M&P15T Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 ....asks me for a "quote", "estimate" or "bid" on their kitchen or bath project, I will have blood on my hands. I am so friggin' sick and tired of those coming in here that don't understand a single thing about remodeling, other than what they see on T.V. Let me all drop some knowledge on you; there is no such thing as a quote, estimate or bid that is worth the piece of paper it's printed on. That stuff is all crap, and usually represents about 1/2 of what the final cost will be. Don't do business with anyone that has "allowances" in their contract, everything should be spelled out 100% in detail, with detailed costs and descriptions. And figuring out exactly what the true cost will be, is a lot of time, effort and energy on the home owner's part. You have to choose the products and materials, work the design out in all it's possible variations, and then help with determining the scope of the labor. This is real work, and takes time, effort and energy. Jesus.....I don't know if these friggin' TV shows help or hurt us in the long run. They give people such grossly incorrect perceptions and attitudes about how projects go, it's just frustrating beyond belief. Rant off. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul53 Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 Have you considered changing occupations? You have such a passion for people, why not become an auctioneer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenoF250 Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 I think you may be thinking they are asking more of you than they are. I think it is fair for you to know tile is $10/square foot and good cabinets with granite are going to be ~$200 linear foot so your kitchen will cost ~$40k but after demolition, add ons etc. they better plan for 60k. If that is of interest you can give them something more detailed. Home Depot will do that sort of thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted December 4, 2018 Administrators Share Posted December 4, 2018 15 minutes ago, M&P15T said: ....asks me for a "quote", "estimate" or "bid" on their kitchen or bath project, I will have blood on my hands. I am so friggin' sick and tired of those coming in here that don't understand a single thing about remodeling, other than what they see on T.V. Let me all drop some knowledge on you; there is no such thing as a quote, estimate or bid that is worth the piece of paper it's printed on. That stuff is all crap, and usually represents about 1/2 of what the final cost will be. Don't do business with anyone that has "allowances" in their contract, everything should be spelled out 100% in detail, with detailed costs and descriptions. And figuring out exactly what the true cost will be, is a lot of time, effort and energy on the home owner's part. You have to choose the products and materials, work the design out in all it's possible variations, and then help with determining the scope of the labor. This is real work, and takes time, effort and energy. Jesus.....I don't know if these friggin' TV shows help or hurt us in the long run. They give people such grossly incorrect perceptions and attitudes about how projects go, it's just frustrating beyond belief. Rant off. So, what would it cost me to put a garbage disposal and a counter in the tub, so I can prep food while I shower? 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M&P15T Posted December 4, 2018 Author Share Posted December 4, 2018 10 minutes ago, RenoF250 said: I think you may be thinking they are asking more of you than they are. I think it is fair for you to know tile is $10/square foot and good cabinets with granite are going to be ~$200 linear foot so your kitchen will cost ~$40k but after demolition, add ons etc. they better plan for 60k. If that is of interest you can give them something more detailed. Home Depot will do that sort of thing. No, no, it's not that at all. What I have is people who don't want to actually put any effort themselves into figuring out what the actual costs will be. I do give people guesstimates, but that's just when talking vagaries of budget. What's pissing me off is people who essentially want the proper cost, but don't want to spend the time to do what it takes to get that cost. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNWguy Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 Stupid customers! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PNWguy Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 9 minutes ago, Eric said: So, what would it cost me to put a garbage disposal and a counter in the tub, so I can prep food while I shower? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suspect Unknown Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 (edited) This will help. Edited December 4, 2018 by Suspect Unknown 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve4102 Posted December 4, 2018 Share Posted December 4, 2018 (edited) I used to just send them to the place I used for tile, the place I used for hardwood, the place I used for cabinets, the place I used for carpet, the place I used for lighting, etc., had them pick out everything they wanted or narrowed it down enough where I could put a price together. If they didn't want to do that, then I would give them a quote for T&M which usually required them to purchase a new set of underwear. As for plumbing fixtures, I had the plumber work that out with them. ...and no, I did not allow them to go to Menards for anything. "but, but, but the tile is cheaper there", "then go find someone else to install it, cuz I will not". Edited December 4, 2018 by steve4102 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWARREN123 Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 I think he means they do not know what they want and can not get a accurate quote on that! Plus real costs scare a lot of folks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve4102 Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 30 minutes ago, DWARREN123 said: I think he means they do not know what they want and can not get a accurate quote on that! Plus real costs scare a lot of folks. Then the first thing to ask the homeowners is, "What's your Budget"? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M&P15T Posted December 5, 2018 Author Share Posted December 5, 2018 10 hours ago, steve4102 said: Then the first thing to ask the homeowners is, "What's your Budget"? Here in D.C., that is a scary, threatening question. It does get asked, but it's done after much dancing around the topic. Usually I get them to ask me such questions, it's a lot easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC Tiger Posted December 5, 2018 Share Posted December 5, 2018 22 hours ago, RenoF250 said: I think you may be thinking they are asking more of you than they are. I think it is fair for you to know tile is $10/square foot and good cabinets with granite are going to be ~$200 linear foot so your kitchen will cost ~$40k but after demolition, add ons etc. they better plan for 60k. If that is of interest you can give them something more detailed. Home Depot will do that sort of thing. Don't forget to budget for the inevitable "I don't know which idiot did THAT but I gotta fix it before I can move forward" issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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