how much skill needed to gut and remodel a bathroom?

i am about to let the second contractor come and measure and prepare an estimate. the first guy seems awesome, but just listening to him talk, i bet his quote comes in TWICE my budget.

it seriously doesnt seem that difficult, but honestly i am flying in the dark.

i am hoping for a stud out restoration/remodel.

what about you guys? DIY?

 

If you have the knowledge DIY is the only way to go. You can do a fantastic bathroom for 2500 if you do all the labor.

 

depends... can you do tile? can you plumb? can you do electrical? depends on what you want done... if its just cosmetic and you can tile/install cabinets/change faucets... they DIY.

if it is more then cosmetic I'd hire it out... unless you posses the skills of a plumber/electrician/carpenter...

 

I've done two in my life.
IMHO-
If you've got a second bathroom to use-Sure. Take your time, get it right or have someone come do a specific part of it if need be.
If you are going to be using the bathroom the whole time- Be ready to take a week off from work or whatever.

And remember there are a LOT of steps that may be better served by a professional....New cement board for walls, plumbing, and electrical come to mind. If you aren't trying to change the whole organization of the room it gets easier.

I'm probably going to be redoing my master bath in the next year or so.

 

So easy a caveman can do it.

 

It completly depends on your skill level and the finish quality you are looking for. Quite often the best approach is for you to take care of the grunt work ie demolition /maybe some framing and leave the plumbing / electrical / tile work to the proffesionals . But as I said it depends on your skill level .

I am a residential general contractor and have had my own company for 11 years , the worst jobs are the ones we take over from people that think " there's nothing to it " and then they have to pay us to rip out and redo all the shit they thought they could pull off because they saw it on tv.

 

Save a lot of money and DIY
step by step you will finish
How big ?
tub or shower?or none
just do it

 

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That is my main hobby in life ... "DIY House Stuff" ... it is fun and plan your work and you will be fine.

You do need some DIY skills though. I started doing stuff like this when I was about 13 y/o and it has been a big pay back to me in my lifetime.

Now, you can see a lot of cool DIY stuff on YouTube. I can do about anything except lay brick and do it very well ... just very slow in speed though.

.

 

Fixtures and Tile will add up fast. It's going to cost more than you think. A bathroom remodel can range from 100.00 to over 700.00 per sq ft.

 

Kitchens & Bathrooms are by far the most popular areas of the house that get remodeled, that said , they are also the hardest & most expensive to do, consider that all the elements of creature comfort are there i.e.; plumbing & electrical/mechanical (HVAC). More than likely you'll be upgrading/adding/moving these "hidden inside the wall" items , wall outlets/faucetts /fixtures etc; Really need more info on what your plans are in order to give you better info..

 

Whats your skill level?

Do you have the right tools for the job? Do you have a friend/family member that can help you along the way if you get stuck?

I am a DIY'er 100%...however I have a lot of experience and a high attention to detail so I am not afraid to tackle a job.

 

i have new copper running everywhere. i would have some mild electrical. add a circuit for my non-existent fan, maybe heated floor. if i want a light in the shower, another circuit.

here are my ?? and will, might be farmed out..sheetrocking. and the sewer drains. i can demo, and slowly do the cabinets and finish work, including tile..

this is stressful. i bet my first bid comes in at $20k!!

i do not plan on moving anything..just really updating it all. my home is lathe/plaster.

 

I'm the same way. My parents were DIY'ers so I got experience at a young age. I was laying hardwood floors at 10 years old and tiling by myself at 13 years old. When my friends would go on spring break, my parents would usually make me paint something around the house. I still hate painting to this day but I'm pretty darn good at it. Now I'm 25 and have my own house and I am very thankful for the skills they taught me as a kid. People are amazed at my craftsmanship when they come to my house...especially some of my friends who can't even swing a hammer. When christmas comes every year, I ask for power tools and home depot/lowes giftcards .

 

DIY if you have the right tools. The right tools will make it that much easier.

 

Wiring is pretty easy, just read up on the code for your area. Read a few electrical books. Have you done wiring before? Typically you need a dedicated 20 amp breaker for a bathroom for the outlets and its not a bad idea to have a 15 amp for lighting. Its all easy to run once the drywall is out.

Sub out the drain...its a pain. I have done it before. Jackhammering a 6" thick concrete slab..YES I SAID 6" thick..is not fun.

Hang the drywall yourself, but sub out the finish work. Hanging drywall is cake but one tip...measure 4 times cut once. YOU WILL mess up a piece of two because you will cut it backwards. A crew can can do the finish work a lot faster and a lot better than you can, drywall mudding takes an experienced touch to get it right. Drywall finishing is pretty reasonably priced.

Tiling is pretty easy but make sure you prep well and because its a bathroom, make sure you waterproof everything well. Your level and tape measure is your friend.

Like I said before, find a friend or family member who has experience help guide you through the process, you will learn a lot with some guidance. If you didn't live across the country, I would come help you in return for beer, food, and a little bit of cash.

 

Just go pick up a guy at home depot

 

My opinion is that it's fairly easy to do, but that's just me. I do this type of work on a regular basis. None of us know what your particular skills are.

 

Macgyver..makes me wonder why a person doesnt open up a company that consults DIYers. hmmmm.

 

I second that, watching HGTV does not make someone a carpenter. If you are wrong and can't do it, it will cost you more in the end. I've been a carpenter my whole life, have built multiple houses from the ground up, and more remodels than I can count, but even on my own personal projects I hire out tile work.

And if you are married, save yourself some grief and hire a contractor, because when your two week DIY remodel is in it's third month of a torn out bathroom, your life is really going to be hell.

 

1. by the time you charged them for every question asked there would be no money left for materials

2. they don't want real advice, just for you to agree with them


but i'm only on year 41 of this, so my view may be slightly skewed