General contractor licenses in Manhattan
Manhattan sets general contractor license requirements by city ordinance; it accepts Commercial (A), Combination (B) and Residential (C) licenses and requires a passing exam score of at least 75% and commercial general liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence.
The city's list of permit-exempt work
Manhattan's list of work exempt from a building permit includes painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work, and sidewalks and driveways.
Whether your own bathroom remodel needs a permit is a question for each remodeler and for Risk Reduction. Ask who would apply for any permit the job calls for, whether the fee sits inside the bid or is billed to you separately, and when an inspection would be scheduled.
Labor and materials in one price
A bathroom bid blends two kinds of cost that behave differently. Materials are the things you can point to: tile, setting materials, the vanity and its top, the toilet, faucets, the shower valve and trim, glass, lights and the fan. Labor is the time it takes to remove the old room and build the new one, spread across every trade that works in it.
Ask each bidder to split their price into those two parts, at least roughly. A low materials line may mean a lower grade of product than you expect; a low labor line may mean a narrower scope. Either way, the split gives you something concrete to ask about.
The shower floor
What sits under a shower floor shapes its price. A preformed pan can go in quickly and comes in fixed sizes. A tiled floor can be built over a sloped mortar bed with a liner, or over a foam tray and a sheet membrane, and either can fit an odd-shaped space. A long linear drain at one edge can allow larger floor tile but may change how the floor is sloped.
Ask each bidder which system their price assumes, why they chose it for your room, how the floor will be tested for leaks before tile goes down, and how long the test stays in place.
Tile size, pattern and trim pieces
Two bathrooms with the same square footage of tile can carry very different labor. Small mosaics can take longer to set and grout than larger tiles. A herringbone, a diagonal or a mixed pattern adds cuts and may add waste. Very large tiles can need a flatter wall or floor, which may mean extra prep.
Edges cost something too. Exposed tile ends can be finished with a metal or plastic edge trim, a bullnose piece or a mitered corner. Ask what edge each bid uses, what waste allowance it orders, and whether leftover boxes come back to you for later repairs.
Vanity grades
Vanities range from stock units sold in set widths, to semi-custom lines with more sizes and finishes, to cabinets built for one room. The top can be a one-piece molded top with the sink, a stone or quartz slab with a sink mounted below, or a vessel sink on a flat surface.
Ask which vanity and top each bid includes, by product name where possible, how long it takes to arrive, and what happens to the schedule if it shows up damaged.
Prep work hidden under the finish
Some of the money in a bathroom goes into layers that sit out of sight once the job is done. A floor may need to be leveled or stiffened before tile. Walls in the wet area may get cement board or foam board, plus a waterproofing membrane at the seams and corners. Old plaster may come out instead of being patched.
Ask each bidder to list the layers behind the tile in the shower, on the walls outside it and on the floor, and to say which products they use.
Lead times and a room left waiting
Special-order tile, a custom vanity or a glass enclosure can take weeks to arrive, and the room may sit unfinished while it does. Ask each bidder which items they would order first, when the glass will be measured, and whether anything in your selections could arrive late. If a delay would leave you without a working toilet or shower, ask how that would be handled.
Reading exclusions before totals
The total at the bottom of a bid means little until you know what it leaves out. Read the exclusions first. Look for paint, patching outside the room, haul-away, the permit fee, fixtures you are expected to buy and any work on the floor below. Ask each bidder to add a price for anything you want that they excluded, so the totals describe the same job.
Payments tied to milestones
Tie each payment to work you can see finished rather than to dates on a calendar. One approach is a deposit at signing, a payment once plumbing and wiring are roughed in, another after tile is set and the fixtures are in, and the last after a final walkthrough. Ask what the deposit covers, and ask that every change you request be written and priced before the crew starts on it.
What to ask before you sign
- Does this job call for a City of Manhattan contractor or trade license, and if so, which license do you hold and what is the number?
- Does this remodel need a permit, who applies, and is the fee in your price?
- Can you send proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation?
- Which items in the bid are placeholders, and at what product level?
- What does your written warranty cover, how long does it last, and how is a claim made?
When the room is done, keep the contract, change orders, any permit papers, product names and photos of the open walls in one folder.