Design temperatures for Flint/Bishop
NOAA's engineering weather data lists a station named Flint/Bishop, at an elevation of 764 feet. For that station it gives a 1% summer design temperature of 86°F, with a mean coincident wet-bulb temperature of 72°F, and a 99% winter design temperature of 3°F.
Why there are no dollar figures
This guide prints no prices. What a bathroom costs comes from your room, the condition of what sits behind its walls, the products you pick and the rates of the people doing the work, and none of those can be known from a web page. What a guide can do is show where the money in a bathroom budget goes, so that each proposal you receive makes sense line by line.
Where a bathroom budget goes
A bathroom quote can be read as three streams of cost running side by side:
- Labor. Demolition, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing, tile, painting and final cleaning, which may be split among several trades.
- Materials. Fixtures, tile, the waterproofing system, backer board, the vanity and top, the fan, lighting, paint and all the small parts.
- Overhead. Permits and inspections where the job has them, disposal, floor protection, trip charges and the contractor's own management of the job.
Ask each bidder to show all three streams. A quote that shows only materials and a total leaves much of the job out of view.
Three scope tiers
It helps to know which tier your project sits in before asking for prices.
A refresh. New vanity, toilet, faucet, lighting and paint, with the tub or shower and the walls left in place.
A partial remodel. The wet area is rebuilt, with new waterproofing and tile around the tub or shower, while the rest of the room keeps its walls.
A full gut. The room goes to the studs and subfloor. New backer board, waterproofing, drywall, wiring and plumbing go in where needed.
Ask each contractor which tier they think your room needs, and why. If two contractors name different tiers, ask each to price both.
The plumbing wall
Much of a bathroom's cost hides inside the wall that holds the sink, toilet and tub supply lines. Leaving fixtures in place lets the plumber reuse what is there. Moving them, changing the shower valve, or adding a second sink brings new pipe and new openings. Ask what condition the existing pipes and shutoff valves are in, whether the plumber plans to replace any of them while the wall is open, and how that is priced.
Decisions to settle before bidding
Every choice left open becomes a guess in someone's quote. Before asking for prices, try to settle:
- tub, shower or both;
- the shower entry, whether curbed or level;
- tile size and pattern, and how high tile runs on the walls;
- vanity size, the number of sinks and the top material;
- glass door, curtain or open entry;
- the fan, lighting and any heated floor.
Where you have not decided, say so, and ask each contractor to price the same placeholder.
Reading allowances
An allowance is an amount written into a quote for an item you have not picked, such as tile or a faucet. For each allowance, ask which product it assumes, whether installation is included, and how you will be billed if your choice comes in higher or lower. An allowance set low can make a quote look smaller than the job it describes.
A contingency for opened walls
Some problems only show once tile and drywall come off: a subfloor softened by an old leak, a rotted plate behind the tub, a drain fitting that cracks when touched, or a fan duct that ends in the attic. Keep a contingency in your own budget, apart from the contract amount. Ask that the contract describe how such a find is handled: photographs, a written price, and your signature before the repair goes ahead.
Living without the room
If this is the only bathroom in the house, the schedule matters as much as the price. Ask how many working days the room will be out of service, whether a toilet can be kept working overnight, and which ordered items need to arrive before demolition starts so the room is not torn out while a part is still on its way. A custom vanity, a stone top, special-order tile and shower glass can each take time to arrive, and glass is measured only after the tile is done.
Change orders
Any change after signing, whether you ask for it or the crew uncovers it, should be priced in writing and signed by both sides before the extra work begins. Ask how the contractor writes change orders and how their markup on added materials is figured.
Questions on paper
- What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?
- Which permits does this scope need, who files for them, and are the fees in the price?
- Will the plumber and electrician be your staff or subcontractors?
- Can you send proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation?
- What does your written warranty cover, and for how long?
A payment plan
Tie each payment to work you can see finished rather than to the calendar. One pattern: a deposit at signing, a payment after rough plumbing and wiring are in and any rough inspection has passed, another once the waterproofing is tested and tile is set, and the balance after a written punch list is closed and any permit is signed off. Keep the final payment large enough to matter.
A closeout folder
At the end, collect the contract, every signed change order, permit papers, the model number of each fixture, tile and grout names and colors, warranty documents and photos of the open walls before they were closed. That folder answers the questions that come up years later.