PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR BATHROOMS AND KITCHEN/LAUNDRIES

Consider this? How many trades do you think will be needed for an average bathroom renovation?

Did you guess around 3? A Plumber, a tiler and electrician? Guess Again!!

Try about 8! Yes 8-10 tradies may be required on just one bathroom renovation job…..

Glazier – shower screens and mirrors
Tile Removalist – essential if your demolition job is to be as “clean” as possible with dust extraction.
Tiler – do you need a specialist natural stone tiler or ceramic tiler who can lay Porcelain tiles?
Electrican gas and hot water – lights, heated towel rails, hot water systems and power points.
Cabinetmaker – if custom cabinets are required to be made to suit the area.
Carpenter – to re hang doors, architraves and to construct bulkheads, repair Gyprock walls etc.
Plumber – goes without saying? A licenced plumber is required to visit at least twice.
Painter – there’s always paint touch ups even if you are going to the cornice with tiles.

YES – THERE ARE MANY MORE ITEMS THAT YOU MAY NOT EVEN REALISE!

All these tradies must be well coordinated to make sure the project of bathroom renovation goes smoothly without any mistake, missing items or major hold ups.

The order of trades visiting the site is paramount.

Does the plumber need to move pipes before the walls can be gyprocked? Can the glazier measure up for glass before tiling?

If you do not know the order of things, or you are unsure of how to manage tradies on your job-

This can turn into a nightmare for you, as tradies will get fed up of having to repeatedly come back to fix this and that ( and they will charge you for doing that too!).

How to get the job done properly with minimum fuss and bother?

Hire a project manager.

The role of a renovations project manager.

Is to do the following;

• Order all taps, sinks, floor wastes, toilets, showers, basins, baths, plug and waste and all necessary items ensuring that the set- out, the wells rating and the dimensions of all items are in line with the plans. ( sometimes it is not feasible to replace taps with mixers etc..)
• Liase with the cabinet maker and supply the basins and taps for the job as he will need to cut out the hoe for sink and tap. Design and select finishes for any cabinetry. Select stone for vanity top if using and get a template for stone mason.
• Check that on delivery of these items that mistakes have not been made to the order – yes this happens ALL the time; (wrong sinks, no plugs, wrong floor waste, missing parts.)
• Meet tradies on site and brief them on how you want the work to look or to function. Order a skip bin to collect the rubble and make sure the site is kept clean and tidy of rubble.
• Select all tiles, ( with or without the client), decided ont he design and look of the tile lay out and the decorative elements, grout and angle ( if using angle to finish off edges) and have them all delivered and ready on site
  Brief the tiler about the layout of the tiles, which direction tiles should run and how they are to be used in decorative tiling and where the fall of tiles needs to be in showers etc, hob or no hob, will there be a tiled hob below the vanity or in the shower etc..Tiling is the MOST VISUAL job and you’ll want to get his one right!.
• Brief Plumber on the exact position of the pipes and the floor waste, type of waste, types and positioning of taps, shower head height ( this varies with people), position of spouts, type and selection of toilet and its operation ( wall hung toilets and concealed cistern toilets especially.)
• Brief the electrician on the positioning of lights and power points and if heated towel rails, extractor fans etc are required and have all items ready on site. Are regulations met regarding safety switch and smoke detectors?
• Meet the glazier – measure up and decide what screens and mirror size/ types are needed.
• Supervise all trades and organise a painter and carpenter to finish off the details at the end.
• Troubleshoot – there are numerous things that can and do go wrong- not enough tiles, damaged goods, wrong fittings that won’t fit, not enough grout, plumbing problems.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE JOB OF RENOVATING BATHROOMS IS VERY COMPLICATED AND IN MOST CASES, NEEDS AN EXPERT TO MAKE SURE
ALL THE ISSUES ARE SORTED OUT AND PROBLEMS ARE DEALT WITH PROMPTLY

How much does Project Management cost?

We can negotiate a percentage rate of the total estimated cost; this is around 15% (if all invoices are paid by the owner direct). On a bathroom renovation like this one in COMO, estimated at $15,000, that equates to only $2,250 for that Peace of mind that you get from having an Expert on the job to handle everything! It’s Well worth it!