What You Need to Know Before Getting an Estimate: Kitchen Edition

There are many aspects that one may not think about when deciding to renovate or remodel a kitchen. Here's what you should consider before getting an estimate...

What to Prepare Before Your Contractor Gives a Kitchen Estimate

Demo

The reason for renovating is not always due to the space being unusable. This might seem silly to ask, but sometimes there are items you may want to keep or repurpose. You might want to reuse your old countertops as an outdoor table, or you might want to keep your kitchen cabinets so you can use them in the garage.

Whatever the case, telling your contractor as early as possible will decrease the risk of those items being broken or discarded during the demo process.

Flooring

Flooring is a recurring job on the renovation list. It is literally the base of every project. When choosing your flooring here are the questions to ask yourself:

Do you want LVP Flooring (Luxury Vinyl Planks) or is tile your vibe?

We do recommend a 100% waterproof LVP flooring if you choose this option. Some LVPs even offer self-healing properties. Say you drop a knife or fork on the floor, LVP might be more forgiving of those unexpected accidents.

Tile is a more expensive option in labor and material costs, but is incredibly durable. If you do decide on tile, think about if you want a large format tile like 12x12, 24x24, or any variations in between.

If you'd like tile, do you want to go with a mosaic?

This will help your contractor have a better understanding of your overall vision for your space.

Cabinets

There are so many staples to choose from...

• painted or stained?

• glass-faced doors? frosted or clear?

• soft close doors?

• What kind of handles, knobs, and hinges?

• What wood do you want your cabinets made out of?

The good thing is those questions do not need to be answered at this stage. The important thing is to have a layout of what cabinets you want and where.

Lowes offers a great service. You can take the measurements of your kitchen and they will give you a layout of what cabinets can fit in your space. This takes the guesswork out of the equation for your contractor, and there is no question about what you are looking for.

Countertops

If you want granite or quartz counters, we do not provide these. If you want laminate counters or butcher block counters we can definitely install these. For butcher block countertops there are a few things to think about.

Do you want a prefinished butcher block or raw wood? Or do you want them sealed with polyurethane? 

If you want us to put a finish on the butcher block, do you want a food-safe finish? This is a good option if you prepare food on your counters, but it does have to be redone every so often to protect the wood.

Backsplash

Backsplash is a great way to add a little flare to your kitchen. It is also a way to have a more wipeable area for preparing and cooking food (cause splashes do happen). Having this in mind will be beneficial for your contractor to know (brownie points if you have decided on the type of tile you would like to use).

Sinks and Faucets

First, decide if you want a single or double sink and if you would like a garbage disposal, this will affect the plumbing costs. No need to decide on the faucet yet, but having the finish you want is helpful (Nickel, Bronze, Brass, Chrome, or Black).

Paint

Paint colors do not have to be decided at this time, but having a sheen in mind can help us tremendously. Do you want Flat, Eggshell, Satin, Semi-Gloss, or Gloss?

We know this is a lot to take in, but having these questions answered before getting an estimate will take a lot of the anxiety out of your project. When your project starts rolling it moves quickly and it is better to have the work done up front. This helps keep you and your contractor on the same page.

Once you have these questions answered, call Landry Renovations and Repair and let us know how we can make your kitchen renovations happen.