Are We Being Ripped Off?

[moldie 0]

Here's the background, floor tiles were popping up in the living room and one of the bedroom in my mum's 3rm HDB flat. She engaged a contractor without telling me to rectify the problem. The contractor advised her to hack the existing floor tiles in the affected area (living room & 1 bedroom, 2nd bedroom not affected), level with cement and cover with laminated flooring.

Please do correct me if I'm wrong but when I hear laminated flooring, I think cheap flooring (they aren't real tiles afterall). They quoted my mum 6K+. This includes the job mentioned above plus painting 1 living room & 2 bedrooms. Kitchen and toilet not involved.

Would like to hear some views on this. Thanks people.

[KittyJems 0]

How about getting a quotation from them, listing all the various items/service provided and each cost involved? For example:

- Hacking & disposal = $$$

- Provision of laminate flooring = $$$

- Labour to lay laminate flooring = $$$

- Provision of paint = $$$

- Labour to paint rooms = $$$

For renovation, small jobs always tend to cost more. In addition, you have hacking of floor tiles. This is costly cos hacking is labour intensive. Not to mention the costs for haulage and removal of debris.

Meanwhile, get more quotes and then compare each item. From there, you will have a better whether you are being over-quoted. Good luck!

[moldie 0]

How about getting a quotation from them, listing all the various items/service provided and each cost involved? For example:

- Hacking & disposal = $$$

- Provision of laminate flooring = $$$

- Labour to lay laminate flooring = $$$

- Provision of paint = $$$

- Labour to paint rooms = $$$

For renovation, small jobs always tend to cost more. In addition, you have hacking of floor tiles. This is costly cos hacking is labour intensive. Not to mention the costs for haulage and removal of debris.

Meanwhile, get more quotes and then compare each item. From there, you will have a better whether you are being over-quoted. Good luck!

Thanks for the reply KittyJems. The problem is my mum already went ahead to sign & paid a deposit before consulting me. I'm fine if the amount quoted for the nature of work done is reasonable. I'm quite clueless about all this so I'm kinda worried.

[Synchron 0]

If there is laying of tiles at ur living area then its alight. Hacking isn't cheap

[moldie 0]

If there is laying of tiles at ur living area then its alight. Hacking isn't cheap

There will not be any laying of tiles. The affected area will be hacked and leveled with cement. Laminated flooring will then be laid.

[whisper 0]

I got the following quote for doing up partial flooring of my 5 room flat, estimate equivalent to a 3 room flat size:

1) Overlay laminate flooring: ~$2k

2) Tiling:~$2.5k

3) Hacking: ~$2k

So if you are only doing overlay then it is much affordable. But with hacking...mm...

[ben_51us@yahoo.com 0]

Our reno is finally completed by squareroom ID. Overall we are quite satisfied with their services and follow up. Many thanks to our assigned ID and her manager for listening to our feedbacks and acting promptly to it. Really appreciate squareroom ID for designing our home.

Edited November 4, 2011 by ben_51us@yahoo.com

[tiek 0]

I think is a bit too expensive. Do laminated flooring no need to hack existing tiles. Just need to hack and redo the skirtings. So what the contractor will do is hack the skirtings and overlay the laminates over the existing tiles.

Hacking skirtings - maybe at most $500

Laminate flooring for living+2br - at most $2500?

Painting living+2br - at most $1000

So at most the job shd cost $4000, which is alr a very generous amt. Despicable contractors like this always like to treat old folks like carrot head. If can withdraw... better do it fast.

[dustyboi84 0]

Here's the background, floor tiles were popping up in the living room and one of the bedroom in my mum's 3rm HDB flat.

Moldie said that floor tiles were popping up in living & bedroom mean the tile is hollow below liao or start cracking. So must hack if not in future it will damage the new laminate above it.

tiek before u comment pls understand the situation. I don't care how much she quote her mum, but the problem is that the flooring must hack before laying anything over it.

If not even she paid only $1000 for the whole renovation work, in the near future all the flooring pop up again and damage the new lay how? Than who going to bear the cost? And back to square one, hack again...

[dinobros 1]

Hacking are never cheap.

My hacking cost me about 5k for the whole house.

1) 3 Toilet Wall

2) 3 toilet floor

3) living room floor

4) kitchen wall

5) kitchen floor

6) balcony floor

7) 3 bedroom parquet

8) 4 panel of wall for open concept kitchen

Yours will be hacking of 1 living room floor and 1 bedroom (Approx. 400 sqft?)

Cement Screed for living room and bedroom floor

Lay laminated flooring.

You need to check with the contractor the breakdown. Also to check on the brand of the laminate given.

There are cheap ones that are SGD3psf up to SGD7psf.

You may also consider including the 2bed room as well to standardize the design.

[kentut21 0]

Hi Dinobros,

Can please share your contact for your mentioned work there? So you engage your own contractor there? Can also share your experience after the hacking? Engaging any ID or you keep using ur contractor?

Thanks..

Edited October 7, 2011 by kentut21

[tapilia 0]

i think its a reasonable price.

Reason, the lesser items u do, the more expensive it is.

i myself is a businessman. i understand.

Of course u can get it somewhere else cheaper. if u want the cheapest, do it yrself.

Anyway, yr mum ALREADY paid, too late. I believe the contractor did not put a knife at yr mum's neck.

[dinobros 1]

Hi Dinobros,

Can please share your contact for your mentioned work there? So you engage your own contractor there? Can also share your experience after the hacking? Engaging any ID or you keep using ur contractor?

Thanks..

Hi kentut21: My contractor is doing the whole house.

I will prefer to share contacts after the entire project is completed.

Just to clarify, the 5k is only for hacking, exclusive of making good of the hacked surface

[renoseeker 0]

If you already pay, then worry about it also no use liao.

Just pray that everything will be fine

[bentancm 0]

Was facing a very bad experience with SquareRoom ID.

Two IDs (a couple) were out trying to make $$$ by overcharging his customer.

They overpromised several items but wasn't able to fulfil what they have promised.

Best part was when they make mistakes, they won't admit and tried all sort of ways to cover their wrong doings and they even resorted to threaten their customers.

I can only say the couple are young, inexperienced and think highly of themselves. However, their manager is a fair, honest and trustworthy person, who drives a BMW, i hold great respect for their manager, JXXXX. Salute!!!

Hi Ben,

when you mentioned that they overcharge, care to elaborate a little? Did they managed to show you the visualisation prior to confirming with you how it actually will look like and how much it will take?