Quote:
Originally Posted by topfiverecords
Are you a fan of the $100/sqft price too?
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In hindsight, one thing I learned about doing refreshes is to always get a quote when it comes to certain custom orders, sometimes the prices surprise and it's immediately worth considering vs automatically being eliminated as an option before even considering. I was surprising even my GC with certain options we perceived were top shelf, but didn't realize were actually within reach.
Some tiles and issues/concerns with tiles have significant concerns and more issues if installed incorrectly (leaking, crooked look, falling off etc.). Certain solid panels/solid panel and tile combos are inexpensive enough and basically guarantee to be issue free once complete because there's less specific locations of failure.
I learned this too late for cabinets. I kick myself to this day, especially with the meteoric rise in construction materials costs. Trimming an initial $3-10K from my initial grand plans probably means an extra $30-50K down the road vs basically $0 if done right the first time (modern cabinets for the time/features and floor project cut because no time). Redos cost time, money, disposal and waste. Those costs should be considered in certain scenarios.
Sometimes it sounds like a lot of money (especially when the other prices blur into a larger project cost), but then you realize that the alternative cost for error/overruns/dissatisfaction etc. is multitudes of times more than the extra cost. Those are times you have to really think hard about what to do.
Bathroom tiles are absolutely one of those. A bad scenario could mean remediation costs, damage to tub/floor/wall repairs and replacements etc. Even if it costs you $0 to replace because warranty and insurance and whatever, it's still a major time and effort thing that no one really wants to go through. IIRC, there's also more than one method to install tile in a bathroom, some more robust than others. IMO, don't look at the tile purely at a cost per tile POV. Look at it from a cost per tile, cost for install and time for install + time for drying. If you're on a time crunch, a one piece can buy you the time you need to avoid other time related overruns elsewhere.
For instance if it's intricate tile that needs lots of brackets, cost for install goes up/cost and risk for failure goes up. Larger, heavier tiles may need bracing and/or more care in the installation to avoid falling off, sagging/crooked look etc. A one piece look might cost more, but the install time overall is a lot less (can always just do one piece for bottom to top, then tile above the one piece to achieve the desired height). I did have a bathroom tile situation where the GC had to redo some shoddy work, and then rip out all of the work to redo properly when he realized it wasn't repairable and that they didn't put waterproofing on the other side of the tile (on his own dime too).
