Is this quote reasonable??

[The Project Mgr]

Hi Folks,

The 1st floor balcony on top of the garage is leaking. A tiler investigated and reported that the grout between the balcony floor tiles were cracked, allowing water to seep through to wooden boards underneath the tiles. The shonky builders did not put a waterproof sheet under the tiles.

The tiler recommended ripping up the existing tiles, put a waterproof cement sheet substrate over the wooden floor board, then lay new tiles.

His quote was $5335 for the work including 8 sqm of porcelain tiles, and materials.

Is this tiling quote reasonable considering the balcony is only 2.4m x 3.2m in size??

Thank you kindly
PM

 

[wylie]

I have no idea of how reasonable that quote is, but it sure sounds expensive to me, for the size of the job.

Sometimes I think tradies quote high when they really don't want to phaff about with such a small job. If they score the job, they've hit paydirt.

A friend has just had two quotes to replace her front stairs - five stairs, square landing, another twelve or so with plain railings, nothing fancy.

Quote 1 = $8,000
Quote 2 = $13,000

I dug out the invoice for the stairs we had replaced in 2008, same size except for the extra five stairs, and our landing was double size. Cost in 2008 was $3,000. She's getting a third quote from our builder.

I believe she is seen as a single woman in a very nice house and will be very surprised if our builder cannot do it for considerably less than her cheapest quote.

I'd for sure get another quote.

 

[Mick C]

That is pricey.

We got one of our bathroom re-titled for $450 1 days labor ( took less then 3 hours) ; we supplied the titles...

The job you quoted, for the balcony would take 1 guy 3 hours to do....don't think a 3 hours job is worth $5k.

Regards
Michael

 

[livewildcard]

I'd say no.

Lets break it down

$500 tiles (thats good tiles)
$100 new sheet and trimmings
$50 grout
$100 give him a nice allowance for removal of old tiles etc
$700 lets give him a nice daily allowance for two days. 1 rip up and lay sheet and glue tiles. Second grout and clean.
$200 lets give him a bonus for carrying tiles up to first floor because we are being generous.

$1,650.

Not lets add on the

"I dont want this job" tax or the "well this client looks like I can jib him" tax = $3,685

$3,685 + $1,650 = $5,335.

I'd ask for a breakdown of the quote.

 

[Theresa777]

"I dont want this job" tax . . . "well this client looks like I can jib him" tax = $3,685

Ha ha ha!! Well put.

 

[arms]

I'd say no.

Lets break it down

$500 tiles (thats good tiles)
$100 new sheet and trimmings
$50 grout
$100 give him a nice allowance for removal of old tiles etc
$700 lets give him a nice daily allowance for two days. 1 rip up and lay sheet and glue tiles. Second grout and clean.
$200 lets give him a bonus for carrying tiles up to first floor because we are being generous.

$1,650.

Not lets add on the

"I dont want this job" tax or the "well this client looks like I can jib him" tax = $3,685

$3,685 + $1,650 = $5,335.

I'd ask for a breakdown of the quote.

no one has costed in waterproofing the balcony to stop any water ingress ,when that is factored in the quotation comes up to a more realistic price

 

[evand]

Are you guys serious? 3 hrs??

Rip up old tiles and dispose.
Clean surface.
Supply and install waterproofing.
Supply and install tiling.
Supply and install grout.
Clean up.

Im sure ive missed quite a bit as im not a tiler.

Its ridiculous how shiny bum desk jockeys try to be tradies and dictate how their work should be done, how long it takes and how much it costs.

Its only a quote, if you dont like it throw in the bin. Why do people whinge about what are only quotes?

If i went to a car dealer and didnt like the price he quoted, id just say seeya. I wouldnt get on a forum and complain and tell him how he should do his job. That applies to quotes from any industry.

That is pricey.

We got one of our bathroom re-titled for $450 1 days labor ( took less then 3 hours) ; we supplied the titles...

The job you quoted, for the balcony would take 1 guy 3 hours to do....don't think a 3 hours job is worth $5k.

Regards
Michael

 

[arms]

Are you guys serious? 3 hrs??

Rip up old tiles and dispose.
Clean surface.
Supply and install waterproofing.
Supply and install tiling.
Supply and install grout.
Clean up.

Im sure ive missed quite a bit as im not a tiler.

Its ridiculous how shiny bum desk jockeys try to be tradies and dictate how their work should be done, how long it takes and how much it costs.

Its only a quote, if you dont like it throw in the bin. Why do people whinge about what are only quotes?

If i went to a car dealer and didnt like the price he quoted, id just say seeya. I wouldnt get on a forum and complain and tell him how he should do his job. That applies to quotes from any industry.

dont be too hard on them ,they all have trade qualifications and this has helped with their estimation of costings in fields that they know nothing about

 

[willair]

Hi Folks,

The 1st floor balcony on top of the garage is leaking. A tiler investigated and reported that the grout between the balcony floor tiles were cracked, allowing water to seep through to wooden boards underneath the tiles. The shonky builders did not put a waterproof sheet under the tiles.

The tiler recommended ripping up the existing tiles, put a waterproof cement sheet substrate over the wooden floor board, then lay new tiles.

His quote was $5335 for the work including 8 sqm of porcelain tiles, and materials.

Is this tiling quote reasonable considering the balcony is only 2.4m x 3.2m in size??

Thank you kindly
PM

In the quote what is the total material cost factor,and there would be over 8 hours labour in something like this,and maybe 2 men-ladies
to work safe at those levels,dump bins,several costs that most don't see that's the problem out there with all the wacker tv reno fast bucks sideshows,they make it look so easy,if you can't work safe don't do the job..

 

[Mick C]

over 8 hours??? and 2 person operation.....u serious...for that size. What are you guys doing? re-tilting + building a whole new balcony???


Get a 2 more quotes and ask for time-frame...it will not take 8 hours...i be damned if it does

Regards
Michel

 

[willair]

over 8 hours??? and 2 person operation.....u serious...for that size. What are you guys doing? re-tilting + building a whole new balcony???


Get a 2 more quotes and ask for time-frame...it will not take 8 hours...i be damned if it does

Regards
Michel

The tiler recommended ripping up the existing tiles, put a waterproof cement sheet substrate over the wooden floor board, then lay new tiles.

Just read the quote,for a start a bag of self leveling cement is over 50 bucks,and this is a floater floor system which brings other problems into play,myself i don't give a stuff get three quotes and see if someone can do this in three hours good luck it take several hours just for the self leveling cement to set,and that's only the start..imho..

 

[evand]

Mate, from one ex tradie to another. They dont have a clue.

They wouldnt know where to start to get the fall on the floor. Wouldnt know self levelling slurry if they fell over a bag.

Let alone carry the cement bags, tiles, tools etc up the stairs to the unit.

The tiler recommended ripping up the existing tiles, put a waterproof cement sheet substrate over the wooden floor board, then lay new tiles.

Just read the quote,for a start a bag of self leveling cement is over 50 bucks,and this is a floater floor system which brings other problems into play,myself i don't give a stuff get three quotes and see if someone can do this in three hours good luck it take several hours just for the self leveling cement to set,and that's only the start..imho..

 

[Aaron_C]

You always end up paying more per sqm for small jobs due to a lack of economies of scale.

 

[livewildcard]

At around $666 (devils number right there) a square meter to lay some tiles.

Like I said, ask for a breakdown of quote. If a break down cant be provided then that tells me something.

 

[evand]

Its not just "laying tiles".

At around $666 (devils number right there) a square meter to lay some tiles.

Like I said, ask for a breakdown of quote. If a break down cant be provided then that tells me something.

 

[livewildcard]

I hope you do get a breakdown so we can all see where the big spending is for this job.

 

[wylie]

Sheesh guys! Nobody said it would take three hours.

And I've done plenty of this type of job with my hubby and family. Please don't assume all of us who think the quote seems to be high are "shiny bums". I'm working right now on this type of work in an IP (on my paint spattered bum right now having a coffee).

Should my friend have got the $13K stair quote I suppose you would tell her that builders never quote high and she should just accept it?

And the original poster was not complaining but asking whether the quote seemed high. At least that is how I read it.

Double sheesh!

 

[livewildcard]

Are you guys serious? 3 hrs??

If i went to a car dealer and didnt like the price he quoted, id just say seeya. I wouldnt get on a forum and complain and tell him how he should do his job. That applies to quotes from any industry.

No but if it was $50k dearer than the next or $50k cheaper I'd hope people would ask why that was the case. What extra/less are you getting for that price.

What if that car he quoted you on came with something fantastic that warranted the price? You just say seeya.

That's all I have been saying. Get a breakdown, find out what you are getting for your money. If no breakdown can be supplied or cant say what makes up $5k worth of cost that doesnt sit well with me.

So evand I'm expecting your brilliant rebuttal that I've seen so many times on this website. Please. Teach me!

 

[wylie]

Just read the original post again. It is a genuine question, not a complaint.

 

[evand]

What i was saying is if you dont like a quote, throw it in the bin. Not directed at the OP but most the replies.

This is my price, take it or leave it. Whats the big deal?

A quote does not need to be justified by the tradie, or even itemised. An invoice does, but not a quote. A lot of punters get confused with this.

No one is forcing anyone to accept a quote, or even read it.

And someone did say it was 3 hrs work.

Just read the original post again. It is a genuine question, not a complaint.