Thank you for the reply. This is our first project so we are avoiding being swindled. Plus still need to account for the cabinets, countertop, appliances, tiles, etc on top of the $25.5k.

I would definitely get another quote or two and make sure to get and check references for recent work of a similar type and scope. Does the quote include haul off of demolished materials?

It actually sounds too low for NYC. Too low can be as bad, or even worse than, too high. What can result once the work gets started is either a lot of change orders, so that your cost ends up being much higher than the proposal, or shoddy work equivalent to the low price. Electrical alone is usually a breathtaking amount. And all that tilework - definitely get two more proposals.

If you live in a high rise in New York City this sounds like a bargain.

I hope you are not relying on your scope of work for the contract and you are just using shorthand - essentially you are gutting a bathroom and a kitchen.

In order to get a true bid, you need to provide a GC with the exact plans including to a certain extent what finishes you will be using because those impact the cost of labor to some extent. When I did a remodel in a high rise I had the plans which were used to get the Permit from my City and these very specific plans were sent out to the GC so that they could actually bid - i.e. what about lighting? You need all of those picky details to get an accurate bid and all of those little things start adding up.

Size of a kitchen and bathroom is irrelevant in terms of labor because it is just as costly for them to work on a small bathroom as a larger one.

Thank you all. To answer some of the questions here. They are licensed, which is required for our coop building.

They have a clause saying 20 days of work more or less.

They did note in the contract they will dispose of demolished materials.

A friend of ours had their kitchen done by this company and it looked good. In terms of quality work.

Another comment regarding the ”20 days or less”, when does the clock start ticking on that? At demolition? When all the materials are delivered? Or some other starting point? And, what happens if they exceed the 20 days? Is there a second deadline after that? Or, once they exceed the 20 days, there’s no additional deadline so the project can then go on for months? Is there a penalty to exceeding the 20 days?

Good point, I'm not too sure when the 20 day clock starts. I guess that's why they added "more or less". Likely more.

Granted my gut remodel had some unique issues but the contract stated six weeks and when I moved back in after seven months they were still working on it but I had my toilet amd shower so I was okay as they finished around me 😂🤷‍♀️ since it was essentially finishes that weren’t ready like the backsplash and hood. so long as I had my refrigerator, sink, microwave drawer amd toaster oven I was fine 🤫

I paid around $26K for labor only for a small bathroom (gut & installation) in LA just over 5 years ago. I supplied all the tile, fixtures, etc. This was a house in the suburbs, so none of the access and parking issues you have in NYC.

I think they dropped a zero when they said 20 days!

How is he going to waterproof the shower?

And in NYC (Manhattan?) it sounds way too low. Is it a high rise? I'd expect it to cost double at least. And I'd want a much more detailed contract stating EXACTLY what they're going to do, what materials, etc. Including how they'll waterproof, etc.

20 days sounds way too short for both a kitchen and a correctly waterproofed and tiled bathroom.

If they are a company that specializes in condos and coops and fast turnaround, it's possible that the timeline could be achieved IF everything is onsite.

We had a single bath gutted to the studs and the bath turnaround was 7 days, two without a toilet. However the project was not started until everything was onsite. There was a detailed list of everything that was going into the bathroom and how it was going to be don. It was orchestrated like clockwork, the demolition took less than an hour and the materials were removed from the jobsite immediately, and there were subs in and out and inspections done all on a strict schedule. This can happen because it's the only type of job he does. The labor fees were high, though. This was maybe 15 years ago, and the condo has been sold twice by my SO who happens to be a realtor who sells a lot in the building coincidentally, and there has never been any issues with the quality of the work in that bathroom.

In a specialized market like condos/coops there are people who can deliver very quickly because a lot of situations require it, so I don't think it's really accurate to say that it absolutely cannot be properly done, because it can, but in my experience the cost is significantly higher than a normally paced project.

The cost is far too low for a standard project. Much less a high intensity scheduling project like palimpsest describes.

Figure the total cost, including "materials", will be at least twice that - probably closer to 3x that. Are you providing the materials (cabinets, fixtures, appliances, flooring, tile, counters, etc.)?

@Buehl - yup, I'll be providing the materials noted so I have some range and control on those costs

Since this is your first project, you know that your apartment won't be livable to you during this reno? Add that cost to your budget.

We don’t know anything about their living situation. lots of people live in their space during renos. we lived in our small house during kitchen reno and adding a half bath (although had to vacate bedroom for that one).

We lived in the condo through a protracted renovation with no kitchen for 4-1/2 years. We lived there during the bathroom renovation and stayed in a hotel the days the toilet was out. We used the gym for showers and such.

We have lived in this house with a basement bathroom only for several years, and we have not had an actual kitchen in almost a year although we have working appliances and a sink held up on plywood. People do what they have to do, and for a lot of people I think that means living through the renovation.

It's a little bit sus. I'd get a second opinion from a second local contractor.