Bathroom Remodel – Where Can You Find A Better Deal?

That was the title of a recent advertisement in a prominent South Orange County, California newspaper.  They were advertising for the communities of Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Irvine, Foothill Ranch, Portola Hills, Laguna Niguel, and Laguna Hills California.  This article “Bathroom Remodel – Where Can You Find A Better Deal?” was really interesting.  Here is what this deal offered:

“We will professionally design your bathroom.  We supply the Natural Stone, we feature the latest Listello & Inserts, Solid Surface Countertops, All the Hardware, Frameless Shower Door, also includes vanity cabinet oak or maple up to 5 ft.  Install all plumbing and plumbing fixtures, and undermount sink and toilets.  We hot mop & we float our walls, the old fashion way.  Complete visual design of your new bathroom will be provided.”

“Where else can you find a better deal than this?”  “Not Just A Bathroom.  This Will Be Your Dream Bathroom.” “All For $14,900.”

Sounds great . . . or does it?  Let us take a closure look at this ad.  First, let us see what the ad is missing. 

When considering your bathroom remodel, the products and custom features you select are very important.

1. The Bathroom Cabinet:

   1. Are the cabinets made from solid wood doors, drawers, and face fronts? What about the boxes?  Are the cabinet boxes made using strong and durable plywood? Or, are they made using particle board, chip board, MDF, Melamine, and compressed sawdust?
   2. How many doors and drawers?
   3. Are the drawer’s full extensions and made using dovetail construction?
   4. Is the hardware by Blum?
   5. Do the drawers and doors include knobs or pulls?
   6. Does the cabinet include wood paneling across the entire back of the cabinet?
   7. The inside of the cabinets and drawers – are they fully lined with an easy to clean and durable hard rock Maple? Are the insides white Melamine, MDF or compressed sawdust?
   8. Regarding the countertop, it is not clear what is included or the material being used.
   9. How many sinks – one or two?

2. The Frameless Shower Door:

   1. Hinged, sliding, hydro-glide?
   2. Glass or plastic? Does it offer important features to eliminate water spots?
   3. Tempered glass for safety?
   4. Is the glass 3/16”, 1/4”, or 3/8” thick? Is the glass clear, frosted, etc.?
   5. Does it include a towel bar and handle on the door?
   6. What is the finish (polished chrome, brushed nickel, painted, etc.)?

3. Bathroom Lights (high quality and long-life LEDs)?

   1. Recess (6” or 4”). What are the lumens?
   2. Wall bar sconce (made by whom)?

4. Exhaust fan?

   1. What is the best Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) for your bathroom to properly remove moisture?
   2. What type of humidistat do you need?
   3. Is it Title 24 (energy) compliant?
   4. How quiet is the exhaust fan?

5. Flooring?

   1. Tile – Ceramic or porcelain?  Large or small tiles?  What is the proper waterproofing membrane?  Pattern?
   2. Luxury Vinyl Plank or Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVP, LVT) flooring?  Is this best for a bathroom?
   3. Wood

6. Baseboards?

   1. Tile, wood, MDF, or vinyl?

7. Towel bars, tissue holder, robe hooks?

   1. Should they all match?
   2. How much hanging space do I need for towels?
   3. Where should these items be installed?
   4. How do I stop them from falling off the walls once installed?

8. Bathtub Fixtures (make and model)?

   1. Is this a dedicated shower, bathtub or a tub/shower?
   2. Tub filler and shower head?
   3. Pressure Balance Valve or Thermostatic Valve?  Do I need a Volume Control Valve?
   4. Overflow trim & plumbing?
   5. Drain trim?

9. Shower Fixtures (make and model)?

   1. Shower head and arm?  Hand shower, rain head?
   2. Pressure Balance Valve or Thermostatic Valve?  Do I need a Volume Control Valve?
   3. Handle and trim?
   4. Drain and trim?

10. Faucets(s)?

    1. Two-handle or single handle?
    2. Touchless?
    3. Counter, sink, or wall mounted?

11. Sink

    1. How many
    2. Size
    3. Vitreous china
    4. Porcelain
    5. Steel
    6. Under counter or top mount?
    7. Shape
    8. Color

12. Toilet

    1. Size
    2. Make
    3. Model
    4. Round or Elongated
    5. Color
    6. Height
    7. Toilet seat – Size, make, model, self closing, Washlet

13. Bathtub

    1. Fiberglass
    2. Acrylic
    3. Cast iron
    4. Steel

14. Mirrors?

    1. Size – both width and height
    2. Plate glass
    3. Polished
    4. Wood framed
    5. Medicine cabinet

15. Fixture finishes

    1. Polished chrome
    2. Brushed nickel
    3. Forged brass
    4. Plastic

16. Other Plumbing Items

    1. Angle stops and steel braided water supply Lines for the toilet and faucet(s)?
    2. Traps for the sink(s)?

17. Tile for the bathtub and/or shower?

    1. Size
    2. Color, style, material
    3. Pattern
    4. Accents
    5. Grout line/space

18. Electrical?

    1. Switches?
    2. Humidistat switch?
    3. Outlets?
    4. GFCI/AFCI outlets?
    5. Wiring?

19. Drywall repairs and/or replacement

    1. Is your bathroom a Fire Code environment requiring Type X gypsum?
    2. Does it need Fire Stop?
    3. Green or White Board?
    4. What thickness is required?
    5. Corners

20. Insulation

    1. R-13, R-19, R-30, R-38, R-49
    2. Batt, roll, fiberglass, foam, fill
    3. Size – 15″, 16″, 23″, 24″

21. Painting

    1. Sheen or gloss level
    2. Brand
    3. Type
    4. Quality
    5. Spray, brush, roll
    6. Seal, prime, paint
    7. Coats

Design, Permits, Inspections for your Bathroom Remodel

1. “Visual Design” – by whom? And what are their qualifications and experience?  Is the design just a picture or a full set of 3D color Plans?  What about the required Title 24?
2. Do you get to keep the Design? How detail is the design?  Is it to scale in 24-inch x 36-inch size format? Does it leave itself open to interpretation?  Does it answer every question?
3. Visual design? Computer generated color pictures may look great; however, they tell you nothing about important measurements. These include the location of receptacles, switches, lights, towel bars, and tile placement.  It should also illustrate all the other relational aspects of all the pieces and components along with their spatial relationships.
4. Has the “visual design” been approved by the appropriate City Planning and Building Departments to ensure it is designed safely and to all applicable building codes?
5. Permits – The add says nothing about this.
6. Inspections – Here too, there is nothing in the add about building department inspections to ensure the work was performed correctly.

Warranty

The add says nothing about your overall satisfaction and happiness.  Who are the manufactures of the items they mention?  Do they come with a solid manufactures warranty?  What is your guarantee that the products they are installing are high quality, durable, and safe?

Description of Bathroom Remodel

What does the ad “Bathroom Remodel – Where Can You Find A Better Deal?” leave open to interpretation?  Let us take a closer look:

1. What size is this bathroom . . . 30, 40, 50, 75, 100 or more square feet? At 40 square feet, this “deal” costs $372.50 per square foot . . . and it does not include the plumbing fixtures, toilet, tub, flooring, painting, tile, etc, etc.!
2. Is this a one room bathroom or does it have a separate water closet and powder room? Is there a closet?  Any doors?
3. The ad starts out talking about natural stone. It then switches to Listello (a polymer) solid surface countertop.  The advertisement mentions natural stone.  It does not provide any details.  Natural stone can mean almost anything!
4. What about demolition?
5. Who is responsible for discarding all the debris?
6. Daily cleaning – who does this?
7. Masking and covering your furniture and floors?

What are you really getting in your bathroom remodel?

Perhaps, the most incredulous part of this ad “Bathroom Remodel – Where Can You Find A Better Deal?” is that it gives the consumer a false impression about what is included.  Notice the ad says that it will “Install all plumbing and plumbing fixtures, and undermount sink and toilets.”  It does not say it will provide these items.

The ad begins by talking about Natural Stone and then says, “we feature the latest Listello & Inserts”.  After reading the ad, I thought I was getting a Natural Stone (travertine or granite) countertop.  I also thought I was getting a natural stone tiled bathtub or shower with a stone accent border.  However, after researching the ad and the company, I learned that Listello is a simulated tile tub surround.

Listello is manufactured from a cast polymer-based solution.  It is cast into molds to create a tile effect.  In other words, Listello is plastic panels that are glued onto the tub and shower walls – it is not Natural Stone or tile at all!  According to the manufacturer, Listello panels can also be installed (glued) directly over existing ceramic tile.  Perhaps this is why the ad does not mention demolition – they plan on gluing these plastic Listello panels over your existing ceramic tile walls!  Listello Inserts are tile looking panels (narrow Listello colored insert panels textured to look like tile) that are placed in the middle of the wall to simulate a tile border!

Licensing and Insurance

When I checked out the license number in the ad with the California State Contractors License Board (CSLB), the company did not even have Workers Compensation insurance.  Why is Workers Compensation insurance important?  If the Contractor does not have Workers Compensation insurance and someone is injured or killed while working on your bathroom, you are likely completely responsible for all the injured workers medical and legal bills!

What kind of $14,900 deal does this sound like now?

If you saw the same article “Bathroom Remodel – Where Can You Find A Better Deal?”, now you know.  The answer is clearly “yes!”  You can find a better deal and your dream bathroom at DAD’s Construction.  DAD’s will never compromise it’s integrity using false and misleading statements and advertising.  At DAD’s, our job is to provide you with helpful, honest, truthful information so you can make good choices.

Always Hire a Reliable and Dependable Contractor to Remodel your Bathroom

Always work with a trustworthy contractor like DAD’s Construction.  We are experts in bathroom remodeling who can manage projects in an efficient manner.  DAD’s Construction will do everything to minimize the possibility of change orders.  Our team will make sure we have all the necessary information to prepare a proposal that meets your requirements.  Rest assured that we will provide you with a detailed, by line-item contract.  We will make sure that the contents of this agreement are properly and clearly communicated to you.  If you have questions or need updates regarding your project, we will always answer your inquiries.

How Can I Receive More Information on Remodeling my Bathroom?

If you would like more information on enjoying the best bathroom, kitchen, and interior remodeling experience in Orange County, call Dan at (949) 380-0177 or at dan@dadsconstruction.com for a free in home consultation.  DAD’s serves all of South Orange County California.  This includes Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Foothill Ranch, Portola Hills, Ladera Ranch, Irvine, San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Rancho Santa Margarita, Coto de Caza, Dove Canyon, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Newport Beach, and Aliso Viejo.

“Taking Care of Your Home . . . The Way We Would Our Own”

Daniel A. Derkum is the owner of DAD’s Construction, a leading South Orange County, California design-and-build remodeling and renovation contractor, https://www.dadsconstruction.com.  © DAD’s Home Services & Construction, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.