The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: jamesbond007 on November 02, 2017, 12:07:13 PM
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We are planning to replace our old carpet flooring with laminate. We went to Home Depot to take a look at carpet installation and the estimate was coming to around $4000 for a good carpet that we liked. So, we began exploring laminate for longevity and look. The estimate came to around $5500 to install through out the house (minus bathroom, of course). The area is around 800sft. But when we got the final quote, they say it cost us $7200. When I looked into it, one thing stood out:
1. For houses built before 1978 ... lead paint ... certification...something. They said if I can get the certifications, then they will remove that fees of $1000. What is this certification? How much would it cost?
This experience made me re-think whether I want to install laminate. Cannot fathom spending $7200 for flooring. Is this a normal reasonable estimate for a house that is 800sft (minus bathroom). I went with a laminate that cost me $2/sft. Are there any cheaper/better alternatives?
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Holy shit. Get a second bid. That labor is way too much.
Not sure about the lead paint. That's just...weird. Is it because they'll be cutting/replacing base trim? There's no sanding, right? Even the exterior painters for my place didn't charge extra for a light sanding of the window frames (the siding was replaced so it was just the wood window frames).
Personally, I'd buy the laminate you want and DIY.