How can I make my job appealing to contractors?

7 years ago

First off, let me acknowledge we have probably messed up but we're looking for ideas on how to move forward. After getting multiple quotes on a remodel of our 9X12 kitchen, we thought the price and look of Ikea cabinets was the right fit.

Part of our design is to remove a wall and turn it into a peninsula with sink. We decided to open the wall to see what was there before finalizing everything. We found a drain pipe from the master bath upstairs, in addition to pipes for the kitchen sink. When we asked our Ikea (Traemand) assigned contractor to estimate what that would cost to move, they didn't respond for 2 weeks.

When they finally did, they said they couldn't move the pipe without creating a soffit. The house two doors down (made by the same builder with the same design) took down their wall and moved the pipe without a soffit. Also, a plumber came by and told us he could move the pipe without a soffit, but never sent the full quote.

Long story short, we're realizing our ikea contractor doesn't seem that capable, so we freaked out and decided not to hire them. We couldn't find another "ikea-friendly" contractor before the sale ended, so we bought the cabinets and countertop last week anyway. We also already bought the appliances.

Now we're looking for a contractor to help us demo the existing kitchen, move the pipe in the wall, plumb an island, and run a small pipe under the floor to connect water to the fridge. Since we're not buying cabinets, and the job is smaller than a bigger kitchen reno, I don't think the job is appealing to most GCs.

What can we do to make it appealing? Is there any way we could reach out to a good GC and pay them to coach us through the process of hiring subs if it's a job they don't have the time to take? Has anyone else hired different contractors to fix the plumbing/walls/floors in the kitchen before hiring a different contractor to install Ikea cabinets? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

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Comments (5)

User
7 years ago
$$$$$ is your only hope. Your Ikea kitchen is gonna cost as much as a full custom one.

Or DIY.
J R thanked User
User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
You can take the IKEA cabinets back and approach the job as a standard project from the beginning with a Design Build firm or full service contractor. Or you can pay a much higher rate for someone to insert themselves into the middle of this. Or you can pull the permits and GC it yourself by hiring the trades individually and performing site supervision and quality control yourself.

You can't put the toothpaste back into the tube. You jumped the gun on the purchase before lining up the right contractor.
J R thanked User
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bry911
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Post in the kitchen forum, you will get some decent hints.

I would not return the ikea cabinets, they are absolutely one of the best products I have ever run across and regret that I can't use them in my current house. Even paying a premium for a contractor to take a small job you will come out miles ahead.

FYI: I am an amateur furniture maker and although I specialize in Mission furniture I have done cabinets several times, especially custom pieces that cabinet shops may not want to deal with. I bought Ikea and would do it again, and I have enough lumber to essentially make cabinets for free.
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Joseph Corlett, LLC
7 years ago
You don't make your job appealing to contractors, you make you appealing to contractors.
J R thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC
leemiller
7 years ago
Have you asked the neighbor who they used? In my area I think there are certain contractors that work with Ikea but many others don't. In my area certain contractors have been posted to a local list serv as working with Ikea cabinets. My understanding is putting the pieces together is labor intensive and costs quite a bit. Are you handy enough to do that part? Otherwise, consider what the return policy is so that if you can return them you at least know for how long. It does seem a bit backwards, we picked out cabinets and then got pricing from a GC recommended by our kitchen designer and maybe 1-2 other quotes as well. It was important to use that the GC was used to working with our appliances and cabinets.

I'm not sure why a contractor that is so busy that they can't take you on would tie up his subs for your work without getting their usual pay for it? But you could find out the subs used by a particular GC, that is a normal question to ask and some list it on their websites.

How can I make my job appealing to contractors?

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