[snorpo]

My best to all.

I have a 40 year old 5ft x 5ft bathroom that has been severely neglected. I would highly appreciate it if someone could take some of their valuable time to provide me with a rough estimate - SWAG (semi wild ass guess) or WAG (wild ass guess) on what the labor might be to get some work done on it - can be in hours or dollars - I don't care which one.

Bathroom 5ft by 5ft Plus tub

1. Remove carpet and underlayment
2. Remove toilet
3. Remove baseboard – 3 pieces
4. Remove 30 inch sink
5. Remove old ceiling fan and patch the drywall
6. Remove vanity light bar and patch drywall
7. Remove towel bar and toilet paper holder and patch drywall
8. Remove and replace old recessed mirror with a surface mounted one (drywall work)
9. Install two vanity lights (adjacent to each other and wired parallel)
10. Install new 30 inch sink, sink top, new faucet and make water and drain hookup.
11. Install waterproof underlayment and new luxury vinyl plank – plank mates with hall carpet
12. Install new toilet and connect it
13. Replace old single switch box with a double switch box – remove/replace fan switch and add the one for the lights
14. Install new ceiling fan in center of ceiling and connect it to the new on/off switch.
15. Repair drywall holes made when running the wiring to the new vanity lights
16. Prepare walls for paint
17. Paint – one coat of primer and one coat of paint -- paint/install new baseboard
18. Install two towel hooks, one towel bar, and a toilet paper holder

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Either SWAGS or WAGS are perfectly fine as is dollars or hours – northern Virginia, Reston area.

Andy

 

[Marson]

I'd say a bathroom remodel is a minimum of two weeks, and it goes up from there depending on how effed up things are. I "remodelled" a neighbor's bathroom which was in the basement of a new house, with everything roughed in and ready to go, and it still took me two weeks.



Hard to say without seeing it, but my guess is you would be money ahead to gut something like that.

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

Actually if I read it correctly, pretty simple stuf... no plumbing reconfiguration, no electrical reconfig, no tile or tub issue.

A competant handyman might be able to do it pretty easy if you supply/get the materials,

Don't have a Wag or a SWAG but maybe a NFIWAG at 3K plus/minus 3k.

Good luck... bet you could do alot of that yourself.

 

[snorpo]

I'd say a bathroom remodel is a minimum of two weeks, and it goes up from there depending on how effed up things are. I "remodelled" a neighbor's bathroom which was in the basement of a new house, with everything roughed in and ready to go, and it still took me two weeks.



Hard to say without seeing it, but my guess is you would be money ahead to gut something like that.

Thanks a lot Marson,

I fully agree with your 'gut' comment but one of the problems I have is that this bathroom is used by a step daughter - crazy work schedule - and my brother in law. My other 'handicaps' are my age and my financial circumstances plus the need to install a new staircase. Thinking that retirement is paradise is a delusion - except for the rich.

I need to come up with a plan and just get to it but I don't have enough information to make a viable plan yet - hence my question. Perhaps I should just get a/some bid/bids but if I'm going to do some of the work myself I'm not inclined to jerk some contractors around.

It'll all get worked out in time.

I hope you have a great week Marson.

 

[Guap0_]

I don't see how you can do that work while the bathroom is still in use.

 

[SPS-1]

Actually if I read it correctly, pretty simple stuf... .

Its always simple, before you start ripping things out. And then, every time you pull something out, you look behind it and say "Dang, I wasn't expecting that. This is not good" (i.e the rotted sub-floor, rusted galvanized plumbing, the heating duct that somebody used plastic dryer duct, etc, etc)

 

[Guap0_]

And then, every time you pull something out, you look behind it and say "Dang, I wasn't expecting that.

I agree except for the dang part. I'd be saying something else.

 

[snorpo]

Actually if I read it correctly, pretty simple stuf... no plumbing reconfiguration, no electrical reconfig, no tile or tub issue.

A competant handyman might be able to do it pretty easy if you supply/get the materials,

Don't have a Wag or a SWAG but maybe a NFIWAG at 3K plus/minus 3k.

Good luck... bet you could do alot of that yourself.

Thanks a lot 'MTN',

Yep, you're right, pretty simple stuff. Well, you got me with that NFIWAG, I'm not sure what that exactly means but I get the jest of it. Yes, I could do a lot of it myself but I don't have a tremendous amount of experience and consequently I don't work that fast - meticulous. You might want to take note of my response to Marson.

Yes, I'll be supplying all materials I already have them on hand, ready to go. I also need to get a new stair railing installed but that has it's own set of issues regarding cost and how to efficiently secure it. It seems like I'm going to have to install some blocking which means tearing out a good bit of drywall and then replacing it. Like everything else it only takes time and money.

So, 3k plus or minus - that would be about 40 or so man hours. It seems like I should use the 'plus side' of your tolerance for planning purposes. But I'm sure experienced remodelers are a lot faster than I imagine them to be.

I really appreciate your time and the NFIWAG 'MTN'.

Happy Holidays

Andy

 

[fireguy]

Yes, I'll be supplying all materials I already have them on hand, ready to go.

Andy

A red flag is when the customer supplies the materials. So you bought the wrong stuff, are you going to pay the tradesman for his standing around time while you run to Home Cheapo? Or do you expect him to go to Home Cheapo for free?

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

Andy....

Given the new info....(maintaining in use bathroom/financial constraints/ inability for some DIY and I'm guessing it is a relatively older home, although you don't say).... sounds alot more difficult.... Sorry

While it is far less efficient and ultimately more costly, any chance of doing it as a triage.... one/several projects at a time... most important/demanding project one at a time.

It would be very difficult planning, as there is a necessary order to certain projects.

Perhaps the inlaws would be gone for a time (vacation - visiting other in-laws)... as a clean tearout is obviously the quickest most preferable way to go.

Not sure of the comminity you live in.... but maybe you could find a semi retired handyman and assist him. As to replacing existing plumbing, I do not believe that requires any permitting, and your electrical (if that is a new line) might require permitting... but still seems relatively doable.

I would note the others comments, that if you have existing rot and if this is a much older home with iron or cast supply/DWV and no ground wiring.... you could run into much more extensive work than as listed.


Do you have any inlaws with competant experience and DIY capability.

I think getting bids/estimates might be a very good thing to do... that will better define the realistic scope of work....

Good luck

 

[snorpo]

A red flag is when the customer supplies the materials. So you bought the wrong stuff, are you going to pay the tradesman for his standing around time while you run to Home Cheapo? Or do you expect him to go to Home Cheapo for free?

25 square foot bathroom, one fan, two lights, flooring, vanity, mirror.

Materials to be reviewed during his inspection of the room.

Sorry you're having a bad day.

 

[snorpo]

Andy....

Given the new info....(maintaining in use bathroom/financial constraints/ inability for some DIY and I'm guessing it is a relatively older home, although you don't say).... sounds alot more difficult.... Sorry

While it is far less efficient and ultimately more costly, any chance of doing it as a triage.... one/several projects at a time... most important/demanding project one at a time.

It would be very difficult planning, as there is a necessary order to certain projects.

Perhaps the inlaws would be gone for a time (vacation - visiting other in-laws)... as a clean tearout is obviously the quickest most preferable way to go.

Not sure of the comminity you live in.... but maybe you could find a semi retired handyman and assist him. As to replacing existing plumbing, I do not believe that requires any permitting, and your electrical (if that is a new line) might require permitting... but still seems relatively doable.

I would note the others comments, that if you have existing rot and if this is a much older home with iron or cast supply/DWV and no ground wiring.... you could run into much more extensive work than as listed.


Do you have any inlaws with competant experience and DIY capability.

I think getting bids/estimates might be a very good thing to do... that will better define the realistic scope of work....

Good luck

You make very good and thoughtful points.

Forty year old house but I've done work on it over the past thirty years and have found zero evidence of dry rot - very bad initial construction though, for example the slab is uneven and it slopes. PVC piping.

For now, I have a rough idea of what the cost might be and I'm going to get a WAG or SWAG for installing the railing system and then go from there. I don't intend on getting any real quotes until I get a bit more of an idea of my costs for both projects.

The bathroom remodel has been in the works for some time - researching for materials and styles and then buying. The stair railing system just came up in the past couple of weeks - was left high and dry by an old timer from Craigslist. I think that he was an honest man but was in a bad spot.

Your estimate was helpful at this stage. I really had no idea as to cost, not even a WAG.

If you ever move to this area, please let me know.

With my regards,

Andy

 

[snorpo]

I don't see how you can do that work while the bathroom is still in use.

Would have to be done in spurts. Essentials on one day - toilet, vanity, and flooring with my in-laws locked up in my non-existent basement. The remainder being done piece meal perhaps four hours at a shot. A dream, right?

Thanks for your time and interest Guapo - my brother-in-law thinks he's Guapo also. And my step daughter KNOWS she is quapa. They, and my wife, are from Bolivia.

Andy

 

[snorpo]

Its always simple, before you start ripping things out. And then, every time you pull something out, you look behind it and say "Dang, I wasn't expecting that. This is not good" (i.e the rotted sub-floor, rusted galvanized plumbing, the heating duct that somebody used plastic dryer duct, etc, etc)

You are 100 percent correct 'SPS' and that highlights the difference between a SWAG and a WAG.

Thanks for your time and interest. Take care.


Andy

 

[SPS-1]

Few years ago, my friend's bathroom was in rough shape. I was coming in to feed her animals while she was in the hospital, and figured it would be a nice surprise if she comes back and finds her bathroom fixed up. 2 or 3 hours a day, for two or three weeks should give me plenty of time. After 2 or 3 weeks, I had to tell the outfit I was doing work for that I needed a week off to finish my friends bathroom.


Among many nice surprises, after pulling a few things off, I found that it indeed included a heating duct made of plastic dryer vent. She kept an electric heater in her bathroom because it was always cold. You know what plastic dryer duct looks like after maybe 30 years of being used as a heating duct? ---- it looks like dust. Totally disintegrated and all the hot air going up a chase in the wall.

 

[Oso954]

SWAG (semi wild ass guess)

Glad you defined what you think that means.

Most people call it Scientific wild ass guess.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_wild-ass_guess

 

[sixeightten]

I am amazed that you are willing to do all of that, yet not touch the existing tub and fixture. Like others have pointed out, bath remodels can be tricky, especially when you want to keep it usable. Doing things in phases will make the price go up slightly, as it means more times set up/tear down, and possibly more total visits.

I would consider checking with whomever is doing the stair rail. At the very least, that drywall work could be combined with the drywall repairs in the bath to save a few dollars. Same guy may be able to handle your bath remodel also, as it doesn't contain major plumbing or electrical.

 

[snorpo]

Few years ago, my friend's bathroom was in rough shape. I was coming in to feed her animals while she was in the hospital, and figured it would be a nice surprise if she comes back and finds her bathroom fixed up. 2 or 3 hours a day, for two or three weeks should give me plenty of time. After 2 or 3 weeks, I had to tell the outfit I was doing work for that I needed a week off to finish my friends bathroom.


Among many nice surprises, after pulling a few things off, I found that it indeed included a heating duct made of plastic dryer vent. She kept an electric heater in her bathroom because it was always cold. You know what plastic dryer duct looks like after maybe 30 years of being used as a heating duct? ---- it looks like dust. Totally disintegrated and all the hot air going up a chase in the wall.

WOW - I'm sure that was an educational experience that changed your perspective on a lot of things.

I hope it all ended well for her - and for you. I'm sure you made her happy but it sounds like you paid a big price - just because you're a good guy. Bless you.

With my regards,

Andy

 

[Guap0_]

Side note: SWAG was also a mob acronym for Stuff We All Get.

 

[snorpo]

Interesting. Does the Clinton Foundation also use the term SWAG? Asking for a friend.