Explained: Pricing Differences in House Remodels
Price discrepancies exist throughout all industries. In many instances we can make sense of these discrepancies when we have adequate knowledge of the products we’re looking at. For example, say you step into a grocery store and you see 2 NY Strip steaks in the case. Once strip cost 12.00 per lbs the other 22.00 per lbs. With the proper knowledge of what you’re looking at it’s easy to make sense of the price discrepancy for the same cut of meat: One cut is Choice grade the other is Prime. One is grass fed the other is grain fed, one has a minimal degree of marbling the other ranks high on the marble score. Does this mean that because you know the difference in the cuts that you should always use the most expensive option? The answer really depends on your budget and how you intend to cook the steaks. If you have the “means and want” to experience the quality of the meat you’ll probably opt for the higher end option. However, if you intend to experiment with creating a pan sauce and the overall flavor of the beef is secondary, going with the Choice option may make the most sense.
In construction, there can be many reasons for price discrepancies when it comes to construction materials and finishes. There are many instances where construction materials or finishes are similar to the steak example. They’re similar in the sense that you can base your decision on your needs and your budget – the options you choose will ultimately equate to a certain level of longevity. However, there are some discrepancies in materials where the lesser options are not viable and should be avoided at all cost.
The Reasons Behind House Construction Prices
The first discrepancy I’d like to discuss is the difference in cost between plumbing fixtures in a retail box store vs a contractor grade fixture from a plumbing supply house. This is something which can be quite perplexing as you can see a delta shower kit at a box store which includes a rough in value, trim, and a shower head for about $150.00-200.00. However, at the same time you can go to a supply house and order a delta shower kit and it will cost you $500.00-800.00. So how do we make sense of this discrepancy? Does the cheaper option mean you should avoid it?
The Difference in Higher Priced House Supplies
The easiest way to discern the difference between box store fixtures and supply house fixtures is to simply have the plumbing fixtures in front of you to make the comparison. The first thing you would notice between the two options is the dramatic difference in weight between the two options. The reason for this difference in weight is that most box store fixtures are made of plastic with an exterior designed to look like metal. Whereas contractor grade fixtures are generally produced from solid metal. To be clear both fixtures will (or should) have brass rough-in components, but the trim component and some of the structural components are where the main differences lie.
One other major difference is that contractor grade rough-in valves have the option to come with built in “stops”. “Stops” are basically built in water shut off valves that are built into the rough-in valve. Why is this important? It doesn’t happen often, but there are times when the interior component of a shower valve known as a cartridge breaks down. If the cartridge breaks down, it either breaks down in the water “on” or “off” position. If you don’t have stops on your valve and it breaks down in the “off” position, you’re lucky! If it breaks and the shower is in the “on” position it means that you can no longer just shut off the water in your shower; you will be shutting down water to your entire home until you can get a replacement cartridge. If the components are not in stock or on back order it can take weeks to get a replacement resulting in a lot of logistical issues in your home. If you have a valve with built in stops, you can simply shut off the water to that valve while the rest of your home’s water can remain unaffected until you’re able to replace the cartridge.
Should I Avoid Buying Cheap House Supplies?
So the question is should you purchase the higher end plumbing components? Ideally, yes, but we understand it doesn’t always work with everyone’s budget. The truth is even with plastic components some manufacturers produce plastic parts with a durable, and in some cases, a “spot free” finish which allows for easier cleaning. The main thing with box store components is to find a full-body plastic material, not something that is plated on top of the plastic. You’ll also want to find a product with a cartridge that is widely available so if there is a breakdown it can be replaced within a day or so. If it’s a shower rough-in valve, we always recommend a valve with “stops” no matter the grade. Southern Mesa will always recommend contractor grade components due to better structural components, and durability but we also will always be willing to work inside your budget.
Difference in Flooring for House Remodels
The second discrepancy I’d like to discuss is the difference in flooring products such as Tile and Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring. This is a situation where some box stores will stock some items which could be considered contractor grade.
Oftentimes when it comes to ceramic or porcelain tile, a box store can offer products that are of excellent quality and if you find something that suits your design in most cases we would tell you to go for it. This wasn’t always the case, but some stores have stepped up their quality in the last 10-15 years. The main drawbacks with box store tile for ceramic and porcelain is your design can lose some of its uniqueness. A box store in Colorado Springs may have the same products as their stores in Dallas or Cleveland, and so on. If you want a design that’s unique and set apart it’s best to look at custom tile showrooms.
The other drawback to using box stores for porcelain and ceramic tile is, in some cases, the products could have a lot of warping and bowing in the tile making for a more complex install.
For natural stone, box stores can have more noticeable drawbacks. There have been many occasions where I’ve opened boxes of natural stone from box stores to see tile that looks muddled, very inconsistent in color, some tiles that are polished while others are unpolished, and inconsistencies in tile sizing and gauging. Most of these issues cannot be corrected and have rarely been a problem from legitimate tile showrooms who properly vet their stone suppliers.
On a side note, another great benefit of working with a tile showroom vs a box store is the knowledge of the showroom staff. In many stores most of the staff has industry experience in either installation or design. This can be very useful for choosing products with the right slip resistance ratings for certain installations, products which can minimize conflicts with layout or design, and simply having an eye for great design and detail.
For items such as LVP the main discrepancies in price come from the following factors: how well the LVP mimics the characteristics of natural wood, repetition in pattern, and if the LVP has a built in and substantial underlayment.
Repetition vs. Underlayment of Flooring Installs
Repetition in pattern is an issue which can exist in both LVP installations as well as tile installations. Typically, the goal of an installer is to mix a pattern throughout a floor or wall so there is not one particular color isolated in one section of an installation or to have the same pattern bundled together in a group. These isolation issues can draw the focus of a wall or floor to one section of a space which was never intended to be a focal point. When you have a lesser grade of LVP or Tile you’ll end up with only 3 to 4 unique patterns available to minimize the repetition in pattern. On a higher grade of material you can have anywhere between 15 to 25 unique patterns to ensure that you won’t have the problem of pattern repetition. Trying to not have pattern repetition with 3 to 4 unique patterns is almost unavoidable.
Most LVP products are quite thin and were originally designed to be placed directly over an existing hard surface flooring. Thin LVP works well in these applications as they help to minimize height discrepancies throughout the installation area. However, thin LVP comes with 2 drawbacks:
1: If the LVP couldn’t be placed over the existing hard surface and has to be placed directly over the subfloor, the existing door jams are going to be significantly higher than the new finished floor creating a larger unattractive gap where the LVP sits under the jam. The only ways to deal with this is to either drop the door jams, or to raise up the floor.
Thicker LVP isn’t quite large enough to compensate for that gap, but it does lessen the gap allowing for a thinner product to be used to raise up the floor, which saves on material cost.
2: The other drawback with thin LVP is that it will have a very thin built in underlayment, or none at all. A thicker underlayment will have a tremendous impact on sound deadening throughout the home, especially for spaces which are directly underneath an LVP floor. Many condos or apartments will not allow LVP to be installed in units without the material meeting specific sound deadening requirements. LVP can be really loud unless a quality plank with thick underlayment is installed.
What to Know About House Remodels and Landscaping Costs
At Southern Mesa one of our core values is education. We consistently seek to improve our own processes by taking advantage of manufacturer training programs and various educational resources by industry councils. For us, learning never stops. As we increase our education we also desire to help educate our clients as well. Construction is rarely simple, and can easily become overwhelming. At Southern Mesa we’re happy to walk all of our clients through the details of the installation of each product and receive honest feedback on materials selected. Not every product that’s inexpensive is bad, and not every product with a high price tag is functionally superior to another with a lesser cost. Please use us as a resource to help with these assessments about product selections and installations.
