i have 3 boys...teenagers now...(don't know the ages of your kids...)

i just have to say, i could not imagine having pedestal sinks in their baths...unless the bathroom is laid out with LOTS of CONVENIENT storage options and shelves, i don't know where all the stuff would go...
toothbrushes, cups, floss, braces stuff(rubberbands and retainers), waterpick, handsoap, face/acne soap and creams, deodorants/body sprays, razors, hair gels, hairdryer, bandaids, combs/brushes, poison ivy creams, q-tips, foot powder,etc,etc,etc. and, i think boys have alot less stuff than girls!
like i said, don't know what your situation is, but if your kids are young, they do grow up fast and the older they get, the more stuff they accumulate and "need"...
i would rethink wanting pedestal sinks in a kids' bath...even if you know you'll be in the house for the shortterm, i think pedestals in a kids' (and probably a master too)would negatively affect resale...

busybee3 and terrks - thanks for your input. I totally hear what you are saying and having more storage would be nice, but the bathroom is small and it will really make it feel bigger without a huge vanity. Each boy will have a large medicine cabinet and I am planning for other storage in the room - so I think it will be fine. DH said he could fit all of his toiletries in a medicine cabinet...

I just wondering why it seems to be such a big deal for the contractor to install pedestals instead of a vanity.

I can't answer your original question, but I can complete understand your desire to have more space (or at least the feel of more space) in a small room. One option to consider is a vanity that is very shallow, where the sink sticks out 1/3 or halfway.

The link below is not a particularly attractive one, but I have seen nice looking ones before. A potential compromise.

Here is a link that might be useful: half-depth vanity

Or a floating vanity for a lighter feel and don't make as deep. There are plenty of smaller sinks or go with a durable vessel that protrudes out a bit.

As Wi-Sailorgirl suggested, there are small vanity option that will give you that open feel.

As for why the pedestal isn't an option any longer it's because the drain pipe & supply lines need to be located fairly precisely to line up with those sinks. The p-trap has to hide behind the pedestal and the supply lines have to be higher than for a regular vanity (usually) so they can hide as well. You can't just bring the pedestal sink forward to make room for the pipes b/c it needs to attach to the wall behind it (and there should be blocking in the correct location).

We used a vanity like the one shown in the link below, but in natural cherry. The combination of legs (so you see the floor under the vanity) and narrow size worked very well for us in a small bathroom. In our case it was an in-stock item at Home Depot Expo (which has since closed) but you may find something similar at a lumberyard near you. They do have a list of dealers on the website, Strasser is still made in the US if that is a deciding factor for you.

At the link below, click on the Piazza or Azzura furniture styles to get an idea of what they have. Most of their vanities come in a 18" or 21" deep option, so you can really make them work in a tight space.

Good luck!
-Pam

Here is a link that might be useful: Euro-Lav by Strasser Woodenworks

thanks everyone. I will definitely look into the smaller, more shallow, vanities...

If you asked me to change from a vanity to two pedestals, I'd open up the wall, install blocking between the studs to lag the pedestals to, then redo the plumbing. As has already been mentioned, it's likely that ALL of the pipes would have to be relocated.

The stand for the pedestal usually has a void in the back of it to accept the p-trap and drain assembly, so that has to be properly located.

And you normally won't want the supply lines coming out of the wall down low where they typically do for a vanity, nor would you ant their attached supply lines snaking up the sides of the pedestal base and to attach to the faucet. So I'd relocate those.

Then I'd patch the wall, prime, and repaint.

So it can be done. If you really want it, ask him "how much". But he doesn't appear to be the accommodating guy anyway, so he'll probably ballpark you a high number to scare you off.

Thanks everyone. For now, I am thinking of using 2 smaller (24") vanities instead on one larger (60"). I think this is the best solution given the situation. It will give me some storage, but might help to make the room look a little bigger since it won't be one huge piece of furniture. It will also leave a space (in between the two vanities) for a (albeit, small) laundry basket - which I really need since the boys tend to just throw their dirty clothes on the floor in the bathroom now...