Scope of work: Products to be used, by model, color, SKU, grade, finish, etc. Be absolutely anal-retentive (including the hyphen) on this. That means that you have your design details all nailed down before you go for bids, including backup product choices in case your first choice is unavailable. Alternatively, ask for a bid minus the cabinets and fixtures, with them to be specified later when you know the cost of getting the preliminary work done. If the demolition and rebuild bids are near 40K and your budget is only 20K ... something's got to give. Who buys what ... if you are planning to buy things, specify what the contractor is not responsible for. Note that the contractor will not guarantee the performance of the products you buy. A common split is that the client buys the visible stuff and the contractor supplies the installation bits: you buy the sink and faucet, they buy the fittings and pipes to hook it up. Who does what: If you plan to paint, specify that the drywall is to be primed with PVC drywall primer and left unpainted. If you will have a woodworker in to install something fancy, like a custom cabinet, specify that, and make sure the GC knows that X has to be done before that, and that Y has to wait until afterwards ... It can be incredibly detailed.

I remember when we had to replace a bathtub when I was a child. I lived in a basic tract home. When they removed the tub, all of the razor blades that my dad had put into that little slot in the medicine cabinet in the master bath were piled up between the joists. The master bath shared a wall with the family bath. I don't know where I thought things put in that little slot went, but I had no idea they just went into the wall. When some friends bought a foreclosure, we dug up all kinds of things from the backyard. I guess the prior owners used the yard as their own personal landfill. Your experience is the main reason that I've never purchased an older home. I can't imagine having to replace wiring and plumbing unexpectedly just to make the home safe and habitable.

The national average 5 piece master bath renovation starts at about 35K and goes up. Way up. You are way way low for this project. It also requires permits and inspections, and that the labor be done from someone licensed and insured. Which doesn't sound like he case from your chuck in a truck hack. He ain't a licensed plumber, that's for sure. Or electrician. And both are REQUIRED. He is far far to cheap for what is being discussed here. Scary cheap. As in he may rot your house down from improper work. I'd be scared to look at that kitchen work! I think your cheap little project needs to upgrade or it is not worth wasting money doing at all. No one actually puts in builder grade crapola a second time once they've lived with it the first time. It's what they dream of getting rid of as soon as possible. Labor is the biggest part of any job, so moving to better materials will not be that costly on that front. And you will get a much better return by hiring someone with better qualifications.

"When our contractor called us last week to let us know he has pneumonia he told us that we could terminate the contract with him. We let our contractor know that we would like to keep the contract with him and have him complete the work." WHY? WHY WHY WHY??? This is a guy who has no clue how to schedule. At the point he was behind, he SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE YOUR DEMO. He should have given you the opt out, in FEBRUARY before the rip of the kitchen, and told YOU to delay your flooring, which could have been done after the kitchen with a simple shimming up of lower cabinetry install. Check your local area for good referrals, get your money back , and move on. In the meantime, a good contractor can give you a temporary counter space with a sink, you put the fridge somewhere with a microwave, and you have to find someone to finish the entire job.