Is this a fair quote for finishing my basement washroom?

RockThis52

Well-known member
Hey guys, planning on finishing my basement washroom, it's about 8.5' X 5'. I got quoted $4000. I just want to know if its a fair price or not. Rough ins are there but he says they will have to be moved around.

Not sure how to post pics that are larger than 90kb. But it's roughly rectangular with a furnace on one side and a landing on the other.
 
that actually sounds really good. 2pc or 3pc? . I would fathom there is 2k in materials unless your going econo box.
 
3 piece. I want a shower but it's roughed in for a bath. So he said extra for the shower...
No expert, but that extra would mean moving the drain out about 18" . If he's already breaking ground to move the other rough ins, I would think the cost would be no more than $200 extra. Do it. Install a prefab shower.
Price imo is about right for a basic 3 piece. But look at everything : ceramic tile floor or linoleum? Cranada toilets, American Standard or Kohl? Electrical? Mirrors?
Just make sure you know what your getting for your money.

Sent from a Samsung Galaxy far, far away using Tapatalk
 
Sounds really cheap. Is it legit company?

Check the shower base. some were not meant for basements as the under-reinforcing doesn't stand up to the constant moisture.

Floor warming is a nice adder.
 
4k for a 3pc with a drain relocate is very cheap. Be careful this guy hasn't underestimated to get the job and then has the "well that's an extra " fever.
 
Sounds really cheap. Is it legit company?

Check the shower base. some were not meant for basements as the under-reinforcing doesn't stand up to the constant moisture.

Floor warming is a nice adder.
Not entirely sure. He's a licensed contractor whom I know from a brother in laws friend. Alternatively the quote I got for 6.5 k, I've done work with him before and the guy is impeccable.
 
so basement baths as I see it, all the hookup widgits cost about $200. nice vanity with faucet $500. crapper $300. shower on average $1000. Then you have a light fixture, fan, flooring. so $500? so your 3k in material. I may be high, but getting to 4K on a total would happen really fast.
 
It was a little more than a remodel for sure. Down to the studs an rebuild the floor and plumbing below then sprayfoamed the floor that is above the garage added a bit of cost. Tore out and raised the ceiling too and added capacity to the fan outlet. Potlights and $8/sq foot tile my wife wanted and it adds up fast.

Wow 10k, DIY?! Just on material? And beers of course.
 
Do the math. $4000 would represent 80 hours of labour at $50 per hour. Can the job be done in 80 man hours? Of course materials would be extra or the labour rate a lot less. Does not compute. Can you get a decent tradesperson at $50 an hour?
 
$4K = too low. Probably by low-paid workers and doing plumbing and electrical themselves with no permit/inspection.

If this is a quick lipstick job to sell your house then no big deal for you (unless the buyer/inspector picks up on the cheap work). If this is for you to live in for a while and enjoy, then I have the following advice:

If you don't know how drains/vents work and should be constructed, then it's worth paying a real plumber to do the job.

At a minimum, the electrical should be done by an electrical contractor with an ESA permit and inspection. Don't take short cuts with electricity and water... If you do, at least test the GFCI operation and ensure you have a working smoke detector...

Showers need to be waterproofed. I'll assume you're doing an acrylic base, but if you do tiles on the wall and not the matching acrylic wall panels, then don't accept tiles installed on green drywall. Water moves through the grout and will degrade the drywall (even if it's green) over time leading to mould and whatnot. Cement board with either a surface waterproofing or underlying water/vapour barrier or using the schulter products are appropriate under tile walls.

Bathrooms need to be vented - don't forget the fart fan. Worth paying extra for the Panasonic fan - you can get it at a good price from the electrical wholesalers (your electrical contractor would know this). Figuring out the vent path to the outside may be easy or may be a challenge - there are rules for cutting holes in joists...

If you are going to be using this bathroom yourself, then it's worth spending a hundred or two extra on a better toilet. Amortized over a decade or two, this is pennies extra for getting a good flush everytime. I can personally recommend the American Standard Cossette (rona - $369) as I just installed one in my basement.
 
Without seeing it, it's al, pure speculation. Put a material list together yourself or ask for one from the contractor. See how the compare.

You can spend a small fortune on material and then have some hack come in, install and have problems before spring. Meanwhile, it looks great when everything is fresh.

You can get new materials from Restore. The Burlington location is great. Just need some patience and stop in and purchase when what you are looking for is there.

Don't cheap out on tile. That crap for 79 cents a square foot at HD takes a lot of work to try and make it look good. Tiles aren't consistent is size or thickness. Get decent material and the tradesman will appreciate it and the install will go smoother.

Got a toilet from Costco. But the white didn't match the tub we got. Sometimes, you have to be careful looking for those bargains. Lol.

We got a vanity from Lowes and you couldn't get it cheaper anywhere else or across the border.

Bathroom fixtures can be tricky. We found some higher end stuff across the border. Showed the receipt at the border and got waved through. No tax to pay.

But we just took our time, research material cost, determined what we wanted. Purchased when we found a deal. Then got a pro to do the stuff we couldn't do.

Good luck!
 
4K for a bathroom that is down to the studs, seems ........ really cheap.
 
Just what I did-- do not use a low flow toilet in the basement. You don't have gravity flowing it down. Ymmv



Sent from a Samsung Galaxy far, far away using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top Bottom