Bath and Shower installation cost question

[sleepy hollow]

I believe the price is a bit steep, but not out of the range one might expect. Perhaps I missed it, but have you asked for other quotes from other reputable companies?  Personally I would always recommend at least 3 bids/estimates on anything I contracted out.  I have considerable experience with remodeling and building bathrooms as a DIY-er.  I am not a contractor. In any metro area there will be companies who bill based on the size job they want.   If this job is smaller than they usually do, then they will bid to make it worth their while.  If they are a startup who does good work but is hungry for work, and recommendations, they will bid it more reasonably (i.e., closer to their costs).  Hard to figure out which company is which, but getting multiple bids is always helpful as you will be suprosed at the range of prices, and the range of interactions you will have.  At least I always have been.   Consider it the work that you do to save money and try to get it right.  Just my 2 cents...good luck.

[nkarasev]

I believe the price is a bit steep, but not out of the range one might expect. Perhaps I missed it, but have you asked for other quotes from other reputable companies?  Personally I would always recommend at least 3 bids/estimates on anything I contracted out.  I have considerable experience with remodeling and building bathrooms as a DIY-er.  I am not a contractor. In any metro area there will be companies who bill based on the size job they want.   If this job is smaller than they usually do, then they will bid to make it worth their while.  If they are a startup who does good work but is hungry for work, and recommendations, they will bid it more reasonably (i.e., closer to their costs).  Hard to figure out which company is which, but getting multiple bids is always helpful as you will be suprosed at the range of prices, and the range of interactions you will have.  At least I always have been.   Consider it the work that you do to save money and try to get it right.  Just my 2 cents...good luck.

One coming today and one other tomorrow.

[nkarasev]

One out - they install only all theirs stuff including tubs, plumbing, etc. They won't do tub that I have purchased.
More and more looks like I am going to learn welding ...

[nkarasev]

Another one is the same - they install only their own tubs
So it looks like I somehow got specific companies in the search, not a regular plumbing guys. Something to learn every day

[sleepy hollow]

In hindsight, I suppose it is not surprising that these sorts of companies are willing to come and try to hard sell you at home.  I find that sites like angie's list (or whatever they are called now) are not so good at finding actual contractors as much as they are good at helping contratcors find you to try to sell you things you don't need or want.  

My wife used to use the Next Door website to find recommendations from neighbors, but that forum has become polluted as well.  Might be worth a shot though.  Another approach might be to look for remodeling jobs in progress in your area and call them to find out who they use for subs to do plumbing, etc.  You job is not a big one, but one of their subs might be willing to bid on it.  

Also, call plumbing service companies and see if they might know someone who would be interested.

You are probably already donig these sorts of things so I may not have added much.

[40Grit]

When I decided to redo my tiny bathroom, I faced a decision similar to yours, especially regarding installation costs and choices. I opted for a compact yet elegant solution, choosing the Aquatica True Ofuro Freestanding Stone Japanese Soaking Bathtub from https://www.aquaticabath.co.uk/category/small-bathtubs. This choice was driven by my preference for a bathtub that would fit the limited space while offering a unique style. The cost of the bathtub itself was £6,096.

The total cost, including delivery and professional installation by the company, came to around £7,500. From my experience, opting for professional installation was a crucial decision. They handled the complex process of integrating the bathtub into my bathroom layout. This included ensuring all plumbing was correctly installed and leak-proof, which was a significant concern for me.

The value of having experts install the bathtub became apparent immediately. They ensured everything was set up perfectly, saving me from potential future issues and providing peace of mind. This was especially important considering the intricate design of the bathtub I chose.

[EightFingers]

After more than 1 and 1/2 years…..

[branchacctg]

Another thing to consider is followup after the installation. Is the work guaranteed and how fast do they respond if something needs to be fixed.

[Snipe Hunter]

Most contractor won't install your stuff. They do what they're comfortable with and want to control the entire process... as they should. That being said, I'd really have to look at the install to tell if the price is high or not. I have gutted and re-done several bathrooms. Some more extensive than others. It blows my mind when I see these HGTV Flipping shows and they talk about $5 grand to gut and re-do a.. I can't buy the materials for that. It can be done with cheap tile, cheap fixtures, cheap labor and cheap fiberglass tubs or shower enclosures but it would have to be a very small bathroom.

Just a tub install, no tile or drywall work? On bare studs, maybe a couple grand or more. 2 guys, 1 full day is 16 hours and at least $100 an hour is $1600 right there with no materials.

When I was doing body work, guys would ask what I would charge for just part of the job... they do the body work and I Paint. I told them to "Double the price". Or I paint a bumper and they put it on the car. "Double the price".

[Snipe Hunter]

In hindsight, I suppose it is not surprising that these sorts of companies are willing to come and try to hard sell you at home.  I find that sites like angie's list (or whatever they are called now) are not so good at finding actual contractors as much as they are good at helping contratcors find you to try to sell you things you don't need or want.  

My wife used to use the Next Door website to find recommendations from neighbors, but that forum has become polluted as well.  Might be worth a shot though.  Another approach might be to look for remodeling jobs in progress in your area and call them to find out who they use for subs to do plumbing, etc.  You job is not a big one, but one of their subs might be willing to bid on it.  

Also, call plumbing service companies and see if they might know someone who would be interested.

You are probably already donig these sorts of things so I may not have added much.

A little insight about Angie's. A lot of the companies advertising through Angies are fairly new businesses. More established businesses don't have to buy leads from people like Angies... They're already busy. The contractor has to pay for that lead whether you use them or not. That adds up fast. They are paying between $30 and $60 for that lead. I used Home Advisor when I started my home inspection business. Home Advisor bought Angie's List and changed their name to Angie's. Home Advisor had a lot of public lawsuits so needed a way to distance themselves from the Home Advisor name. Angies was going belly up so it was an easy way to change their name and take all the Angie's clients.

To be an "Approved Contractor" with Angies, the contractor has to submit 3 personal references (not professional references) and pass a background check and have liability Insurance. That's it, you are an Approved Angie's Contractor. If the contractor gets a bad review, Angies contacts the contractor before it goes live. I had 1. I told Home Advisor that the guy was crazy, he just didn't like that it took me 4 hours to inspect the house. Angies (Home Advisor) didn't publish the review. BTW, Yelp is kind of the same way. Depending on the "Level" of business advertising.. basically depending on how much the business pays Yelp, the business can have Yelp take down bad reviews.