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Took 3 quotes and picked the cheapest one, but my grout lines paid for it
We redid our main bathroom in Austin back in March. Got quotes from three contractors. The lowest one was $6,200, the middle was $7,800, and the highest was $9,400. I figured the cheapest guy just had lower overhead, so I went with him. The tile work looked fine from across the room, but up close the grout lines are all over the place. Some are 1/8 inch, some are 3/16, and a couple taper off completely. He also used sanded grout on the shower floor where the label said not to, so now it's pitting after four months. The middle quote guy wanted to do a full waterproofing membrane and the cheap guy said it wasn't needed. Guess who has a soft spot in the corner of the shower pan already. How many of you have had a lower bid turn into a redo project later? I'm getting a second opinion next week and honestly wondering if I just eat the loss and hire the $9,400 company to tear out and start fresh.
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cameron_hernandez697d ago
I read an article a while back about how most tile failures come from poor prep work, not the tile itself. That waterproofing membrane the middle guy wanted is exactly what the article said you should never skip, especially around a shower pan. Sounds like your cheap guy saved maybe a thousand bucks upfront but now you're looking at tearing out moldy drywall and maybe subfloor. If that soft spot keeps spreading you're gonna be way past the $9,400 quote by the time it's all sorted.
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