Lights are incredibly variable. Go to Lowe's and see how low you can go. Obviously, you can buy a $20 vanity light but very few people here would do that. Same with a $10 surface mount light. Be wary of builder's price. We did that and I am not suggesting the builder got a cut but he did use a local lighting store. The vanity's we got were $140. Flash forward 2 years, the vanity is now available on the internet and we used it in a different build - $60. Local lighting stores provide good service to builders but they can't compete with online. Oh yeah - retail price of vanity - $280. Our local lighting store does not have $10 surface mounts like Lowe's does. Ceiling fans example - lowest builder price at lighting store - $120. Builder basic at Lowes - $35. I have both and the builder basic actually works fine. So we just did a build at about $1700 for lights - 6 ceiling fans with lights, 4 bath vanities, 10 outdoor fixtures, 8 surface mounts and 1 chandelier (Pottery Barn). That did not include the 10 cans or so in 2100 sqft 5/4. Lowe's and internet can go a long way. Also know that lighting allowance around here covers smoke detectors, any flood lights, florescent fixtures, door bell.

Sounds extremely high to me. I'm in VA. We have a small U shaped kitchen with an eating area. Having my backsplash tiled to include over the sink to ceiling, dishwasher, garbage disposal with air switch, sink,double oven and cooktop installed. Cabinet modified for counter depth refrigerator, all my outlets lowered, undercabinet lighting installed, seagull ambiance, and pucks, scribe on the upper cabinets, 2 pendant lights installed over the island. Outlet put in island and island made stationary to floor. Including all demo of laminate and backsplash, clean up, $3,200. and that includes monies to both KD and GC. It is almost done, just grouting, outlets being replaced and scribe being added. It was a lot of plumbing, electrical work and of course, some surprises to deal with. Our counters were installed by stone fabricators, so our cost for that was excluded. Judging by what other's are being charged, I'm considering ourselves very lucky! And yes, our GC is going to get a generous tip! But I think you should get some other estimates and like OPs have suggested, do the demo yourselves. Good luck.

50x14 pool. That is a commercial sized pool. Your price is fine. Blame the high cost of cement, not the "cheap plastics you mention". Why slam the guy for his bid and use of product when you know nothing about it? The drains, return fittings have no beraing on your job. They are either destroyed in demolition or required by law to upgrade. When you find your price that you like, and I too advise getting some other bids, that guy will be using the same "cheap plastics" you have mentioned but maybe they'll improve in quality if the bid is 4k less. I would use caution at anybody who says you get a 15 year warranty. Plaster companies offer what the law says they do. And, as most homeowners pool techs will do their fair share of damage to a plaster job in 5-7 years, I can't see any 15 year warranty having anything substantial in it to warrant additional cost. You need warranty on plaster for one thing. Delamination and rust through. Rust through will happen right away if their is a workmanship issue.

marcolo - you obviously have some pent up frustrations left over from your bluecollar childhood. You also have no clue about how the industry works either! A GC can be a project manager or not. Can be a sales man on not, can, and often is, both. He or SHE might have employees and might not. That $40 an hour to a sub doesn't just go into that plumbers pocket ( less uncle Sam's cut) like your "salary" does. (S)he gets to pay our uncle just like you but, many get the privilege of sending a lot of that money in ahead of time in quarterly estimated payments, not taken out of a paycheck every two weeks like most people on salary. You should try paying your tax bill in advance - you'll love it! Out of that $40/hr comes professional fees an licenses and overhead like a phone or two, and a vehicle that gets outasite gas mileage and some have offices believe it or not, and then there is workman's comp insurance so if he steps on a nail at YOUR house you are protected, and many even have something like obamcare too, and lets not forget one of the biggest - Liability Insurance - you want your slave.... I mean contractor to have that , right marcolo? I mean you don't want him accidently cutting a water pipe and flooding your house and then leave you with the bill simply saying "sorry maser, I dinnen mean ta , I guess ya can whip me." So, what do you suppose all that is worth? Would you like to pick up some of you're job's overhead like contractors do? You can easily give your employer back $$$ for use of the phone & pay ALL of your health care costs, and buy your own computer and pay for the internet out of your salary - sound good? While your at it why not round up and pay him for your desk/chair and pencils, pens and all the reams of paper you use? Another thing none of you math wizzes have taken into account in the scenario is that the bid @ $40/hr include some material, drywall, paint, cost $$$ and should be deducted BEFORE you start computing labor scenarios. So, now we are really talking about less than $40/hr or $80k/ year , which really isn't - see weismann's explanation. To all of you that think the "hidden conditions" is just a scam - grow up. If contractors included everything that might happen in your job's bid you'd soil your pants when you saw the estimate/contract. You'd also never do the job because it'd be too expensive. The vast majority of people that did decide to move forward would be overpaying especially when no asbestos laden corpse or flesh eating mold was found in your walls or it turns out you really didn't need an all new electrical system. You'd be obligated under the contract to pay for that stuff whether you needed it or not. -OR- Do you folks think the contractor is going to assume all the risk for what might be there AND only charge you if it actually comes up? Get a clue gang. - AND / OR _ You'd all then be complaining that remodeling prices are ridiculous (even worse than in this conversation) and the threads would be about "how can I lower/ afford my remodel" And- why isn't a plumber or carpenter with 20 years experience worth $80k? Is your broker that just yaks on the phone all day, tells you to buy COKE and sell DOW and buy as much Fannie Mae as you can - "it's going through the roof" AND who is WRONG more often than not, worth $150-$500k + bonuses a year and deserving of that Maserati? Or what about the Calif. prison guards that takes home $122k a year, or the actor on the silver screen that get $10 -$40 million for 6 months work? Oh, he's worth it , cause "he's dreamy". Even better is the one whose only talent is she's recognized all over the world often gets $1milion an appearance - can't even tell the difference between cocaine and bubble gum. That's certainly a trait more valued by our society than making sure you kitchen floor is level or that hot/cold water flows to your sink for 30 + years without a problem or the lights work and don't burn your house down - so now I'm probably the one who has no clue. Oh, what about that mechanic at your Ford or Honda dealer that is charging you $90/hr? he even gets to work in a climate controlled building. Sure stuff is expensive - and I'm not saying that the OP should accept those two bids, but this is a two way street. Just because you you only have or are willing to spend $24,635 doesn't mean you can get a new kitchen in YOUR house - especially the one you really really have been salivating about. BTW marcolo, what do you think is fair for the nail driver to earn a year. What would you really like to pay him? How about: 1.your auto mechanic 2.your broker/financial planner 3.your minister/rabbi/priest - they should prob. do it for nothing? 4.the TSA worker at the airport 5.your kid's teachers 6.your accountant 7.your Gen. Practice doctor