Remodeling Q&A
Answers and insight into the remodeling experience from Simply Baths & Showcase Kitchens owner, Barry Miller
You Asked:
Why does remodeling cost so much?
The Answer:
Consumers often underestimate the amount of work involved in a bath remodel. Several different trades are necessary to complete the job, and each often has a relatively low individual cost. But when the items are added together, they quickly yield a much larger total cost. Examples include demo, renting a dumpster, plumbing, electrical, sheetrock, carpentry, tile, shower doors and painting. There’s a lot of complexity behind the scenes, especially in the plumbing, electrical and framing – all the more if you’re changing the location of things or expanding your original space!
Another factor is that the cost for raw materials like copper, paint and sheetrock has skyrocketed in the last few years. (So has the cost of gas and delivery.) This results in a cost increase from our vendors, which we unfortunately have to extend to our customers, as well.
As for fixtures, quality products are more costly than generic ones due to smaller production runs and better raw materials and functionality. They offer a more stylized fit in your bathroom, and translate into a more seamless finish and better overall appearance.
Insider Tips:
Be as upfront as possible about your bathroom remodeling budget and priorities. The more we know, the better we can design and suggest products to your needs and your budget.
How can this translate into savings? Rather than choosing a tiled shower pan, opt for a pre-made one, which doesn’t significantly change the look or functionality, but you could save $1,000 or more. Or, you can use a porcelain tile that looks like natural stone instead of an actual natural stone. This could save you about 50 percent of the tile cost. This way, you can save the bulk of your budget for the features that really matter to you.
Do you have a remodeling question for Barry? E-mail it to lisa@simplybaths.net and we’ll feature his answer in a future post.
