CSC 57 – BATHROOM REGLAZING

Contractor from a bathroom reglazing/retiling company comes and gives an estimate on shower and tub reglaze a few weeks ago. Quote: $1350.  I verify with his office that they’ll honor a 10% off coupon I had. “Yes.”

Parameters of the estimate: 1) Remove bathfitter shell off wall and tub, 2) dispose of shell, and 3) reglaze wall and tub.   Was the estimate any more specific? No.

I asked the contractor what extra charges there are for repairing damage, if any, on the tile wall or tub underneath once they remove the tub/wall shell. “If we only have to replace a couple tiles, nothing…”

“What if you have to replace a lot?”

(No answer. No dollar amounts.)

Initial time estimate, btw: One day.

Which turned into two days. Then, three days.

During the course of that three days, do I get any phone call or contact that the job would cost more than estimate? Nope.

So today:

Job is done. I get the invoice emailed to me. $1820. Yes- Eighteen fucking hundred and twenty… when it should have totalled $1215 before tax.

Me on phone to contractor: “WTF??? This is $600 more than quote!!”

Him: “Yeah, but we had to do (blah blah blah…all stuff that was plainly part of the job anyway.)  Plus, it took three days.”

Me: “This estimate was based on a job, and not time.”

Him: “Plus, the invoice should have been $2200 but I took $200 off.”

Me: “Even if it was $5000, you can’t give someone a quote on a job and then bump it up by 50%, and tell them they’re still getting a discount…”

“There’s $200 on this invoice for purchasing tile.”

“Yep.”

“I drove to Home Depot and purchased the tile myself.”

“Yeah, but he had to install it. It was a wreck.”

“Actually it was only 8 tiles and he said everything had been in good shape.”

(SFX: Needless arguing, negotiating.)

Bottom line: We settled on $1600 even.

I paid $400 fucking more than I expected.

 

I guess the only saving grace is that they did a good job. Oh well.

Can’t wait to get a fucking house. Then I can do this shit myself without having the obligation to get professional ripoff artists just for the sake of satisfying the co-op.

Apartments. Yeah. Fucking annoying in themselves.