Would I have to tear up the whole bathroom floor, or can I patchwork the subfloor. You’re talking with a guy who is very unskilled with projects like this.
Make sure its not your only bath, and you will need twice as long as you thank.
Have the supplies on hand for everything before you start demo.
Still going to need to make 8 trips to lowes.
Last bathroom remodel i did, we installed a deep tub.
Didnt think to measure. Front door was a 36" and bathroom door was a double 24". But bedroom door was only standard It was 41" deep. Had to take off the master bedroom door, like the whole casing and everything. And it was still a tight squeeze.
https://imgur.com/gallery/QV7ZVeV
Well, no hospital visits has definitely been achieved, but you could choke a horse with the stack of receipts from Home Depot on the last big job we did. "Oh we've definitely got those" go later to look either in or for the container of whatever "... oh, I guess we used those up last time".
Had a leak in a pipe from our well and I figured I'd swap out a bunch of the old pipe and I kept missing a connector somewhere. After the third trip I just took a bunch of pictures and went...right at closing time. Got it right when it counted haha
I literally pulled into my garage from Lowe’s to remember I forgot the key reason I went in first place. [Went straight back.](https://tenor.com/s86O.gif)
My record worst project wasn’t even for my house. After just replacing my disposal the weekend before, it took 3 trips to Lowe’s to help my neighbor replace his and he already had the disposal.
I did all three of my bathrooms, one at a time. It took months for each, all by myself. I waited a year or more between each one. I took my time and road out my anxieties. Subfloor was fine for me. Concrete downstairs, and same as your’s upstairs. Each room cost $3K to $5K, full gut and replace.
I would think that you could patchwork the subfloor. However, that is just plywood, so you might want to replace it all anyway.
Big IF - if you think you can get away without pulling the tub out, it would save you having to deal with some of the trickier bits of plumbing (and moving a very heavy tub). This would be the case if the rot in the subfloor doesn't extend under the tub and there has been no leak behind the tub.
What is the "dividing wall" you mentioned the contractor doing?
I’d definitely pull the tub, chances are the subfloor under it is rotted as well. OP could probably get away with patch working the subfloor, but if it were my house I’d gut all the tile and lay down some hardie board under everything. If you do end up redoing the tub look into how to set it in a mortar bed or get one of those tub pads for underneath it.
Sometimes that doesn’t matter but if you ever wanted to correct it in a cost efficient way you absolutely would address it. Don’t make the nice new flooring get installed incorrectly when it was all just opened up and ready to be fixed
I took a sledge to mine when I remodeled my bathroom. That iron is relatively thin and brittle. So it was shockingly easy to break down into manageable chunks.
Father in law was splitting wood with an old splitter and hammer a few years ago. Chip flew off and imbedded in an artery in his forearm and was in the process of loosing a lot of blood but managed to wrap up tightly and stop the flow long enough to get a ride to the hospital by a neighbor.
Don’t fuck around metal without PPE
cast iron you can shatter like porcelain. cast iron isn't as malleable as steel or copper. i had asked when i was looking to remodel how they would get it out, plumber said sledgehammer was easiest way.
yeah, i used a regular claw hammer to bust them up and put them in 5 gallon buckets back in my scrap metal harvesting days. there's only 1 way to get them into the back seat of a honda accord.
Literally smashed one out last weekend on house we' picked up for rental. The bonus was after removing the tub, we found out we also get to replace the top AND sill plate - molded & termite gnawed beyond repair...in addition to the floor, subbase. The joists were fine which you could see from crawlspace inspection before home purchase.
The absolute icing on cake, relatively non-insignificant respiratory infection from blasting myself in the face with absolutely unbeknownst to me, mold saturated blown insulation, which coupled with a poor fitting respirator (not the full face one I typically used - hot). I've basically been the patient zero incubator for genesis of WWZ.
Smashing the tub - ez.
I recommend watching a few YouTube videos on tub and floor replacement to get an idea of what you might be getting into. Then you can decide if the labor is something you could do or if the quote is worth it.
100% this.
Can OP do it for less? Yes, absolutely.
Is there a greater than zero chance OP fucks up due to lack of knowledge and ability, and then winds up spending close to or over the initial quote to then realize they should call someone and pay the money?
Yes. Absolutely.
Pulling out a cast iron tub can be very hard depending on the clearances. I’ve had to take a sledgehammer to one so we could break it into pieces in place and then haul it out. Then getting the new tub in…. Basically had to demo a lot of the bathroom wall to get a new tub in.
Just saying that it can be very hard work and might be with the $10K to have professionals do it. It feels like around $7K of work to me but I don’t know your home, local demand for contractors, or cost of living in your area. A $2K job here in Colorado would be closer to $5K where I used to live in CA.
If you are certain there is no mold or other water damage, then you can just repair the subfloor. But I will bet you $1 there is more water damage than you think. There always is.
You answered your own question. You are very unskilled. This is a task requiring skill. That subfloor needs to be replaced most likely.
Source: tile contractor
And always try a few different wordings for the search. You may find some older posts or from a YTer that didn't get many views but had some great tips.
Prolly doable but honestly if you aren't comfortable w/ this stuff i'd pay a pro. Maybe get a couple more quotes first. Simple mistakes or oversights could make this a problem. i.e. did you set the blade depth right when cutting out the floor joist - nope.. oops. Did you use cement or green board where it needs to be waterproof, etc. etc.
This is definitely a project to hire out, especially if it’s your only bathroom. I am now a pro but redid a bathroom with YouTube before I started doing contracting. Everything took longer than I thought, it was frustrating and quite miserable. Now it’s not a big deal to me and I don’t have to research absolutely everything before I start. I could see you learning to tile the floor or shower but pulling a tub, doing subfloor and plumbing repair are far more than you should take on at this point, not to mention you’d have no bathroom for ages. Leave this one to the pros. If the finish on the bathtub is in good condition, I’d see if it can be reinstalled, cast iron tubs are really great
Guy who has done a lot of demo work and some reno work.
You will hate yourself for it if you patchwork it and it will be cheaper and a better job, plus easier, if you replace all the subfloor. All new materials, do it right and it will kick ass
Yeah take the whole tub out, if the rot hasn't messed up the joists then it would be just new subfloor across. A pic from underneath the tub would tell a lot.
Answer this. How long can you live without this bathroom? Time is money, and you can save A LOT of money doing things yourself, but it takes time to learn and you'll be learning how to do every step. When you pay professionals to do a job you pay for materials, labor in hours, and expertise in years. The materials costs are pretty much set, labor is free but will take longer because the expertise isn't there.
If you can spend a lot of time doing it yourself, then go for it. It's not impossible just know it's not a "weekend project" for someone who's never done it before.
Not always a valid assumption. I recently paid a plumber (one I thought I could trust based on previous work) to repair a toilet that was leaking between the tank and bowl, as well as running constantly, and as part of the process, he replaced the shut-off valve (which, in fairness, was in need of replacing).
Shortly after he left, we discovered we had a major water incursion in the basement below that bathroom. I ended up having to open up the wall to check for leaks (given where the drips were, I wasn't sure if it was from the bathroom, or coming down from above via the vent), but it ended up being a leak at the new shut-off valve. Once I re-installed the supply hose and properly tightened it, no more leak.
So while you'd hope that paying a pro would get it done correctly, that isn't always the case.
Couldn’t agree more. I do almost everything myself. I remodeled pretty much every room in my house. Every time I’ve hired a contractor, I feel screwed. Everyone loves to tack on the ‘Oh look at this little problem, the quote dude missed, we’ll have to add on an extra 10%-20%’. Just a tactic to underbid the other guy in my mind.
Or just overall crummy looking work. And for speed? Your 5k job? That’s small time work, for they got long term projects with the new houses going up south of town.
Worst of all the city inspectors couldn’t care less. Had one over to inspect my fireplace. And he noticed the new water lines were right up next to the subflooring, and started grilling me on it, like I was the scum of earth.
I’m like ‘I don’t know.. the plumbers did that.’ ‘Ohhh ok never-mind then.’
I see the kind of work my fellow blue collar workers do... There's one guy, a carpenter, who does a ton of side jobs for people in the building I work in. He never uses anchors and when he screws something into sheet rock he gives it an extra full second press of his drill just to make sure there's nothing left to hold.
He's been working at this job longer than I've been alive...
One would hope, but as someone who just had a lot of work, like $40K worth of work, done to their house, I can tell you contractors will absolutely cut corners and try to hide mistakes or laziness.
It’s still a valid approach to hire contractors to do it “right”, especially when there are home modifications that surprisingly require permits which should be included in their bill, but just make sure you don’t blindly believe they’re doing the highest quality work just because it’s expensive. Always double check their work upon completion and point out any issues you see before giving the final payment.
There's always tools that DIY'ers often don't have either. There's been plenty of times I've gone to do a project as a homeowner and not had a tool to do the job. Some tools can get pricey as well.
You certainly can do this yourself. My kids bathroom is 8x7 and contractor wanted 20K for a full remodel. I never renovated a bathroom but i dont like paying contractors. At the end i did everything myself. It costed me about 7K all in and i learned ton of stuff.
None of it is hard work, but good planning, educating yourself before you start will go long way. You will need to get tools so that will add to your total cost. If you have time and a spare bathroom that you can use while renovating then you should go for it.
This is my biggest regret of my house. 1.5 bathrooms means I can't DIY my shower without massively pissing off my gf by taking away our only shower for an unknown period of time while I fuck around.
Contractor for the shower, DIY for the rest of the bathroom remodel is my plan.
For real! I can usually stretch the wife and kids 48 hours for repairs, but that doesn’t allow anything extensive. Many items require up to a 4 day cure time as well. I’m finding that chancing 2 days usually leads to failure within 6 months for enamel/ceramic repair using the paste even though it says should be fine to get wet after 1 day. When you have kids under 2 you don’t always have the free time to get a repair done from start to finish, even a simple reapplication of plumber putty.
This. Projects with young kids suck. Running cables in the attic? About the time you get yourself wedged right where you need to be everyone will most definitely start having melt downs. Timing is tough. Then the wife hounds me because the project took twice as long as I quoted.
Haha sounds like my life. If only she knew how much you researched and studied to know how to fix a problem she didn’t know existed. Maintenance is better than fixing. My wife is always asking for a timeline. I make sure to give her the quote as an “estimate.”
Sometimes I cut corners and turn play time into housework time. Earlier I was playing in the yard with the family. Wife took our 6 month old inside because it was too cool for him. When she came back out 20 minutes later she got mad at me because I didn’t tell her I was planning on mowing. In reality I wasn’t planning on it but my 2 year old daughter was bored of the swingset and it turns out I can push the mower while she pushes the lower bar and she loved it. My wife didn’t think it was very amusing.
I have worked in construction in my youth, and to say the least, even though I respected the experience, a significant portion of my mates had quite low intelligence and problem solving skills. They were really good as long as everything was to their standards. However the slightest unexpected issue, most of those guys were torn apart and did some really stupid shit. If you are a smart person, making up for the experience with research and common sense is possible even for the first time. Also, you have more incentive on it, as you will end up living with your own shit.
The great part about buying tools is that now you have them for future DIY projects. The bad thing is that now you will have more things you'll want to fix with your new toys and skills.
Don't forget about the space your new toys take :) My tools take so much space, so friends come in and think that I started to sell tools all of the sudden... and sometimes when I call contractor because of lack of time to deal with issue myself, they again think I am in construction now.
I know all too well what you mean. I bought a foreclosed home that was not taken care of. I saved an easy 100k in renovations by doing it myself. My garage can't fit my cars because of all of my tools, lumber, and other parts in the garage. I intend on building a shed this summer so I can move everything out of the garage.
Yes you can save a ton. If that is an older tub in good shape you can uninstall it carefully, tear out everything else replace the subfloor then reinstall.
yes the entire floor is toast.
I would remove the entire shower also, this is the time to raise that shower head if you household will have taller people eventually. From experiences walls are easier to tile than floors.
If all you do is tear out, subfloor repair and reinstall the tub you can get a good tile person to finish the job and save a ton.
How would you remove the tub without destroying the acrylic wall at the flange?
Why would "the entire (sub)floor"aka 5/8 plywood be toast if its localized at the drip edge?
u/SmallTownShrink
I just finished two bathrooms back to back. Here is the GIST of it. If you remove the tub, there are decent fiberglass tubs that cost about $500. It is a two man job to replace the tub. You'll need to cut up the old one with an angle grinder and metal cutting wheel ($60 corded makita will do it). The acrylic wall surround is at the flange of the tub, hence you will need to replace that as well. To replace that would be another $4-600. Also a two man job. Do not get polystyrene instead of acrylic.
If you really want to learn something you can tile instead. The cost will go up to $1500 with tools but you will have a vastly nicer washroom and you can do the floor as well with a life skill to boot. The floor will cost you $500 on the high end if you tile... so I recommend just tiling. Replace the subfloor with new plywood. Done. Try to get a handy friend to watch over your work as you go along... its not rocket science but you will have to go slow and watch lots of youtube videos. There are thousands on each topic.
Or pay some contractor 10k.
Upon closer look at your photos, it appears to me you have had a substantial leak under the tub from the supply and or drain plumbing. I'd say you have rotted support joists under the tub. The wet, peeling trim boards near the tub tell me there has been a lot of water over some time here. The tub will have to be taken out in pieces. The cast iron broken up with sledge hammers. The thecjoistsvlikely will have to be repaired by sisteting new joists onto them. It really is a crap shoot.
When you have the tub out you will/shpuldvupdayevthe plumbing. This looks like an old home, I suspect you have nasty rusty galvanized supply pipes and drain lines. Those too will need yi be replaced and perhaps the supplies and drains going to the sink and toilet too. This is going to turn in to much more than a ,$10K project. You are not qualified to do this.
Old tub and mold is a dead giveaway for “more issues” underneath. At this pace, OP should just re-do the bathroom completely instead of fixing it partially.
Came here to say similar. I redid one of my bathrooms - went down to the joists replaced and repairs walls etc. new tile and fixtures. The works. Cost over $8k Canadian in materials alone. There’s always “more” once you start pulling things apart…
Personally I would do it myself again to make sure it gets done right and save what money I could. But man it took forever as an evenings / weekends project between caring for an infant.
I am just finishing up similar. Same crappy old tub. I tore out the floor, tub, vanity, toilet. Took it down to 2x4's and concrete. Tiled floor, walls, built shower floor (sloped), put in shower system with body sprayers, glass sliding shower doors, new fancy toilet, vanity, LED mirror, light bar, heated towel rack, etc... The whole thing came out to be about 4500. The cost is all labor plus some parts mark up. Yes, you can do this yourself.
Do you have a second bathroom in the house to use while this one is out of commission? If no, I'd spend that in a heartbeat.
For a contractor to do that, including a cast iron tub removal, for 10k is reasonable. Can you do it yourself? Sure, it's not terrible. I'd see if you can hire someone to help remove the tub at least. Those things are 3-400 lbs, if it is a cast iron tub.
Reused the toilet. New tile, shower pan, valve, PVC pipe, etc. Small ass bathroom. Toilet and shower only in the bathroom. Sink and shelving in the master bedroom.
Get three more quotes from different contractors. Try to have a conversation with each, to learn what they want to do and why. Someone might be able to do it cheaper if might be willing to do just the tub and subfloor, rather than a full tear out.
Even if they are still too expensive, you'll get a good feel for what needs to be done and if it is something you can take on.
Also, this bathroom might be out of commission for a while if you diy. Is this your only tub / shower or do you have a backup plan?
if it's a cast iron tub, i would keep it. maybe reglaze it but i def wouldn't throw it out. you could def do the flooring yourself. you'd prob need to rip up a few layers of flooring, then put in thin layer of plywood and cement board underneath tile. but yes it's def doable yourself if you want to spend 2k rather than 10.
Why would you replace a kohler cast iron tub with something new and of lessor quality? That makes no sense. A new cast iron tub is easily 1000-2000, the contractor will probably replace with fiberglass or plastic that will last maybe 15 years. Cast iron will easily last hundreds of years with good care.
This is the exact same tub I have, and I wouldn't give it up for anything. It's a ultra deep model, and they don't make these anymore.
10k is a lot, if you hire a tile guy straight out without a contractor, a job like this is more like $5000
No because there is almost certainly damage underneath the tub. The bottom row of tile of the shower surround will also have to be removed to get the tub out.
If you have access to the basement and can see under the tub, you can check how bad it is under it. You may have solid wood decking (original) under the tub, in which case, it might be ok still as it takes ALOT of water to damage that. Water stained solid decking is OK as long as it's still solid and has no rot. Or, the last owner might have moved the tub out previously and put plywood in which case, it might have to go. It's not that hard to take out the tub carefully and put it back.
In our bathroom remodel, there was solid wood decking under the tub and plywood in the rest, so we just replaced the subfloor up to the tub and tiled that. There's no reason to move the tub unless it's rotten wood under it.
Our bathroom cost about $5000 which included replacing the shower walls with concrete board and tiling the surround, replacing the subfloor and tiling, new toilet, new vanity. The tile guy did everything but installed the new shower mixer and stub out for the vanity sink - which I hired a plumber for like $150.
For only the floor, I've done another 2 jobs for rentals and it was less than 1500 for the subfloor+tile+labor.
Also, make sure you use concrete underlayment for the floor and not plywood and you won't have to deal with future water damage issues.
Sure. At the very least anything you can do they won't have to charge you for, so long as you don't create extra work for them. For instance, stripping that part of the room down to the studs and rafters. Maybe even removing the tub. Etc., etc..
Even if you can do it, this is still A LOT of work and A LOT can go wrong making you have to pay much more to repair your mistake and end up paying way more than $10k. You mentioned you're not a DIYer and you're going to try to take on a monstrous project like this? That's some huge pair you're dragging there, good luck.
To do it right, you need to remove the tub to assess for water damage. You want to replace the subfloor with solid sheets of plywood and then apply cement board or something like the Schluter water proofing system. Then you can re-tile. If you don’t do it right the first time you’re just going to have to go back and do it again in the future. Don’t half ass waterproofing in the bathroom. And don’t try using plastic and stapling it down. The water will find its way behind the tile and through the tiny staple or nail holes and will rot the wood behind. Ask me how I know. Do it right the first time and you won’t have to do it again.
Personally on a bathroom that looks this old AND has a leak, I’d gut it and redo it. It’s not super hard but it is extremely time consuming and hard to make it look perfect. The first bathroom remodel I did took me 4 months of working on it almost every spare minute I had and cost me 5k in materials. When I did the guest bathroom I was much more prepared and knowledgeable. Took me about 2 months of working on it on and off and looks much better than my master bath remodel. The guest bath remodel cost me right around 3.5k
That is what I'd call the I'm not hungry but if he agrees to my ridiculous price, sure.
Where was the leak source in the first place.
My experience is get at least 3 quotes. Quoted prices can vary by 200%.
It sounds like you have no idea of how to evaluate a contractor and the quality of a bid....
This is a huge problem. I suspect your initial bidder understood that and tossed you the crazy bid figuring you'd be stupid enough to pay it.
This isn’t a ridiculous price from a reputable contractor.
From what he described I’d be a bit more and I have more expensive competition in my market.
If I’m doing a tear out, replacing all the sub floor (that includes tearing out the vanity, toilet, putting it back in and doing new PVP flooring I’m at 15k everytime.
If I’m just doing the wet area of the tub and sub floor in that area, it’s 8-12k depending on what colors/patterns you pick for the walls, taking care of the subfloor problem that we can see in the photo (likely extends under the tub) and more if you want us to install new LVP ( there will be visible subfloor when done).
And I’m charging extra if the homeowner wants us to take that tub out in 1 piece “so they can save it, sell it, use it in the garden”. Those things are a pain in the ass for my crews to get down stairs, through tight hallways, etc. we usually cut them into a couple pieces so it’s easier for the guys to carry and haul them off.
Yeah. I initially thought the op knew what he was talking about. But on further inspection of the photos, esp the one where they'd pulled up the subfloor next to the tub I reposted and said this was likely gonna be a huge can of worms. There weren't really enough photos of good quality to figure out what was going on, but as I said. the photos showed long term soaked wood and rotted wood. When the tub comes out they are gonna find a lot more trouble.
In my opinion everything is pretty straightforward forward after you do some reading and watch a couple YouTube videos on the topic. I’d the easiest route would be to do the structural work yourself and call someone in to tile it after.
Side note: that tub looks like it’s close to 100 years old. If the porcelain finish is even in half decent shape there’s a chance someone would want it. Might be able to sell it or at least get someone to come take it off your hands.
Looks like peel and stick. They probably installed a thin sheet 3/16 or 1/4 inch ply over the subfloor ply. Good chance you can rip that out and the subfloor under is mostly fine. What are you planning to replace it with?
I just remodeled my bathroom. I have some experience in the construction filed but im in no way a carpenter or plumber.
I took everything out of the bathroom. Toilet, sink/vanity and the tub..
The tub is the hardest part for sure and you'll more than likely need help.lifitng it out if it's old castiorn tub.
I replaced the floor with 5/8 osb for the sub floor cutting out around the drain and the sewer pipe. Then used go board for the walls around the shower.
Plenty of videos to watch. Nothing it hard but if you don't have any background it can get confusing.
You could save money just taking a lot of the stuff out and having a carpenter come in and install.
I built a complete bathroom for $10,500.
The room was empty. Just stud framing and a bare bulb on the ceiling.
Kingkok86 said already that $10,000 seems mighty high for just a tub and tile replacement.
I agree.
This is the only spot that you see that has water damage. Is the company mold certified. Subfloor has mold growth on it. There is likely mold in other areas as well. Containment, decon chamber, hepa vac, antimicrobial and negative air should be used.
As someone who's partially redoing his small bathroom, the answer is yes, sorta.
I did the demolition of my bathroom myself: all old furniture removed, sink, toilet, bathtub and tiles. Redid the wall framing. That was tough, but very doable. I didn't have cast iron tub, but that's also doable (see ways to do it online).
For the plumbing, I chose to hire a plumber for peace of mind.
All of the above, took like 3 months, a few hours an evening here and there, a few hours in the weekend. Because having another full time job and other chores to do makes it pretty difficult.
I estimated another 3 months for tiling and installing fixtures. My wife got tired of using the other bathroom in the basement so we "splurged" on a contractor for tiling only for $2200 CAD.
Now just have to do a paint job, replace door and install fixtures.
TLDR: you can do it, but it will take lots of time in which you'll be out of use of your bathroom. Listen to YouTube videos.
If you're looking to have it done completely, do ask for second opinions. I got estimates ranging from 8k to 15k just for the labor +/- some materials.
This looks suspicious to me, it looks as if someone tiled directly onto plywood.
That screams "idiotic flipper" to me. You need to attach cement board/ ditra/ go board to the plywood and then tile on top of that.. You cannot put tile directly over plywood, that is why this is rotten.
Sure you can if you have even a little bit of experience. But if you have never done anything even close to this , just don’t waste your time and stress. You will most likely get the floor out/ tub out and either break a line (make sure to turn it off at the street) or get everything ripped out and never put back in / together. This can be really challenging 1. If you’ve never done it 2. If it’s just you
Bro, don't fall for the scams of these repairmen, you can do it yourself without much experience, just watch a couple videos and slowly and gradually you can do it three times cheaper. So good luck to you. By the way, for starters, watch this one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbj8Z-STHU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbj8Z-STHU). I hope it helps you to take the first steps.
I bet you will have you replace the entire subfloor and probably cut out/sister a bunch of joists. My bathroom looked like it had no water damage.. but just enough got into the sub floor at some point and all the wood expanded. Ended up replacing it all. It is an easy job if you have tools.
IMO $10k seems cheap for something with visible water damage. Did you get other bids? Don’t go with the lowest.
I was considering doing something very similar in 2022.
I ended up paying $8500 to have a remodeler demo out the plastic single piece tub & shower combo surround, put in a new steel tub, raise the showerhead 9 inches, install new shower wall tile to a height of 8 feet, fix the floor tile work because the new tub was a little narrower than the old unit, fix the drywall and repaint the bathroom walls and trim.
After watching two remodeling guys work full time for two weeks (plus two plumbers do another day or two of plumbing work between the start and finish), seeing all the equipment and tools they needed to do the project (none of which I had), I can say without a doubt in my mind that it was worth every penny and I was in no way qualified to do the job myself.
if you have kids who splash (and what kid does not splash) this will go bad again
go buy these:
[https://www.amazon.com/Spidfee-Shower-Bathtub-Waterproof-Self-Adhesive/dp/B0C2GQF2LJ?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref\_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3GK7WWVBMYRH9](https://www.amazon.com/Spidfee-Shower-Bathtub-Waterproof-Self-Adhesive/dp/B0C2GQF2LJ?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3GK7WWVBMYRH9)
you can fix this cheap if you do not care if tile is different. and molding/wood-trim is different but you will do this again and again until you stop using the tub.
contractor wants to match the tile color and style that is why he wants to rip out floor
contractor wants to have enough work to make it a viable dayscwork. remember skilled trades need to bill about $2k/day to be profitable and you are looking at three or fiyr trades that are half day jobs and nobody wants a half day job you have to charge more because you are not getting a full days pay
It’s hard to tell from this pic. The rotten wood you see could just be a subfloor that was added at some point. I’d rip out another little chunk and try to see if the tub goes down to a solid wood or plywood subfloor. The type of sub flooring in your picture turns to oatmeal if it gets wet. If the wood below it is in good shape, it’s possible to leave the tub and just rip out the crappy tile/subfloor and lay a new floor.
I guess the real question is “how far is Home Depot”, because you’re about to make 17 trips if you do it yourself.
Do you need to fix the drywall? Is it rotten under the tub? Is there any damage to the ceiling underneath?
If I can do it, you can do it, and I seriously mean that when I say it. Replacing the tub can be awkward for someone by themselves and who hasn’t done it before and would help to have a second pair of hands. But doing the floor you can do it, just cut out the section that has the damage and replace it.
Just make sure you set your circular saw to the right depth so you don’t cut into the floor joist.
I personally found these videos on YouTube to be helpful:
https://youtu.be/bXbOeOtHvyM?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/HUmc_xa2c1I?feature=shared
The subfloor is moldy and rotten. You aren’t supposed to lay tile on plywood. You might as well remodel the entire bathroom. If this isn’t your only bathroom, it’s like a couple weekends. You also have drywall and wood baseboards near a wet area. It’s not illegal but it’s cheap and stupid.
Basically, remove everything and check. If the supports underneath are moldy, you will need to treat the supports with boracare with moldcare, then sister the beams. Replace the floorboard…I put in cedar just in case and frame the tub area with cedar.
The bath area and 50% of the rest of the area (in height) and the floor should be durock. You use tile mortar to finish the edges of the durock sheets just like you would drywall with mud. Drywall with mud the tops. If you can, plaster the top or veneer plaster. All the durock needs to be rubberized. This is done using red guard (smells aweful) or aqua defense or some other membrane product. 2-3 coats. Tile and paint. Mortar everything but the joints. The joints should be caulked. Why ? Movement will crack the grout in the joints.
I think the answers to these types of questions are presupposed by the question. If your first move is to ask a forum with no knowledge of your skills, toolset, or ability the answer is probably a no. The exception being, things where you're replacing something like a socketed chip, battery, fuse, etc.
I can assure you no contractor wants that pos steel tub that’s covered in rust and mold on the underside. We don’t even want to haul it off, but we do because that’s part of the scope of work and nobody wants a pile of trash in their driveway.
you can do almost ANY repair yourself. I am remodeling my entire downstairs right now myself. I do some DIY here and there, but you can find out how to do anything on YouTube
I'm sure 10k is for a floor replacement in which they would need to remove tub. I wonder if that water damage is just from water on the floor and a poor seal on the flooring.
Avoid touching any of the pipes, and maybe.
We had this issue, turned out we had lead fittings in the house, and once they touched anything everything had to be torn out and rebuilt.
Good luck! My bathroom is the second most expensive thing I have ever bought after my house, lol.
I did my whole bathroom for about $3000. Gutted it completely. New tub, dry wall and tiled around tub and tile floor with in floor heating. That was several years ago but should still be within 20% of that cost or so.
I'd pay for the rot to be repaired professionally. but remove the tile yourself.its really easy just time consuming.then see if you can find a lower quote.
Can definitely remodel your bathroom for 5k yourself. Do you have a second bathroom though? Cause if your doing it solo it’s gonna take longer than you’d like.
You could totally do that. I replaced a tub, shower enclosure, some subfloor, and a vanity over the course of a few weeks.
Where you benefit from getting someone else is they are dedicated to it, whereas you probably have other things to do. Nothing in that whole operation is exceptionally challenging if you know where to look for instruction, though.
[First, get a copy of this book](https://www.amazon.com/Tile-Your-World-Bridges-Setting/dp/0974275433). Great overview and actually fun to read. The author [also has a really popular forum](https://www.johnbridge.com/) that deals with not just tile, but subfloors, floor joists and so on.
A lot depends on what you're doing with the tub space - new tub, shower, etc? Getting the drain and plumbing installed properly is a big deal as well. A slab foundation is a very different animal than pier and beam, or if this is a 2nd floor bathroom, how you deal with the drain system matters. When you gut the room you'll get a better idea of any water damage repairs; sometimes what looked like a small leak turns into a whole lot of tearing out.
If that goes under the tub then you have to redo the entire shower, subfloor, new tub mortared in new plumbing. Maaaaaybe they save the tile maybe not. Plus the rest of the floor. In that case, 10k is about right depending on what part of the country you live in. If it was just replacing the flooring on top it would cost a fraction of that.
Also, maybe some people are amazing contractors in their day job, but replacing subfloor is really not an easy diy job.
If you have another bathroom, then I'd DIY most of it! You could always rip everything out on your own, then just pay for the mold remediation for peace of mind, and finish it afterwards.
If you have the time, you should do it yourself. I hate plumbing, so that's the only thing I probably wouldn't do if it's something that needed fixing.
Options:
1) Do it yourself.
2) Do it yourself partially / sub our special services (Plumbing). I would go with this one, demo and you can access the extend of damage yourself. Hire a plumber to replace what needs to / or whole system, thats your call on what you find and cost. Then replace yourself. Will take some time, as a DYI'er. How long can you life without this bathroom. CAUTION: Once you demo, you will end up re-doing the whole new bathroom if married. So when estimating, include the whole bathroom with new fixtures and design / hardware.
3) Hire day laborers knowledgeable and pay a daily rate.
So if you have access under the tub you can save a bunch by just tearing out the rotten boards and replacing them.
Remove the entire floor and the baseboard. Replace whatever boards need to be replaced.
Put back in a 1/4” water resistant subfloor. Tile the floor. Replace baseboards with vinyl or ceramic tiles (so you have waterproof near the tub). Caulk well.
I wouldn’t move the tub unless you really really have to or the wife insists on a new one. Cast iron white ones are classics and will last forever.
All for a few hundred.
I diy a tub and subfloor replacement in my bathroom. The job is not hard but requires some knowledge and experience. Also, the amount of tools you would need to complete this project is probably everything on the shelves. There’s alot of weird cuts and blah blah, that you would need to troubleshoot throughout the fix and tub replacement. So if you don’t already have the tools, then I would really considered it more thoroughly before making the decision.
Do you know where the water damage is coming from? Reason I ask is we had an issue like this where there was water damage by the tub and it was actually leaking from where the pipes connected to the faucet inside the wall. Whenever the water was on, it would go through the valve and shoot out through a small leak behind the tub and leak down the wall.
TBH $10k sounds kinda cheap on this job these days.
I've done this With a huge old (ca 1928) cast iron tub. 500 pounds or so.
It is not technically difficult.
But it wasn't easy, either.
I had to cut the tub into pieces. Six 75 - 80 pound pieces. I used an angle grinder with diamond blades. I went though about three or four blades.
I then tore out the entire floor, redid all the plumbing, and shower, and lay down plywood. And other things.
I spent about $6000 and two months after all was done after receiving quotes twice that and a bit higher.
Nobody is talking about how gawd awfully heavy that tub is. -How awkward it will be to get out. -How it is going to damage the surrounding walls to remove, and where are you going to put it?
Do all you can but hire a plumber when that time comes. Having seen a couple bathrooms that were less damaged than this, you're opening up a can of worms that just might hit $10K before it done. If hired someone to do this job, there are a lot of unseen and unknown issues under that floor. They have to charge you for those unexpected surprises. It's way beyond just the floor.
I did this exact job in my house several years ago. It’s funny - even had the exact same water damage, mostly from uncaring tenants. Do research first then decide if you want to do this. The floor replacement may be the easiest part of this project. Some things to keep in mind:
- tub replacement usually means replacing the tub surround as well, because the tub has a flange that is overlapped by the surround. So expect to rip out not just the tub but the entire surround. At that point you may find more surprises to be addressed, if there any water damage.
- in my case the old tub had to be cut into pieces to get out (it was metal and original to the house). These things are made to be the width of the room, so getting the new one in is a pain too - there’s probably very little wiggle room. They typically attach to the studs inn either side - either directly with screws, or with special brackets.
- tub goes in first, then surround
- you likely will need a pro plumber to do the bathtub hookups
It’s doable but can be “fun”. But everything you need to know is on the web. Research and see.
10k is a steep price but it also depends on what area you live in, if you're not experienced with projects like this, it might not be worth the hassle and you may not have all the tools and equipment to get the job done. You could shop around for some more contractors or handyman or if you have a buddy who's a little bit more handy than you, maybe you can get him to help
I got my first house last summer and re did the entire bathroom. Had some help from my dad but ended up putting a new tub, vanity toilet and floor in. Also was able to find tile for 1 dollar a box so I put tile as the shower surround. Took some learning and redoing a few things here and there but I ended up being able to get it done for less than 2500 bucks.
If you're willing to learn I'd say go for it
My quick easy fix of shitty caulking turned into a new bathroom because of water damage. If you aren't handy I'd really be weary of doing it yourself tbh.
My guess is the rot is probably worse than what the contractor even thinks, or even will want to deal with. If this isn’t your only bathroom, you’ll save a lot of money by at least doing some exploratory work and ripping out the tub and drywall to check the full extent. I know some other people mentioned the joists under the tub, I think it’s worthwhile to check them out anyway you can. If this is in the second floor, remove some drywall below or get down in the crawlspace. I went through a recent thing where we didn’t understand the full extent of the rot and we wasted so much more money just going back-and-forth. But to answer your question, this is definitely doable as a DIY project.
Really, the thing you want to do is fix the subfloor under that damage, which requires removing the tub, which requires removing the tub surround. And then you want to replace the subfloor (or part of it) and flooring, which requires removing the toilet, and the vanity, and at this point it's a gutted room, and you have the whole labor cost of an entire bathroom remodel, so you might as well spend a little extra on putting new pieces back in, instead of the old ones.
That said, you might be able to manage. If the subfloor damage isn't bad, and you are able to reasonably get the vanity in and out, you can just replace the flooring (and probably the baseboards, it's cheap) and leave the project at that. If you go that route, I'd get cheaper flooring so if you do end up having to reno the whole room in the near future (no offense but everything in this picture looks dated), you won't feel bad if you have to rip out that flooring again.
We re-did our whole bathroom for a little less than 5k, but I also did a lot of it myself and it took 2 months. If you're not skilled to do it all, get a professional for the plumbing and tile. Everything else is pretty simple.
If it is cast iron then the demo is going to be a pain. If you're not handy and don't have the time to learn, then this may not be the best project to start on. If it was a sink and toilet, them perhaps. $10k seems reasonable to me for a gut and replace of the tub and floor, though make sure you're very clear with what they're supplying and installing, that it's what you want.
A cast iron tub is a good thing usually. I wouldn’t replace it. I would get “wings” for the outside corners and a shower curtain with magnets at the bottom to help make sure water isn’t escaping and running down to the floor.
For 10k, I hope the contractor is planning to include waterproofing under the new floor. If you let him take your tub, he’s gonna sell it for a decent price, and pocket that cash.
Watch a ton of youtube videos. Pay special attention to waterproofing approaches. Just slapping down vinyl on top of wood means you're going to rot shit if you don't.
Bear in mind that you'll likely need to buy tools - which aren't typically inexpensive. Don't get cheap tools, cuz they suck. You'll also have to buy more materials as you learn, because you WILL screw things up. But, that's fine, because that's usually how people learn.
So, if you watch a bunch of videos, and think "I think I can do that!", then do it! A project like this will likely save you some money, or worst case break even (assuming you have to buy all the tools and screw up a bunch wasting lots of materials). Of course it will take longer, but you'll know how it was done, and if any mistakes were made, you can always fix them (and of course, learn from them).
Just remember to always respect power tools - they can and will fuck you up if you don't handle them properly. That doesn't mean you should fear them. Protect your eyes, and your hearing, and your lungs. Breathing all that crap is NOT good for your lungs when you are tearing old things apart, or cutting into old things, etc.
This is all advice I wish I had been given over 15 years ago when I was starting to remodel my first kitchen. If you have time, you can do it.
If you are handy, then checkout some youtube videos and have at it. I fully gutted and remodeled my small hall bathroom for less than 3k. But it was a lot of work and took almost 2 months working a couple evening each week and 1 day a weekend. (we had another bathroom and young kids eating my time)
If you are not handy, this is a pretty big project to break your cherry with. But you could start the demo and if you get in over your head, you could hire the rest out for about what was originally quoted.
Personally, if I wasn't handy or have a handy friend willing to give advice and stop occasionally to help, I would probably contract it out.
Dude.....a cast iron tub is a BITCH to cut out, and move. You'll need to cut it in half with a diamond blade, and still need like 3 people to move half the tub. If you're doing it make sure you have hefty gloves too, cause I sliced my hand on a side of one. The quote sounds expensive, so maybe try shopping around with tilemen, or people who know what they're doing for a good quote to match. Gl!
Sure as hell can for about 1/4-1/2 the price they charge for the labor not the material
Would I have to tear up the whole bathroom floor, or can I patchwork the subfloor. You’re talking with a guy who is very unskilled with projects like this.
Make sure its not your only bath, and you will need twice as long as you thank. Have the supplies on hand for everything before you start demo. Still going to need to make 8 trips to lowes.
8? Those are rookie numbers. I did 4 in one day once! (I was very tired, and as a result very forgetful)
Last bathroom remodel i did, we installed a deep tub. Didnt think to measure. Front door was a 36" and bathroom door was a double 24". But bedroom door was only standard It was 41" deep. Had to take off the master bedroom door, like the whole casing and everything. And it was still a tight squeeze. https://imgur.com/gallery/QV7ZVeV
Very beautiful work. I'm throughly impressed, your did an amazing job! 👍🏻
Any house project that is 4 or less trips to the hardware store and no hospital visits is a success. \-My Dad
Well, no hospital visits has definitely been achieved, but you could choke a horse with the stack of receipts from Home Depot on the last big job we did. "Oh we've definitely got those" go later to look either in or for the container of whatever "... oh, I guess we used those up last time".
I laughed at your comment. So true for almost every homeowner! We've always said, "It's the 'while we're at it's' that will k!11 ya".
Had a leak in a pipe from our well and I figured I'd swap out a bunch of the old pipe and I kept missing a connector somewhere. After the third trip I just took a bunch of pictures and went...right at closing time. Got it right when it counted haha
Just installing a new garbage disposal to a sink that didn't have one took 4 trips. Anything more extreme will probably triple that.
I literally pulled into my garage from Lowe’s to remember I forgot the key reason I went in first place. [Went straight back.](https://tenor.com/s86O.gif)
I can only imagine the defeat after 3 knowing you're going one more time that day lol we all been there
You've got to follow Santa's lead, here. Make your list and check it twice.
My record worst project wasn’t even for my house. After just replacing my disposal the weekend before, it took 3 trips to Lowe’s to help my neighbor replace his and he already had the disposal.
It was actually 6 trips. You just forgot the other 2.
I made so many trips to Lowes fighting a hot water heater replacement that the old retired plumber that works there offered to come do it for me.
That's actually optomistic
I did all three of my bathrooms, one at a time. It took months for each, all by myself. I waited a year or more between each one. I took my time and road out my anxieties. Subfloor was fine for me. Concrete downstairs, and same as your’s upstairs. Each room cost $3K to $5K, full gut and replace.
I would think that you could patchwork the subfloor. However, that is just plywood, so you might want to replace it all anyway. Big IF - if you think you can get away without pulling the tub out, it would save you having to deal with some of the trickier bits of plumbing (and moving a very heavy tub). This would be the case if the rot in the subfloor doesn't extend under the tub and there has been no leak behind the tub. What is the "dividing wall" you mentioned the contractor doing?
I’d definitely pull the tub, chances are the subfloor under it is rotted as well. OP could probably get away with patch working the subfloor, but if it were my house I’d gut all the tile and lay down some hardie board under everything. If you do end up redoing the tub look into how to set it in a mortar bed or get one of those tub pads for underneath it.
And if you have a extra 10k laying around also
[удалено]
More than likely nearby studs are affected too.
Sometimes that doesn’t matter but if you ever wanted to correct it in a cost efficient way you absolutely would address it. Don’t make the nice new flooring get installed incorrectly when it was all just opened up and ready to be fixed
>and moving a very heavy tub I hear some people get rid of old tubs by smashing them into more manageable pieces with sledgehammers in-situ.
a cast iron tub is out out of iron, isnt it? it's not like a porcelain toilet, can you just smash it into pieces?
I took a sledge to mine when I remodeled my bathroom. That iron is relatively thin and brittle. So it was shockingly easy to break down into manageable chunks.
Yes. Cast iron is quite brittle. It is not steel. It will shatter like glass when hit with a sledge hammer.
If ever there was a time to wear all the PPE, this is it. This is not the way to add iron supplements to your diet.
Father in law was splitting wood with an old splitter and hammer a few years ago. Chip flew off and imbedded in an artery in his forearm and was in the process of loosing a lot of blood but managed to wrap up tightly and stop the flow long enough to get a ride to the hospital by a neighbor. Don’t fuck around metal without PPE
All the PPE in this case definitely includes hearing protection. Smacking a cast iron tub with a sledge will literally ring your bell.
cast iron you can shatter like porcelain. cast iron isn't as malleable as steel or copper. i had asked when i was looking to remodel how they would get it out, plumber said sledgehammer was easiest way.
Grey iron really doesn’t take impact well
yeah, i used a regular claw hammer to bust them up and put them in 5 gallon buckets back in my scrap metal harvesting days. there's only 1 way to get them into the back seat of a honda accord.
Literally smashed one out last weekend on house we' picked up for rental. The bonus was after removing the tub, we found out we also get to replace the top AND sill plate - molded & termite gnawed beyond repair...in addition to the floor, subbase. The joists were fine which you could see from crawlspace inspection before home purchase. The absolute icing on cake, relatively non-insignificant respiratory infection from blasting myself in the face with absolutely unbeknownst to me, mold saturated blown insulation, which coupled with a poor fitting respirator (not the full face one I typically used - hot). I've basically been the patient zero incubator for genesis of WWZ. Smashing the tub - ez.
Cast iron tubs are nice. They keep heat better than plastic. I get why people think they are old-fashioned looking. Too bad.
They keep heat great. I had a lime green one at one time
Yeah done it on both my houses. Only way to remodel alone.
You don't move an entire cast iron tub. You smash it to manageable bits with a sledgehammer and then carry those out. Cast iron is super brittle.
I recommend watching a few YouTube videos on tub and floor replacement to get an idea of what you might be getting into. Then you can decide if the labor is something you could do or if the quote is worth it.
>You’re talking with a guy who is very unskilled with projects like this. Pay the money bro.
100% this. Can OP do it for less? Yes, absolutely. Is there a greater than zero chance OP fucks up due to lack of knowledge and ability, and then winds up spending close to or over the initial quote to then realize they should call someone and pay the money? Yes. Absolutely.
Pulling out a cast iron tub can be very hard depending on the clearances. I’ve had to take a sledgehammer to one so we could break it into pieces in place and then haul it out. Then getting the new tub in…. Basically had to demo a lot of the bathroom wall to get a new tub in. Just saying that it can be very hard work and might be with the $10K to have professionals do it. It feels like around $7K of work to me but I don’t know your home, local demand for contractors, or cost of living in your area. A $2K job here in Colorado would be closer to $5K where I used to live in CA. If you are certain there is no mold or other water damage, then you can just repair the subfloor. But I will bet you $1 there is more water damage than you think. There always is.
dude im a general contractor.. and im like 10 Gs? I'd charge more than that...
If you don’t know what you’re doing, I wouldn’t do it yourself. You’re gonna be overwhelmed with the amount of issues you’re gonna have to fix.
You answered your own question. You are very unskilled. This is a task requiring skill. That subfloor needs to be replaced most likely. Source: tile contractor
Then the answer is probably no, you probably can’t do the repair yourself.
YouTube is your biggest friend for home renovations. If you can’t find the information from people on here be sure to check out YouTube.
And always try a few different wordings for the search. You may find some older posts or from a YTer that didn't get many views but had some great tips.
Prolly doable but honestly if you aren't comfortable w/ this stuff i'd pay a pro. Maybe get a couple more quotes first. Simple mistakes or oversights could make this a problem. i.e. did you set the blade depth right when cutting out the floor joist - nope.. oops. Did you use cement or green board where it needs to be waterproof, etc. etc.
This is definitely a project to hire out, especially if it’s your only bathroom. I am now a pro but redid a bathroom with YouTube before I started doing contracting. Everything took longer than I thought, it was frustrating and quite miserable. Now it’s not a big deal to me and I don’t have to research absolutely everything before I start. I could see you learning to tile the floor or shower but pulling a tub, doing subfloor and plumbing repair are far more than you should take on at this point, not to mention you’d have no bathroom for ages. Leave this one to the pros. If the finish on the bathtub is in good condition, I’d see if it can be reinstalled, cast iron tubs are really great
Guy who has done a lot of demo work and some reno work. You will hate yourself for it if you patchwork it and it will be cheaper and a better job, plus easier, if you replace all the subfloor. All new materials, do it right and it will kick ass
Tearing up the entire subfloor will probably be easier if everything else is already out.
Going to have to do some exploratory surgery on this one.
Should be able to just subfloor and tile I’m not sure what’s under the tub
You don't really know the extent of the rot or damage from these photos
100% the rot is partly under the tub. He could potentially disconnected tub and fix part of the floor and place the Tub back.
Yeah take the whole tub out, if the rot hasn't messed up the joists then it would be just new subfloor across. A pic from underneath the tub would tell a lot.
Looks pretty moldy but yeah
You can but it will not be equal quality if you're not familiar with the process and have to ask about it on Reddit.
If you do it your self the labor is free.
Answer this. How long can you live without this bathroom? Time is money, and you can save A LOT of money doing things yourself, but it takes time to learn and you'll be learning how to do every step. When you pay professionals to do a job you pay for materials, labor in hours, and expertise in years. The materials costs are pretty much set, labor is free but will take longer because the expertise isn't there. If you can spend a lot of time doing it yourself, then go for it. It's not impossible just know it's not a "weekend project" for someone who's never done it before.
Yes, do they have another bathroom... If not are you ready to shit in a bucket for 2 weeks?
And to add to this, you're paying for it to be done correctly without any worry.
Not always a valid assumption. I recently paid a plumber (one I thought I could trust based on previous work) to repair a toilet that was leaking between the tank and bowl, as well as running constantly, and as part of the process, he replaced the shut-off valve (which, in fairness, was in need of replacing). Shortly after he left, we discovered we had a major water incursion in the basement below that bathroom. I ended up having to open up the wall to check for leaks (given where the drips were, I wasn't sure if it was from the bathroom, or coming down from above via the vent), but it ended up being a leak at the new shut-off valve. Once I re-installed the supply hose and properly tightened it, no more leak. So while you'd hope that paying a pro would get it done correctly, that isn't always the case.
Couldn’t agree more. I do almost everything myself. I remodeled pretty much every room in my house. Every time I’ve hired a contractor, I feel screwed. Everyone loves to tack on the ‘Oh look at this little problem, the quote dude missed, we’ll have to add on an extra 10%-20%’. Just a tactic to underbid the other guy in my mind. Or just overall crummy looking work. And for speed? Your 5k job? That’s small time work, for they got long term projects with the new houses going up south of town. Worst of all the city inspectors couldn’t care less. Had one over to inspect my fireplace. And he noticed the new water lines were right up next to the subflooring, and started grilling me on it, like I was the scum of earth. I’m like ‘I don’t know.. the plumbers did that.’ ‘Ohhh ok never-mind then.’
Hmm.. somehow, I end up worrying A LOT when calling in tradesmen. If only it was this simple
I see the kind of work my fellow blue collar workers do... There's one guy, a carpenter, who does a ton of side jobs for people in the building I work in. He never uses anchors and when he screws something into sheet rock he gives it an extra full second press of his drill just to make sure there's nothing left to hold. He's been working at this job longer than I've been alive...
If only
One would hope, but as someone who just had a lot of work, like $40K worth of work, done to their house, I can tell you contractors will absolutely cut corners and try to hide mistakes or laziness. It’s still a valid approach to hire contractors to do it “right”, especially when there are home modifications that surprisingly require permits which should be included in their bill, but just make sure you don’t blindly believe they’re doing the highest quality work just because it’s expensive. Always double check their work upon completion and point out any issues you see before giving the final payment.
Hah, almost never. Im always fixing shit they mess up.
There's always tools that DIY'ers often don't have either. There's been plenty of times I've gone to do a project as a homeowner and not had a tool to do the job. Some tools can get pricey as well.
You certainly can do this yourself. My kids bathroom is 8x7 and contractor wanted 20K for a full remodel. I never renovated a bathroom but i dont like paying contractors. At the end i did everything myself. It costed me about 7K all in and i learned ton of stuff. None of it is hard work, but good planning, educating yourself before you start will go long way. You will need to get tools so that will add to your total cost. If you have time and a spare bathroom that you can use while renovating then you should go for it.
The main reason I am buying a new house with multiple bathrooms. So I have a place to use when I’m working on the others lol.
This is my biggest regret of my house. 1.5 bathrooms means I can't DIY my shower without massively pissing off my gf by taking away our only shower for an unknown period of time while I fuck around. Contractor for the shower, DIY for the rest of the bathroom remodel is my plan.
For real! I can usually stretch the wife and kids 48 hours for repairs, but that doesn’t allow anything extensive. Many items require up to a 4 day cure time as well. I’m finding that chancing 2 days usually leads to failure within 6 months for enamel/ceramic repair using the paste even though it says should be fine to get wet after 1 day. When you have kids under 2 you don’t always have the free time to get a repair done from start to finish, even a simple reapplication of plumber putty.
This. Projects with young kids suck. Running cables in the attic? About the time you get yourself wedged right where you need to be everyone will most definitely start having melt downs. Timing is tough. Then the wife hounds me because the project took twice as long as I quoted.
Haha sounds like my life. If only she knew how much you researched and studied to know how to fix a problem she didn’t know existed. Maintenance is better than fixing. My wife is always asking for a timeline. I make sure to give her the quote as an “estimate.” Sometimes I cut corners and turn play time into housework time. Earlier I was playing in the yard with the family. Wife took our 6 month old inside because it was too cool for him. When she came back out 20 minutes later she got mad at me because I didn’t tell her I was planning on mowing. In reality I wasn’t planning on it but my 2 year old daughter was bored of the swingset and it turns out I can push the mower while she pushes the lower bar and she loved it. My wife didn’t think it was very amusing.
That's why God made home Depot buckets.
I have worked in construction in my youth, and to say the least, even though I respected the experience, a significant portion of my mates had quite low intelligence and problem solving skills. They were really good as long as everything was to their standards. However the slightest unexpected issue, most of those guys were torn apart and did some really stupid shit. If you are a smart person, making up for the experience with research and common sense is possible even for the first time. Also, you have more incentive on it, as you will end up living with your own shit.
The great part about buying tools is that now you have them for future DIY projects. The bad thing is that now you will have more things you'll want to fix with your new toys and skills.
Don't forget about the space your new toys take :) My tools take so much space, so friends come in and think that I started to sell tools all of the sudden... and sometimes when I call contractor because of lack of time to deal with issue myself, they again think I am in construction now.
I know all too well what you mean. I bought a foreclosed home that was not taken care of. I saved an easy 100k in renovations by doing it myself. My garage can't fit my cars because of all of my tools, lumber, and other parts in the garage. I intend on building a shed this summer so I can move everything out of the garage.
Yes you can save a ton. If that is an older tub in good shape you can uninstall it carefully, tear out everything else replace the subfloor then reinstall. yes the entire floor is toast. I would remove the entire shower also, this is the time to raise that shower head if you household will have taller people eventually. From experiences walls are easier to tile than floors. If all you do is tear out, subfloor repair and reinstall the tub you can get a good tile person to finish the job and save a ton.
How would you remove the tub without destroying the acrylic wall at the flange? Why would "the entire (sub)floor"aka 5/8 plywood be toast if its localized at the drip edge? u/SmallTownShrink I just finished two bathrooms back to back. Here is the GIST of it. If you remove the tub, there are decent fiberglass tubs that cost about $500. It is a two man job to replace the tub. You'll need to cut up the old one with an angle grinder and metal cutting wheel ($60 corded makita will do it). The acrylic wall surround is at the flange of the tub, hence you will need to replace that as well. To replace that would be another $4-600. Also a two man job. Do not get polystyrene instead of acrylic. If you really want to learn something you can tile instead. The cost will go up to $1500 with tools but you will have a vastly nicer washroom and you can do the floor as well with a life skill to boot. The floor will cost you $500 on the high end if you tile... so I recommend just tiling. Replace the subfloor with new plywood. Done. Try to get a handy friend to watch over your work as you go along... its not rocket science but you will have to go slow and watch lots of youtube videos. There are thousands on each topic. Or pay some contractor 10k.
If that tub is as old as it looks it is unlikely the subfloor is plywood. It’s probably solid wood boards.
True
Agreed!
Upon closer look at your photos, it appears to me you have had a substantial leak under the tub from the supply and or drain plumbing. I'd say you have rotted support joists under the tub. The wet, peeling trim boards near the tub tell me there has been a lot of water over some time here. The tub will have to be taken out in pieces. The cast iron broken up with sledge hammers. The thecjoistsvlikely will have to be repaired by sisteting new joists onto them. It really is a crap shoot. When you have the tub out you will/shpuldvupdayevthe plumbing. This looks like an old home, I suspect you have nasty rusty galvanized supply pipes and drain lines. Those too will need yi be replaced and perhaps the supplies and drains going to the sink and toilet too. This is going to turn in to much more than a ,$10K project. You are not qualified to do this.
Old tub and mold is a dead giveaway for “more issues” underneath. At this pace, OP should just re-do the bathroom completely instead of fixing it partially.
Came here to say similar. I redid one of my bathrooms - went down to the joists replaced and repairs walls etc. new tile and fixtures. The works. Cost over $8k Canadian in materials alone. There’s always “more” once you start pulling things apart… Personally I would do it myself again to make sure it gets done right and save what money I could. But man it took forever as an evenings / weekends project between caring for an infant.
I am just finishing up similar. Same crappy old tub. I tore out the floor, tub, vanity, toilet. Took it down to 2x4's and concrete. Tiled floor, walls, built shower floor (sloped), put in shower system with body sprayers, glass sliding shower doors, new fancy toilet, vanity, LED mirror, light bar, heated towel rack, etc... The whole thing came out to be about 4500. The cost is all labor plus some parts mark up. Yes, you can do this yourself.
Do you have a second bathroom in the house to use while this one is out of commission? If no, I'd spend that in a heartbeat. For a contractor to do that, including a cast iron tub removal, for 10k is reasonable. Can you do it yourself? Sure, it's not terrible. I'd see if you can hire someone to help remove the tub at least. Those things are 3-400 lbs, if it is a cast iron tub.
I did my bathroom reno myself. Was less than $900 in materials. I am not a contractor by trade.
I feel like a big part of the expense would be all the tools he’s going to need to buy assuming he doesn’t have any
Agreed. I borrowed my friend's tile cutter. Friends have saved me $1000s.
Mine was more but last weekend put the finishing touches.
I'm assuming you reused the majority of what was already there?
Reused the toilet. New tile, shower pan, valve, PVC pipe, etc. Small ass bathroom. Toilet and shower only in the bathroom. Sink and shelving in the master bedroom.
Get three more quotes from different contractors. Try to have a conversation with each, to learn what they want to do and why. Someone might be able to do it cheaper if might be willing to do just the tub and subfloor, rather than a full tear out. Even if they are still too expensive, you'll get a good feel for what needs to be done and if it is something you can take on. Also, this bathroom might be out of commission for a while if you diy. Is this your only tub / shower or do you have a backup plan?
if it's a cast iron tub, i would keep it. maybe reglaze it but i def wouldn't throw it out. you could def do the flooring yourself. you'd prob need to rip up a few layers of flooring, then put in thin layer of plywood and cement board underneath tile. but yes it's def doable yourself if you want to spend 2k rather than 10.
10k to gut and remediate is a great price
Why would you replace a kohler cast iron tub with something new and of lessor quality? That makes no sense. A new cast iron tub is easily 1000-2000, the contractor will probably replace with fiberglass or plastic that will last maybe 15 years. Cast iron will easily last hundreds of years with good care. This is the exact same tub I have, and I wouldn't give it up for anything. It's a ultra deep model, and they don't make these anymore. 10k is a lot, if you hire a tile guy straight out without a contractor, a job like this is more like $5000
will a tile guy be able to replace the wood sub-floor and lay tile over it, without moving the tub?
No because there is almost certainly damage underneath the tub. The bottom row of tile of the shower surround will also have to be removed to get the tub out.
If you have access to the basement and can see under the tub, you can check how bad it is under it. You may have solid wood decking (original) under the tub, in which case, it might be ok still as it takes ALOT of water to damage that. Water stained solid decking is OK as long as it's still solid and has no rot. Or, the last owner might have moved the tub out previously and put plywood in which case, it might have to go. It's not that hard to take out the tub carefully and put it back. In our bathroom remodel, there was solid wood decking under the tub and plywood in the rest, so we just replaced the subfloor up to the tub and tiled that. There's no reason to move the tub unless it's rotten wood under it. Our bathroom cost about $5000 which included replacing the shower walls with concrete board and tiling the surround, replacing the subfloor and tiling, new toilet, new vanity. The tile guy did everything but installed the new shower mixer and stub out for the vanity sink - which I hired a plumber for like $150. For only the floor, I've done another 2 jobs for rentals and it was less than 1500 for the subfloor+tile+labor. Also, make sure you use concrete underlayment for the floor and not plywood and you won't have to deal with future water damage issues.
Sure. At the very least anything you can do they won't have to charge you for, so long as you don't create extra work for them. For instance, stripping that part of the room down to the studs and rafters. Maybe even removing the tub. Etc., etc..
That's actually not a bad price. My friend works for a company and their prices start at around $15,000 for the same thing.
Do contracting/remodeling. Seeing that rot and issues 100%>
Yes. I just did a bathroom where I had to build the alcove and tile it. It cost me $1700.
Even if you can do it, this is still A LOT of work and A LOT can go wrong making you have to pay much more to repair your mistake and end up paying way more than $10k. You mentioned you're not a DIYer and you're going to try to take on a monstrous project like this? That's some huge pair you're dragging there, good luck.
To do it right, you need to remove the tub to assess for water damage. You want to replace the subfloor with solid sheets of plywood and then apply cement board or something like the Schluter water proofing system. Then you can re-tile. If you don’t do it right the first time you’re just going to have to go back and do it again in the future. Don’t half ass waterproofing in the bathroom. And don’t try using plastic and stapling it down. The water will find its way behind the tile and through the tiny staple or nail holes and will rot the wood behind. Ask me how I know. Do it right the first time and you won’t have to do it again.
Personally on a bathroom that looks this old AND has a leak, I’d gut it and redo it. It’s not super hard but it is extremely time consuming and hard to make it look perfect. The first bathroom remodel I did took me 4 months of working on it almost every spare minute I had and cost me 5k in materials. When I did the guest bathroom I was much more prepared and knowledgeable. Took me about 2 months of working on it on and off and looks much better than my master bath remodel. The guest bath remodel cost me right around 3.5k
That is what I'd call the I'm not hungry but if he agrees to my ridiculous price, sure. Where was the leak source in the first place. My experience is get at least 3 quotes. Quoted prices can vary by 200%. It sounds like you have no idea of how to evaluate a contractor and the quality of a bid.... This is a huge problem. I suspect your initial bidder understood that and tossed you the crazy bid figuring you'd be stupid enough to pay it.
This isn’t a ridiculous price from a reputable contractor. From what he described I’d be a bit more and I have more expensive competition in my market. If I’m doing a tear out, replacing all the sub floor (that includes tearing out the vanity, toilet, putting it back in and doing new PVP flooring I’m at 15k everytime. If I’m just doing the wet area of the tub and sub floor in that area, it’s 8-12k depending on what colors/patterns you pick for the walls, taking care of the subfloor problem that we can see in the photo (likely extends under the tub) and more if you want us to install new LVP ( there will be visible subfloor when done). And I’m charging extra if the homeowner wants us to take that tub out in 1 piece “so they can save it, sell it, use it in the garden”. Those things are a pain in the ass for my crews to get down stairs, through tight hallways, etc. we usually cut them into a couple pieces so it’s easier for the guys to carry and haul them off.
Yeah. I initially thought the op knew what he was talking about. But on further inspection of the photos, esp the one where they'd pulled up the subfloor next to the tub I reposted and said this was likely gonna be a huge can of worms. There weren't really enough photos of good quality to figure out what was going on, but as I said. the photos showed long term soaked wood and rotted wood. When the tub comes out they are gonna find a lot more trouble.
In my opinion everything is pretty straightforward forward after you do some reading and watch a couple YouTube videos on the topic. I’d the easiest route would be to do the structural work yourself and call someone in to tile it after.
Side note: that tub looks like it’s close to 100 years old. If the porcelain finish is even in half decent shape there’s a chance someone would want it. Might be able to sell it or at least get someone to come take it off your hands.
In my area, these sell for about $300-400. I've even had one stolen after a project. Jerks came on to the patio to steal it.
Looks like peel and stick. They probably installed a thin sheet 3/16 or 1/4 inch ply over the subfloor ply. Good chance you can rip that out and the subfloor under is mostly fine. What are you planning to replace it with?
I’ll do it for 9k
$7500
Home Renovision youtube channel has a whole series on this type of thing, I'd suggest watching to see what the job could entail
I just remodeled my bathroom. I have some experience in the construction filed but im in no way a carpenter or plumber. I took everything out of the bathroom. Toilet, sink/vanity and the tub.. The tub is the hardest part for sure and you'll more than likely need help.lifitng it out if it's old castiorn tub. I replaced the floor with 5/8 osb for the sub floor cutting out around the drain and the sewer pipe. Then used go board for the walls around the shower. Plenty of videos to watch. Nothing it hard but if you don't have any background it can get confusing. You could save money just taking a lot of the stuff out and having a carpenter come in and install.
Not only CAN you do it, you SHOULD do it. You won’t regret it.
I think it’s more like a 3k job that’s way to much
I built a complete bathroom for $10,500. The room was empty. Just stud framing and a bare bulb on the ceiling. Kingkok86 said already that $10,000 seems mighty high for just a tub and tile replacement. I agree.
This is the only spot that you see that has water damage. Is the company mold certified. Subfloor has mold growth on it. There is likely mold in other areas as well. Containment, decon chamber, hepa vac, antimicrobial and negative air should be used.
10k is cheap for mitigation/remediation + rebuild
As someone who's partially redoing his small bathroom, the answer is yes, sorta. I did the demolition of my bathroom myself: all old furniture removed, sink, toilet, bathtub and tiles. Redid the wall framing. That was tough, but very doable. I didn't have cast iron tub, but that's also doable (see ways to do it online). For the plumbing, I chose to hire a plumber for peace of mind. All of the above, took like 3 months, a few hours an evening here and there, a few hours in the weekend. Because having another full time job and other chores to do makes it pretty difficult. I estimated another 3 months for tiling and installing fixtures. My wife got tired of using the other bathroom in the basement so we "splurged" on a contractor for tiling only for $2200 CAD. Now just have to do a paint job, replace door and install fixtures. TLDR: you can do it, but it will take lots of time in which you'll be out of use of your bathroom. Listen to YouTube videos. If you're looking to have it done completely, do ask for second opinions. I got estimates ranging from 8k to 15k just for the labor +/- some materials.
That's not expensive if you consider taxes, work/time, skill/knowledge, transport, labour. And one person is not going to move that tub.
Demo is the easy part. You can save yourself money. Installing everything properly is the challenge
You sure can, I did mine, cast tub out, new tub surround new floor not that hard:) fun actually as long as your a DIY kinda person👍
This looks suspicious to me, it looks as if someone tiled directly onto plywood. That screams "idiotic flipper" to me. You need to attach cement board/ ditra/ go board to the plywood and then tile on top of that.. You cannot put tile directly over plywood, that is why this is rotten.
Sure you can if you have even a little bit of experience. But if you have never done anything even close to this , just don’t waste your time and stress. You will most likely get the floor out/ tub out and either break a line (make sure to turn it off at the street) or get everything ripped out and never put back in / together. This can be really challenging 1. If you’ve never done it 2. If it’s just you
You can certainly try.
Just did something like this with a new vanity as well. Costed me $6k in parts and took me 2 weeks after work every day.
Bro, don't fall for the scams of these repairmen, you can do it yourself without much experience, just watch a couple videos and slowly and gradually you can do it three times cheaper. So good luck to you. By the way, for starters, watch this one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbj8Z-STHU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbj8Z-STHU). I hope it helps you to take the first steps.
Contractors charge more when they don't want to do the job. Look into multiple quotes.
Even with the skills, you need the tools. The costs add up pretty quickly
I bet you will have you replace the entire subfloor and probably cut out/sister a bunch of joists. My bathroom looked like it had no water damage.. but just enough got into the sub floor at some point and all the wood expanded. Ended up replacing it all. It is an easy job if you have tools. IMO $10k seems cheap for something with visible water damage. Did you get other bids? Don’t go with the lowest.
I was considering doing something very similar in 2022. I ended up paying $8500 to have a remodeler demo out the plastic single piece tub & shower combo surround, put in a new steel tub, raise the showerhead 9 inches, install new shower wall tile to a height of 8 feet, fix the floor tile work because the new tub was a little narrower than the old unit, fix the drywall and repaint the bathroom walls and trim. After watching two remodeling guys work full time for two weeks (plus two plumbers do another day or two of plumbing work between the start and finish), seeing all the equipment and tools they needed to do the project (none of which I had), I can say without a doubt in my mind that it was worth every penny and I was in no way qualified to do the job myself.
if you have kids who splash (and what kid does not splash) this will go bad again go buy these: [https://www.amazon.com/Spidfee-Shower-Bathtub-Waterproof-Self-Adhesive/dp/B0C2GQF2LJ?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref\_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3GK7WWVBMYRH9](https://www.amazon.com/Spidfee-Shower-Bathtub-Waterproof-Self-Adhesive/dp/B0C2GQF2LJ?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3GK7WWVBMYRH9) you can fix this cheap if you do not care if tile is different. and molding/wood-trim is different but you will do this again and again until you stop using the tub. contractor wants to match the tile color and style that is why he wants to rip out floor contractor wants to have enough work to make it a viable dayscwork. remember skilled trades need to bill about $2k/day to be profitable and you are looking at three or fiyr trades that are half day jobs and nobody wants a half day job you have to charge more because you are not getting a full days pay
sounds like a very good deal for $10k, do still shop around, but you're not going to save much doing it yourself (and valuing your sanity and labor)
It’s hard to tell from this pic. The rotten wood you see could just be a subfloor that was added at some point. I’d rip out another little chunk and try to see if the tub goes down to a solid wood or plywood subfloor. The type of sub flooring in your picture turns to oatmeal if it gets wet. If the wood below it is in good shape, it’s possible to leave the tub and just rip out the crappy tile/subfloor and lay a new floor.
I guess the real question is “how far is Home Depot”, because you’re about to make 17 trips if you do it yourself. Do you need to fix the drywall? Is it rotten under the tub? Is there any damage to the ceiling underneath?
If I can do it, you can do it, and I seriously mean that when I say it. Replacing the tub can be awkward for someone by themselves and who hasn’t done it before and would help to have a second pair of hands. But doing the floor you can do it, just cut out the section that has the damage and replace it. Just make sure you set your circular saw to the right depth so you don’t cut into the floor joist. I personally found these videos on YouTube to be helpful: https://youtu.be/bXbOeOtHvyM?feature=shared https://youtu.be/HUmc_xa2c1I?feature=shared
The subfloor is moldy and rotten. You aren’t supposed to lay tile on plywood. You might as well remodel the entire bathroom. If this isn’t your only bathroom, it’s like a couple weekends. You also have drywall and wood baseboards near a wet area. It’s not illegal but it’s cheap and stupid. Basically, remove everything and check. If the supports underneath are moldy, you will need to treat the supports with boracare with moldcare, then sister the beams. Replace the floorboard…I put in cedar just in case and frame the tub area with cedar. The bath area and 50% of the rest of the area (in height) and the floor should be durock. You use tile mortar to finish the edges of the durock sheets just like you would drywall with mud. Drywall with mud the tops. If you can, plaster the top or veneer plaster. All the durock needs to be rubberized. This is done using red guard (smells aweful) or aqua defense or some other membrane product. 2-3 coats. Tile and paint. Mortar everything but the joints. The joints should be caulked. Why ? Movement will crack the grout in the joints.
I think the answers to these types of questions are presupposed by the question. If your first move is to ask a forum with no knowledge of your skills, toolset, or ability the answer is probably a no. The exception being, things where you're replacing something like a socketed chip, battery, fuse, etc.
He’s trying to rip you off and wants that vintage tub
I can assure you no contractor wants that pos steel tub that’s covered in rust and mold on the underside. We don’t even want to haul it off, but we do because that’s part of the scope of work and nobody wants a pile of trash in their driveway.
you can do almost ANY repair yourself. I am remodeling my entire downstairs right now myself. I do some DIY here and there, but you can find out how to do anything on YouTube
10k way to much
I'm sure 10k is for a floor replacement in which they would need to remove tub. I wonder if that water damage is just from water on the floor and a poor seal on the flooring.
Avoid touching any of the pipes, and maybe. We had this issue, turned out we had lead fittings in the house, and once they touched anything everything had to be torn out and rebuilt. Good luck! My bathroom is the second most expensive thing I have ever bought after my house, lol.
I did my whole bathroom for about $3000. Gutted it completely. New tub, dry wall and tiled around tub and tile floor with in floor heating. That was several years ago but should still be within 20% of that cost or so.
I'd pay for the rot to be repaired professionally. but remove the tile yourself.its really easy just time consuming.then see if you can find a lower quote.
I don't know if that tub really is cast iron. Please test with a magnet so you know for sure.
Can definitely remodel your bathroom for 5k yourself. Do you have a second bathroom though? Cause if your doing it solo it’s gonna take longer than you’d like.
You could totally do that. I replaced a tub, shower enclosure, some subfloor, and a vanity over the course of a few weeks. Where you benefit from getting someone else is they are dedicated to it, whereas you probably have other things to do. Nothing in that whole operation is exceptionally challenging if you know where to look for instruction, though.
[First, get a copy of this book](https://www.amazon.com/Tile-Your-World-Bridges-Setting/dp/0974275433). Great overview and actually fun to read. The author [also has a really popular forum](https://www.johnbridge.com/) that deals with not just tile, but subfloors, floor joists and so on. A lot depends on what you're doing with the tub space - new tub, shower, etc? Getting the drain and plumbing installed properly is a big deal as well. A slab foundation is a very different animal than pier and beam, or if this is a 2nd floor bathroom, how you deal with the drain system matters. When you gut the room you'll get a better idea of any water damage repairs; sometimes what looked like a small leak turns into a whole lot of tearing out.
I have moved a cast iron tub on my own. It involved a 4lb. Sledgehammer and hearing protection.
You can save a ton if you know the basics. I did the same to mine and spent $2500 in materials. What they charge for is all labor
If that goes under the tub then you have to redo the entire shower, subfloor, new tub mortared in new plumbing. Maaaaaybe they save the tile maybe not. Plus the rest of the floor. In that case, 10k is about right depending on what part of the country you live in. If it was just replacing the flooring on top it would cost a fraction of that. Also, maybe some people are amazing contractors in their day job, but replacing subfloor is really not an easy diy job.
If you have another bathroom, then I'd DIY most of it! You could always rip everything out on your own, then just pay for the mold remediation for peace of mind, and finish it afterwards.
If you have the time, you should do it yourself. I hate plumbing, so that's the only thing I probably wouldn't do if it's something that needed fixing.
Options: 1) Do it yourself. 2) Do it yourself partially / sub our special services (Plumbing). I would go with this one, demo and you can access the extend of damage yourself. Hire a plumber to replace what needs to / or whole system, thats your call on what you find and cost. Then replace yourself. Will take some time, as a DYI'er. How long can you life without this bathroom. CAUTION: Once you demo, you will end up re-doing the whole new bathroom if married. So when estimating, include the whole bathroom with new fixtures and design / hardware. 3) Hire day laborers knowledgeable and pay a daily rate.
Do you have another bathroom with a shower and/or tub that can be used during any construction?
Just did a small bathroom remodel (8x6’) for just over $2k including buying some new power tools. Bet you could do it for half as much
So if you have access under the tub you can save a bunch by just tearing out the rotten boards and replacing them. Remove the entire floor and the baseboard. Replace whatever boards need to be replaced. Put back in a 1/4” water resistant subfloor. Tile the floor. Replace baseboards with vinyl or ceramic tiles (so you have waterproof near the tub). Caulk well. I wouldn’t move the tub unless you really really have to or the wife insists on a new one. Cast iron white ones are classics and will last forever. All for a few hundred.
I diy a tub and subfloor replacement in my bathroom. The job is not hard but requires some knowledge and experience. Also, the amount of tools you would need to complete this project is probably everything on the shelves. There’s alot of weird cuts and blah blah, that you would need to troubleshoot throughout the fix and tub replacement. So if you don’t already have the tools, then I would really considered it more thoroughly before making the decision.
Do you know where the water damage is coming from? Reason I ask is we had an issue like this where there was water damage by the tub and it was actually leaking from where the pipes connected to the faucet inside the wall. Whenever the water was on, it would go through the valve and shoot out through a small leak behind the tub and leak down the wall.
It looks like you own my bathtub
I believe that is the "fuck you, I don't wanna do that." Price.
Isn’t that also a cast iron tub ?
Price out the materials for diy first, then decide if that labor charge is worth your next 5 weekends. Don't forget to rent a dumpster too
TBH $10k sounds kinda cheap on this job these days. I've done this With a huge old (ca 1928) cast iron tub. 500 pounds or so. It is not technically difficult. But it wasn't easy, either. I had to cut the tub into pieces. Six 75 - 80 pound pieces. I used an angle grinder with diamond blades. I went though about three or four blades. I then tore out the entire floor, redid all the plumbing, and shower, and lay down plywood. And other things. I spent about $6000 and two months after all was done after receiving quotes twice that and a bit higher.
Nobody is talking about how gawd awfully heavy that tub is. -How awkward it will be to get out. -How it is going to damage the surrounding walls to remove, and where are you going to put it?
Do all you can but hire a plumber when that time comes. Having seen a couple bathrooms that were less damaged than this, you're opening up a can of worms that just might hit $10K before it done. If hired someone to do this job, there are a lot of unseen and unknown issues under that floor. They have to charge you for those unexpected surprises. It's way beyond just the floor.
I did this exact job in my house several years ago. It’s funny - even had the exact same water damage, mostly from uncaring tenants. Do research first then decide if you want to do this. The floor replacement may be the easiest part of this project. Some things to keep in mind: - tub replacement usually means replacing the tub surround as well, because the tub has a flange that is overlapped by the surround. So expect to rip out not just the tub but the entire surround. At that point you may find more surprises to be addressed, if there any water damage. - in my case the old tub had to be cut into pieces to get out (it was metal and original to the house). These things are made to be the width of the room, so getting the new one in is a pain too - there’s probably very little wiggle room. They typically attach to the studs inn either side - either directly with screws, or with special brackets. - tub goes in first, then surround - you likely will need a pro plumber to do the bathtub hookups It’s doable but can be “fun”. But everything you need to know is on the web. Research and see.
10k is a steep price but it also depends on what area you live in, if you're not experienced with projects like this, it might not be worth the hassle and you may not have all the tools and equipment to get the job done. You could shop around for some more contractors or handyman or if you have a buddy who's a little bit more handy than you, maybe you can get him to help
I got my first house last summer and re did the entire bathroom. Had some help from my dad but ended up putting a new tub, vanity toilet and floor in. Also was able to find tile for 1 dollar a box so I put tile as the shower surround. Took some learning and redoing a few things here and there but I ended up being able to get it done for less than 2500 bucks. If you're willing to learn I'd say go for it
My quick easy fix of shitty caulking turned into a new bathroom because of water damage. If you aren't handy I'd really be weary of doing it yourself tbh.
Do you have any construction experience at all? How far under the wall is the floor rotten? Just exterior stuff or joists?
Hell yeah you can
My guess is the rot is probably worse than what the contractor even thinks, or even will want to deal with. If this isn’t your only bathroom, you’ll save a lot of money by at least doing some exploratory work and ripping out the tub and drywall to check the full extent. I know some other people mentioned the joists under the tub, I think it’s worthwhile to check them out anyway you can. If this is in the second floor, remove some drywall below or get down in the crawlspace. I went through a recent thing where we didn’t understand the full extent of the rot and we wasted so much more money just going back-and-forth. But to answer your question, this is definitely doable as a DIY project.
Really, the thing you want to do is fix the subfloor under that damage, which requires removing the tub, which requires removing the tub surround. And then you want to replace the subfloor (or part of it) and flooring, which requires removing the toilet, and the vanity, and at this point it's a gutted room, and you have the whole labor cost of an entire bathroom remodel, so you might as well spend a little extra on putting new pieces back in, instead of the old ones. That said, you might be able to manage. If the subfloor damage isn't bad, and you are able to reasonably get the vanity in and out, you can just replace the flooring (and probably the baseboards, it's cheap) and leave the project at that. If you go that route, I'd get cheaper flooring so if you do end up having to reno the whole room in the near future (no offense but everything in this picture looks dated), you won't feel bad if you have to rip out that flooring again.
If the tub finish isn’t damaged, try to keep it. It’s much nicer than a vinyl tub and *very* heavy.
You can actually clean and reglaze a bathtub at home. So, as long as it's not severely cracked, they should be fine.
We re-did our whole bathroom for a little less than 5k, but I also did a lot of it myself and it took 2 months. If you're not skilled to do it all, get a professional for the plumbing and tile. Everything else is pretty simple.
Do you have a basement?
Definitely get another bid
If it is cast iron then the demo is going to be a pain. If you're not handy and don't have the time to learn, then this may not be the best project to start on. If it was a sink and toilet, them perhaps. $10k seems reasonable to me for a gut and replace of the tub and floor, though make sure you're very clear with what they're supplying and installing, that it's what you want.
A cast iron tub is a good thing usually. I wouldn’t replace it. I would get “wings” for the outside corners and a shower curtain with magnets at the bottom to help make sure water isn’t escaping and running down to the floor. For 10k, I hope the contractor is planning to include waterproofing under the new floor. If you let him take your tub, he’s gonna sell it for a decent price, and pocket that cash.
Watch a ton of youtube videos. Pay special attention to waterproofing approaches. Just slapping down vinyl on top of wood means you're going to rot shit if you don't. Bear in mind that you'll likely need to buy tools - which aren't typically inexpensive. Don't get cheap tools, cuz they suck. You'll also have to buy more materials as you learn, because you WILL screw things up. But, that's fine, because that's usually how people learn. So, if you watch a bunch of videos, and think "I think I can do that!", then do it! A project like this will likely save you some money, or worst case break even (assuming you have to buy all the tools and screw up a bunch wasting lots of materials). Of course it will take longer, but you'll know how it was done, and if any mistakes were made, you can always fix them (and of course, learn from them). Just remember to always respect power tools - they can and will fuck you up if you don't handle them properly. That doesn't mean you should fear them. Protect your eyes, and your hearing, and your lungs. Breathing all that crap is NOT good for your lungs when you are tearing old things apart, or cutting into old things, etc. This is all advice I wish I had been given over 15 years ago when I was starting to remodel my first kitchen. If you have time, you can do it.
If you are handy, then checkout some youtube videos and have at it. I fully gutted and remodeled my small hall bathroom for less than 3k. But it was a lot of work and took almost 2 months working a couple evening each week and 1 day a weekend. (we had another bathroom and young kids eating my time) If you are not handy, this is a pretty big project to break your cherry with. But you could start the demo and if you get in over your head, you could hire the rest out for about what was originally quoted. Personally, if I wasn't handy or have a handy friend willing to give advice and stop occasionally to help, I would probably contract it out.
Dude.....a cast iron tub is a BITCH to cut out, and move. You'll need to cut it in half with a diamond blade, and still need like 3 people to move half the tub. If you're doing it make sure you have hefty gloves too, cause I sliced my hand on a side of one. The quote sounds expensive, so maybe try shopping around with tilemen, or people who know what they're doing for a good quote to match. Gl!
Is this in Lynchburg va by chance? Looks identical to a house I lived in.