Renovation under 30k

even in a small bathroom you are generally looking at 10k for a gut renovation + materials eg tub/vanity/shower screen/taps etc

Flooring is cheap'ish' but while you are at it might as well do the subfloor/underlay possibly even insulation/soundproofing?

Closers range from 1k from ikea to 20k custom.....need more info.

I guess the basic answer is yes you could probably do it for less than 30k....but probably not.

Yea, I am looking at Ikea and I will leave kitchen as it is.

Have you gotten approval from your building? Are they requiring this work to be permitted with the DOB? Adding/removing walls generally triggers permit requirements. If so, you may end up spending a good bit of that 30K on architect fees, expeditor/permits, asbestos testing/removal before having any of the actual work done.

Not yet.

I thought adding a wall should be easy enough (I had previously added pressurized walls in rental units).

F1Champ,

Many people on this site will say you can do a bathroom gut renovation for 10k, I think I read someone say 5k once. I say that's impossible in Manhattan. I am sure your building requires a licensed plumber. A good plumber will cost around 4k if the branch lines have to be replaced back to the riser. Throw in a custom lead pan and it's more. Let's say 5k for the plumber. There is demo and rubbish removal, Durock and greenboard installation medicine cabinet, toilet, vanity, sink and faucet plus all your purchases

Does your friend have insurance? I have no idea how they can install flooring without it and what kind of flooring? How many sq ft is your new home?

Some buildings will require a permit for the wall work. Times have changed. Many buildings no longer allow even pressurized walls without a permit.

I think you should plan on spending a lot more then 30k

Primer05's estimates are similar to what I'm getting from contractors/architects. Everything costs more in the city due to the added requirements from the coop/condo boards related to insurance, licensing, asbestos/lead, construction debris removal, restricted work times, etc. (eg 2 million dollar insurance policy for contractor)

KITCHEN
I'm waiting on the final proposal for my kitchen. I expect it will be around 30K without appliances. The Board is requiring laticrete (waterproofing membrane) on the floor along with soundproofing. They also have a list of things for plumbing upgrades. We already had the fuse box upgraded to a circuit breaker as per building requirements and rewired, adding new outlets to code. The walls and ceiling need to be plastered and skim coated as they are in bad shape. I've opted to widen the kitchen doorway and add a water filtration system. I'll get a break on the cabinet removal since a friend wants them for her store room since they're metal.

Then I have to give the Board a $5,000 deposit against building damages. The application for the renovation will be $1,000, non-refundable.

BATHROOM
The estimates for the bathroom run between 10 to 20K. There's a lot of work needed here since nothing was done to the bathroom since the building opened in 1952. It has pink tiles and a small wall mounted sink. There is a defunct radiator under the sink that needs to be removed. I've already had it rewired and switched out the light fixtures.

f1champ, it's maybe possible. please list your email address if you want the contractor's details.

Sure belgariad: my email is sav231@nyu.edu
Thanks

10K sounds about right for the bathroom plus another 5K if branch line replacement is mandated. The light fixtures and switches you could do yourself - thats what I did. It seems daunting at first, but after the first couple, its pretty straightforward. Otherwise, probably 1K-2K (depends on how many).
Painting: estimates are all over the place, but you are probably looking at 4K minimum, and a lot more if the walls are in bad shape.

So that leaves you with less than 10K for the floors and the changes to the layout. Depending on how straightforward the latter is, you may just about be able to squeeze it under 30k, but I wouldn't bank on it. Better to figure on 40k, in my opinion. The biggest factor on cost is going to be how the building treats you. If they do not require permits for the wall nor branch line replacement in the bathroom, you will end up at the lower end of the range.

Hi, I can't imagine bathroom to be done under 25-30k anywhere in Manhattan even with IKEA

Hi, I can't imagine bathroom to be done under 25-30k anywhere in Manhattan even with IKEA

Is that joke?

I recently renovated my bathroom (replacing all fixtures except tub, all tiling, no changes in rough plumbing). It was part of a broader renovation but the bathroom portion probably was just around 10k including materials.

feelhong: Just to confirm, you did change the tiles?

f1champ - if you are in a coop building with the management company - unfortunately it's not a joke

approvals and drawings - 5-10k
plumbing - 5-8k
tiling - 4-7k
materials 5-10k
electrical 2-3k
painting - 2-3k
demo, general conditions etc. 3-6k

f1champ: Yes that includes floor and wall tiles as well. It's a typical 5x7 bathroom that was in decent shape but just looked outdated. Just a cosmetic renovation so no rough plumbing was touched. To control costs I skimped on some and splurged on some. I'd say materials are mid-range (Porcelanosa, Delta, Kohler). Note that I was very cost-conscious and bought most of my stuff around thanksgiving at good discounts. If you want to discuss offline I can share more about my experience

I've just completed a bathroom gut reno (5x7 with adjacent hall/closets) and I have to say nycrealestate's numbers are realistic. It was in a co-op and required DOB permitting/approvals/drawings. Materials were mid-range (Delta, porcelain tile approx $7.50/sf, kohler toilet/tub, IKEA closet & vanity cabinets), and all plumbing was left in place. It was part of a larger reno, but the bathroom portion was at least 25k.

I spent 5K for a facelift of one small bathroom: new porcelain floor tile (on top of old tile), new sink and fixtures, new shower door unit, moved huge wall unit up 6 inches higher, moved box for light fixture and installed all new stuff, and painted.

For my new place, the contractor is estimating 20 to 30K, depending upon materials. Although there are really no changes from the layout of the original bathroom, there is a lot of plumbing work to be done to bring it up to the new building codes.

This is typical of how a bathroom needs to be renovated in Manhattan. A facelift is very different but for a full gut reno:

1. Demo complete bathroom (remove all debris)
2. Remove and replace all branch lines back to the riser
3. Install shutoff valves with an access panel
4. Install tub or fabricate and install a custom lead pan
5. Install Laticrete waterproofing on the floor going up 6" on the walls (some require more)
6. Install durock in bath/shower area. Green board on other walls
7. Install GFI outlets as needed
8. Install floor and wall tile
9. Grout
10. Install recessed medicine cabinet, light fixture, toilet, vanity, sink and faucet
11. Install all accessories (robe hooks, towel bars, toilet paper holder, etc)
11. Prep, prime and paint as necessary
12. Remove all debris

This bathroom in Manhattan done with a licensed plumber and contractor will cost 25k and up

The up would consist of many options (custom shower enclosure, more for 1/2" glass and more for low iron as well. Maybe a custom vanity, maybe some nice cove lighting.

I see a lot of posts of bathroom renovations for 5-10k and for a full gut renovation I just feel it is impossible.

Ok...12 steps nicely laid out.

would you say the average labor time per step is 10 hrs? installing GFI outlets (as needed). 3? certainly less than 10 hrs. install floor and wall tile. definitely more than 10 hrs....but 30 hrs?

install all accessories? less than 10 hrs.

so at 10 hrs times 12 steps times $100 hr equals $12K?

feelhong: Please shoot me a email as sav231@nyu.edu as I would love to hear about your experience
thank you

I just cannot get over the fact that the contractors/labor would cost me around $100/hour while a Ivy league engineering or mathematician with 7-10 years of experience is paid around $70/hour including benefits.

Is it possible and cost effective to open my own contracting company, buy insurance and get someone from upstate New York to work on renovation? Has anyone every done that?
I got a quote for gut bathroom, sanding floors, closet move, new floors and a wall for 30k-35k labor only.
How are home depot contractors as I got a quote for install and wood for 13k

Thanks,

F1Champ,

I think it is all about value. I can appreciate your point of view of a person going to an a Ivy League school but I am not sure how that equates to construction. I graduated from college, should I charge more than a contractor that didn't go to college? I would say no. You might pay more for someone who has experience over someone who does not.

As far as figuring out what the hourly fee for a bathroom is you have to consider you are not hiring a person to renovate you are hiring a company. There is an overhead and profit so tryito figure out an hourly cost really doesn't make sense.

It is possible for you to open your own construction company but the time and cost probably wouldn't be ideal

From what I hear the Home Depot subs are not that great.

True, home depot reviews for flooring are a mixed bag but if they screw up, they have a corporate office with customer service who I can complain too and they probably would figure out something to fix issues while with a contractor, there is almost no recourse . Also, they are 50% cheaper so I can afford to take a risk and see how it turns out.

it's not about value. it's all about what the market will bear. if you just bought an apartment for $2.5 million, its hard to bicker about paying 1% for a new bathroom. if you're a contractor and have plenty of business to keep you busy at $25 K per bathroom (and up), why would you bother with someone who wants to pay less?

that's business but it's not value.

Columbia,

You brought up hourly prices. What I am saying is that does not make sense when you are looking at a renovation because there are too many variables.

F1Champ,

Please come back and let us know how your renovations was using the Home Depot people.

Is the entire project 50% less? Are you sure they are including everything that your contractors priced out? They usually are not that much less.

i brought up hourly costs....not prices.

if i can provide a service that costs me $40 hr and charge you $200--that's good for me.

not necessarily for you and it does not represent value.

Columbia,

Thats good for any business and yet it still could be a value to you.

Would you rather spend $200 an hour with little to no problems or spend $100 an hour and then after several months have to hire someone else, probably at $200 an hour to fix everything that was done for $100.00.

you just made that up.

you know as well as i do that there is no direct correlation between the price one pays for anything (much less construction) and quality.

tell us with a straight face that you don't have competitors that charge as much or more than you do and stink.

Let's hear about c0lumbiac0unty's construction with asbestos. How much does that cost everyone involved, long term?

http://streeteasy.com/talk/discussion/2729

Columbia,

I completely agree with you. Just like in every profession in the world. I personally do believe you get what you pay for. Is that always the case? Of course not

Columbia,

I don't know If I answered you correctly. I think in many instances construction included that there is a correlation between the price one pays and the quality.

There are some cases where you do not get what you paid for.

I guess everyone can go to super cuts for a $15.00 haircut. I would think most people go and pay more money for a hair cut at a higher end establishment. I think most people would agree that the more expensive salon would get better results. I think that's the way it is on all business.

Hi end restaurants charge more money and the food should be better then less expensive place and it usually is. Not always but usually.

It is the same for everything.