Plumbing contractor registration in Erie County
To register as a plumbing contractor with the Erie County health district, an applicant lists a state plumbing license number and submits a $20,000 license/permit bond valid through December 31 of the registration year.
When a bid includes plumbing, ask who will do that part of the work, for that plumber's state plumbing license number, and whether the plumber is registered with the Erie County health district.
Drinking water: Big Island Water Works
A separate note on the city's water supply: Sandusky's Big Island Water Works draws surface water from Lake Erie through an intake three-quarters of a mile off the Cedar Point Chaussee, gravity fed through a 42-inch steel pipe; an emergency back-up intake is in Sandusky Bay.
Decisions that set the size of a bid
The total on a bathroom proposal follows a handful of choices you make, plus whatever the crew finds once the room is open. The choices are yours to steer:
- Tearout depth. Finishes only, or down to studs and subfloor.
- Fixture positions. Each fixture stays where it is, or one or more moves.
- The wet area. A tub, a tub with a shower, or a shower alone, and how it is enclosed.
- Finish selections. Tile, slab or panel; stock or special-order products.
- Add-ons. Heated floor, extra lighting, a recessed cabinet, built-in seating.
Settle a direction on each before you invite bids, and say so in writing. Bids that price different jobs are hard to set side by side.
How deep the tearout goes
Removing only the vanity, toilet and floor covering is a different job from taking every wall to the framing. A deeper tearout can mean more debris to haul, more labor to rebuild, and more chances to find something that needs repair. It can also let the crew replace old supply lines, add blocking for grab bars and insulate the walls while they are open.
Ask each bidder exactly where their demolition stops, what they will do if they find rot or damaged framing, and how such repairs would be priced and approved before the work goes ahead.
Shower enclosures
The enclosure is a cost line of its own. A curtain on a rod is simple. Glass ranges from a framed door to heavier frameless panels. A curbless or open shower may need a sloped floor all the way to the drain, which can change the framing below.
Ask each bidder what enclosure their price assumes, when and by whom the glass is measured and ordered, how long it may take to arrive, and what the room will look like in the meantime.
Repairs past the bathroom doorway
Work in one room can spill into the next. A new floor may sit higher or lower than the hall and need a threshold or transition strip. Reaching a valve from behind can mean opening a closet wall. Fixing a leak may leave a patch in the ceiling of the room below. Paint can need touching up where materials were carried through.
Ask whether the bid covers patching and painting outside the bathroom, and if not, who you should plan to hire for it.
Wall and ceiling finish
Drywall can be finished to different levels of smoothness, and a bathroom with strong light across the walls can show every seam. Ask what finish level the bid assumes, whether the ceiling is being repainted or replaced, and what paint sheen is proposed for walls that get steam.
Plumbing line items
Plumbing often appears on a bid in two stages: rough-in, when drains, vents and supply lines are run inside open walls and floors, and trim-out, when the faucet, shower trim and toilet are set. Ask that both stages appear as separate lines. Ask, too, whether the price includes new shutoff valves, a new toilet flange, any change to the drain or vent, and the permit and inspection.
Add-ons priced one at a time
Extras such as a heated floor, a lighted mirror, a towel warmer, a bench in the shower or a recessed cabinet are easier to weigh when each one carries its own price. Ask every bidder to list them separately from the base job. For each, ask what it needs behind the scenes, such as wiring, blocking or a change to the framing, and by what point in the schedule you have to decide. Some extras can be hard to add once the walls and floor are closed, so ask about timing before the tile is ordered.
When bids disagree
If one total sits far from the others, read the exclusions on every bid before drawing any conclusion. Then ask each bidder the same three questions: what is not included, which items are allowances and at what product level, and what would cause the price to change after signing.
Questions to put in writing
- What state license or registration, if any, covers this work, and what is the number?
- Who does the plumbing, and is that plumber registered with the Erie County health district?
- Which office issues the plumbing permit for this address, and is its fee in your price?
- Can you provide proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation?
- How is payment split across the job, and what must be finished before each payment?
- What does your written warranty cover, and how is a claim made?