Please "Truth" my Kitchen Remodel Quote

9 years ago

Hi there. Got the quote back for our remodel. House is a 1962 brick ranch (2300 sq ft) in nice neighborhood Charleston, SC on crawl space. The remodel includes a 12x12 Kitchen, mudroom being converted to extra bedroom, adding a powder room (in mudroom), 6 new windows in the front of the house and taking down paneling and putting up dry wall in room adjacent to kitchen. The house is worth 270 - 300K. We owe about 180K.

Kitchen - Complete rip-out down to studs, new floor hardwood floor to match existing floor. Floor has some water damage due to leaky pipe. New everything. Running gas to stove which is currently right behind a wall. Taking down a wall separating the dinning room and kitchen (beam may be needed for this).

Mud Room/ 4th bedroom - the mudroom is a well-converted single car garage remodeled 1998. Our plans are to make a small guest bedroom, keep our laundry here and add a powder room. This room is just off the kitchen. It needs new floor, a dividing wall with pocket doors, dry wall. Powder room would need plumbing, electric, fixtures, dry wall etc.

The quote is for about 57K (remodel) + 12K (contractor fee?) = 69K. Which is expense to me. I am working with contractor that has a good rep around here. I asked him to trim his number and he basically nicely told me that there was a lot of work to do here, so that's the price. Had another quote where the cabinets alone were 22K.

Please look over the attached and tell me if you think this is reasonable for what we want done. Thank you !! Really need some advice here.

Comments (12)

GreenDesigns
9 years ago
Way cheap for the amount of work involved. Those are probably builder grade components. Not to mention that everything is an allowance. So many allowances are trouble waiting to happen on the budget front, because you will go over on most of them.

You really should spec out the components that you want on the front end, then get bids. That way you would be comparing apples to apples.
dcward89
9 years ago
I'm am by no means an expert at any of this remodeling stuff but...my only comment is that $1,500 for 6 windows seems like a really low price. I would question the quality of window you are getting for that.
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Fori
9 years ago
Are you sure that window charge is not just for washing the existing windows? :P

I'm in a different market but that seems really low, even though it is still a lot of money. You're getting a lot done!
live_wire_oak
9 years ago
22K for cabinets is closer to what I'd expect for the space, if it's done up to GW and Houzz standards. 12K for cabinets is a basic kitchen.

Overall, I think you've gotten a lowball quote, and he plans to make up for it with those allowances. You will be hard pressed to stay within them without a lot of restraint as to your choices.And you probably won't be happy with the materials that fall within the price of those allowances.

If this quote is over your budget, then I think you need to reassess the scope of your project and reduce that. The only way to get the price down is to make the job smaller, or DIY significant portions of it.
Vertise
9 years ago
Agree the windows are frighteningly low. You need to research yourself to understand and find the quality you are willing to spend. Same with cabinets. $12500 vs $22000 is quite a difference in quotes. Know what you want. Don't let them pick your cabinets.

Once you know exactly what you want, clearly and simply outline the work to be done to get several estimates apples to apples. Since you are not wanting to spend a fortune, start simple with the basic requirements. You will be surprised at how much things cost. You can adjust from there if you have more to spend. Or keep saving.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Fri, Sep 26, 14 at 11:45
Gooster
9 years ago
I'll just add that it looks like a bargain to me for that much work. I would expect and plan to go over. As people noted, plenty of people can build and select items for these type of allowances, but they will be more builder grade.

The one area for a small trim: The 6K for countertops will likely get you some level of stone; you could choose laminate or tile for potentially less. (I see no tile allowance, btw).

Matching wood can get expensive, depending on what is there already -- your allowance there could be very low as well. There are more cost effective choices if you need to trim.

I agree the window quote is scary low -- yikes.
blfenton
9 years ago
You need to get out there and research the price of things that you want and the price of things you will settle for.

Examples - allowance of $6000 for counter. How much counter space do you have and is that allowance based on laminate or granite and if granite you need to go and price the grade of granite you love and that which you will settle for.

Allowance of $5000 for appliances - do you want that Wolfe range and double ovens and big fridge or are you willing to find scratch and dent sales or package sales,

Allowance of 750 for kitchen and bathroom lighting and $1500 for plumbing fixtures - again - you will be shopping at home depot for sale items to come near those allowances (nothing wrong with that but just pointing it out)

If you haven't done so yet, you need to go and price those things that you have control over and are your choice and if you can't come under or near the allowances as stated in the quote.you're in trouble before you start.
sjhockeyfan325
9 years ago
you're in trouble before you start.

I agree, because I think you've put the proverbial cart before the horse. You need to do a whole lot of research into what finishes, appliances and fixtures you want before you will be able to intelligently analyze any bid, and especially one that comes with so many "allowances". Also, you need to get a few more bids.

With that said, I think I can say with assurance, having just finished remodeling our condo, that the bid is pretty low for the work proposed to be done.
cookncarpenter
9 years ago
Ask him if he will stick to that 12K fee when all the allowances go over, (which they will) ...and watch him squirm ;-)
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
I just put (5) windows and (2) french doors in for about $17,000.00. Yes, these were hurricane doors and windows but in SC, you may need those too, depending on where you're at.

If my sales skills were so poor that I had to have my proposals "truthed" on GW, I'd die of embarrassment.
hsw_sc
9 years ago
This post is strictly MHO. I lived in Charleston for 20 years (having recently located out-of-state) and have many close friends who are contractors there. I find this to be pretty low-ball, (especially for Charleston, but mostly for the scope of work involved). I infinitely agree with others about the window quote, too low! You know Charleston weather, you have to batten down the hatches and cheap windows do NOT cut it. $6K for counters, but $12K for cabs? Odd. Is this a new-ish contractor? Have you checked real references? I'd be interested to know who it is since you said he has a "good rep". Who is he kin to? I ask this last question only half-jokingly.

Where is this home? WA, James Island, Park Circle, Mt. P? I ask because different contractors in different areas of town give different quotes.

Let me give some perspective. My last house was a 1930 build, with 1998 build-on by the previous owners. Riverland Terrace on James Island. My mini-model of our kitchen consisted of only new counters and a sink for a 18x18ish kitchen with a 4x6 island, a bar, and an L. Marble and soapstone. $4600. Repair of drywall and painting of a small upstairs bath:$500. Laying of new hardwood flooring for a 13x21 FR and back hall: $5500. Repair of storm flashing and brickwork on chimney: $600. I could go on and on (hey, it was an old house with old house problems). All of this was done piece-meal and done on "Family Discount" by seasoned contractors, master carpenters, etc who mainly worked SOB and Kiawah. Good guys, hard workers, and (luckily for us) good friends that wanted to help us with our old house.

Trebuchet Yes, these were hurricane doors and windows but in SC, you may need those too, depending on where you're at.

I had to chuckle a bit at this. In the Low Country, hurricanes are always a threat. Heck, a heavy rain is a threat! We used to wave board the downtown streets after a rain! ;)

I wish you luck, rtkothe. Take a bit more time interviewing people and getting more quotes. Maybe doing smaller projects over time would be the best bet and bang for your buck in the end.
christina222_gw
9 years ago
I hate to pile on but that is a scary looking quote. You do not want a quote with all those "allowances." As others have said, shop around and specify every item, require the exact make, model and price of the items to be used (cabinets, sink, faucet, windows, doors, appliances.) Get your square footage for counters, backsplash and flooring and price out what you think you'll use. The vague quote above is a road map to either disappointment (cheap materials) or massive budget overruns.

Please "Truth" my Kitchen Remodel Quote

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GreenDesigns

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