Yeah I recall you telling someone you used to live in Thousand Oaks and I thought "I've been there". The SIL is up in the hills a bit, lovely area.

That's more like it, bite his hand off

Ok..............I know it's expensive in LA but that's out of line for what you are describing......go to Home Depot............buy the Book --> Home Improvement 1-2-3 and start perusing. A lot you can do yourself if you're so inclined .....you can at least to the demolition and sub contract out what you can't handle......piece by piece...........but if my DH can redo 3 homes in 2 years then anyone can do it. BTW..........tiling is easy.

Home Depot has 'clinics' every Saturday morning where they show you how to do things. Bunch of fun.

Well I started doing mine 6 months ago Had to scrape the wallpaper first.I'm hoping to get it finished this weekend.This loo is probably 3feet by 3 feet.Just have to paint and put in a new sink and toilet.I decided to start small as I haven't done much DIY.Next up my kitchen

My wife works for a custom home builder. Works out great when she can call in a few favors to get jobs around the house done cheap or even for free. We're getting our 350 sq ft bedroom floor ceramic tiled for $1200 including tile and labor.

$20,000 grand for a tiny bathroom sounds like a rip off.

<Hums> Show me the way to Camarillo......

Darlin, we were quoted $200k to turn a garage into a bedroom and extend a kitchen by 5 foot!

I was thinking that too, but you could expand it to include just flying around the US at large as Mr Fixit-Handy Andy,

To give you some perspective, in June I completed a finish-out of a medical office and I paid a subcontractor just shy of $10k to tile 10 restrooms (floor and 3 walls in each). This was nice 14" Italian tile too.

I think a lot of contractors inflate their prices because they think with people's busy lives that they are too busy to do the work themselves. Tiling is fairly easy to do, I retiled our bathroom floor back in the UK. Fair enough (and much to the wife's disgust) it took me about 3 weekends to do it, but I flatter myself to say that it looked pretty good!

Yup - they will try it on - I'm getting a garage built

First stage - foundation - $1800 inc concrete
Second stage - walls made of cinderblock - $2800 inc block

about $3000 for roof trusses and shingles, doors, siding, elec/plumbing I can do myself

I'm looking to keep things under $12,000 for the structure, things like alarm system/work benches/floor tile are easily added and not budgeted for

this stuff is not pricey at all from Home Depot/Lowes, its the labour that screws you

always get at least three quotes, and let the contractor know that you are getting multiple prices

I've seen something on TV advertising U Build It or something where you are your own contractor. Anyone know of this?

Your quote seems very high.
Admittedly we're in Texas and not California but to tile 800 sq ft of down stair floor cost $3000.
It would be worth watching those wonderful home improvement programs. You could make several lash-ups and still come in well under $50k!

Good luck
PJ

The only thing we'd not do ourselves is the roof or windows..........and we only have a guy put in the windows because he is cheap...........