TO people: bathroom contractor needed

[mountaingal]

hi, looking for recommended contractor to do a complete renovation on my bathroom. critical jobs include removing and installing new bathtub, fixing plumbing, retiling and replacing bathroom floor.

any suggestions would be most appreciated. i will follow up on all recommendations. thanks.

[Cultcha]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

Sorry to say that I have hired three contractors in my life and all three of them left me with horror stories of which I have had to try and repress in order not to do something stupid.

Then there is my uncle's experience with a contractor, but I won't even go there.

Now I do all work myself. I know that is not an option for everyone. I realize there are suppose to be good, reliable and honest contractors out there (somewhere). I just have had bad luck I guess. Even using ones that have come to me as recommended by friends and who had great references ended very badly.


One tip I have learned is that negotiate with them how much you will pay up front. Pay the absolute minimum up front. Also, tell them you have a friend who is a contractor but is too busy to do the job or lives a few hours away. Tell them all finished work will be inspected thoroughly by him before you sign off and pay the remaining amount. Be careful hiring friends of family or friends.


Good luck!

[kia027]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

sooo Milo since u can do the work uself mek u noh offer to help out MGEE noh?

[Cultcha]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">sooo Milo since u can do the work uself mek u noh offer to help out MGEE noh? </div></div>

Atfta mi done wid Ms. Milo's list it will probably be 2018. Mi hope yu nuh mind waitin.

[H_O]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

my neighbour had a complete house gut...
the guy did an awesome job --he was some Guyanese dude..did a phenomenal job

[Gen]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

Mgee might as well yuh sign up fi one a the hgtv shows to come dweet and tape one show

Cause like Milo seh -all when people give references for contractors dem use is like a hit or miss

Dem might do yuh friend house good and sheg up yours \o/ dem nuh know nothing name consistency

[mountaingal]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: H_O</div><div class="ubbcode-body">my neighbour had a complete house gut...
the guy did an awesome job --he was some Guyanese dude..did a phenomenal job </div></div>

HO, wouldnt mind getting that person's number. pls pm me.

[mountaingal]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

Milo, have flirted with the idea of being my own contractor. i have a good sense of what needs to be done, having done a minor reno myself back in the day. but having to source all the different subcontractors, plus doing all the measurements, ordering all the materials, arranging for disposal, all that crapola. Well, i've got enuf hassles in my life right now.

i'm sorry to hear of your experiences and to be honest, i'm afraid of those very things - unreliable contractors, shoddy jobs, delays, cost overruns, etc.

but wha fi do?

[j-kid]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

<span style="font-size: 14pt">This guy would bi yuh ideal Canadian contractor:</span>

<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PkbnwLDKDfw"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PkbnwLDKDfw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"> </embed></object>

[mountaingal]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

i doubt he comes cheap, j-kid. plus i cannot stand his sanctimoniousness.

[mountaingal]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

well, i'm starting to read up on how to remove a bathtub. apparently, the first step is to take out the vanity and toilet to allow for at least 3 feet of clearance to clear out the tub.

[j-kid]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

Yuh hav di very older cast-iron type now, or di normal metal with enamel covering?

[mountaingal]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

i doubt it is cast iron. more like enamel-covered metal. but i'm not sure.

just going to take some measurements now.

been studying up on different things. important first step is figuring out the water shut-off and drainage. hoping there's a way to turn off water to the tub without turning it off in the rest of the house. to what i understand, the shut off apparatus is right behind the taps.


ETA - the shutoff is in my basement. oy vey.

[Tulip]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MGee</div><div class="ubbcode-body">well, i'm starting to read up on how to remove a bathtub. apparently, the first step is to take out the vanity and toilet to allow for at least 3 feet of clearance to clear out the tub. </div></div>

MGee, I have a friend who has been trying to self renovate her bathroom for 3 years. Tiles she put up are still falling in the tub while she bathes. And something went horribly wrong with the commode not being put over the hole in the floor properly. I say she's still in the process because it seems like a never ending job.

I know it can be hard to find a contractor, but I think it's worth it if you have no experience in that area.

Good luck and be sure and post plenty before and after pics

[Tulip]

Re: TO people: bathroom contractor needed

I don't live in Toronto so I could not make any local recommendations, but you could try calling a general contractor or architect to see which subcontractor they recommend.

It may sound like a high cost solution, but generally they are trying to underbid the next man so their people have to be reliable and economical.