snapple

Hi philzero, I guess I failed to give you the entire story. I understand the need for wastages and extra materials and supplies that will be used for the laying and skirting. The cost for all these materials and supplies were included in the quotation. I managed to get quotations from 4 other contractors as well and when we made comparisons, the other quotations seemed more reasonable (I had discussed with them and the cost of wastages and materials for laying and skirting was also included in their quotations) - I discovered that I was being ripped off by about $14,000. This $14,000 was distributed here and there in the labour costs over and above the actual labour costs. I had 4 quotations that had reasonable pricing differences of +/- $2K to $4K. But this greedy contractor had a difference of $14K - I felt that was a ridiculously large amount. Adding to this, he was reluctant to discuss with us the process of tiling and just kept insisting that "It's a lot of work". Having discussed with several friends who had also done tiling works in their homes and also having the additional quotations from 4 other contractors, it was clear we were being fleeced. This contractor was unhappy when we asked if we could purchase the tiles ourselves. He was also reluctant to accompany us to the tile shops and showrooms, it became obvious to us that he wanted us to purchase tiles through him alone. The other 4 contractors were happy to accompany us to the tile showrooms for us to arrange for the purchase of tiles. There are lots of contractors who are willing to be transparent with their costs. There are also contractors who manipulate numbers and hope that their customers don't notice. Some home owners don't really scrutinize a contract or discuss the materials and supplies with their contractors.

hi Wendy, I take it that "Supply and Lay" means your cost of tiles (Supply) is lumped together with the cost of labour. This is where some contractors try to overcharge their clients. I'd like to relate my experience to you, it was not a good one, but it alerted me to the fact that my contractor was manipulating the cost of "Supplying and laying" tiles. My contractor had also given me a quotation in the same manner based on a budget of $3 per square foot for the cost of tiles. So I decided to do my own homework of measuring the area to be tiled for my home renovation project. What I did was create an excel spreadsheet and made my own calculations of the cost of the tiles alone. I drew up calculations based on a budget of $3 per square foot and also an increased budget of $4 per square foot just to see if I was being overcharged - and to my dismay, I was being overcharged! Always ask your contractor for a further breakdown in this manner: Supply tiles for Master Bathroom Wall - $x.xx Lay tiles for Master Bathroom Wall - $x.xx Supply tiles for Master Bathroom Floor - $x.xx Lay tiles for Master Bathroom Floor - $x.xx It might probably irritate a few contractors who are unwilling to be transparent about costs, but it's better to be on the safe side and to make sure you know exactly what you're paying for. That way you know how much you're being charged for labour. The cost of tiles are fixed, so they try to overcharge you with labour costs. Hope that helps!

I will be getting my roof re-done and I'm wondering what kind of tiles are best and how much they would cost. How are the tiles priced? I've received a quote of $40,000 and that includes supplying and installing clay rooftiles, heat insulators and waterproof membrane for whole roof. This price feels rather expensive, any opinions? Thanks in advance!