Replacing Sink

[TromboneAl]

Here is the estimate for replacing our 22x33 sink with a single bowl stainless sink:

The first thing that strikes me is that they would charge about $900 for a sink. I can get this sink for $219. How is their markup justified?

Also, $360 for a garbage disposal (with installation)??

Any comments on the estimate, or advice in general?

We are going to add a point-of-use water heater, since we're tired of waiting for the water to heat up with our tankless full-house system. Anybody have experience with a tankless or tanked under sink unit?

Thanks,

Al

 

[MichaelB]

Looks just like the prices we found when we did a small remodel in our kitchen a couple of years ago. We instead bought the no-brand sink from the people that put in the granite countertops, $450 instead of $1395. Same gauge stainless. Likewise the disposer. We bought the one we wanted from ABT and paid 1 hour extra to the plumbing bill for installation. We paid a bit less but have a much better garbage disposer.

I'm the dishwasher at home and really like the one large deep sink, but there is no reason to pay more than $500 for the same high quality product.

 

[ziggy29]

Will they do the installation if you buy your own parts and just charge labor? These prices sound really high to me. $1400 for a sink? Is it gold-plated? I assume that includes installation, but still.....

 

[Jack_Pine]

I just replaced the disposal at the place in FL. #/4 horse was $139. took me about 1/2 hour to install......................

 

[calmloki]

I deleted six garbage disposals at the apartments over the summer (tired of tenants using them to dispose of corncobs and Freezy-pop plastic sleeves). That meant turning the disposal switch into a GFI receptacle, changing drain lines to the P trap, & installing 2 new sink baskets. Cost me less than $60/apt plus my labor. Granted not the highest grade materials.

Do you have a garbage disposal installed now? If so I'd say $150 for a disposal and an hour for labor if the plumber is on site. Has he built in windshield time?

Has the market been very very good to you of late? This just seems like a T-Al project.

 

[Lakedog]

I just replaced the disposal at the place in FL. #/4 horse was $139. took me about 1/2 hour to install......................

Similar story here - just replaced a relatives kitchen faucet and disposal. The disposal cost $90 and Moen faucet $120 at Lowes with approx 1.5 hours to install both.

 

[rbmrtn]

How much is parts versus labor. The labor charge is usually what makes this expensive and it a relatively easy DIY. Disposal at HD is ~$150

 

[MBAustin]

I bought our sink from Stainless Steel Sinks and Faucets for Kitchens and Baths by MR Direct - excellent quality and way cheaper than other sources. Bought a WasteKing disposer from Amazon for just over $100 (that was 3 years ago) and like it better than the In-Sink-Er-Ator we had at the previous house.

The whole estimate looks high to me.

 

[Donzo]

It sounds like you are getting a sink of the same size as current -that is an easy switch out - with the garbage disposal out, replacing the faucet is a piece of cake. The plumbing for disposals are for the most part universal, unless your new sink is deeper and plumbing needs to be lowered a bit. You may also be going from 2 drains to one (easy). The tankless under the sink is the wild card. You may need new heavier wiring or gas brought in and have to vent it to outdoors.....that maybe a pro job, but most of this , you should be able to do yourself. Uncomfy to be under the sink, but for the kind of money you will save.....
I would read up on tankless under sink installation and tackle this myself - this would be perfect for the "your recent repair" thread! Maybe we should start a thread "your recent renovation...

 

[travelover]

Kinda reminds me of my last auto repair - parts charged at 2x retail.

 

[samclem]

Any comments on the estimate, or advice in general?

We are going to add a point-of-use water heater, since we're tired of waiting for the water to heat up with our tankless full-house system. Anybody have experience with a tankless or tanked under sink unit?

Dang, that seems very high. I'd sure get some other quotes. If the present sink is a standard size and this is a "normal" installation (e.g. drop-in or undermount of the same size you have now, no need to cut granite, etc), I sure can't see why the installation would be very expensive. The parts can be expensive if they are decorator models: If the plumber just brought a catalog and you pointed to the sparkliest one, that can be a pricey.
I've had some outrageous quotes for jobs, I think contractors do it when they really don't want the work (they are already busy, the job is too hard, too small, whatever). It's easier just to give a very high bid than to go into an explanation of why they don't want the job, and maybe 10% of the people say "yes" anyway. If so, they are happy to do the work for the crazy price they quoted.

Point-of-use water heaters: No advice except that in the past I've experienced some annoying temperature fluctuations with the type of serial water heater setup you're building: Initially the water (from the PoU holding tank) is very warm, then the temp decreased as the long run of cold water in the pipes swamped the ability of the small PoU heating element to get it warm before it left the heater, then an increase in temps when the water from the main WH arrived. This was in a shower, where a 5 degree temp variation is noticeable, it probably wouldn't be a problem when washing dishes. Be sure to account for future servicing of the water heater (be able to get to it) and insist on a catch tray under it that drains to a harmless spot. I'd also put in a water leak alarm (about $20, an easy self-install job). The high surface area-to-volume ratio of these small units will not win any prizes for energy efficiency when compared to a bigger WH. The heat lost through the tank wall and connecting pipes will be heating your house, which might be good or bad.

As an aside: The small "very hot" water heaters (for making instant coffee, soup, etc) seemed to have a poor reputation for reliability/longevity. I looked into them, decided against it.

 

[MRG]

Kinda reminds me of my last auto repair - parts charged at 2x retail.

I worked 1 year (1977) at an auto parts distributer. Every time a part changed hands it doubled in price. Good to know nothing much has changed.

MRG

 

[TromboneAl]

I bought the above sink, which actually comes with the faucet included.

Charging $900 for a sink just gives me a bad feeling for that company.

I got another estimate of $300 (compared with the $510) for the straight install. This guy gets top reviews on Angie's list, and sounds good. I'll get that done, and then do the under sink heater myself (one reviewer said it took 10 minutes to install it) after getting advice from the plumber.

I'll stay with the current disposal -- if it goes bad, I can replace that myself.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[calmloki]

Glacier bay is pretty lightweight stuff - consider applying some sort of sound damping material to the bottom of the basin while it's out. Maybe tape/mask the drain hole and spray the bottom with a heavy rubbery coating? Might make all the difference in sound - BMW door close vs. Yugo door close kinda difference.

 

[TromboneAl]

Glacier bay is pretty lightweight stuff - consider applying some sort of sound damping material to the bottom of the basin while it's out. Maybe tape/mask the drain hole and spray the bottom with a heavy rubbery coating? Might make all the difference in sound - BMW door close vs. Yugo door close kinda difference.

Well, it is 18 gauge, which is what the plumber recommended.

For sound, are you talking about running the garbage disposal, or just putting dishes in it?

 

[travelover]

........ Maybe tape/mask the drain hole and spray the bottom with a heavy rubbery coating? ....

This stuff (Roof Gutter Repair Tape, 6" - Amazon.com) works pretty well as damping material for sheet metal like a SS sink.

 

[meierlde]

Here is the estimate for replacing our 22x33 sink with a single bowl stainless sink:

The first thing that strikes me is that they would charge about $900 for a sink. I can get this sink for $219. How is their markup justified?

Also, $360 for a garbage disposal (with installation)??

Any comments on the estimate, or advice in general?

We are going to add a point-of-use water heater, since we're tired of waiting for the water to heat up with our tankless full-house system. Anybody have experience with a tankless or tanked under sink unit?

Thanks,

Al

One other possiblity other than a point of use heater is to install a return line so the water circulates back to the water heater, with a ciculating pump to move the water (some of these come with timers see home depot or lowes web sites).

 

[calmloki]

Well, it is 18 gauge, which is what the plumber recommended.

For sound, are you talking about running the garbage disposal, or just putting dishes in it?

Thinking the sound when utensils are tossed in or the sides/bottom are hit. I like Travelover's 6" tape idea even better than spraying on a coating. Most sinks will have a tape pad maybe 6x6 to damp noise/vibration - I'd guess more = better. I'm more familiar with Glacier bay as faucets, where they are the low cost option - that sink is a beauty though!

 

[Katsmeow]

Well, I looked up the sink you linked to and it doesn't look like a very good sink. I don't know what sink they were going to install. So I don't know what kind of markup they are charging. If they were supplying a sink similar in quality to the one you would supply I would think the markup was too much.

I would certainly almost always prefer to supply my own sink but I would select one of higher quality.

 

[ohfrugalone]

I had my kitchen redone a few years ago. I wanted the good quality stainless steel - no matter what I wasn't gonna buy the thin stuff and bought a display they were selling at Home Depot - I think like $100.00 - it didn't come with the strainers and it was a double bowl. can't remember the brand, but it wasn't the thin stuff, and very deep. That kind of deal doesn't come around that often though. In retrospect I probably did not need such a huge sink - I got the counters to fit the sink.

Bought my disposal there also, I think it was less than 3/4 hp, someone in my research time, said I would never need that much power = but it was a few hundred, and bought the faucet - cheapo faucet, but it was a Moen - there are two brands of faucets to always buy Moen, and I can't remember the 2nd. No problems in 6 years with my cheapo faucet.

The plumber installed everything - + some parts, + installed my new dishwasher in a few hours for like $600.00. Which I was satisfied with. That was a great plumbing company, not cheap I don't think but did excellent work and didn't look to pad the bill because they charged enough to start with.

I probably did all of that for only about $200 more than your sink - including the price of the Bosch dishwasher.

 

[TromboneAl]

New Sink Installed!

Based on the advice here, and the rereading of reviews, I took the Glacier Bay sink back to Home Depot, and ordered a top-of-the-line Kohler K3373-4-NA for $626. Had the plumber install it yesterday, for $300.

Looks good, and there's now enough space underneath for a mini-tank heater.

Most of the installation cost went to modifying the hole in the counter.

 

[F4mandolin]

Looks good. And I really appreciate it that you didn't put in one of those little round sinks that are so popular now.......I really don't get why people buy those things. I like to wash dishes in the sink, my wife likes the dishwasher. Both worlds covered.