ᐅ Overwhelmed by Bathroom Tiling Options – Any Alternatives?
Created on: 17 Aug 2016 12:20
K
Knallkörper
Hello forum members,
In our new build, we have an 18 m² (193.75 sq ft) bathroom with a sloped ceiling and a 4.7 m² (50.6 sq ft) guest toilet. The main bathroom is planned to include a large walk-in shower measuring 1.20 x 1.00 m (3.9 x 3.3 ft), a stylish V&B bathtub, a double vanity, and an elegant toilet. The fittings for the shower and bathtub will be concealed-mounted.
The guest toilet will not have a bathtub and will only have a simple washbasin, but we want a slightly larger, attractive shower and a nice toilet as well.
We have received a quote from our general contractor’s preferred plumber. They want nearly 25,000 euros extra for the sanitary installation. Of this, 13,750 euros are for the “washbasin unit with mirror cabinet” in the main bathroom.
When I compare the largest material items in the overall quote with prices found online, I could save about 8,000 euros by purchasing the materials myself. For example:
V&B Squaro Edge 12 bathtub 190 x 90 cm (6.2 x 3 ft)
Installer’s quote: 1,655 euros (delivery only, plus installation)
Online price: 850 euros including shipping
The biggest discrepancies are with the individual parts of the Keuco “washbasin unit,” with price differences of over 100%.
Now I’m considering what to do. Ideally, I would decline the entire offer politely and source (almost) all parts myself and install them. Negotiation seems pointless since my idea of a fair price appears far from the plumber’s expectations.
So far, our own contribution to the whole house has been “only” laying all the flooring and doing all the tiling. If I install the sanitary fixtures myself, I wouldn’t have any scheduling conflicts with the general contractor. My plan is to have the GC’s plumber only make the connections at the correct positions. They can keep their standard fixtures. Then I would buy the bathtub, etc., at a better price and either install everything myself or hire another company for the installation.
Could this work? What should I consider regarding drywall work — is it done before or after the installation of the sanitary fixtures?
I would appreciate any suggestions or experience reports related to this kind of project.
In our new build, we have an 18 m² (193.75 sq ft) bathroom with a sloped ceiling and a 4.7 m² (50.6 sq ft) guest toilet. The main bathroom is planned to include a large walk-in shower measuring 1.20 x 1.00 m (3.9 x 3.3 ft), a stylish V&B bathtub, a double vanity, and an elegant toilet. The fittings for the shower and bathtub will be concealed-mounted.
The guest toilet will not have a bathtub and will only have a simple washbasin, but we want a slightly larger, attractive shower and a nice toilet as well.
We have received a quote from our general contractor’s preferred plumber. They want nearly 25,000 euros extra for the sanitary installation. Of this, 13,750 euros are for the “washbasin unit with mirror cabinet” in the main bathroom.
When I compare the largest material items in the overall quote with prices found online, I could save about 8,000 euros by purchasing the materials myself. For example:
V&B Squaro Edge 12 bathtub 190 x 90 cm (6.2 x 3 ft)
Installer’s quote: 1,655 euros (delivery only, plus installation)
Online price: 850 euros including shipping
The biggest discrepancies are with the individual parts of the Keuco “washbasin unit,” with price differences of over 100%.
Now I’m considering what to do. Ideally, I would decline the entire offer politely and source (almost) all parts myself and install them. Negotiation seems pointless since my idea of a fair price appears far from the plumber’s expectations.
So far, our own contribution to the whole house has been “only” laying all the flooring and doing all the tiling. If I install the sanitary fixtures myself, I wouldn’t have any scheduling conflicts with the general contractor. My plan is to have the GC’s plumber only make the connections at the correct positions. They can keep their standard fixtures. Then I would buy the bathtub, etc., at a better price and either install everything myself or hire another company for the installation.
Could this work? What should I consider regarding drywall work — is it done before or after the installation of the sanitary fixtures?
I would appreciate any suggestions or experience reports related to this kind of project.
P
Peanuts7418 Aug 2016 11:58HilfeHilfe schrieb:
Here they talk about shower heads, bathtubs, toilets, etc. I definitely don’t want to invest 15k in materials (wanted)
I installed the vanity cabinet with a friend who does interior finishing. It was a real nightmare. It took us 4 hours for that heavy piece, wasting countless diamond drill bits to avoid cracking the tiles.
Never ever...As I said, Bänker
I installed the 130cm (51 inches) vanity cabinet alone; it took about 2 hours.
Why would you need countless diamond drill bits for an estimated fewer than 10 holes???
Of course, the pipes for the toilet need to be cut to the correct length. But precise measurements shouldn’t be a problem for a mechanical engineer.
Mounting the toilet to the wall itself takes no more than 1 hour.
As I said, apart from the bathtub—which is quite bulky, may need to be leveled on a possibly uneven subfloor, and also needs to be sealed against the wall—I don’t see any unsolvable tasks...
ypg schrieb:
Who’s talking about the sink?If you take the term sink a bit more broadly, then of course the original poster is referring to it. That is at least the largest portion of the list of additional costs.
Knallkörper schrieb:
Of that, 13,750 euros go to the "vanity unit with mirror cabinet" in the main bathroom.Knallkörper schrieb:
The biggest discrepancies are found in the individual components of the "vanity unit" by Keuco, sometimes over 100% difference.Musketier schrieb:
If you broaden the definition of washbasins a bit, then of course the OP.
At least this makes up the largest part of the additional costs list.Good thing we're talking about this
My suggestion would be that the plumber is commissioned for the warranty-relevant tasks like the toilet, bathtub, and shower, while the ridiculously expensive washbasin (unimaginable to me, that price—what kind of materials justify it? Isn’t there a more affordable option without Keuco?) is excluded from the contract.
And then I wish you good luck with the drilling and mounting of the mirror
P
Peanuts7418 Aug 2016 13:40What’s with everyone having trouble drilling?
Do you have porcelain floor tiles on the wall?
“Normal” tiles are actually quite easy to drill through slowly. And even if a tiny corner chips off, you usually can’t see it behind the cabinet or mirror anyway, or are these expensive cabinets and mirrors replaced after two years so the holes would be visible then?
Do you have porcelain floor tiles on the wall?
“Normal” tiles are actually quite easy to drill through slowly. And even if a tiny corner chips off, you usually can’t see it behind the cabinet or mirror anyway, or are these expensive cabinets and mirrors replaced after two years so the holes would be visible then?
P
Peanuts7418 Aug 2016 14:14Keeping it moist is only for cooling, to prevent the drill bit from overheating.
However, even with a few holes through regular tiles, a drill bit should handle it. Porcelain stoneware, on the other hand, is almost impossible to drill this way...
However, even with a few holes through regular tiles, a drill bit should handle it. Porcelain stoneware, on the other hand, is almost impossible to drill this way...
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