Plumbing remodelling is a pricey endeavour. As a result, expect to dedicate a considerable amount of your large-scale home renovation budget towards plumbing.
Having said that, there are a few ways you can minimize the expense. Let’s take a look at the top tips for saving on your plumbing remodelling costs.
Shop Around
Unlike an overflowing toilet or a busted Flexi-Hose, plumbing remodelling is not an urgent task. Therefore, you’ve got plenty of time to shop around between different contractors to find one that offers fair value for money.
However, depending on the work that needs to be done, it can be difficult to assess who will give you the best price while still doing a good job. The cheapest isn’t always the best option, as some fly-by-night companies will do shoddy work which will cost you more for in the long run.
Look for a contractor that charges a fair price for high-quality work. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Check out reviews that past clients have written online. Do be aware these can sometimes be fake as well. Ask your friends and family if they’ve had any experience with a contractor and whether they’d recommend them. Finally, opt for a well-established and licensed company rather than a little-known sole trader.
Use a Plumbing Contractor Rather Than an Emergency Plumber
There are two types of plumbers in the business: the 24hr emergency plumber who’ll come over as quickly as he/she can to unblock your toilet or fix a busted pipe, and the plumbing contractor who mostly does remodelling jobs.
Granted, there is a lot of crossover between the two. Nonetheless, you certainly don’t want to contract an emergency plumber to do your remodelling work. Otherwise, you could be paying two or three times the hourly rate.
So how can you tell the difference?
Established plumbing companies will list their services on their website. Nevertheless, it’s always wise to double check on the phone to ensure you’re not enlisting an emergency service.
Make Life As Easy As Possible for the Plumber
As you know, plumbers charge a considerable hourly rate for their time. Therefore, it makes sense to ensure they get started on tasks at hand as quickly as possible. You can make life easier for them by clearing out obstacles or debris from work areas and ensuring everything is easily accessible.
Essentially, the less they have to do, the less you’ll pay.
Try Not to Mess Around With Your Original Floorplan
When remodelling a home, it’s tempting to rearrange your entire set up completely. But is it really worth it?
If you’re renovating your kitchen, remember that your dishwasher, washing machine, and kitchen sink already have the necessary pipes built into the right spots. Should you decide to move these around, your plumber will need to redo the piping which is going to be expensive.
The same applies to your bathroom. Keep your shower, toilet, hand basin, and bath in the same spot to avoid excessive extra work and, consequently, extra charges.
Of course, sometimes you will need to move things around to realize your ideal renovation. Do try to keep it to a minimum, though.
Look For Cost-Effective and High-Value Materials
I’m not suggesting you should insist on the cheapest possible materials, as doing so will likely cost you more through an expensive failure further down the track. What you should do, however, is insist on the plumber using quality materials that offer good value.
Case in point: copper versus PEX pipes.
Some plumbers may insist on using copper and claim it to be the superior product. The reality, however, is that the petroleum-based PEX is around two-thirds cheaper than copper, and works just as well.
Another example is the use of crimp-fit or push-fit (AKA SharkBite) couplings to connect your PEX piping. The former is much cheaper, but a little more labour intensive to install, while the latter is easier to attach but much more expensive.
Installing crimp-fit is a bit of a pain. Therefore, many plumbers just opt for push-fit and charge the client for the extra material cost. Although it doesn’t really matter on a small job, allowing your plumber to use push-fit on a major remodel could cost you big time.
No matter what you do, plumbing is going to be a significant portion of your overall renovation costs. However, you’ll be able to substantially reduce that figure just by following the above simple tips. And by doing so, with any luck, you’ll be able to finish your dream renovation under budget.