Hello,
after a sleepless night, I’m seeking your help. We have a bathroom that is about 25 years old, which we inherited when buying the house. It’s now beyond repair, tiles are falling off, all the fixtures (Dornbracht!) are broken, etc.
We spoke with a highly recommended company in our region (Rhine-Main area) and they gave us a quote of over 50,000 euros. It’s a “maximum” offer, no extras, standard fixtures, house-brand tiles, etc. Maximum in the sense that everything that might possibly come up is included. No additional charges, according to them.
Part of the offer is, for example, to remove and replace the existing underfloor heating, and renew all the pipes in the bathroom. Reason: underfloor heating of this age is no longer reliable and should be replaced. We are wondering: is this really necessary?
The bathroom has a classic layout: bathtub and shower on one long side, double sink and toilet on the other long side. We only want to swap the positions of the bathtub and shower, with the shower to be built up and tiled. Everything else should remain as it is, just re-tiled with new sanitary fixtures and new taps. We also plan to lower the ceiling to install spotlights.
We had a budget of about 25,000 to 30,000 euros in mind, and assumed that might even allow for a strip of Bisazza glass mosaic. But the price calculated now, with relatively simple fittings that we do not like, is really depressing.
I understand that I can’t simply compare to prices from large online retailers, as contractors create mixed calculations including materials, installation, warranties, etc. Still, are we that far off with our budget? If not – how do I find a reasonable contractor without astronomical prices? One who really understands the job, who doesn’t insist on tile edge trims, who can properly do glass mosaic, and who is willing to listen rather than just follow their standard scheme?
We are definitely willing to invest to get a great bathroom. But 50,000 euros for a bathroom that still falls far short of our dream bathroom – that just won’t work.
Does anyone have any tips for us?
Many thanks and best regards,
Heli
after a sleepless night, I’m seeking your help. We have a bathroom that is about 25 years old, which we inherited when buying the house. It’s now beyond repair, tiles are falling off, all the fixtures (Dornbracht!) are broken, etc.
We spoke with a highly recommended company in our region (Rhine-Main area) and they gave us a quote of over 50,000 euros. It’s a “maximum” offer, no extras, standard fixtures, house-brand tiles, etc. Maximum in the sense that everything that might possibly come up is included. No additional charges, according to them.
Part of the offer is, for example, to remove and replace the existing underfloor heating, and renew all the pipes in the bathroom. Reason: underfloor heating of this age is no longer reliable and should be replaced. We are wondering: is this really necessary?
The bathroom has a classic layout: bathtub and shower on one long side, double sink and toilet on the other long side. We only want to swap the positions of the bathtub and shower, with the shower to be built up and tiled. Everything else should remain as it is, just re-tiled with new sanitary fixtures and new taps. We also plan to lower the ceiling to install spotlights.
We had a budget of about 25,000 to 30,000 euros in mind, and assumed that might even allow for a strip of Bisazza glass mosaic. But the price calculated now, with relatively simple fittings that we do not like, is really depressing.
I understand that I can’t simply compare to prices from large online retailers, as contractors create mixed calculations including materials, installation, warranties, etc. Still, are we that far off with our budget? If not – how do I find a reasonable contractor without astronomical prices? One who really understands the job, who doesn’t insist on tile edge trims, who can properly do glass mosaic, and who is willing to listen rather than just follow their standard scheme?
We are definitely willing to invest to get a great bathroom. But 50,000 euros for a bathroom that still falls far short of our dream bathroom – that just won’t work.
Does anyone have any tips for us?
Many thanks and best regards,
Heli
M
Myrna_Loy2 Dec 2022 12:07That sounds to me like a defensive offer.
Drywall installation sounds a bit expensive, the rest seems relatively inexpensive. But yes, ideally you should just upload the quote (with your personal and company data blacked out). Then we can give you more feedback.
If you don’t want to do that, definitely get at least two more quotes for comparison.
If you don’t want to do that, definitely get at least two more quotes for comparison.
Hello,
yes, there is a (self-drawn) existing plan with measurements, as well as photos. In my opinion, the scope of work is included in the offer (description of the individual items). I have seen the new bathroom design at the company, but I don’t have it here (currently I only have 3D views of the design, which no longer correspond to the latest version). However, I could draw the new design myself or create it using a bathroom planner.
“We went all out” – that was actually what we wanted to avoid. We had no intention of renewing underfloor heating and screed, etc. – as I questioned above whether that is necessary.
One long side is completely occupied by the bathtub and shower, without any gaps. If you swap the two, in my opinion, the connection/fittings in the current shower would have to be moved 30-40 cm (12–16 inches) vertically down so that the height fits for the bathtub. The current bathtub connection would need to be moved 30-40 cm (12–16 inches) up and about half a meter (1.6 feet) sideways to fit the new shower.
If that disrupts things too much, we would forgo swapping the positions of the bathtub and shower as well as the built-in shower. Then it will simply be a glass partition.
On the other side, by the toilet and washbasin, I think all the connections would remain in place.
By the way, the company that gave us the offer is very likeable for us. We would like to commission them—if only the price weren’t an issue. Since we have already caused them some work, I would also like to pay them something for the planning if we do not commission them.
A huge amount of money for a bathroom that still isn’t the dream bathroom. If I now come along and ask for this or that fitting and a different toilet and washbasin, I fear another $10,000 would be added (for completely average mid-range items, not Vola or the like).
Unfortunately, I am at a loss which other company we could ask. We have no recommendations at this point. We already asked our regular house plumber, but I think he wasn’t interested. I would actually prefer someone who, for example, is really good at laying tiles.
Does anyone have a recommendation? Location: Mainz.
yes, there is a (self-drawn) existing plan with measurements, as well as photos. In my opinion, the scope of work is included in the offer (description of the individual items). I have seen the new bathroom design at the company, but I don’t have it here (currently I only have 3D views of the design, which no longer correspond to the latest version). However, I could draw the new design myself or create it using a bathroom planner.
“We went all out” – that was actually what we wanted to avoid. We had no intention of renewing underfloor heating and screed, etc. – as I questioned above whether that is necessary.
One long side is completely occupied by the bathtub and shower, without any gaps. If you swap the two, in my opinion, the connection/fittings in the current shower would have to be moved 30-40 cm (12–16 inches) vertically down so that the height fits for the bathtub. The current bathtub connection would need to be moved 30-40 cm (12–16 inches) up and about half a meter (1.6 feet) sideways to fit the new shower.
If that disrupts things too much, we would forgo swapping the positions of the bathtub and shower as well as the built-in shower. Then it will simply be a glass partition.
On the other side, by the toilet and washbasin, I think all the connections would remain in place.
By the way, the company that gave us the offer is very likeable for us. We would like to commission them—if only the price weren’t an issue. Since we have already caused them some work, I would also like to pay them something for the planning if we do not commission them.
A huge amount of money for a bathroom that still isn’t the dream bathroom. If I now come along and ask for this or that fitting and a different toilet and washbasin, I fear another $10,000 would be added (for completely average mid-range items, not Vola or the like).
Unfortunately, I am at a loss which other company we could ask. We have no recommendations at this point. We already asked our regular house plumber, but I think he wasn’t interested. I would actually prefer someone who, for example, is really good at laying tiles.
Does anyone have a recommendation? Location: Mainz.
...I could redact and upload the offer, which I could do, although I have some concerns about sharing the company’s intellectual property here. I would need a bit of time for that – the offer is 16 pages long.
I generally assume that the company did not price it exorbitantly. They themselves said it is a “maximum offer,” and it definitely won’t get more expensive, probably rather cheaper. I’m just wondering if it’s really necessary to plan on replacing the underfloor heating, for example. Maybe you can’t say that in general, and the question of whether it’s necessary can only be answered once the tiles are removed...?
I generally assume that the company did not price it exorbitantly. They themselves said it is a “maximum offer,” and it definitely won’t get more expensive, probably rather cheaper. I’m just wondering if it’s really necessary to plan on replacing the underfloor heating, for example. Maybe you can’t say that in general, and the question of whether it’s necessary can only be answered once the tiles are removed...?
O
Osnabruecker2 Dec 2022 13:26Helisara schrieb:
. I’m just wondering if it’s really necessary to plan for reinstalling the underfloor heating, for example.For that, we would need the plans, for example.
If the water supply and drainage pipes need to be relocated because fixtures are being moved, a new screed will definitely be required.
Demolition work can certainly be done yourself (using manual labor, a demolition hammer, and a dumpster/trailer). Savings can easily be in the four-figure range.
I would also recommend getting at least one additional quote.
I would agree with the advice to get more quotes. My gut feeling is that it might be quite expensive. The bathroom is not very large either, at 9.5m² (102 square feet). Installing new underfloor heating also seemed somewhat unnecessary to me, but according to your breakdown, it doesn’t appear to be one of the major cost items.
Similar topics