Plumbing works are costly, especially when a significant remodeling project requires hiring a professional plumbing contractor. A professional plumber is a valuable asset who can oversee and fix any issues that could arise in a home renovation plumbing project. However, the price should not get in the way of remodeling the plumbing system and doesn’t mean you will be sticking to the set prices. Here is how to make savings during plumbing remodeling.
Schedule the home renovation plumbing beforehand
Scheduling your home renovation plumbing beforehand will typically be less expensive than hiring professional plumbers in an emergency plumbing remodel. Carefully planned plumbing works are often more affordable and still achieve the same or even better results.
Calling the professional plumber weeks or days before the remodel will also give the plumber sufficient time to determine and input the renovation project’s needs. They can also offer highly functional and cost-effective solutions. You will also have time to ask for a quotation and get an estimated cost of the entire project that will help you to prepare better.
Most plumbing companies are available for both emergency plumbing services and scheduled services. When calling a professional plumber, specify that your plumbing renovation works are not an emergency.
Confine the contractor to exclusive plumbing works only
When a professional plumber performs other extra tasks, typically, they will charge for additional services—for instance, tearing the walls and floorings to install or lay the piping or moving large furniture blocks some plumbing fixtures. Professional plumbers will also have an additional charge for those extra tasks.
It would help to clear those plumbing lines, tear those walls and floorings before the plumber contractor arrives as they can focus and be confined to plumbing tasks only, thus ensuring that they will not have additional charges for those extra services. It helps to lessen the overall plumbing renovation costs by reducing the billable labor expense.
Maintain the original plumbing footprint
Revising the plumbing layout or footprint will cost more budget. Changing the main supply line, drain pipes, large-item plumbing lines such as vent stacks and sewer pipes is quite costly in a home renovation plumbing project. Try as much as possible to retrain or keep them in their original position, including plumbing fixtures such as shower, fire-rated access panel for plaster or the plumbing controls, toilet, sink, and dishwashers during plumbing remodeling.
Consider some DIY on the plumbing renovations
Considering DIY projects on plumbing renovations can save money if you do it right the first time. You only need to pay for the materials and you can save some money on the labor cost of other plumbing tasks. However, some plumbing tasks are impossible to perform for DIY projects. In this case, it is time to consider hiring professional plumbers for those tasks like establishing a supply point stub-out.
Consider PEX pipe over copper
When having a DIY plumbing project, consider using push-fit fittings and PEX pipes to help perform the DIY plumbing task quickly and easily. The PEX pipe is easy to cut and bend and also snapped and fitted quickly by push-fit fittings.
One of the significant advantages of PEX pipe is that it’s usually cheaper than copper tubings. While this is true, it obviously doesn’t affect the total labor charges of the plumbing renovations. By choosing a PEX or polyethylene pipe, you’re basically reducing the total material cost of the project. Copper tubing prices often fluctuate upwards, although as a petrochemical-based product produced by the polymerization process, the cost of these pipes remains stable and low. If the plumber contractor will rely on copper piping and fittings for the project, ask them whether they will consider using the PEX pipe and fittings as it is more affordable and significantly lower the overall materials cost.
Refinish plumbing fixtures rather than replacement
Replacing all current plumbing fixtures with new ones adds cost to the remodeling project. Besides, it might include some additional charges in demolition and construction to install the new plumbing fixtures.
It would help to identify which plumbing fixtures and fittings don’t need a replacement. You can assess if the replacement is necessary by considering functional or aesthetic reasons. If the plumbing fixture is already attractive but still operable, you can try to dress up or refinish those fixtures rather than opting for replacement.
For instance, in a bathtub remodel, the bath is operable. Rather than replace it, you can refinish it by using attractive coatings. This way, it can save you some money, and most of the refinishing is an environmentally friendly alternative.
Copper tubing prices often fluctuate upwards, although as a petrochemical-based product produced by the polymerization process, the cost of these pipes remains stable and low. If the plumber contractor will rely on copper piping and fittings for the project, ask them whether they will consider using the PEX pipe and fittings as it is more affordable and significantly lower the overall materials cost.
Use crimp-fit fittings instead of push-fit
Fittings will join two pipes and hold them together. The most common types of plumbing fittings are push-fit and crimp-it fittings.
The crimp-fit fittings use copper rings to squeeze tightly by the crimp tool over the pipes and hold them in place. In contrast, the push-fit fittings do not need any equipment or tools to fit the two tubes. The plumber will only push the two pipes into the fittings then snugly hold them in place. Although push-fit fittings are convenient as they don’t need any tools, they cost more than crimp fittings.
Plumbing fixtures are significantly essential in every building structure, and renovating those components can cost you more. However, the information above can save substantial money when having plumbing renovations for aesthetic and functional reasons.
