You get an architect, who will do the design , consider the load bearing wall issues, and you get a kitchen designer to design the kitchen within that new envelope. Then you interview contractors based on the recommends of both those professionals, the arch, and the pro KD.

There is no such thing as a ballpark estimate. Your total remodel cost will consider the framing and all plumbing, electrical rough in, all flooring if new and the install, and also the install of all cabinetry , appliances, etc. and a whole lot more right down to paint on the walls.

With no design, there is no estimate. From anyone.

You will need permits, drawings, ...........there is no point to rip, and design and build as you "gut". Unless you have a totally wide open PURSE in combination with tremendous amounts of faith.

There are some benefits to a design/build firm, but most people want an architect working for them and not for the builder.

Never play a game where the referees have the same uniform on as the other team.

They are doing what is actually possible without you paying for some design work. Look at those average costs of past projects of the firms to get a feel. Were they 200k ballpark projects or 600K ballpark? What level of details were included? Custom cabinets or stock box store ones? Flush in the ceilings support beams or a big header hanging down? Salvaged $18 white oak floors or $6 rotary peeled veneer red oak engineered? $39 quartz counters or $300 quartzite?

The devil is in the details. Someone has to narrow those design details down and translate them to the construction world to get an actual priceable job.

You yourself can start by getting an idea of the major players finish costs. Investigate why some custom cabinets are $2000 a foot vs the $100 stock import. Every material you are thinking of using will have similar cost/quality ranges. So figure out where your wants/ideas are landing you cost wise. There is no substitute for leg work, yours or the paid professional’s.

Materials on an ambitious home remake sometimes are only 1/4 to 1/5 of the costs though. The big cost drivers are the overall scope itself. Taking down walls means more than just putting new floors in the addition. It means redoing them all to match. That can be a 40K expense by itself.

Jan’s advice is what needs to be done. How could someone give you an estimate without a plan honestly how would that work . Think about it you call a cabinet maker to get pricing on your kitchen but you don’t know how many cabinets or for that matter the size of the kitchen, you need aplan.

We have worked with some amazing and talented design-build firms who have the attention to design detail, as well as construction. This may not be standard but one we work with gives a base price per sqft and then goes up from there depending on the design features wanted.

I would focus on laying out a specific plan of what you are wanting; demo, construction (be specific), plumbing changes, electrical, etc. Get as specific as you can! Then, take your detailed "plan" to multiple firms to get quotes along with your existing floor plan. Ask for a itemized price list so you know each firm is comparing apples to apples, so to speak. From there I would look at their portfolios of work. Look at their past work with a critical eye and ask yourself if that's the style and level of work you would want in your home. Make sure you are not hiring just a contractor who labels them self as a "design-build firm" but one who has an actual design eye for detail.

Also, searching here on Houzz is a good starting point. You can view their portfolios and even reach out to their reviewers and get very specific detail regarding their experience.

Hope this helps!

Without paying for design work, no one is going to do anything other than give you a wide ballpark. No contractor will give you line item estimates for a nonexistent plan either. Not unless you pay them for putting together a proposal.

Free work does not exist. You pay for it one way or another. If you do it, its your massive amount of wasted time and industry unfamiliarity that creates errors and costs you more. If someone else does it, it’s the bigger up front costs that end up being cheaper in the end because of less mistakes.

Renovations and additions start at about double the price of new construction. And only go up from there. If $400 a square for your ideas is too steep, then you might as well forget the project all together. That’s the bare bones cost some place cheap. It can be more than double that in places with a HCOL.