Here are some not-so great photos of the bathroom. It's hard to see the layout of the room, but along one wall is the toilet, shower and closet. Along the other wall is the long vanity (it's 96 inches), a small window and the garden tub.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Missing items - cost to pull a permit, demo and disposal of old materials, a fan or fan/lite for the bath, $5 seems a little low for tile otherwise it looks like a good bid

Well, it seems like a reasonable estimate, provided you and the contractor have agreed upon the style, brand etc. of fixtures and tile- and this is reflected in his price. I think it seems a little too good to be true, but maybe things are different where you live. I'm sure some will say it is high. If you can do some of demo. youself you will save. Our bathroom remodel, not nearly as extensive as yours, replacing the tub with a shower, using modestly priced cabinets, granite tops and Grohe fixtures, Panasonic fan,Toto toilet, lights and tile ran just under 17K and we thought that was reasonable after getting estimates.

As long as there is one tub in the house you will be fine as far as resale. You won't miss the tub.

Thanks for your input! We are having at least two more estimates before we make a decision.

I agree $5 seems pretty low for floor tile. Definitely limits your choices. What about window/s? Also niches or bench in shower? We just redid our Masterbath and put in two niches....love them! Hardware for cabinets? good luck!

If I had gotten an estimate like that I would have signed a contract in an instant. My estimates are coming in closer to $24K and that does not include all the "homeowner will purchase" items. I guess remodeling in the Northeast just costs more than TX. I got three estimates and all were close in price.

I'm just finishing a project where I acted as my own GC. Here are some things you might be missing:

1. Cost of the shower faucets (this can really add up - especially if you want a design where you are using an in-wall diverter to switch between the shower heads and handheld).
2. You mention $350 materials cost - is that for the sink faucets? If so, that might not be enough for 2 8" spread faucets.
3. New base/door/window trim. My house was built within a year of yours and my trim DEFINITELY needed replacing or at least some serious TLC.
4. How about the plumber & electrician - is this included? It sounds like there could be significant plumbing changes. Also, with my project, the plumbing vents ran up the wall we were removing so they had to be re-routed to another wall and up through the roof. This was not known until the demo started.
5. What about all your lighting fixtures?
6. You mention twin doors to the closet - do you need to purchase new doors? My house was luckily built with solid wood doors - nowdays solid doors aren't cheap. Make sure they will use materials that are at least as high quality as what is in the rest of your house. When I built an addition a few years ago - they wanted to put in cheapie hollow core doors - that just didn't fly.

This estimate seems way too low, especially since you are moving walls. I would get the bid itemized with exact allowances for fixtures and exactly what is included and not included. For example, my contractor discovered my floor had a big lump in it when he took out the carpet - he's an awesome guy and didn't charge me to fix it but it was a ton of work - I wouldn't count on your contractor being generous when things like this come up.

Good Luck.

$5 seems a little low for tile

Actually, unless using a custom or top shelf material, 5.00 a foot for material costs is a pretty good estimate.

Lisa-- that's MATERIAL costs. Labor's a different story, and that's where it would get costly for things like benches or niches, etc..

Does this estimate include your glass shower doors, or will you be responsible for purchasing them after the work is done and then hiring someone to install? If the estimate does, in fact, include the shower doors, make sure the contract specifies so and that it also says exactly what they are giving you as far as thickness of the glass, etc. Might be helpful for you to look at shower doors ahead of time so you have an idea what you like and how much it costs.

Before you sign anything, it might also be a good idea for you to go to some tile stores and get an idea of what you like and how much it costs per square foot. You might decide you'll be able to find something you are satisfied with for $5/sq. ft., or you may discover that everything you like is over $5/sq. ft. Either way, you'll learn whether $5/sq. ft. is an adequate allowance for you. It's probably a good idea to also go out and look at sink faucets and shower heads. When you see the prices of things that appeal to you, you'll know whether or not these allowances will work for you.

What kind of light fixtures will be included? Do you have a specific allowance for this? Will it be enough to get what you like? Again, it may be helpful to shop before signing to get an idea of pricing, or look at prices of fixtures you like on the internet. Good luck!

Oops...sorry, I just re-read your post and I see that you did mention that shower doors were included in this estimate. Just make sure you get the specifics of the doors in writing.

BTW, I am also not getting a tub in my new master bath, even though we have the space for it. I just couldn't see the point in spending money on something we will never use. My mom tried to convince me to get one for resale value, but I figured that by the time we sell this house in 20 or 25 years, the bathroom will be old and dated and the new owner will probably want to rip everything out and start over anyway. We also have a tub in the kids bathroom if one is ever needed.

texasfloor - Are you in the DFW area? We just received a quote for 30K for essentially the same work, and we were floored. Did you decide to use the contractor who quoted you 15K and were you happy with their work?