to my BIL.  Again, we did pay them but it wasn't the amount we'd have paid someone who wasn't family.

Now, I want to redo my kitchen.  Lucky for me my son has inherited the contractor gene so he, with my BIL are going to do the work.  It won't be cheap but we'll get a break on the cost.

[SouthernBee]

We live in a very basic 1192 sq foot government  235 home built in the 60's. Three months ago, Rebath completed bath in three days for $12,000. Everything was gutted. Tub/ shower combo replaced with walk in shower. New linen closet. Taller vanity and counter top. Linen closet and vanity design very basic for easier cleaning. Textured vinyl floor tiles. Kept the same toilet but added a toilet riser to the base. Very happy and regret that we waited so long to do it. We purchased the home in 2003.

Considering another project but never worked with contractor before. Our laundry room we have to go out the back door to the patio. The room is enclosed but walls not finished with sheet rock. We do not want a screened in porch nor a sun room. We need a  completed room enclosed. Received estimate from contractor this week. Enclosed area would be 200 square feet. Remove cement patio and awnings. Add floor, roof, knock out dinning room wall, laundry room wall. Expand laundry room to include closet and pantry that can be enclosed with wooden partition.  Remaining area used eat and entertain Include two windows. $800 to draw plans included in construction cost and construction cost between $27,000 to $50,000. Second thought not included in price would need back door for easy access to  back yard and shed. Will need to inquire about home equity loan. Excited but concerned. It was wonderful not having a house payment for a few years.  Going to the laundry room the other day : all most fell down when a frog jumped in front of me. Plus the laundry room can be hot or cold depending on the season. Trying to improve the house for safety reasons but budget carefully. 

[151949]

@homedecor1 we are lucky that we are only a duplex so we only have to deal with one person on the other side and she is very nice. She is there full time, and she seems to be able to afford to keep her place up.When anything needs done she immediately hires someone. Our HOA takes care of basic lawn care, outside painting and replacing the roof when appropriate so we don't have anything to have to pay for together. When we are there my DH weeds her yard for her, trims her trees, takes her trash out & back in each week, so when he asks her foir permission to do anything she always says fine. Last winter we had concrete borders put in around our planting areas and as soon as she saw them she had hers done too so it would look consistant. We even Christmas decorate together on both sides so it looks like one large house instead of 2 halves. However, she is in her late 80s so we are nervous what may happen if she would go to assisted living or pass away. We have been really spoiled  having her over there. And - she is deaf so we can make all the noise we want too.

[Just Bling]

$18,000 is a little much for a bathroom, yes, it's about $8000-$15,000.  Contractors from Home Depot and Lowe's were the most, found a small family company that's been around for years, just need to find the right person....and it takes time.

I paid about $12,000 for my small bathroom but it was worth every single penny I spent.  I have all Kohler fixtures, beautiful tile on the walls and floor, new cabinets, new plumbing, had them replace the wall insulation, new shower, new light and it looks like a hotel bathroom.   The guys told me I had a 70's Sears kit, yes you could buy bathroom kits so I am really happy I spent the money.

Now onward to the kitchen, I learned from flipping the family home I just sold so I'm glad I experienced that before I actually do mine.

[mousiegirl]

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@house_cat wrote:

I live in a 1250 sq foot town home, so my master bath is comfortable, but not big. Our tub and toilet are in the same small room.  I had a couple of estimates this summer, because I wanted to replace the tub with a walk-in shower.  My taste is simple and I wasn't looking for anything extraordinary, just new and clean and functional.

I got two estimates and BOTH were upwards of $18,000.

This would have included the new shower and new toilet - we have extra floor tiles, so that wasn't even a cost consideration.

Am I the only one shocked by these estimates?  

I opted to have someone remove the awful shower doors from my tub and reglaze it - total cost $250.

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@house_cat  I was given a quote of $32,000 to gut and replace everything in two bathrooms, and a time period of a month per bathroom.  I find everything too expensive, and you wouldn't believe what it cost me to remodel a kitchen and rec room two years ago.

[151949]

You need to take into consideration where you live when reading a thread like this. of course it costs a lot lot more in LA or NYC than say Pittsburgh or Akron.

[Lipstickdiva]

The cost of things are staggering.  We are in the process of a bathroom remodel and are doing it step by step. 

We had our shower retiled.  We have a bath and shower combo and wanted to leave it.  DH and I took out the old tiles and the old drywall as we were having the tile go all the way to the ceiling.  All the contractor had to do was come in and put up the backer board and tile.  No demo.  When we started the project, the designer we worked with at the local store said they had contractors they worked with and this would cost us about $600.00 in labor and we had to buy the tile.  Not one contractor, including 2 they recommended and 3 we found on our own, were anywhere close to that $600.00 price.  The lowest estimate we got was $2,500.00.

I can only imagine what the rest of this is going to cost because it's all going.  We need a new vanity, lights, flooring, woodwork, window, doors on the linen closet, toilet. 

And good luck with a contractor. That's a whole nother story! 

My DH could easily do a lot of this himself but at this point he doesn't have the time to do it and it needs to be done.  We will be tackling some of it ourselves but most of it will be hired out.