you can begin by making a list of all the 'pieces' tub, sink, vanity, light fixtures, toilet, tile(s), in floor heating mat... that is a list.

then imagine demo, clean up cost, and then putting it all back together, correctly, is it worth the $? ... generally if you provide the materials, the contractor will still add on a charge, he doesn't work for nothing, do you?

Does that include materials? How big is the bathroom ? Post some sort of plan and pics to get more help...

What are you willing to give up?

That actually sounds like half the cost I would expect for the description, for a qualified contractor and their sub partners. It’s a bit of a red flag to be so low.

He is a recommended contractor on Houzz. We are supplying the tub, toilet, taps, filler for tub, lights, shower heads and controls, grab bars. We will need to order the vanity and storage closet. The room measures 11'9" x 12'3". Basically the room will be gutted and re-done.

Not a pro, so take this with a grain of salt. To save money, try a more standard type of shower ("regular" walk in shower instead of a "snail"), and no under floor heating.

You might be interested in the national average costs of the upscale bathroom that you are proposing. Also, ask yourself why this is so cheap for this scope. Because it is very very cheap. What are you NOT getting? Contractor’s licenses and general liability insurance? Legally documented workers covered by workman’s comp? Licensed electrical and plumbing subs? Home protection during demolition and rebuilding? If they are both cheap and available, that is more than 1 red flag. Good contractors are booked months out. I’m booking January 2023 right now, and spend a large amount of overhead on being legitimate. Costs are going up, not down.

https://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/bathroom-remodel-upscale?y=2022

It's difficult for any of us to judge that cost. It will vary a lot by location, if you are in a multi-family dwelling, finishes, etc.

Talk to at least two contractors. This is going to be a very custom job, so you won't get an apples-to-apples comparison.

The shower is likely to be the place where you can cut costs. Going with a more standard shower that can use a standard pan would be the least expensive.

There have been a few threads on here about the cost of bathroom remodels recently - I think this type of reno can feel "cosmetic" as in not moving pipes etc.. but there is a lot of complexity/expertise needed in creating a new waterproof system for the shower, making sure the backing for floor and shower walls/floor is ready for tile etc..

No one can tell you what your remodel will cost because there are too many variables. As the posts indicate, no one is *shocked* that the *bid* is $38,000 because that doesn't seem to be an unreasonable amount for the scope of your project.

As with any major project the only way to find out if the price is out of line is to get a true estimate from at least two other GC. And by true estimate it should be one that spells out everything in detail. When I did my remodel, the plans were submitted to the GC and these were the detailed plans - this is because everything impacts the final cost. For example, certain tiles might be more expensive to install - whether that is size, material and design.

And price shouldn't be your sole criteria or even your major criteria. Reliability and quality and reputation are far more important than attempting to save money because it will cost you money in the end and a LOT of aggravation to not have a reliable honest skilled GC who has a pool of skilled workers he uses.

I think people seem to think that not moving anything means that a bathroom remodel is not major and is just cosmetic. Taking a bathroom down to the studs and rebuildng it is probably the most expensive thing you can do on a "square inch" basis. Electrical and plumbing labor is expensive and needs to be done. Tile work and waterproofing requires expensive highly skilled labor to be done correctly. There are so many components that most people who have never remodeled don't focus on in terms of the labor, material and costs involved.

ETA And small or average size bathrooms are really not much cheaper to do than larger bathrooms because most people have one toilet - a vanity with no more than two sinks and a shower or bath or whatever. It is the labor that is extraordinarily expensive as the material cost is not all that much more for larger square footage and once you have brought labor in the incremental charge for tiling a slightly large floor or whatever is not going to be significant so the cost of a small bathroom is not going to be pro rata based on square footage.

Without pics and plans and what materials you are installing it is hard for anyone to help. That does not seem to far out . Have you gotten other bids? What were those ranges?

No one on here will tell you how much your space will cost to do unless they can be in the space and ask a whole lot of questions about what you are doing and even then we can't be even close to accurate because we are basing it on our jobs in our areas.

I just knew that he had received some Houzz awards in the past.

Maybe research how awards on this site are given out. I've seen ads here for 'pros' who claim awards but the pics of their projects look pretty non-award worthy.

OP's GC might be fabulous and trustworthy and all that but I would still want to do the same due diligence I would use for hiring any GC.

Get local references and if possible ask to look at completed jobs in person.

As get bids from more than one GC.

There are sites like sweeten.com which have some sort of financial guarantee if you hire through them. I have no personal experience with them but I would think that this kind of financial insurance is more meaningful than an "award" since I don't think houzz has any meaningful recourse against anyone hired through what is essentially ad ad on this website.

Always get a couple of quotes fior sure. That bein g said, could you post some photos and, if possible, plans to make this question easier to judge? Also, does this include materials. Materials now cost more, they have for a couple of years due to shortages.

please post some photos and help us help you.

https://jarretyoshida.com/

I’m in northern Virginia; FWIW pre-Covid circa 2018 replace-in-place 4 piece bath remodel started at $27,000.

I am in Utah...