A Great Bathroom Renovation Begins With A Good Plan
All successful bath renovation projects start with good planning and realistic goals. If your going to do it "on the fly" your making a critical mistake and setting yourself up for dissapointment.
According to Jason Frybergh of CCMC Florida, Inc. (a licensed and insured GC for over 25 years) Here are some things to remember, BEFORE doing a bathroom renovation project.
As an expert in the field of building and construction; I've seen a lot of projects get turned upside down because of bad planning and/or people are not dealing with reality when it comes to the actual costs of remodeling. Below, are some helpful suggestions to ensure you have a successful outcome with your project.
Be realistic with your project budget: After successfully completing hundreds of bathroom renovations, I can tell you around how much you should and will be spending on a typical bath renovation. A Master Bath "gut job" (meaning down to wall studs and starting over) will average $12,000-$15,000. This includes new drywall, a new shower system, floor and wall tile, new bathroom vanities, wall mirror, bath accessories, sinks, faucets, toilet and roman tub with filler. A smaller bath with either a shower stall or bathtub/shower combo would be $7,500-$10,000. Don't fall into the trap of believing "I can do it for less", because you can't.
Hire a Licensed & Insured Contractor: I cannot stress enough the importance of hiring a qualified contractor. It always amazed me when people would tell me their project took months longer to complete than they were told or they had non-stop problems with the "contractor"; only to find out that the "contractor" was actually the janitor in the building where they worked. There are many reasons you should only hire licensed contractors. First and foremost; they are licensed, which means they must carry insurance, which means, in most cases, they are legitimate businesses, thus they are responsible for everything that happens on your project. Lets face it; if your going to allow someone to rip open walls in your home, install plumbing and electrical wiring, you should have someone who is going to be responsible and take the necessary care to do it properly and that license ensures that.
Don't start your job until you have all your product: I always say it's best to make your project selections with your contractor. This will ensure that everything your purchasing, will in-fact work for your project. Sometimes, what you want, is not what you need and therefore, having an expert or experts like the people at Kitchen Bath Warehouse assist you with your plumbing products is a tremendous help to prevent problems. Typically, the item that takes the longest to get in is the bathtub (average 4-6 weeks). You'll want to place your product order at least 8 weeks prior to your start date. There is no reason to start tearing apart a bathroom until all the product is in.
Do your research: With the information age we live in today, you can find out about anything or anyone with the click of a mouse. Before you hire a contractor, check them out. Ask for references. Ask for photos and the names of current and past clients. Check out the products you think you want and NEVER, NEVER buy them online. Did you know that Kitchen Bath Warehouse has a "Price Match Guarantee" that will ensure you get the absolute lowest price? Check it out on their website.
Jason Frybergh is president of CCMC Florida, Inc. located in Coral Springs, FL.
For more information about them, visit their website at www.ccmcflorida.com
