I am in Georgia and as a floor installer, my clients generally always buy their own material. When I go to price a job, I give the client the info they need to purchase the proper amount of material (tile, thinset mortar, grout, etc.}. I work out the details so that if I need to purchase anything such as an extra bag of thinset the client will reimbursing me. Most are happy to do so. I prefer that the client buy their own tile because they know what they like and they know what they can afford. Of course, I do consult them regarding things like quality, appearance, lay out along with pros and cons. For example, a wood plank tile generally will clash with other wood looks (laminate, vinyl plank, and real hardwood) so its best to go with another type of tile if you already have these in your home. However, at the end of the day, its their home and they are going to have to live with what they have selected. Sometimes people are on a budget and have to stay within a certain number. Installs do not fail because of less expensive materials. Installs fail because the material wasn't installed correctly. The install of a $0.79 tile (destined to chip on the surface when something is dropped on it), will last just a long as a $3.50 tile when properly installed. The durability of the material, and the durability of the install are two entirely separate things. You can absolutely have a quality install with less expensive material. You can also have an install that will fail with expensive and high quality material if not properly installed.
For those of you thinking a bath remodel, done properly and with the right waterproofing and attention to detail, is DIY work, please think really hard and triple your time estimate to completion. I just did, myself, a 3 hole bath in a 1950's home, and the issues in dealing with fitness of walls, old plumbing, and tiling (the smaller the tile the greater the skill) are significant, this is where experience is requiered. I have a Ph.D in mechanical engineering, and I can attest the learning experience is almost not worth it unless you are thinking in pursuing a business in this line of work. I liked this video, based on a straight forward answer regarding cost (CA is a premium of course), and I find it reasonable from a business perspective. If you have the skill and patience, by all means do it yourself, but don't think it is as easy as a lot of DIY advise on this platform makes it out to be.
One of the few videos I actually watched and payed attention through the whole thing. I really appreciate your candidness about costs. I am thinking of redoing our master bath and the mark up on materials makes total sense if the contractor is going to warrantee the work and materials.
This is a great video that really helps educate and set expectations for consumers. I am a bit shocked by the comment section, these numbers seem in line with what I see out here in Michigan.
Thank you Omar - we always try to be a resource for homeowners that are doing some research before starting their own project. A lot of people are misled by shows on HGTV/TLC/DIY that are shot in places like Tennessee or Ohio, where materials & labor are amongst the cheapest in the nation.
I did not mark up materials because customers think you are scamming them, they demand to see the cost of materials and receipts, but when the materials fail due to being defective, they call and expect free warranty work too, and that is also after they say they expected to pay the lower estimate and not the higher final price because there was more work involved in the project than expected. They somehow make me look like I am misleading and scamming them, and I end up making no money on the project at all.
Why the personal insults from a few of you? I'm more concerned with the tonality of people today than the cost of a remodel. He did say it's 25% more in California and he is a contractor trying to make a profit to support a family and workers. Hard to compare that cost to a DIY project in TX or FL.
Could not agree more with your price structure. We are presently remodeling a master bath. Ourselves reversing tub and shower custom vanity extensive tile throughout My cost on material alone. We are at $ 13000.00 And over three months of Sweat Equity. And yes, we do live in Southern, California. I'm a retired general contractor. Enjoy your video. Thank you.
I used to work for a flooring company. This is the hard truth. Bathroom reno is dreaded and costly. It's hard to make a profit for most because there are so many moving parts.
I just remodeled my bathroom myself and I mean everything including pipes and drains and upgraded my wiring. I literally paid $1,897.34 for materials. That’s toilet, vanity, new bathtub, tile, copper pipe. Etc.... took about a good 2 weeks on and off. 20,000 is ridiculous. You are marking up everything 1,000% I get you have to make a living and most people don’t have time or the knowledge to do this but geez you know how to rip people off I should start my own business.
Steve thanks for watching our video - congrats on your DIY project. Not everyone has the skills or time needed to design & build their remodeling project. At Bay Cities Construction we provide construction solutions and deliver peace of mind. Our clientele in Los Angeles is willing to hire our team of pros to design/build their projects with the high-end materials they choose from the showroom floor. When people need a new car they head over to a car dealership...they don't head over to Michigan to build the car themselves. Different tastes for different people.
Not everyone is a handy man, yet have the tools, time and knowledge to redo a restroom that’s why there’s a market for remodeling. Now from a business point of view you can’t be doing work with low margin’s.
Fredrcg the is a point where you know you are making money and a point you know you’re ripping off someone. It’s horrible how companies take advantage of this. I won’t say what my business is and yes I said business. I make a good living for what I do and I have to mark up parts and labor because people don’t have the knowledge or tools to do what I do. But I don’t go so far overboard with this because 1. I’d feel bad trying to take peoples hard earned money
I understand everyone thinks the prices are high but in the nyc metro area the big construction companies are up there. For a 5x8 some are charging 18k for labor only
Hi ilyketyorwy - we are based in LA, but we do have plans to expand and service San Francisco pretty soon! In the meantime, take advantage of all the resources on our website. Visit: www.baycitiesconstruction.com
Hi There. Just quick ask, When the customer wants to renovate the bathroom, Do you ask what the budget is before to give initial quotation or how this is work. from where do you know if the customer will accept your price and you to spend the time in the quotation, Many Thanks Forin
The Client always controls how much the project will cost. We always ask them what their target budge is in order to show them finishes that align with that budget. Otherwise how do you know if the Client is looking for a Toyota Corolla price point vs. a BMW price point. The client is always in charge of the spend!
We live in Willmar Minnesota and gave a very small tight bathroom and it our inly bathroom i want a walk in shower. See I had a partial knee replacement surgery on October 21 2021. That was my left knee. And i had my right knee dine in May 3 2021. Can a walk in shower work in a very small tight bathroom?
It depends on the dimensions (you'll need at least 4' x 4' to feel comfortable) just make sure it has a curb, we do not recommend any "curbless" shower.
A bathroom remodel company is not for cheap customers and diyers. A company needs to charge well in order to be profitable and grow. Even a little one show contractor will charge $100 an hour plus materials and reasonable markups. A big company will charge $200 an hour plus because they have higher overhead. Unfortunately there are cheap contractors who charge cheap and struggle to make ends meet and eventually quit or stay in poverty. Florida, Arizona and Texas are terrible places to be in business...Too many unlicensed guys and undocumented immigrants flooding the market with cheap labor.
Very very true...it's definitely hard to grow a business when you're being undercut by unlicensed competitors, and don't get me started on material & insurance costs, construction is Southern California is high, just like in NY City.
does it cost more to remodel a bathroom that was done wrong earlier by a unlicensed handy man? In other words I had a handyman screw up things like the tile & the slope of the shower floor, so now I'm hiring a licensed guy to basically re-do everything & I was quoted $10,000. This figure sounds very steep. The thing thats confusing me is why does it cost so much to clean up after someone else? Basically at the end of the day all the contractor is doing is throwing out stuff & replacing it with new stuff whether it was done correctly or incorrectly. Am I right? Or should I be suspicious of unscrupulous behavior? Thanks so much!!
Hi - thanks for submitting your question. That one is kinda tough ... but it might depend on the severity of the "screw up", materials, and the size of your bathroom. Sometimes you really "get what you pay for" with handymen. If you feel a bit unsure about your contractor you'll want to look them up on Yelp, Google Reviews, Houzz, Homeadvisor, Facebook, and Instagram just to see what past customers are saying.
Im a remodeler. Full master bathroom remodels are usually between 10k-20k in denver and other baths usually run between 7k-12k on average. That's for shower, tile wall and floor, vanity, mirror, lights, etc
I wish I could give you better info... but if he messed up the actual slop of the shower floor, and it's cement... that right there adds 1k to an already bad situation. as for overall price, 10k is cheap where I live. for a full bath reno. I have about 30 bath renos under my belt as Brooks Contracting, in Spokane WA. I once charged 7k and included materials, and lost money.
Some people hire you because of your skill to install something. Most people don't know how to renovate. So how does them buying their own material hurt you?
When we supply the materials we make every effort to warranty our work & materials against bad install, damage, wear & tear, etc. But sadly, when customers buy their own materials they purchase inferior materials that are of very very low quality that can easily break during install and transport... inexpensive materials from Floor & Decor may look good, but they won't last long.
The answer is because they probably can use some left overs from other jobs and still charge you for the full price, so they get even more money than what you know they will make
Windshield time really and get your supplies at home depo really, just plumbing the faucets...you have retail and wholesale the retail garbage can't get replacement parts come on now.
Thanks for the comment Luis - this video is kinda old (We have way newer, and better videos on our channel). If you have any questions about bathroom remodeling make sure to ask them here - and i'll try to answer them.
He probabaly bought a beautiful wife just with the bathroom remodeling portion of his company. Gotta respect the hustle! Bruh you ballin....that's how much money I wanna make when I grow up.
Lol not sure if hatin' or appreciatin' but thanks for watching our video. Make sure to subscribe and hit that 🔔 icon to get notified when we upload new videos!
Very true - we buy millions worth of building materials every year and we pass on the savings on to you. We will also cover workmanship and materials under a 5 yr warranty.
Bay Cities Construction where I live in the Bay Area of Northern California, there are plenty of expensive bathrooms being the wealthiest and highest cost of living in North America. But none of these would include hardware store junk.
You're right Damian. All you would need is a wheelbartow to get the parts from Home Depot to your van, and to pay a few of those guys in the parking lot looking for work and get it all done for a fraction of what they're charging.
I DONT COMPREHEND WHY RENOVATING A BATHROOM IS SO EXPENSIVE THATS INSANE. I paid 900$ for someone to come and install 4 lights in my kitchen and he did it in less than 1 hour. Soon everyone is going to start doing their own jobs and all of these contractors will stay out of business for thinking they can rip-off people.
You signed a contract and agreed to the price of $900.00 to have your kitchen lighting upgraded. You must have felt that the upgrade was worth the cost. If he accomplished the task in an hour, I'm sure he was a top quality professional with extensive experience and all the right and expensive tools to be able to perform the job safely and efficiently. Would you have been happier with the same lighting upgrade if he took 12 hours to complete the work?
I've been remodeling bathrooms in the South Bay area of Los Angeles for over 20 years man, so I think I am perfectly capable of saying this is how much a good bathroom remodel costs. Just like the commercial says..."we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two" 🤷
Hi Donald 👋 Thanks for watching our video - just keep in mind that we serve the West LA & South Bay areas where people have expensive tastes 💰and expect a high level of craftsmanship. Want to see some of our recent projects? visit www.baycitiesconstruction.com
