I have a 10k limit to remodel my kitchen. Does anyone have any good leads as to good contractors?
Kitchen Design,Photos,Products,Kitchen Remodeling,Kitchen Cabinet
I have a 10k limit to remodel my kitchen. Does anyone have any good leads as to good contractors?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
10K is enough if you do it right and don’t hire a contractor that does not give you a fixed price for what you want. There are a lot of contractors that leave remodels “open ended” on the contract and once they get you to sign you will have to pay whatever it costs. Do not use small time remodelers that don’t have a line of credit to get fixtures and materials without asking for an “up front” deposit to buy the materials etc. If you have a local ‘Angies List’ organization in your area you can get a subscription to their list of contractors that are ‘customer recommended’. You can buy ready built cabinets vs custom ones and save big bucks. You can buy brand new ’scratch and dent’ or ‘discontinued’ appliances and also save. Look for flooring distributors in your area that are running sales on products, they do it all the time. Most importantly, decide what you want, draw up a simple diagram and list of materials you would like to use, and shop around before you call a contractor. An average complete kitchen remodel that includes walls, floors, built-ins, appliances, cabinets, and lighting etc, will probably cost well over 10,000.00 if you use any of the bigger contractors. They love complete kitchen remodels because the customer usually replaces everything and the payout is huge. You also want a contractor, if you find the one you want, that WILL SHOW UP EVERYDAY AND WORK UNTIL THEY FINISH THE JOB! There are reams of court case across the US that concern shoddy workmanship or unfinished jobs by ‘contractors’. Also it wouldn’t hurt to contact the BBB in you area if you find a contractor you like to make sure they do not have claims filed against them. Best of luck.
If you have the time, I’d suggest starting out a bit differently. The web should help make this easy. I’d start out by getting an idea of what what appliances you want, what syle, color/finish, etc. Then I’d do the same for cabinets and countertops. While 10k sounds like a not, sadly that is not a huge budget if you want to redo everything.
So first I’d get a list that says what I want, details the style,color of it, and the look. Then I’d go to Home Depot design center (don’t bring a checkbook lol). Sit down with a specialist, see what they have that you want, get some quotes. Then I’d look up remodeling in your yellow pages or other resource guide and call someone and get a quote. Last I’d check out a midsource appliance dealer ie not as big as Sears, not as small as a hole in the wall. The key is you want to find one that does good volume and is part of a buying group. To compete with the major retailers they all buy together but you get more of the personal touch. When Sears botched my fridge order badly I ended up buying from one and found their prices comparable but they offered much more service and had some stunning full kitchen remodels. I’d go talk to them and repeat what I suggested for Home Depot. (btw if at all possible I wouldn’t suggest the Depot…dunno if it’s the same in your state but here there was a huge expose that they were using unqualified outside contractors. So if considering them I’d triple check that out first). But if you have their pricing you can compare quotes and have something to negotiate withl
Last thought, do you belong to any of the big wholesale clubs? Bj’s, Sams, Costco, Price Club etc? Some of them have pricing on cabinets etc. Couldn’t hurt to get some prices. And of course if you can ask you neighbors to find out the good and bad, that might be wise too.
Wish I knew someone near you, but hope these suggestions help a bit!