Need advice...

[Abbey Marie]

Has anyone here renovated a bathroom, and hired someone to do it? If so, did you go with a store like Home Depot, or did you hire a private contractor? (I am not talking about getting new walls or floors, just a new shower, sinks and vanity).

How did it go?

Thanks,
Abbey

[jimnyc]

Has anyone here renovated a bathroom, and hired someone to do it? If so, did you go with a store like Home Depot, or did you hire a private contractor? (I am not talking about getting new walls or floors, just a new shower, sinks and vanity).

How did it go?

Thanks,
Abbey

We had our bathroom renovated, but we also got new walls and floors. We went with a local contractor for the job. If you can get a local recommendation, maybe get an estimate from both?

[LongTermGuy]

​Home Depot....Kitchen Cabinets..."very knowledgeable" folks there...very happy.

[aboutime]

Abbey. Personal experience. We had to hire a licensed Plumber to re-do our 30 year old bathrooms. The plumbing is the most important, and probably costliest due to changing from the old pipes (cheap, penny pinching developers used) to PVC, or Copper. Home Depot seems to be pretty reliable. But the cabinets might be less than what you want. There are companies that do Modern Bathrooms...walk in showers, or with doors, all in Plastic. Saw an advertisement directed at WE OLDER people where a local Bathroom Deal can cost upwards of 15 K or more.
BE CAREFUL what you ask for.

[hjmick]

Back in '08-'09 the Mrs. and I did one bathroom, a kitchen, and turned a half-bath into a full. Hired a contractor. Got lucky, he was FANTASTIC! I pretty much did the design, he and his crew made it happen. Not everyone gets as lucky as we did, I've heard horror stories about contractors...


If you choose this route, I suggest interviewing more than a couple. Ask for references with phone numbers. Call them, ask them about their experience. Visit their homes and look at the work if t all possible. Ask the contractor to see photographs of his work.

[Jeff]

Abbey seeing as you are just replacing certain things that can be bought at say Home Depot I would price them there, exactly what y'all want and then see what the contractor prices the same as, he is getting paid to install but he also gets a discount on the materials, if he charges you more than Home Depot, either it is a much better product or he more than likley is trying to make money installing and a little extra on the product.

[hjmick]

Abbey seeing as you are just replacing certain things that can be bought at say Home Depot I would price them there, exactly what y'all want and then see what the contractor prices the same as, he is getting paid to install but he also gets a discount on the materials, if he charges you more than Home Depot, either it is a much better product or he more than likley is trying to make money installing and a little extra on the product.

See, we bought the sinks and hardware and faucets and such leaving the cabinetry to the contractor. Cabinetry based on my wants...

The glass work, mirrors, shower doors and such, were all done by a buddy of mine at cost.

[LongTermGuy]

Abbey seeing as you are just replacing certain things that can be bought at say Home Depot I would price them there, exactly what y'all want and then see what the contractor prices the same as, he is getting paid to install but he also gets a discount on the materials, if he charges you more than Home Depot, either it is a much better product or he more than likley is trying to make money installing and a little extra on the product.

​What I did....

[Jeff]

​What I did....

Always wise to check up on the contractor, you know he is getting his stuff at a discount so it shouldn't be more than what you can buy, unless he has decided to mark things up and if that is the case it is time to find a new one.

[LongTermGuy]

Always wise to check up on the contractor, you know he is getting his stuff at a discount so it shouldn't be more than what you can buy, unless he has decided to mark things up and if that is the case it is time to find a new one.

*That`s why I like you....cause your so smart and have a beard

[revelarts]

Mom's house we had contractor do it. C+ work.

My House
I redid the half bath.
Bought the Sink and Toilet at home depot brought it home had a plumber install them for less than $200.
Bought vinyl, sheet rock, paint, i replaced floor and removed tile replaced sheet rock. had sheet rock contractor come in to put clean finish on joints and walls. less than $150
I painted, put vinyl on floor. Wife bought mirrors and rods i put them up.
lots of work but we saved a ton and it's exactly what we .."she" wanted.

thinking of using "bath fitters" for full bath, near $5000. but it looks like it'd be great. be done in 1 or 2 days.

[DLT]

Has anyone here renovated a bathroom, and hired someone to do it? If so, did you go with a store like Home Depot, or did you hire a private contractor? (I am not talking about getting new walls or floors, just a new shower, sinks and vanity).

How did it go?

Thanks,
Abbey

I probably wouldn't go with Home Depot for that. I used them for a new water heater installation a couple of years ago, and they had to follow all manner of city/state 'regulations' which would have jacked the cost of the water heater up by anywhere from $200 to $400 if I had allowed them to charge me for it. Instead, I found out what I needed and purchased the stuff myself at about 1/5 of the cost they would have charged. The only reason I used them was to get an extended warranty on the heater. If not for that I would have used a private contractor.