Is this quote fair?

A question about : Is this quote fair?

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if they think that the following quote is reasonable for the job described:
Ј3500 to:
Retile a shower room from floor to ceiling (the room is 2m*2m)
Fit a new shower tray (i.e the bit you stand on)
Fit a power shower (which has already been bought)

I'm no expert in these matters but the price seems high??

It's not for my home but someone else's. I have advised them to get more quotes however they are having difficulty getting anyone who is interested. In the meantime it would be useful to be able to give them a rough estimate so that they get the best deal.

Thank you

Best answers:

• that is too high, i'd suggest you look elsewhere, i'd estimate (and im no expert) someone to charge around the Ј400 mark.
  One thing i forgot to mention is you should provide all the materials yourself but ensure they are all correct for the job, if not sure ask the tradesman which ones to get. Usually tradesmen will add their own commission to the price of materials and some not majority will pocket the rest for use on their next job (charging customer for something they already have been paid for).
• I agree, I got a bathroom fitted, electric shower installed, tiled in bath area only (from bath to ceiling) and floor tiled for Ј480. The workman charged Ј120 per day.
• First find out what the contractor has specified. It is possible that this price is indeed realistic if he is planning to use top of the range everything.
  But as stated above, cheapest way is almost always to buy things yourself and employ someone to install. Most contractors will definately charge 10-12% overheads and profits on top of the price they have paid.
  Most importantly, get three quotes for the work, and ask for detailed breakdown fo the quote rather than ballpoint figure so that you can a) compare and b) check the prices more accurately!
• Hi, Thanks for your posts.
  I don't want to be offensive to reputable contractors but is there any chance that this contractor thinks that as the job is for a woman he can get away with a higher price??
  In which case would it be better if I offered to get the quotes etc?
  (Lush Walrus: FYI Its not a top spec job)
• I too have had a quote for bathroom work at Ј130 a day, not sur how long your job would take, but sure it would not be 25 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• I charge Ј120 a day, and I'd say that this quote is extortionate, to do that job I'd quote you in the region of Ј540 - Ј600
• You have in fact overlooked the ONLY explanation for this extortionate quote.
  Now come on peeps...it's staring you all in the face
  Maybe he didn't want the job !
  How many times have you put in a big quote hoping not to get the job
  Be Honest !!
  rob
• ...And if he does get the job, well, it'll certainly be worth doing!
• Totally agree SHOPBOT
  Beware all you budding tradesmen out there who give extortionate prices when you do not want to do the job . I know of a tiler who did this and once , just once was all it took , he quoted a ridiculously high price for a job he did not really want . Well , it just happened to be for a friend of one of his other customers . . . who was a house builder . . . who the hapless tradesman had been working for for years without quibble . BUT when housebuilder customer saw the quote for his friend he then got 4 quotes for his 50 or so houses per year and hapless tradesman lost over Ј100k of annual business ! ! ! !
  MUCH MUCH better in my opinion to simply say you are too busy to take the job on
• Just a quick message to say thanks for everyones help. Have passed on your info to my friend and she has said no to this contractor. Thanks everyone - much appreciated!
• We are not really discussing the rights and wrongs of putting in high quotes here, I was just offering an explanation of why this quote may be high.
  Every job has it's price. To 'some' contractors taking more money for a job outweighs the hassle of doing a job that may be difficult/awkward/smelly/time consuming or for whatever reason :confused: .
  Some would say there is a certain honesty about it, after all if you are going to put in a large quote you have to have some 'front' to stand there and ask for it.
  But then again, 'some' contractors would tell the customer a pack of lies "I'm too busy ", or " My grandma has just died " or "My van broke down".
  If honesty is really the best policy, can we expect everyone to say they don't want the job ! "sorry madam...I don't want to work here, your house is a tip and I can't get to any pipework !"
  I don't think so !
  I'm sticking to my hourly rate ! Ј80p/h !!
  rob
• Ј80 an hour, thats cheap any chance of a quote?
• if he does get the job, he will always be renound as an expensive builder/plumber and wont get many of the jobs he does want as he wont be asked to quote, one disgruntled customer can cause one hell of a lot of problems to a tradesman/cowboy...word of mouth is by far the best advertisement and the worst nightmare for him if the job goes wrong....the customer is always king just remember that guys
• I am a tiler
  the tiling would take a day i would charge Ј200 to tile it this would include
  Adhesive,grout,trim,(the plastic edging) silicon sealed all round, and labour.
  This bloke is ripping you off !!
  And the plumbing may take 2 days.
  The plumbers i work with would charge Ј140 /Ј160 a day plus parts.
  If you live in the Rugby/Leicester area, I will quite happily come and tell this conman to his face.People like this give us a bad name.
  Dont use him.
  Good luck,
  Steve
• Price seems too high. As for tiles we ask the tiler the shop they use for the tiles and we go there ourselves, choose the tiles we want and get a quote. The tiler can often get a discount we can not and will be lower cost. If not just buy the tiles yourself.
• An update...my friend has now had the job done and paid about Ј800.....a saving of Ј2700 on the original quote!!!
  So a big Thank You to everyone - as this is cyberspace I'll buy you all a virtual pint!!
  and Tilemeister.... unfortunately I don't live in your area but thanks for the offer...I would have love to have seen that conversation!!!