Wednesday 18 September 2013

Bathrooms: How Much Should You Pay?


The cost of bathroom installation varies depending on whether you are simply replacing items – such as removing an old sink and installing a new one – or redesigning a whole bathroom and moving sinks and baths to different positions.

Remember to ask about waste disposal. Traders have to pay business rates to dispose of waste (often a minimum charge) making it costly to dispose of small amounts. You may save money by offering to get rid of small amounts of waste (such as old basins or tiles) yourself or by hiring skip for a day. Also be wary of companies who use contractors – it is more difficult to keep an eye on who is doing what and when. Who will oversee all work and maintain the responsibility?

Daily Rates

Always ask potential builders if they have a minimum charge. Some builders have a minimum charge of half a day, you could pay over the odds for a small job like replacing a toilet or a basin. It is more cost effective to perhaps combine several jobs that need doing in one go.

Job: Pipework


Once the old bathroom has been removed you may come across damaged or very old pipework that may need replacing, which could cause the cost of the job to increase phenominally.
If so can they vouch for the quality of the work done by the contractors?

Job: Underfloor Heating Installation

For tiled floors, rather than carpeted or laminated, it takes longer to remove and replace the flooring. This will increase cost and completion time.
Underfloor heating installations need to be certified/signed off by a qualified Part P electrician.

Job: Tiling

If your bathroom is tiled, tiles might be damaged when removing old bathroom furniture. If tile work is needed this could increase the cost of the job. Some traders specialise in tiling whereas others just do it occasionally. Although the end result may be the same, it will take an inexperienced tiler twice as long to tile a room than an experienced tiler. Opting for an experienced tiler, who can work faster, will save you money and time.
If existing tiling needs to be removed, or walls are in poor condition, they will need to be prepared. This will increase the cost.
To get a professional finish, the tiler might need to remove the toilet or basin to tile behind them. If you have a lot of bathroom furniture, or a lot of doors and windows to work around, this is likely to take longer and cost more.
Tip:Selecting large tile covers the area faster. Smaller tiles take longer!

Job: Extractor Fan Installation

Again all electrical work will need to be certified/signed off by a qualified Part P electrician. It will take longer to install the fan in an exterior wall if you are in an apartment above 1st floor. Therefore this may cost more.

For more information on Bathroom Installation and a free quotation contact HGB Plumbing and Heating.

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