This is the "fine print" that goes with all of our service agreements or verbal agreements. We post it in advance for everyone to see. Our goal is to help our clients and potential clients understand what we can promise and what the limitations are in doing our work.
APPLICABLE TO ALL WORK WE DO:
If you request additional work beyond what we originally agreed to, including trips to tile stores for custom products, we have to bill extra for the additional work at our standard hourly rate. Also change orders and delays/waiting time will be billed extra. All downpayments and deposits are not refundable because we block off time for the work and have to pay our people for that time. If a progress payment is not made on schedule or if a down payment or progress payment is returned by the bank, we reserve the right to cancel all credit and require payment in full to date, or payment in advance before continuing. Any balances not paid within 30 days of job completion and final billing will bear interest at the rate of 1% per month. Our normal work week is Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Since we have to pay our workers 8 hours even if you require a shorter workday for any reason we will still bill a full 8 hours at normal rates. If you have any unusual requirements please inform us as soon as possible so we can avoid misunderstandings. We sometimes work weekends when the job requires it or if the client permits, or for some commercial jobs when that is the only time the work can be done. We may take pictures or film a video for which we reserve all rights. If for some reason you don't want us to do this please tell us before we begin the work. Whether or not our paper contract is signed, having us come to do the work listed on the contract acts as acceptance of the tasks, terms and prices listed. Not all shades of caulk or grout can be reproduced with precision, but most shades can be approximated. Sometimes clients ask us to do work in a way that, while it may be common practice among other tile contractors, is not in harmony with standards of the industry, such as TCNA guidelines. If we agree to do this in certain cases, the work will not be under any warranty, and we expressly refuse to honor any damage claims in any form that results from this approach. Usually clients request these approaches because they experience an immediate advantage - either lower cost or faster completion time. Examples would be: not using recommended amounts of plywood under tile floor, or applying tile on tile without time consuming scarifying. We encourage clients to consider not only the immediate advantage, but also the possible long term cost as well. We don't share the immediate advantage, and we won't share the long term cost in that case. When last minute scheduling or interruption of our trade work by other contractors makes it impractical to obtain specified materials we will use a reasonable substitute to meet construction deadlines but this may affect our warranty. When an installation technique is specified that contradicts our knowledge of a superior way to do the job we reserve the right to do it the way we understand is correct. If in the process of doing a job our experience indicates that there is a better way to do it we reserve the right to do it that way. Grout based on Portland cement, the most common type, needs to be sealed after application (at least 3 days after it has dried to allow it to cure correctly). When we quote the price of grouting it assumes a standard sanded or unsanded grout will be used, if customer wants epoxy or modified epoxy grouts there will be an additional charge. When we quote demolition our price assume that all fixtures such as mirrors, toilets, vanities, shower doors etc. have already been removed by the appropriate tradesman before we arrive. Unless otherwise specified our grouting prices assume the use of one quarter inch joints on floors and one eighth of an inch on walls. Sanded grout is always an extra charge on walls. The final payment for the work may not be held back while we are waiting to apply the clear sealer. Only half of the amount that specifically applies to the sealer my be withheld. Clear sealer will not change the color or gloss or the appearance of the tile/stone. In fact, it will not look different at all - but the grout will be less porous and therefore last longer and soils will not sink it as deeply. It's designed to make cleaning and maintenance easier and more effective. In showers, it helps to some degree to make the grout water resistant, but regular grout has never been waterproof. We offer this service of sealing the grout, but you can do it instead if you prefer. Five percent deposit to reserve construction start date, thirty five percent down, an additional fifty percent when two thirds completed (For installations where substrate is already prepared for tile this point is reached when field tile is half set; for installations when we have to do demolition or prepare the substrate that means when we begin to tile, for jobs that are unusual that don't fit either of these criteria we will determine a two thirds point.) materials (if any) before ordered, and the remaining balance of ten percent upon completion. Almost all work we do can cause dust. If you are planning a remodeling project such as tile installation or marble polishing, please understand that this dust is something we try to minimize, but even with our best efforts, a coating of dust will travel throughout the building or home where we are working. A final post construction cleaning by a professional cleaning company is a very normal part of the remodeling process. If you prefer us to pay for this additional cleaning, please let us know before we set the pricing, since it's not industry standard to include detailed post construction cleaning as part of the core job. Maybe it should be, but so far it's not common. To keep our quotes comparable to other companies, we generally do not include this cleaning in our pricing. We always reserve the right to adjust tiles, as needed, as we do our work to ensure a quality installation even when specifications indicate we cannot do so. All our schedules are estimates, not promises. Since we have no control over the market for increasing costs of, materials or labor, the prices we quote can only be honored for as long as our suppliers honor the prices quoted to us and we can pay the same wages to our workers. On orders for materials that exceed three thousand dollars clients must buy directly from supplier. Our promise is to do the work the very best way we can, which sometimes takes longer than we estimated. Poor quality contractors finish very fast, often too fast to do a good job. We will try to give you a realistic estimate of the time range the job will take before we begin. When we quote for demolition, since we can't see what is underneath, if when we are doing the work we find that it is a mud job there will be an additional fee as it takes longer. When we cut walls to tile next to sheetrock or plaster the joint between our tile and the sheetrock or plaster will need to be patched, sanded and painted. Patching, sanding and painting require the skills of a different tradesman and cost is not included in our quote. Baseboards, trim pieces, doors and moldings may need to be removed before installation of tile or stone and some repairs. During the process, wood pieces may break or splinter, and may not be able to be reinstalled correctly. In other words, they may be a casualty of the remodeling process, even if we try to be careful in taking them off so we can install the tile. If any woodwork is highly valuable, please let us know and we can try to work around it or cut tile around it. In many cases, the additional labor cost to cut around a wood molding exceeds the cost of the wood, so it makes more sense to replace it afterwards. If parking is not provided we will bill for our parking costs. When there is no onsite dumpster and we need to remove trash there will be a charge for labor and dumping fees.
FOR INSTALLATION OF TILE/STONE:
In general, wall tiles range from 3 to 6 inches in size, and standard floor tiles range from 8 to 13 inches in size. If you have not yet selected a tile, and want a quote, you should know that our quotes are based on standard size tiles. If you change your mind after the quote and decide on installing smaller tiles, it will cost more than larger ones, since it takes longer to install them. Exceptions are 'large format tiles', over 13 inches. Large format tiles also cost extra to install, since they require a more flat subsurface. Some stones are porous and can be stained by tinted grout. The industry standard procedure to minimize this staining is to pre-seal the stone before grouting. Even though we do this, the staining can still happen, and while we do try to remove the staining, it is an additional charge at our hourly rate. Marble, granite, onyx, slate, travertine, limestone and other natural stones shatter more often when being cut, so additional tiles must be purchased to allow for this. All our flooring quotes are done with the assumption that your wood floor joists and subfloors are sufficient for ceramic tile or stone flooring, and your concrete subfloors are free of major cracking or active cracks. If we discover that this is not true after doing demolition, repairing the joists, reinforcing them or replacing them is an extra charge. If we discover that concrete subfloors are heavily cracked or actively cracking, we may recommend an anti-fracture membrane over the concrete to protect the tile from cracking. If we discover that bond inhibiting chemicals or substances, such as grease, paint, mastic, etc. are present and their removal was not included in our original estimate there will be an additional charge to prepare the surface for tile. If tile cracks due to the building settling we are not responsible for the resulting damage this causes. If we submit a quote based on blueprints and include square footages, if there is any discrepancy between the prints and the square footage we listed, the square footage we listed takes precedence. If the actual site is larger than the square footage we listed, there will be a reasonable additional charge. All our wall quotes are based on the assumption that the unexposed studs are sufficient to hold your walls up and support the cement board, and not damaged by water or rot. If they need to be rebuilt, there is an extra charge. If someone else installs the substrate for floors or walls (cement board, plywood, etc.) then we don't have any way of knowing if the work was done correctly beneath the visible surface. Therefore in that case we are only responsible for the work above that person's work, the bond between the tile and substrate, not the entire installation. Our installations offer a 1 year limited warranty - If subfloor meets TCNA (Tile Counsel of North America) standards, for the type of tile being installed, if any defects in our workmanship or materials cause cracks, broken tiles or loose tiles or grout for a 1 year period, we will repair, replace or refund money at our option. We must be allowed to inspect the installation to look at the damage and to repair it if we decide it is repairable. Our total obligation in any case is limited to the amount we were paid by the client. Manufacturer's defects in the tile world include incorrectly gauged tiles, tiles that are not consistent in size. It is impossible to set a clean row of tiles if they vary in size one to the next. We can either reject the shipment of tiles and send them back to the manufacturer, creating delays in completion of the project, or we can proceed to install them if you prefer, but with no assurances that the finished product will look consistent. Even if the tiles are only off by 1/20th of an inch per tile, that still means that after 20 tiles, it will be off by an inch. We know there are time constraints, but we recommend returning them.
FOR TILE/STONE REPAIR:
Client will locate matching tiles to be used and have them on hand before we begin, plus 20% extra for breakage. Color or pattern matching old tiles is frequently misunderstood - although it's true that the car parts industry is very organized about spare parts, the tile industry is not. So you really can buy a spark plug that fits perfectly on your 1968 Corvette, but you may not ever be able to find an exact match to the tile in your kitchen that was installed 6 months ago! So please ask for and keep boxes of extra tiles after a tile contractor does an install. If you want us to go shopping for them, realize that we charge for that time and it may be impossible to find the tile. If an exact match can't be located, you may want to consider doing a decorative replacement - ask us about the possibilities. We try to avoid any floor, wall or tile damage, but we are not responsible for loose tiles, or cracked tiles due to the vibration of the tools needed. If a tiled surface needs repair, it is possible to likely that the original installation was not done correctly, and if so the existing damage may be worse than the property owner realizes. This fact may become clear only after we have exposed the subsurface in mid-repair. In rare cases, the repair needed may be so extensive that it's more economically feasible to replace the entire installation. While that's unfortunate, we still require payment of our time spent up to that point - we don't guarantee in advance that a repair will be feasible and successful anymore than a doctor guarantees that an operation will be successful (or, for that matter, that you will live happily ever after!) When we begin working on one tile, the force of removing old cement, etc, can cause neighboring tiles to become loose and require repair as well. In no way is this an indication of poor workmanship on our part - it has more to do with the quality of the original installation. (Why do we say this? Because tiles installed with good cement coverage on a good subsurface are so hard to get out that they usually shatter into bits and take extreme efforts - so if a chisel blow to a neighboring tile loosens the tile, it was definitely not solid to begin with!) So we view this neighboring tile as part of the original repair and we will replace that tile as well, and bill for the time needed. Cleaning, regrouting, replacing individual tiles and caulking are routine maintenance procedures, not remodeling jobs with full guarantees. In showers and tub surrounds, unless we build the entire installation from the subsurface up, we can't guarantee against moisture leaks and we do not know or guarantee the condition of pipes or surfaces beneath showers. Some stones are porous and can be stained by tinted grout. The industry standard procedure to minimize this staining is to pre-seal the stone before grouting. Even though we do this, the staining can still happen, and while we do try to remove the staining, it is an additional charge at our hourly rate. Marble, granite, onyx, slate, travertine, limestone and other natural stones shatter more often when being cut, so additional tiles must be purchased to allow for this.
FOR REGROUTING:
The average tub surround or shower has grout lines long enough (if they were straightened out, of course) to reach the entire distance of a football field, and then some. It is not humanly possible to guarantee scraping out, say, 300 feet of 1/16 inch thin lines with cement and not end up having our hands slip sometime during the process. That's why we say the following: We try to avoid any wall or tile damage, but we are not responsible for loose tiles, or occasional cracked or scratched tiles due to the vibration of the tools needed, although we will repair any tiles damaged if repair is possible at our standard hourly rate. In showers and tub surrounds, unless we build the entire installation from the subsurface up, we can't guarantee against moisture leaks and we do not know or guarantee the condition of pipes or surfaces beneath showers. After the work is done, we strongly recommend having us replace the caulk lines on an annual basis - caulk lines are the weakest spots of showers or tub surrounds, and they need to be replaced often. Think of the service as an oil change for your car - it's preventive maintenance to help prevent water damage issues. If we quote your regrouting by telephone, the assumptions we use are that you have a standard wall tile - approximately 4" in size and grouted with unsanded grout. If we arrive and find that you have sanded grout in the wall, the job may not be doable at all, since sanded grout is much more costly to remove and will create more scratches during the process. It can be done, but it is not usually advisable on large areas due to the increased cost. It may be more logical to do a heavy duty cleaning on sanded grout, as opposed to removing and replacing it. Also, if you have much smaller tile, the cost may be higher, since smaller tiles have more grout lines. Much larger tiles may deserve a discount for the same reason.
FOR NATURAL STONE RESTORATION AND MARBLE POLISHING:
We make all reasonable attempts, but not all etches or discolorations may be removable from grout or stone. Natural stone has small cracks and pits in some areas; some discoloration and stun marks in some sections, and the polishing process will not fix this. Where existing cracks are, it is possible that they may crack further during the polishing process. Most marble has small dark vein lines in the stone, which are not defects, but natural features and can't be removed. Field restoration of installed stone has inherent limitations over factory polishing, so gloss is not guaranteed to be as uniform as showroom tiles. Grinding, honing and polishing all require water on the surfaces, so surfaces are assumed to be watertight and reasonably level. Bottom edge of walls that border on floor may need stain or paint touch up after the job - we will assist if you select the paint and have it on hand when we're done so we can avoid a special trip. Penetrating sealer is invisible and can be selected in clear type that does not change the appearance of the tile or color enhancing type that adds some gloss and deepens color. Edges next to walls will not match the center of the floor due to the different equipment used to do the edges as opposed to the main part of the floor. Polished marble should be installed with unsanded grout. If we are attempting to polish a marble surface with sanded grout we can not guarantee the quality of the work as the sand may interfere with the polishing process. When we do vanity tops or plumbing fixtures, the work will be of better quality if a plumber first removes the hardware such as faucets and spouts so we can access the stone better. After restoration, we encourage you to use only 'neutral cleaner' for regular maintenance - it is pH neutral so it has no acidity to hurt the stone. We can supply some for you if you would like.
FOR CERAMIC TILE AND GROUT CLEANING:
Water is required on floors - so they are assumed to be watertight and reasonably level. We make all reasonable attempts, but not all etches or discolorations may be removable from grout or tiles. Older tile floors frequently have multiple cracks, and cleaning may make this more apparent. Our process can't create cracks, but it may make them visible if they had been filled with soil. Bottom edge of walls that border on floor may need stain or paint touch up after the job - we will assist if you select the paint and have it on hand when we're done so we can avoid a special trip - this is less likely than with marble polishing, but it can still happen. Clear penetrating sealer is invisible and does not change the gloss or appearance of the floor - it is designed to sink inside the grout, make the grout less porous and make future cleaning efforts more effective. If the cleaning does not create a uniform look in the grout (this is not uncommon), we offer color sealing of the grout lines. Color sealing can't be successfully done if the surface of the tile is rough and 'scratchy' - it works best with tiles that have some level of glaze. Color sealer is durable but does need ongoing re-application or touch up in the future. When you choose color sealer, the same precautions apply as with grout colors - the exact shade may vary from what you expect, but will typically be close to the color sample. Color sealing is much slower than clear sealing, so it costs more.
