Is $10K for a complete bathroom remodel unreasonable?

[def90]

$10k is about right for the average run of the mill bathroom.

Fixtures and finishes can make the price change dramatically. I've worked on homes that had well over $100k 60sqft bathrooms.

[MrPrena]

[approx] 5% to 15% of median annual income for a bathroom remodel is just too much for me.
At those prices, I will get a permit myself and DIY.

[sniper7]

Yes it is. Learn to do it yourself and you won’t get raped.
YouTube is your best friend....

[Irving]

Yes it is. Learn to do it yourself and you won’t get raped.
YouTube is your best friend....

No way, I would have charged him $13k.

[Grant H.]

Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

If the bill came in within 0-5% of what the quote was, and the increase is justifiable, just pay him and get on with your life.

[def90]

Having remodeled now four bathrooms myself, I'm a bit mystified as to how someone spends 8-15k on a DIY.

Are you referring to the OP? If so, it was a 100% contractor build out with a little more work than an average bath redo.


either way there are a ton of variables. Brand of fixtures, brand of tub, you could spend a couple grand on the tub alone if you are going for a specific look, marble vs ceramic tile, cabinet build type and materials, type of wood used for the flooring and so on. Throw in a steam shower, heated floor and towel racks and it adds up.

[Irving]

I created a new circuit for my small bath, added a tube skylight, poured a new shower pan, added a light in the closet adjacent to bath, all new plumbing in the shower, insulated the walls, etc.

[Wulf202]

No, was referring to the people chiming in on the DIY side saying they spent just as much, some more. It's definitely not impossible, but more of a "why would you", I suppose. Most people DIY to save costs and amplify the value, if you're blowing 8 grand on fixtures, you're not doing either.

I do presume the OP quote to be fair-ish, because labor isn't cheap, anywhere. Even more so east slope. And there's a lot of small tasks to complete on that one.

The other side of that DIY is they spent the price of a cheap renovation done by a contractor, and got the finish of a high end renovation which would have cost even more.

Then there's the lack of available contractors, with even fewer being good contractors.

[def90]

The other side of that DIY is they spent the price of a cheap renovation done by a contractor, and got the finish of a high end renovation which would have cost even more.

Then there's the lack of available contractors, with even fewer being good contractors.

Yeah, you definitely want to spend what the house and neighborhood is worth. If you can do a $10k contractor job yourself DIY you could potentially make that a $15-20k upgrade value wise.

In the end you want to balance your personal taste with local real estate values and returns at the same time. Putting a $2k bath in a house in a neighborhood with $10k bath finishes isn't going to serve you well down the road unless you plan to live out your life in your current home.

[sniper7]

No way, I would have charged him $13k.

I would have offered my services to help, we could have knocked it out over a few days and walked away with a couple complete LaRue rifles each!