Construction Update

You know, everyone tells you must add an extra 10% on top of your estimate on any construction project to get the final cost.

Of course, my bathroom remodel is going poorly and it’s sucking up my 10% overage.

There was some concrete under the tile in the bathroom that’s coming down. Unfortunately, to get an even surface on the wall, the concrete has to be removed. Don’t ask me why in the 1950’s they put up concrete halfway up the walls, but they did. All the extra labor hopefully will not be a huge amount more, but I have a feeling it will cost me another 20% on top of the estimate.

I wanted to have a special countertop cut for me so I can have a shelf over the toilet, just like I had in the original bathroom. However, it has a 10-day lead time for the order, which would mean I’d be out of my apartment for over almost 2 months. The contractor thinks he can get me a light grey granite countertop cut in the same shape out of scrap material from his usual granite supplier. It will only cost me $100 more but will take 3 days instead of 10. Is that worth it to me? You bet. It’s been over a month since I’ve slept at home and I’m cranky.

But things got a lot worse. The contractor had a drywall guy come in and they put in the ceiling piece early in the week. They came back the next day and the tub was full of water and the new piece was soaked. Apparently, there’s another leak coming from the unit above mine. ARGH.

I don’t know how all this is going to play out, but why do I feel like it’s going to cost me more money and time, no matter what happens?