Bathroom Renovation: Offer for over 50,000

Otherwise, I agree with you, the offer seems very high.

However, this is not the first thread here in this (last year) about a very high/too high lump-sum offer for a bathroom renovation. I don’t believe it’s a defensive offer. He is not a general contractor who is swimming in inquiries. Nowadays it turns out that lump-sum offers like "I take care of everything, when you come back from vacation, everything is finished" pay off well for contractors. There is a good margin included. Usually, they work three weeks straight to make the room nice again, and they charge well for that.

Part of the offer is, for example, to tear out and replace the existing underfloor heating, all pipes etc. in the bathroom new. Reason: An underfloor heating of this age is no longer so fit, better to replace it. We ask ourselves: Does it have to be?

I can’t imagine that it has to be. I once had a case where the architect said that the underfloor heating from 1978 was dilapidated and in need of renovation after 35 years. But I know the logic that an underfloor heating is not harmed once it is embedded in the screed. Even if you say you have a simply structured bathroom where only the tub and shower are replaced, you have to first assume that there are currently no heating loops installed under the shower and tub, and also no new ones need to be installed during the renovation.

...black out the offer and post it, I could do that, although I have problems “exploiting” the company’s intellectual property here. I would need a bit of time – the offer has 16 pages.

There is no intellectual property in an offer, as there is no creative work (Although, who knows? :p:cool:) Just post it, then the levers can be identified. Without the contract, I would clear out myself: rent a container, chip off the tiles with a hammer etc. on weekends, remove the sanitary fittings and that’s it. Have it hauled away. Costs are only the container rental including delivery and pickup. If you know an electrician and plumber, that’s great. Otherwise, ask around in a club or elsewhere (neighbors?) who knows a craftsman and ask there. Since craftsmen usually receive more requests than they can handle, ask if a journeyman works on the side. That is not forbidden in principle and also not illegal if he issues an invoice. He can also get you any sanitary equipment and usually knows tilers as well. Works the other way around too ;) At least, that’s how it worked before the introduction of the euro :) I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a proper four-digit amount listed for the washbasin and such. But usually, the client’s wish is the main price driver ;)

Well, if the main trade is plumbing and heating, they are so busy these days that they can basically only accept absolute emergencies quickly. My heating is currently consuming more electricity than a fan heater, but it does get warm – that's why someone can only come to check it for me next Friday (reported at the beginning of the week).

Hello,
many thanks to all of you for your suggestions! We had planned to do some of the demolition work ourselves anyway, yes. Unfortunately, the container cannot be placed on our property; it has to go on the opposite side of the street, so you can’t just throw stuff down from above, but we would do it.

I am still looking for companies I can alternatively inquire with - I’m not finding any or there are many here, and I can’t tell which one is any good.

By the way, the company we are talking about here is something like a general contractor on a small scale - bathroom, tiles, heating, they have their own tilers, their own bathroom planner, etc.

I actually think the key point is not that the price-performance ratio doesn’t fit - but that such extensive work is being offered. Therefore, I would basically like to ask again: Is it "usual" when renovating a bathroom that is a bit over 20 years old to do a complete core renovation, i.e., completely gut the room, chip out walls, remove all pipes, replace all pipes completely, remove screed and underfloor heating and redo them completely, and so on? In other words, to rebuild the bathroom from the ground up, leaving only the four surrounding walls? Even in the case that the layout wouldn’t be changed at all? (“That’s how we always do it!” says the company.)

The house was built in 1998 and was originally (not by us) built to a high standard and equipped expensively. On one long side there is a platform, into which the bathtub is recessed; the platform continues lower into the shower (you step up one step into the shower).

Should I post pictures? (You will be horrified... an absolute nightmare in turquoise, with columns and golden faucets).

Many greetings, Heli

P.S. Everyone we ask about their craftsmen gives one of three answers: a) The company no longer exists, b) was not very good, c) was good but has no time and wants to be called again in at least half a year.

Oh come on, no worries. Gold is one of my favorite colors (in combination with black) ;-)

Shall I post some pictures?

I already asked for that in post #4.

Here. Painfully unvarnished. Admire the creative tiling pattern, the step to the bathtub, the delicate turquoise mottling, the "antique columns," the already falling tiles, the supported washbasin... I think the desire to do something here is understandable...
The door leads to a bedroom. It is not a family bathroom, only the parents' bathroom, so two users; the children only use the bathtub.