The days of the $10,000-$15,000 bathroom remodel are long over. So, what could you expect to pay to get your bathroom remodeled these days? I’ll get right to it… to get your bathroom fully remodeled where we are located in Delaware County, PA you are looking at a minimum of $30,000.
Why does a bathroom cost nearly twice as much now as it did 5 years ago? Simple. As I’m sure you all know, prices everywhere for just about everything have increased since the beginning of 2020. Your bathroom is no different. The materials cost more. The labor costs more. The gas for the trucks costs more. And so on and so forth.
“But Chuck in the Truck came out and said my bathroom would probably only cost $12,000!” We hear this frequently. Sure, there are people who will remodel your bathroom for less, but you need to make sure you think long and hard before going with those people. I say “people”, not companies, because no legitimate company would be able to supply you with a fully remodeled bathroom for $12,000 and remain profitable. Here are a few things to think about with your $12,000 bathroom guy:
- He may not be licensed or insured. But for the sake of argument let’s say he holds a PA Home Improvement Contactor license and has a good general liability policy.
- He will be doing plumbing in your house that he is not specifically licensed and insured to do.
- He will be doing electrical work in your house that he is not specifically licensed and insured to do.
- Maybe he doesn’t touch the plumbing and just keeps all of your existing plumbing completely as-is. You know, the plumbing that is maybe 20, 30. 40 years old or more. What happens when your old plumbing has an issue and ruins your new bathroom?
- Does he have any employees? What happens if he gets hurt or sick? If he has employees, do they even get paid enough to care about your bathroom?
- Does he take the time to actually plan your project before he gets started? Or on Day 1 is he going to show up at your house, rip your bathroom to shreds, and then make a half-assed list to go to Home Depot and get his materials for the next day only to repeat that process every single day.
- Speaking of Home Depot trips. Is he going to finish your bathroom anywhere close to the initial schedule? Probably not. Is he going to spend more time driving to and from the store than working on your bathroom some days? You bet.
- Is the $12,000 even accurate? Are you going to end up spending $17,000 once you total up all of the Home Depot receipts that he handed you?
- What about warranties? Will he even still be around in 3 years to complete any warranty work on anything that he did?
- Will you even be happy with the final product? And if so, were the weeks of unnecessary stress worth the discount?
A high-quality bathroom remodel from a legitimate company will cost you at least $30,000. Here’s what you get with that:
- Pre-Construction Services: A comprehensive plan for your project. A full Scope of Work is drawn up. All design materials are chosen and priced out. All building materials are calculated and priced out. A real schedule is created for you to see in your ‘Client Portal’ on the company’s software. A contract is signed to protect both you and the company. Everything is ordered and ready to go before Day 1 of the job. You have a Pricing Commitment. You know exactly what the remodel is going to cost you before work starts.
- Skilled Specialty Contractors
- The best demolition team in the area. They won’t destroy your bathroom and the rest of your house. Only the bathroom.
- Actual licensed plumbers to perform your plumbing work so that all of your brand new supply lines, shut-offs, and drains are all up to code, covered under the plumber’s insurance if an issue arises, and the work is fully warrantied.
- Actual licensed electricians to perform your electrical work. Same reasoning as the plumbers.
- Skilled Remodelers: The company’s in-house labor force that has been background checked, has a career path laid out in front of them, and actually cares about making your bathroom beautiful.
- White-Glove Service: A Project Manager and Job Superintendent whose actual jobs are to make sure that you, the Client, is getting exactly what you want, for the price that you agreed to, on the schedule that you agreed to.
- Post-Construction Services: You and the Project Manager walk through the bathroom line-by-line with a 53-point checklist to confirm that your bathroom is 100% complete. Anything unsatisfactory is immediately taken care of. Any area that was heavily trafficked and any adjacent areas to the bathroom are professionally cleaned. You’re left with a project folder that includes all of your manufacturer warranties for things like faucets, toilets, etc. as well as with the remodeling company’s warranty information.
So, there you have it. In 2024 it will cost you a minimum of $30,000 to remodel your bathroom… unless you’re willing to take a chance on Chuck!
Remember: “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
