Got 2 estimates

11 years ago

I've contacted 4 kitchen remodeling companies, and 2 have given me estimates. The other 2 are either not interested or are very slow, it's been 2 weeks at least since they came out and measured.

Anyway, the first estimate gave me sticker shock. It was $25-$30K, depending on materials I choose. It did include a lot of things in addition to the cabinets, flooring, new lighting, removal of soffits, insulating the 2 exterior walls, new drywall.

The second estimate is for $16K. That does not include removal of soffits, insulating the exterior walls, or new lighting, It does include Corian counters, and a tile backsplash.

Both include moving the fridge, and therefore some new electrical. Both include new flooring.

I naturally wanted 3 or 4 estimates. But now that I've gotten these two, I'm leaning towards the $16K quote. What do you all do? Would you press on, getting more estimates?

The second estimate includes $650 for undercabinet lighting. I don't doubt that the fixtures and a liscenced electrician warrant that. But I'm wondering if there are stick on led lights that will work adequately and save me 6 hundred.

Featured Answer

omelet

11 years ago

It's helpful to be very clear what you want, and have contractors give you a bid on that, and if they recommend additional work have them provide that as a separate quote. We have faced a similar situation in that we ask for bids on a job and contractors want to add more and more to it. It's hard to know whether the additions are real things that should be done that we overlooked, or whether they are add-ons to make it more lucrative for the contractor. If they are provided separately then it is helpful to evaluate the different bids and get second/third opinions on whether you want to include the additional work.

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Comments (7)

Nothing Left to Say
11 years ago
Both seem on the low side to me, though it's hard to say not knowing how many and what kinds of cabinets and so on. It's also difficult to compare them since they are not apples to apples. How did you find these contractors? Have you checked references? Seen any of their work? Made sure they are licensed and insured?
Danielle Waters
11 years ago
I would wait and get at least one more, those quotes are too far apart and contain different work to get an accurate idea. I got 3 different quotes for complete gut and remodel and they were all in the 120-140 thousand dollar range for a 9 x 15 kitchen with no structural work, but I live in a high cost of living area. But those quotes are closer together and give a more accurate picture. Don't let cost be the only factor. Quality is just as important. I decided that I would change my project scope to only the things that really mattered to keep my budget reasonable and maintain quality work.
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practigal
11 years ago
You have two different quotes; they are not a true comparison. Your real issue is that you might change your mind. To keep costs in check, you need to be completely clear on what you want and not change your mind- that will also make it possible for you to get very comparable quotes.

Do you know what is driving the cost? I had one guy quote me $35,000 but $20,000 of it was the cabinets (I had no idea soft close cabinets could be so costly-oh dear, he was telling a fib). When I told him I would be happy to buy cabinets from IKEA under those circumstances, he immediately wanted to revise all other aspects of his quote. At that point I knew he was dishonest unreliable and it was time to move on.

It may well be that you were not clear enough and exactly what you wanted and that is why the other two companies did not bother to respond.

Do all of these contractors have great reputations? Are they actually doing the work or are they subbing it out? It could be the difference in the quotes is that one contractor is hiring everybody to do the work and in the other the contractor is doing it.
User
11 years ago
Average is 55K, so both quotes are low. I would be much less inclined to work with Mr. Lowball, as the quality of materials at that price has to be in the basement.
kaethyshouse
Original Author
11 years ago
Ah, yes, I should wait for the other two. LOL. Good thing I have this community to talk to. My impatient nature is coming through.

I should have mentioned my kitchen is small, 9.5 by 6. The relocating of the fridge and moving over the range a bit will mean electrical work, but no new plumbing.

They are good local remodeling companies, not just a contractor. I'm on Angie's List. They are licensed and insured.

When the companies came out I was detailed and specific about what I wanted. The first company added in changing the light fixtures without asking me if I wanted that, second company assumed I didn't want that. But I believe the second guy picked up that I don't want to go "all out".

I've had different responses to the insulation request. The second company said he would leave my walls intact, and have insulation blown in from the outside. Then he left that out of his estimate. I forget what the other 2 estimators said when they were here, ya know, it's been a couple weeks.

Oh, also, the second company wanted a $5K deposit, and another $6K the day they start. I had the impression it would be 1/3 up front, 1/3 half way thru, 1/3 on completion. Is this unusual?
stephanj
11 years ago
I am spending $30K, with not-high-end features, and my undercab LEDs are costing $700, so the higher quote was not unreasonable. I agree with practigal - you need to do more research on exactly what kind of finishes you want, and know what the cost is of the materials - a tile backsplash could be anywhere from 300-3,000. I budgeted $1K for my electrical, and it turned into $5K once we got the cabinets out and saw what was in the walls (needed total re-do). That $16K seems like "blue sky thinking" to me, I would ask for an itemized list on how he came up with that number, if you haven't got it already.