Hiring Kitchen Remodeling Contractors
There are few rooms in your home more important than your kitchen. That’s why it’s so important to hire professional kitchen remodeling contractors when it’s time to remodel. Underneath its surface, the kitchen is quite complex – between plumbing, gas lines, electric wires and solid construction, it takes a lot of specialized knowledge to put together a great kitchen. Unfortunately, not every homeowner knows what to look for when hiring renovation contractors. Fortunately, we can answer some common questions you may have about hiring contractors.
How many estimates should I get?
Getting a good spread of estimates is necessary for getting a good deal. Too few and you can’t form a solid opinion on how much your project should cost and how much you’re prepared to spend; too many and you can find yourself paralyzed by choice and unable to remember which contractor said what. Three is your best choice – with three estimates you get an obvious high, low and median bid. However, if you’re in an area with a lot of solid kitchen remodeling contractors, you can go as high as five estimates.
What should my estimate include?
The bulk of a remodeling estimate comes in material, labor and the contractor’s commission. Material includes not only the cost and amount, but its projected availability – you don’t want to be surprised mid-project if that particular granite countertop is back-ordered. Labor should include a projection of the work-hours needed to complete your project, to better help with schedule. Commission is simply the contractor’s payment – kitchen remodeling contractors tend to collect 15-25%.
How do I choose between contractors?
The best way to determine which contractor is right for you is by checking out their past work. Kitchen remodeling contractors will have some way for you to see the kind of work they do. Most will have a showroom or books with photos of previous projects. Some may maintain model homes, or arrange a tour of a recently-completed kitchen renovation. You can also cross-check customer references to see what other homeowners have to say.
Choosing the kitchen remodeling contractors who are right for your remodeling project is the biggest decision you’ll make. Once you know what to look for, you can make that decision with confidence.