@RedRyder thank you for your advice! I do think it'd be best to compromise and do one small niche.

IMO too may tile styles for the smallest room in the house.

- Agree. Too many changes in a small space. Keep it simple.

- For purely aestheic reasons, I hate the idea of the green tile + the marble tile smushed together in the shower. I'd stick with the green -- search this board to see examples of marble showers "gone bad".

- That green tile looks great with white tile, but it'd be the worst for upkeep.

Niches are the first place for leaks to happen in my experience and I have no idea who decided every shampoo bottle needs to be dispalyed like decor

Disagree. Mine doesn't leak, and it's not something that pops up here on the discussion board.

Niches aren't for displaying shampoo -- they're functional in that they keep things up off the floor /at arm's reach.

We have international students who share a bathroom and they each have a nice caddy that holds all the items needed in the bathroom for getting ready for school or whatever

I'd accept that in a dorm situation -- but not in my own home.

Keep the entire shower one color - the gorgeous vertical green you have chosen.

Totally agree, though I can also buy into the idea of going with a larger tile to cut down on the grout.

Remember that any niche or shelf will not look like the “model” photos since those bottles aren’t very pretty.

Absolutely true -- your shower won't be "magazine worthy", as you will fill it with actual shampoo bottles, etc.

A niche is great but tile it with the same tile, no contrast, it's not the star of the show.

Agree. Anything pretty-pretty you put into the niche will be covered with shampoo bottles, etc.

Another idea: Go with a shower curtain instead of the expected glass door. It's less upkeep, and it hides the mess that will accumulate in your shower.

Other thoughts:

- I'm glad you're putting in more than a little 12x12 niche. You'll use that space.

- How big is this shower? Can it support two shower heads? Will you really use two at a time? Are you going with an oversized water heater (or two water heaters) to support duplicate shower heads?

- I see you're adding a grab bar on the right side. Would a matching bar on the left + a long bar across the back be wise? It's easy to add grab bars when you're building the shower, but adding them later will almost certainly damage your waterproofing /lead to mold. I'd rather over-add grab bars now.

- You're putting the marble on the floor? Is it slippery? I'd lean towards a smaller, "more grippy" tile.

@Theresa Peterson Thank you so much for all of the feedback!

The floor tile is marble but it will not be as slick as the marble slab we picked out. Marble Floor Tile

Do you think that will be too slippery for the floor of the shower and bathroom? We consulted with the design services at Floor & Decor and that's what she suggested. Now I'm wondering if we should consult a different tile store/designer all together!

As for the two shower situation, we planned on doing one shower head with the hand shower mounted to the side with a diverter to switch between the two (I know it's difficult to parse out with the diagram lol). It's a bit of a compromise because my husband really wants the hand shower but I like the look of a shower head without a shower hose. Do you believe a grab bar will be necessary?

Large format tiles are often suggested for walls to reduce the grout lines. But the green tile you chose is downright stunning, so keep to the green walls and lighter floors.

I just worry about the bathroom not having enough personality to justify the remodel. We just purchased this home so I guess I wanted to make the house feel more like "ours".

Have you gotten quotes for your work? A bathroom gut is one of the most expensive renovations you can do if you are merely looking for an aesthetic change. If you just purchased this home, live in it for a year, wait to find out what else breaks, eats your money, isn't to your liking, and then revisit this bathroom.

If you want a temporary project to make it feel your own while you are living with it for a year - get a new sink faucet, change the vanity light, get new vanity hardware, hang a shower curtain you love, and get new towels. This will make it your own while you learn the ins and outs of your house and educate yourself more about bathroom materials.

(Don't go on advice of a bathroom sales person. Go to multiple stores, scour this website, ask questions, you have a large learning curve.)

And, no to accent tiles anywhere in this shower. All one tile be it marble or your favorite green tile. The green is stunning and looks like hell to clean. :)

I much prefer to support local independent tile stores instead of shopping at the big box stores.

@Kendrah thank you for your feedback!

In addition to an aesthetic change we also wanted to convert the tub into a shower. It's our only full bath and its the only thing that stood out as something we really did not like in the home. Plus an added benefit for some elderly guests with mobility issues that would've had problems getting into the tub.

We have quotes from contractors and we are fully comfortable with the price of the renovations (this house came in surprisingly way under our budget so we have a lot saved for emergency maintenance and repairs).

I do agree that we should rethink our tile choice or at least find a larger format tile for easier cleaning!

Lucky you that there is only one thing in your home that you are unhappy with! Go for an all marble-look shower. Do not get a marble floor. Too slippery. Do not get an accent tile on the niche. Have your nice the same color as the walls.

Make your wow moment of green somewhere else in the room that doesn't involve gutting and waterproofing the whole shower the next time you want a change.

Get some to-die-for lighting that is the star of the show instead of making a tiled niche part of the show. Or get a custom green vanity. You can still make this yours and something you adore without adding accent tile to that shower.

These bathrooms from Urban Electric portfolio have loads of personality and may give you some great ideas about how to make the room yours in ways other than tile.

https://www.urbanelectric.com/bath/

@Kendrah thank you for the inspiration photos and advice. It's a pretty small home so there's not a ton to dislike lol. The rest of the home is pretty neutral and the one room with personality (this bathroom) really mismatches with our personal taste.

I love the vanities and fixtures in the photos you shared!

Others have given you good advice about visiting a smaller tile store and perhaps waiting a bit on the renovation. But strictly to answer your question -- I agree to do the whole thing in green with no accent tile in the niche. I'd go with one wide niche because that's a more updated look. Or a ledge if you can afford to lose some depth. You could get some bottles like these to decant your shampoos in to. It might seem extreme, but if your bottles will be really visible, it makes a big difference.

Thank you @stiley! I definitely prefer to support small(er) businesses, we just went with F&D on our contractor's recommendation. We are going to check out other tile shops this week to get more opinions.

And decanting our shampoo is definitely not too extreme for me. I was already planning on keeping the niche as clear as possible, especially when guests come to visit.

Thank you for the inspiration photos too.

Have you determined if the shower can be widened by removing the bumpout wall on the left?

Either way, the vanity will hide a portion of the glass anyway, so you could build a pony wall for the vanity to abut rather than a gap there. Our pony wall is 48" tall and looks good with the glass on top of it.

Your shower niche would be beautiful in the same green tile as the walls.

I love a wide niche like that! Keep in mind, you will need some sort of foot rest to wash toes and shave legs. That could also be done as part of a tall thin niche ( we are doing a lot of those now) .

Here is a shower we did - the customer wanted patterns! The niche goes the whole length of the shower and the tile back of the niche was added as a band. That particular slide bar is also ADA rated as a grab bar so it has dual purpose.

This is the type of niche we are doing a lot of :

Hope this helps!

That is not something we considered but it sounds like a great idea. Thank you for the suggestion @tracefloyd!

Very beautiful remodels @Debbi Washburn! I've gotten used to just cramming my foot into the shower corners to shave so I love the idea of a tall and thin niche for the dual purpose.

So this is the only shower or tub in the house? Do you really want to loose the bathtub? Are you willing for this to be a potential deal breaker when selling? How long do yo plan to be in this house?

Are you ready to spend 30+K on this room? For the money this will cost, perhaps you could have bought a house with more baths or updated ones.

Thanks for the response. Delving into the pony wall concept a bit more, if the bumpout cannot be removed, you would end up with a very slim piece of glass on top.

So if you widen the pony wall enough for a wide piece of glass on top, you could add a regular glass shower door to the right. Or no shower door as an open shower.

PS, we were willing to lose our only tub for a walk-in shower and glad we did. But as noted, it could affect our resale options...just hope a future buyer will not want a tub.

@RNmomof2 zone 5 yes you are correct this is the only shower/tub in the home and we are fully prepared to lose value on the home if/when we want to sell. Our realtor seemed to think it wouldn't be a huge deal breaker but you never know.

Unfortunately we are in a very HCOL area and a lot of the single family homes in our price range and area tend to be only one or 1.5 baths. Other homes that had more than one full bath needed lots of costly renovations in other areas of the home (floor, HVAC, roof, etc ) or were going for more than $40k more than our home so we feel it evens out in the end.

We would like to be in the home as long as possible so we're ok with spending the money to make it something we really love!

@tracefloyd I see, that makes a lot of sense! I do think that will look really nice in this space if we can make it work.

@Theresa Peterson Thank you so much for all of the feedback!

Glad to be helpful!
The floor tile is marble but it will not be as slick as the marble slab we picked out. Marble Floor Tile

Don't go with something "not as slick" -- go with something that's NOT SLICK, especially as you say you intend to be in this house long-term. The bathroom floor will sometimes be wet, and -- if you fall -- and it presents many opportunities for injury. Always, always FUNCTION FIRST, LOOKS SECOND.

I cannot see your proposed floor tile, but I personally would go with sheet laminate. It's inexpensive, waterproof, warmer underfoot than tile, easier on the knees and ankles, and is less likely to break something you drop. Give sheet vinyl a look before you reject it out of hand, and remember you're going to cover much of this floor with mats. I have sheet vinyl in my kitchen and tile in my bathrooms -- I STRONGLY prefer the kitchen floor. I have a Husky who thinks you're supposed to drink from the bottom of the dish /splash water everywhere, and I have no water damage.

If you're going with tile, I'd go with something 2-3" in size for "grippy-ness" (on the floor and the shower floor).

I'd also consider a shower pan instead of tile on the floor. A shower pan is 100% guaranteed to be sloped correctly, so it will drain nicely and feel "right" underfoot. With a tile floor you're at the mercy of your tile professional's quality, and a tile floor will not last as long as a shower pan. I have one shower with a tiled floor + one with a shower pan; I 100% prefer the shower pan:

Floor & Decor and that's what she suggested.

Floor & Decor's fine, but they're pretty much going to sell you what you ask for -- not help you design. Remember that we here are not trying to sell you anything /don't have any financial stake in your project.

As for the two shower situation, we planned on doing one shower head with the hand shower mounted to the side with a diverter to switch between the two (I know it's difficult to parse out with the diagram lol). It's a bit of a compromise because my husband really wants the hand shower but I like the look of a shower head without a shower hose.

Um, I can't buy into any of this:

- What's the dimension of your shower? Do you have space for two?

- You're putting in a diverter, so you won't be able to use the two shower heads at the same time? That's the only real reason to put in a second shower head.

- I'm thinking you have a simple three-piece bathroom at the moment /all the water in one wall. To go with this proposed shower, you'll have to bring the water lines around to the other side. That'll be more expensive, and it'll make leaks possible in two more walls.

- You say you don't like the look of a shower head with a hose, yet you're installing a shower head with a hose.

- Be sure that shower head can reach the far corners of the shower for cleaning.

Do you believe a grab bar will be necessary?

Necessary now? Probably not, but it'd add maybe $300 to your total bill now -- and right now you could install grab bars with no concern for damage to your waterproofing; whereas, adding them later -- when you've had an accident or when you're older -- will screw up your waterproofing /get you mold behind the tile.

Putting in grab bars now "future proofs" you and saves you effort /money down the road. And you mentioned elderly guests will shower in this space -- the last thing you want is your grandma injured.

Also, if you put in grab bars now, while you have all the time in the world, you can choose some nice ones that will look good -- if you wait until one of you's had an accident, and you need those things NOW, you'll probably end up with the Walmart version that looks like it belongs in a 1950s nursing home.

Instead of this:

But the green tile you chose is downright stunning, so keep to the green walls and lighter floors.

I do love the green tile, but it's going to "cost you" in upkeep.

We just purchased this home so I guess I wanted to make the house feel more like "ours".

Okay, couple thoughts: First, live in it a year before you decide to make major changes. Second, get some quotes -- the shower alone will cost you more than 10K. How important is making it "yours"?

In addition to an aesthetic change we also wanted to convert the tub into a shower.

Yeah, we did that years ago when a leak rotted our floor and the bathtub started making moves towards the crawl space. I do enjoy the convenience of the walk-in shower.

So that means your space is approximately 60x32? Then solid NO to duplicate shower heads. That's something you do in a large, luxury-sized shower.

We have quotes from contractors and we are fully comfortable with the price of the renovations (this house came in surprisingly way under our budget so we have a lot saved for emergency maintenance and repairs).

That's good! I'd still say live in it a year.
I love the vanities and fixtures in the photos you shared!

Yes, I like a lot of the inspiration pictures shared here!

You could get some bottles like these to decant your shampoos in to. It might seem extreme, but if your bottles will be really visible, it makes a big difference.

I still recommend a great floor-to-ceiling shower curtain in a lovely print. It'll hide the shower /all its less-than-attractive bits and bobs, and it'll add color /texture to the room.

If you go with the decanting method, be sure to LABEL your bottles. Those elderly guests who'll be using this shower will be frustrated otherwise.

I love a wide niche like that!

Agree.

Delving into the pony wall concept a bit more

Here's a picture -- it is practical in that you can hide the shampoo bottles, and you're getting less glass, which is less to clean.

But I'll refer again to the least expensive, most practical choice: A shower curtain. Not a Walmart shower curtain that looks like it should be in a summer camp bath house, but a floor-to-ceiling custom-made curtain:

Our realtor seemed to think it wouldn't be a huge deal breaker but you never know.

Like Tile & Decor, your real estate agent is going to say what s/he thinks you want to hear. Their goal is to make a sale.

Having said that, it sounds like you live in an atypical community -- the rules may or may not apply. Plus you say you want to stay in this house long-term, so if the walk-in-shower appeals to YOU, you should probably go with it.

@Theresa Peterson

I believe there's some miscommunicaton about the two showerheads. If you check out @Debbi Washburn 's comment there are a couple photos of the setup I'm describing. The point is not to have two shower heads running at the same time. The shower with the hose is a removable hand shower that is used to rinse off any hard to reach spots or to wash your feet without getting the rest of your body or hair wet. It will also be beneficial when it's time to rinse off the shower after cleaning.

And to further explain our thought process with redoing the bathroom before we move in: We absolutely knew that we wanted to redo the bathroom and it is our only full bathroom. If we waited a year to renovate we would end up either having to live with active construction while finding alternative means to shower or pay costly hotel fees during the duration of renovations. We are tied to a lease at this moment so in our minds it makes sense to get it done now, especially since we have the funds to do so. I appreciate people's concerns but we were fully aware of the costs of this renovation going into it. I know that there are smaller ways to make a house feel like our own and I regret saying that because it feels like people are holding that over my head.

Thank you for all of your feedback regarding the floor tile, shower pans, and shower curtain. I especially appreciate your suggestion of the grab bar. It's always a good choice to put something in intentionally instead of trying to slap a solution together when you need it!

I believe there's some miscommunicaton about the two showerheads.

Ah, I see -- I was picturing two on opposite ends -- but I really don't see the point in two side-by-side. The hand-held version will do everything you need.

Changing the topic slightly: Be sure your controller is inistalled in such a way you can reach into the shower to turn on the water without committing your body to the initial cold spray.

If we waited a year to renovate we would end up either having to live with active construction while finding alternative means to shower or pay costly hotel fees during the duration of renovations.

I can see that argument.

The other side of the coin is that you might live with it a year and decide it's really okay "as is", and you might save a whale of a lot of money.

When we removed our tub /put in a shower, it took two days. But that was JUST the shower, not the whole room.

I know that there are smaller ways to make a house feel like our own and I regret saying that because it feels like people are holding that over my head.

Not holding it over your head -- just giving you other ideas to consider, letting you hear the voice of experience, trying to help you make the best possible decisions. Collectively, this board has a great deal of knowledge, and kicking around an opposing view can be a positive.

Ive had shower niches in every bathroom & homes I’ve owned, four in my current home, none has ever leaked. My current home’s master bath was remodeled by previous owner , no shower niche, I miss having one.there, the other baths have them.

It sounds like this is a long-term house purchase. You might want to consider a folding teak bench for two reasons - one,to shave
and two, to sit when you are older or are sick but need a shower.
Definitely add a grab bar.

If you are using glass, consider cutting a half moon so you can reach into the shower to turn it on without getting wet.

This is what I’m referring to.

Living through a bathroom re do is hard, even when you have another bathroom. Even with all the Tile work we have done, we decided to let a pro handle the shower pan. We got a floor rated large format tile and used it on floor and walls then white penny hex tiles for the shower floor and niche. Instead of bullnose or Schluter strips I found a great deal on real travertine and marble for trim that matched the tile. The penny tile is better slip resistance with all the grout and with expoxy grout there hasn't been the mold and mildew. That green tile might work the same way on the floor of the shower. Smaller tiles are also easier to slope for the drain. Since we didn't knock out linen cabinet to enlarge the tiny shower, our niche barely holds our products so I would vote for a ledge. Yes neutral tile will be more flexible, but if you love that green use it. Like wise I would keep the tub, and add grab bars for your guest, but I have friends who are quite happy with just aa large shower. Just be cautious about the waterproofing and slip resistance so that it functions well. The rest is just style choices.

@RedRyder A foldout bench is a really good idea! I also love the cutout idea for the controls. I will definitely look into that if we can't do the controls on the opposite wall!

A long niche with a grab bar running the length may look nice and help keep the shampoo bottles from hitting the floor. We did this in our basement bathroom.

All we know is that there is one "wet bath" in a house in a HCOL area. What does the rest of the house look like? What does the kitchen look like?

I assume you've barely moved in.....and I certainly understand wanting to put your "stamp" , your personality into the house.

Can we see the actual home? A few rooms including the kitchen? : )

What does the current wet bath look like? Will there be kids one day, if not now?

Ive had shower niches in every bathroom & homes I’ve owned, four in my current home, none has ever leaked.

Absolutely true -- sure, a niche might leak, but it's not common.

You might want to consider a folding teak bench for two reasons - one,to shave
and two, to sit when you are older or are sick but need a shower.

My mom had a fold-down bench in a shower just this size. It was convenient, but you absolutely need the hand-held shower head, as the spray from the regular shower head won't reach you well enough to really wash in the little chair.

Be sure, too, you can reach your shampoo and soap while seated.

If you are using glass, consider cutting a half moon so you can reach into the shower to turn it on without getting wet.

Yes! If you go with a glass door, you need some way to reach the controls. As is so often true, a picture is worth 1000 words.

The other thing about shower doors is, Be sure you don't place the towel bars behind the hinge.

then white penny hex tiles for the shower floor and niche

I love penny rounds or penny hexes, but you must get THE BEST installer -- it's easy to install them badly.

Yes neutral tile will be more flexible, but if you love that green use it.

The green isn't neutral, but it is more classic than trendy and isn't likely to feel "offensive" after a few years.

As someone who lives in a one bathroom home I think you are smart to do it now!!

When we renovated we did a week house-sitting for a neighbor and then had to add one week in a hotel -- it took longer than planned bc contractor got sick for a few days. Things go wrong!

Let us know how it goes.

@JAN MOYER Sure I will share a few photos from the listing (with furniture) and our last walkthrough (no furniture)

The kitchen with sliding glass door to the left that leads to our patio and backyard

View of the living room and dining room from the front entrance

Planning on putting a low TV stand with a loveseat and settee (on the right wall) to not block more windows. Credenza or accent table to break up the space

(Staged photo of the living room)

Staged photo of the dining room

Staged photo of the finished basement (this will function as the "family room"

Half bath/powder room (Currently looking into a custom vanity and new mirror to fit this alcove better. Will also paint)

And some more photos of the full bath we're remodeling

So far the bathroom is our biggest project. We are also looking to repaint the ground floor (not the dining room). Our pick so far is Sanctuary which is the 3rd from the bottom. And no plans for kids so we're okay with removing the bathtub.

Beautiful wood floors! What other projects are you doing? I wonder if it would be worthwhile to replace the kitchen backsplash while you have tile people there for the bathroom.

@stiley Thank you, they're in very good condition too. Very few scuffs and dents compared to some of the other houses we toured.

We did consider retiling the kitchen backsplash but I think we're going to hold off for now. I'm not in love with it but I can live with it for now lol.

Once we get our bathroom project in order our next project will be landscaping this yard especially now that the weather is starting to warm up!

Hey, it's fantastic that you were able to buy a home in a high cost of living area and have enough money left over to change something just for aesthetic purposes, and I'm assuming you have an extra $50 - $00k on top of that for unexpected big ticket repairs. It's great that you already have a contractor you have used and like and time to do it before you move in. As someone else with no kids, congrats on the simplicity of life in that regard too.

The angle side of photos can be deceiving. Post a drawing with actual measurements of your bathroom. It doesn't have to be fancy but needs to include all measurement. Give us your general budget so we have a sense of what you can afford. (Sounds like your budget is higher than a shower pan with no tile, but are you shopping at a big box store, Ann Sacks, or elsewhere? What kind of custom glass door can you afford? A custom vanity?)

With the drawing and budget we can just focus on your space and getting you a really functional bathroom that is personalized to your liking.

Your home is a wonderful space. There is nothing objectionable. But it is nondescript and I can see why you want to make your mark on it. Let's get you something that is really wonderful.

Lastly, picking a new wall color is going to make a big difference. Hold all your your samples up to the floor as well. You need to factor that color in too.

@Kendrah

Ceilings are 7.5' tall, tub is 3' wide. We are also replacing the toilet and vanity - window on the left wall.

With the current spacing we definitely think we'll need to go with a sliding glass door - our contractor said we could do a hinged door but then he would suggest a pocket door for spacing.

Our budget is about $30k all in but we're comfortable going a little over. We have quotes from a nearby bath design outlet as well for a custom vanity and sliding glass door.

https://strasserwood.com/results/?fwp_collection=sodo&fwp_style=sodo-vanities-drawer-banks&fwp_cabinet=sodo-24-drawer-bank&fwp_doordrawer_frame_styles=slab&fwp_finish=rift-white-oak

@Kendrah And yes we have enough leftover funds for any big emergency repairs. I've heard lots of horror stories so we made sure to budget plenty for big ticket repairs and maintenance like HVAC and plumbing.

I definitely understand what you mean when you say the house is pretty nondescript, especially with the cool blue/gray paint.

Since you're removing a closet, do you have a place to store linens and products? A small vanity might not be enough.

@stiley There is a small closet to the right of the bathroom (between the bathroom and bedroom) that is currently used as a linen closet. We're also going to have two desks in the smallest bedroom; one for work and the other as a vanity with a small pouf or storage ottoman. That's where I'll store the extra toiletries and cosmetics.

You're going to spend 30 k. to get a 24 inch vanity, for two adults and "some pretty" and no tub, which means, you have NO young children and plan none

You may as well have a more luxurious dual income no kids house to sell, at some point down a long time road.

I'd turn that 11' 9" x 7'10 "bedroom into a great bath, or a bit smaller and get more closet.I left out the word en suite and the door from bedroom : )??

I'd think long and hard before I did it, that

s for sure.

I'd settle down and live a while.......add more money to the 40k you "saved" with the lone bath that pairs with THREE bedrooms, one too small for anything but nursery or office. As a nursery? You'd want a tub in the house, so would a couple with one kid.

This ^^ is a great concept by Jan. Because you got me at putting the vanity in the bedroom, I'm like....wait what?

@JAN MOYER Our current plan for the tiny bedroom is to make that our home office and a secondary getting ready space. I figured if guests come over to stay or if we need to get ready at the same time, I can move to the office to finish hair and makeup.

Long, long term plans would be to build an extension on to the home. We would take the smaller guestroom that's to the right of the current full bath and expand it to build a walk in closet and ensuite. But again, that's very long term plans and very dependent on the market.

@tracefloyd not like a vanity with a sink. It'll be an Uplift desk with a makeup mirror and extra storage for cosmetics. Here's some photos of the home office/small bedroom

The closet to the right is very large (I'd say about 3' x 4'

Based on your pictures and that you said this is a high cost of living area, I'm assuming you live outside of Boston. $30k sounds like a very low budget for an entire bathroom gut and changing the tub/shower combo to a new walk-in.

I'm concerned for the quality of work and of materials. Have you used this contractor before? Are they a friend giving you a deal? Have you gotten multiple bids? Or, do you have friends who have spent around this much for a total gut and you like the quality?

Did the contractor give you a writen quote specifying the type of waterproofing and specific waterproofing materials?

Also, knowing more about where you live, that you will be here for a long time, I'm more inclined to make the entire shower your green color. You want some character, a room that you've made your own from scratch, you are not worried about resale. If you love the green - do the entire shower in green including the niche.

@Kendrah Yes we have done our due diligence and gotten multiple quotes from contractors and have seen the work that this contractor has done.

We do not know the exact type of waterproofing that will be used but the total quote from the contractor came out to $22k without customer provided materials (tile, fixtures, etc). The quote from Floor & Decor came out to around $3200 for tile, shower door, threshold, grout). We are prepared for the actual labor and material costs to be higher.

"We do not know the exact type of waterproofing that will be used........."

You get it, in detail, step by step. Before all else.

@JAN MOYER Thank you for the recommendation. I will absolutely follow up and get the exact type that will be used in the bathroom.

I didn’t know to get the waterproofing plan in writing as part of the contract until the good folks on this discussion board advised. Then I ran it past them and learned a while lot!

Congrats on getting such low estimates. $22k plus materials is incredibly reasonable.