Blaming "Tariffs" for High Prices

I've remodeled 3 baths in the last 4 years. The first bath, we left the existing shower valve and just replaced the trim kit for under $100, IIRC. The other 2, we replaced the valve and trim kit. I just checked the prices... one was $228 (Luxart); the other was $275 (Delta). Both look fantastic and work great. The former was purchased at a local wholesale plumbing distribution warehouse. The latter was purchased from Amazon. The one from Amazon is now priced at $306 (small increase from 2 years ago).

I have no idea how one spends $2500, or even $1000, on shower fixtures. I'm a DIYer on these things. For baths, I generally just hire out tile work, drywall, and some of the more complex plumbing and electrical. I definitely purchase all material and fixtures myself.
 
Different house. We moved this year. Love the house, but the master bath is flat hideous, and not really functional. We knew we'd have to change it out.

By contrast, the kitchen is worn and looks its 15 years old, but it's such a great functional design I'm in no hurry to renovate.

donheff said:
OK, I will bite. Why are you renovating the master bath for the second time in five years?
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Correct. This is the price to buy the shower set, nothing to do with the installer's fee.

freedomatlast said:
The increase from $1000 to $2500 was on the price of a fixture, not the contractor's labor due to a busy schedule.
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Remodeled master bath in 2015 with Kohler shower fixtures. Just checked, current prices are 31% higher as of today.
 
It's the seller's prerogative to try to get as much as he can get away with.

It's my right to shop around for a lower price.

If everyone charges what I think is outrageous, then that's the way it is, and there's not much I can do other than trying to do the work myself.

But I would still wonder about how the price is not lower. There might be some economic explanation for it that I am not aware of. That's what the OP was wondering about.
 
useful info, thanks. Was looking at Hansgrohe and will check Kohler.

30% was about what I'd expected, not 100%+!


Just_Steve said:
Remodeled master bath in 2015 with Kohler shower fixtures. Just checked, current prices are 31% higher as of today.
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Couple of points here from the peanut gallery. Ten year ago prices aren't worth much since we were in the midst of a depression. Prices today reflect a lack of manpower as well as other factors such as tariffs, which for the uneducated, raise the prices for both overseas and US products.

DS is currently looking at building a new home. The developer is willing to sell him a lot at a good price. I asked him what this means as far as building costs are going. As a former builder this means to me he can not make a buck by completing the chain of developing/building/selling with a profit. IMHO everything is out of wack.

Glad I'm retired.
 
foxfirev5 said:
Prices today reflect a lack of manpower as well as other factors such as tariffs, which for the uneducated, raise the prices for both overseas and US products.
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I think it is a much more complicated issue than that. And you do not have to be too educated to understand that Chinese Tariffs prevent US goods from being sold there. Or understanding that importing Chinese goods depress wages here in the USA.

It means less money for US workers to to spend, less money going to taxes, more people not working. Currency manipulation, rather than free floating the currency, labor laws, environmental laws, etc. all have an effect to move manufacturing offshore.

If the Tariffs were called a Workers Rights surcharge, or an environmental surcharge, it may be more accurate.

Some people would say that Unions priced themselves out of the market, and forced US companies to do business elsewhere. Some blame regulations and labor laws. Some blame Chinese subsidies of their businesses, which are in reality owed by the Chinese government.

Trade imbalances are a much more complex issue, but since we are in the early stages of global wage equalization, there is a lot more to play out.
 
Global wage equalization kind of sums it up. Tariffs are simply a means to shift the balance in ones favor. It's really not as complicated as some would like us to believe.
We have a shrinking work force and slow growing productivity gains. Net loss.
 
Senator said:
If the Tariffs were called a Workers Rights surcharge, or an environmental surcharge, it may be more accurate.
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Maybe they should be called a National Security tax.

I have other names, but they are too political in nature.
 
foxfirev5 said:
Global wage equalization kind of sums it up. Tariffs are simply a means to shift the balance in ones favor. It's really not as complicated as some would like us to believe.
We have a shrinking work force and slow growing productivity gains. Net loss.
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100% correct. We have a shrinking workforce and yet a growing population...
 
razztazz said:
Except, that's not what I'm talking about.


We know all about econ 101. It's a model that might or might not apply whenever it's "applied". I'm talking about how businessmen operate.
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Agreed, that is how many business men operate. As consumers we can choose how we operate in this time of tariff threats. IOW, we don't have to buy.

Like my old grand-pappy used to say, "He can keep his fill-in-the-blank, and I will keep my money."
 
Chuckanut said:
Agreed, that is how many business men operate. As consumers we can choose how we operate in this time of tariff threats. IOW, we don't have to buy.

Like my old grand-pappy used to say, "He can keep his fill-in-the-blank, and I will keep my money."
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Thank you.
 
mountainsoft said:
As to bathroom fixtures, you folks must have some real champagne tastes. Toilets are about $150 or less, shower faucets are less than $150, tub faucets are under $300, and bath faucets are generally under $100. Maybe $700 total for a full bathroom, using middle of the range fixtures. I could certainly find cheaper options too. You all must be buying gold plated thrones or something. :)
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I'm currently undergoing a huge reno (doing most of the work myself)...I'm in roughly the same price range for fixtures that you quoted other than spending a little more on a toilet because we wanted a one-piece design.

One point...I bought a high quality shower pan and glass doors from GF's sister who used to own a high end plumbing fixture store. $600 for both and she told us the retail was about $1200 - $1500 each. We got the family discount in addition to it being returned stock otherwise there is no way I'd pay $2500 - $3000 for a shower pan and doors.

12" x 18" Carrera marble tiles were $1.98 sq ft at Home Depot so less than $200 for a 3'x5' shower, but I did splurge $500 for huge 16"x32" tiles for the other bathroom.
 
Mr._Graybeard said:
There were some poorly made asphalt shingles on the market circa 2000 that resulted in numerous class actions (and leaky roofs). Presumably the $4K shingles you bought are of better quality than the $800 shingles that began leaking after 10 years.
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In my case the leak was caused by roof sheathing that warped underneath the shingles. It was at a transition where the low slope porch roof met the main roof. The edge of the sheathing was inadequately supported and allowed water to flow backwards up under the shingles. It wasn't visible until I removed the shingles, and the actual entry point was a long way from where water was coming into the house. Water is amazing how it finds it's way through a structure.

Thankfully I replaced the shingles before anything was damaged. I reinforced that sheathing transition with metal brackets, applied ice and water membrane wherever possible, and paid extra attention to all flashings. No leaks since then.
 
Music Lover said:
I bought a high quality shower pan and glass doors from GF's sister who used to own a high end plumbing fixture store. $600 for both and she told us the retail was about $1200 - $1500 each. We got the family discount in addition to it being returned stock otherwise there is no way I'd pay $2500 - $3000 for a shower pan and doors.

12" x 18" Carrera marble tiles were $1.98 sq ft at Home Depot so less than $200 for a 3'x5' shower, but I did splurge $500 for huge 16"x32" tiles for the other bathroom.
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I formed our shower pan with a sloping mortar bed and used Kerdi waterproofing membrane to waterproof our entire bathroom. We don't have any doors or curtains. I don't remember the total cost, but I'm sure it was only a few hundred dollars at the time (mostly for the Kerdi drain and membrane).

The tiles we chose were inexpensive too, I think less than $1/sq ft. We got the floor tiles from Home Depot and the wall tiles from Lowes. (photos of the finished bathroom at the bottom of this page: 2003 - Building Our Own House)
 
How I wish we had your DIY ability! At least I know how to paint (except ceilings, which I hire out, especially ten-foot and vaulted ceilings!) Forum members' painting advice has been tremendously helpful.

Music Lover said:
I'm currently undergoing a huge reno (doing most of the work myself)...
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Shrinking work force - driven by againg population - will work to our advantage with ever increasing automation and AI. We will already need to cover people displaced, not need to add drastically to that necessary coverage.
 
Tiger8693 said:
Shrinking work force - driven by againg population - will work to our advantage with ever increasing automation and AI. We will already need to cover people displaced, not need to add drastically to that necessary coverage.
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Maybe some day robots will be able to care for the elderly.
Until then...
 
In 2011 we paid close to $28,000 to have our master bathroom renovated with porcelain tile and a steam shower, with wall faucets for the two bowl sinks (no vanity) and marble counters and a half wall mirror above the makeup counter.


Worth every penny.
 
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