I agree - he must have dropped a "1" from his quote - it sounds WAY too low to me - but then I am Cdn. and things just seem to cost more here. We just had the top floor of our 1944 bungalow painted - we used BM Aura paint - and the painters bought the paint (this time it was in fact the "real" BM paint). Last time we had the house painted we had already used BM in one room - and we were quoted a price for BM (I was clear on this) - but found out after they had just tinted a cheap paint with the BM colour - and used BM cans. Our price was about the same as you are paying - of course including our horrendous taxes. The painters we used were 2 ladies that do the painting themselves. We had a second quote from a man who wanted me to buy the paint, move all of the furniture to the centre of the room, buy and cover said furniture with tarps, remove all light fixtures and door hardware etc. What was he going to do? Obviously we (I) moved all of the smaller stuff - end tables, lamps etc. to the basement - it was practically impossible to move down there. If you took his quote and added the paint and tarp costs, they were the same - and of course he would be sending whatever painter he had available at the time - for our small bungalow I expect the student of the week. The ladies did a very good job - and like working with Aura.

Well, after multiple phone calls, and a call to the inspector asking for advice, one of the plumber's "boys" has come in, literally hat in hand, with a job order to do the work at no charge. He says they "didn't know" it was code, and wasn't in their copy of the code book, and that, furthermore, the city guy wasn't a "real" plumbing inspector. Say what?! He's been there 25 years, has the uniform, the truck, and the badge. I am just floored. This is a large company with multiple crews, and I have dealt with them for nearly thirty years, albeit, never on a complete replumb.

Pictures are great, but also include the following details: Location: where is the plant physically located - details like city, state, and country are important; if you don’t want to say specifically where you live then something like “in the Atlanta area” to give some general idea. Please don’t just say “zone 6” or “my sister’s house”, that is not enough! Inside plant (house plant) or outside plant? Garden vs. wild: is this plant growing in a garden or does it seem like someone planted it originally? Is it a wild plant, growing in forest, a nature preserve, on the side of the road? Is the plant in a special environment like a bog or a wetland? Type of plant: for outside plants, does this seem to be a woody plant like a tree or a shrub or more of an herbaceous plant that will die to the ground come winter? Does it seem like a vine? Have you seen any special characteristics like thorns, fruits or seeds? Look at the back of the leaf - is it colored, hairy or smooth? Physical characteristics: is it evergreen or deciduous (does it keep it’s leaves or lose them in the winter)? How are the leaves arranged - are they opposite one another or alternate along the stem? If it’s a tree, can you describe the bark? Are the stems hairy or smooth ? What is the size/height of the plant? Do the leaves have a distinctive smell if you rub or crush them? Flowers: have you ever seen flowers and if so can you describe them? What color, how many petals, are they fragrant, growing in clusters or singly? What time of year does it flower? Fruit/seeds: have you seen any and can you describe it? Please don’t taste any unknown fruit!

Additional Information . We also need to know something about you and your family. We're not being nosey, we need this information to help both you and us understand how your space will be used now and in the near future. Please answer the following questions: What are your goals? E.g., more counter space, more storage, seating in the kitchen (island? peninsula? table?), etc. What is your family composition? Adults? Children? Age ranges of children? Current? Future? How many kitchen workers are there? Cook(s)? Cleanup? Helpers? Now? Future? (E.g., if you have young children, plan for them to be helping out very, very soon as you begin to teach them to help out and, eventually, cook. Also, plan for them as teens for "sizing" since that will also arrive much sooner than you think!) Do you or anyone in your home cook? (No, this is not a facetious question. Some people do not cook and their kitchen is a show place only. If that is what works for you & your family, that's fine! We just need to know that.) How do you see your kitchen used? -- Just for cooking/cleaning up? -- Children doing homework while you cook? -- Party place? -- Something else? Do you entertain a lot? If so, formal? Informal? Do you want your kitchen to be a "hang out" place? Parties only? Everyday? Do you have a separate DR? Do you use it frequently? Infrequently? If infrequently, do you want to begin using it more frequently (e.g., for daily/nightly family meals)? Would you like to open up the kitchen to adjacent areas? Close it up? Do you plan to merge two rooms/areas (e.g., Nook and Kitchen into a Kitchen only) Do you have a basement under the Kitchen space? Crawl space? Slab? Where are you flexible? -- Can windows or doorways change size? -- Can windows or doorways be moved or eliminated? -- Can windows be raised/lowered? -- Does the sink have to be centered under a window? -- Does it have to be under a window at all? (Sinks under windows are an old paradigm left over from the pre-Dishwasher days. Today, we spend far, far less time cleaning up; in fact, the majority of our time spent working in the Kitchen today is spent prepping.) Note: The more constraints you put on a space (e.g., sink centered under a window, not willing to move plumbing, electric, or gas lines), the fewer options there are. So, be sure any limitations/constraints you mention are true constraints. You could say you would like something to not be moved/changed or placed in a certain location, but if it is not a must or truly impossible, then mention it is a preference but that you would consider something different. BTW...do not assume something is "too expensive" to do...check around before assuming, you may be pleasantly surprised at how little it costs! (E.g., if you have a basement, moving water or gas is generally relatively inexpensive.) If one can be fit... Do you bake a lot and do you want a Baking Center? Do you want a coffee/tea/beverage center? Do you want a snack center? Appliances... What appliances do you plan on having (it helps to figure out work flow, work zones, and types of cabinets...upper/lower vs full height, etc.)? Range or Cooktop or Rangetop? Single or Double or no Wall Oven? Warming Drawer? MW? (Advantium, MW Drawer, OTR MW/Hood, countertop, built-in, shelf?) DW? Standard or drawers? If drawers, 1 or 2? Refrigerator (French Door (FD), SxS, or all-fridge/freezer? Counter-depth (CD), standard-depth, or built-in?) True ventilation hood? Other? Sizes of desired appliances (e.g., 30" or 36" or 48" cooktop; 36" or 42" or 48" wide or other Refrigerator? etc.) Pantry... Built-in or cabinets? -- Types of built-in: Reach-in, Step-in, Walk-in -- Note that built-in pantries are the most cost effective and the most functional. In the Kitchen or outside the Kitchen (e.g., Mudroom or hall)? . ***** Very Important ***** Is there anything you: Cannot live without? Definitely do not want? Would like if you can find a way? . All of this information will be valuable to not only you, but also any Kitchen Designers (KD) you may hire or talk to. (If a KD doesn’t ask you these questions, I would seriously consider finding another KD.) Additionally, if you have been haunting the site, you will have noticed that we also help with almost all aspects of a remodel. If you do ask for help, then all of the above information will help us help you. Sometimes we stray from what you think you want to give you some ideas that you might not have thought of, but this is your kitchen and you can veto anything...we may argue for something (we are very good at that!), but in the end it is what you want. And remember, we are just giving you ideas and layout options, in the end when you finalize your design it is whatever you want and decide on! After all, this is your kitchen! [Keep this advice in mind if/when you use a Kitchen Designer or when dealing with a Contractor -- again, this is your kitchen, not his or hers...do not let them talk you into anything unless you are sure it is what you want! Remember, you will work in this Kitchen for years to come, the Contractor or KD will not. You will see it every day; they will walk away when done and never see it again. So, be sure it's what you want. Listen to what they say so you can make an informed decision, but in the end any decisions should be yours.] Good luck!