Plumber/Builder

[justin1970]

Does anyone who can give a genuine, honest quote in Sussex still exist?

I want to take a immersion from my bathroom and move it upstairs into the loft to make some space in the bathroom, remove a wall between a bathroom and toilet and then install a bathrom I'm supplying... the estimates range from £3800 to £5700!!!! That's without tiling/decoration, which I'm doing. Or the electrics, which a mate who is a sparks is doing.

Can someone give me an idea of a ballpark figure for this sort of work. The wall being removed is 6ft long (ish) by about 8ft high (ish) - the immersion is going directly above and the bath is pretty much going where the old one is. The waste isn't being moved and the existing underfloor pipes should be fine.

 

[Gervase]

Bloody hell I'm undercharging!

I've just done a similar job (with tiling and decoration) which involved a fair bit more work(including major plumbing and electrics) and all for £2K plus materials (plus VAT).

That was, I have to say, a mistake on my part - given the time taken and the amount of making good involved (which included a fair bit of replastering), the figure should have been closer to £3K. My fault for tendering too low (but it's an odd poker game, and once a client's jumped up and bitten one's hand off when they've been given an estimate, there's not much one can do).

To give a fairer answer to your question, it sounds as though the tank will need a platform in the loft, there'll be some plumbing involved, and Sussex is pricier than West Wales, but I'd reckon £3K would be a fair price.

Most builders these days use a costing reckoner like Spons, and their quotes should (in theory) be pretty similar. But some will try to get away with what they can, and do very nicely out of it. And, sadly, there are people around who do pay nearly £6K for a job like that.

 

[Penners]

When you mention your "immersion", I presume that you're talking about your hot water cylinder?

If so, then moving it up into the loft will probably have implications for other aspects of your plumbing. Assuming you have a conventionally laid out indirect system, then both header tanks will probably have to be raised up above the cylinder, and all of their connections lengthened. And of course all of this has to be paid for.

I can't say whether the price is fair or not, but Gervase's view is an expert one.

 

[Penners]

Bloody hell I'm undercharging!

Ah, but surely you do the work purely for the love of it, plus a bowl of gruel to sustain you.

 

[Mark]

I would guess that the major issue will be making sure that the supports are good for the water tanks. I assume the wall isnt going to be load bearing but it is possible,

 

[Willmat]

as well as the issue of whether it is fair or not in terms of a quoted price, worth looking at whether you can find an experienced plumber (ideally recommended by someone) on a daily rate - sometimes difficult in some areas but surely never impossible.

the cost of materials for the hot water cylinder, fixings, pipe are low - look at screwfix for example and as you are doing a lot of the supplementary work - tiling, electrics etc - you may find a plumber happy to assist. may have problems with the header tanks etc. as mentioned and the wall being load bearing or not.

worth making the job look and be as easy as possible - have the materials on site - and don't know if this was the case but removing the old suite in entirety beforehand.

might be implications with header tanks etc. though as mentioned.

 

[lindy]

Bloody hell I'm undercharging!

You are welcome in Berkshire any day :lol:

 

[dormouse]

Justin, if you still need someone I know a man in Sussex who should give an 'honest quote'. Send me a message and I'll put you in touch.