5 Tips for Negotiating Cost With Your Kitchen Remodeler

For many, the kitchen is the heartbeat of the home. It can feel daunting to embark on a kitchen remodel and coordinating to have the appliances updated, cabinetry replaced, flooring redone, or putting in a new backsplash. But with the right contractor, it doesn’t have to be a stressful home improvement.

Follow these tips to negotiate your final kitchen remodeling cost with your preferred kitchen remodeling contractor.

The Kitchen and Your Home

Your contractor is well versed in how your specific project is going to impact your house. They have visited your home and assessed the kitchen’s potential, needs, and challenges. On this front, it is in the contractor’s interest to ensure the best kitchen remodel that is both functional and meets your tastes. The initial, ongoing, and continued success of their installation is paramount to their near and future prospects.

Your contractor should be able to tell you whether your cabinets need to be replaced or if a simple paint job will do the trick. Likewise, they should be able to advise you on the best countertop that meets your budget and aesthetic; some materials can be quite pricey or high maintenance. Their recommendations should be tied to creating a new kitchen that is updated but most importantly serves its purpose as a place to both cook and gather. Be sure you and your kitchen contractor are on the same page about what your wants and needs are for the project and the way to achieve those goals.

While it is hard for a contractor to make exact promises, they can certainly help you understand what to expect in the future. The less deep that future is and the more susceptible to damage your roofing is, the less your installation should cost.

Your Kitchen Contractor Should Assess Your Remodeling Plans

Be sure to ask precisely what materials your contractor recommends and why. It’s okay to expect the contractor to handle the bulk of the work in research— after all, one of their value propositions is expertise in the field and local knowledge about the best materials and appliances to increase your home’s home value.

Kitchen remodels are all not created equal, either. One homeowner may want a complete gut job that reset the entire layout of the kitchen, while another may want to simply update some features, such as the hardware, lighting and appliances. With so much variation in a project, that’s why you should have a basic understanding of the different options available and what you can expect from each of them. Your contractor should address all of these variables with you ahead of your final quote. You may have your own notions of what should occur, but check them against what the contractor recommends.

Labor Is Expensive — If You Do Some, You Might Save Some

Before your kitchen remodel, a lot of preparation needs to take place. While some contractors might offer to do so for a price or as part of the package, consider doing some of the work or preparation yourself in an effort to negotiate the final price of your home improvement project.

Work you should at least consider doing:

• DIY your countertops
• Install the backsplash yourself
• Keep the existing kitchen layout
• Save on appliances by purchasing floor models or refurbished items. 
• Replace the lighting on your own

Reputation is Everything: Does Your Kitchen Remodeler Pass Muster?

Your business is their business—and while this kitchen remodel could stay with you (or at least your house) for decades, it will also build, or continue to build, their reputation into a prosperous business.

A veteran kitchen remodeler might be well endowed with repeat business and a booked schedule. Younger companies and contractors might be more willing to reduce their price and elongate their warranties for a solid project like yours.

Get to know local and trusted contractors through services like Modernize. The Modernize Contractor Checklist will help you vet a trusted contractor, so you can relax knowing your roofing installation project is in good hands. You can access the interactive checklist by visiting the Modernize Homeowner Portal or by downloading it here.

Kitchen Contractors Get Second Opinions—You Should, Too

The entire process of a kitchen remodel is detail-heavy and involves a myriad of moving parts, from the fine print of your contract to the machinations of the installation itself—remember what we said about surprises?

Since your contractor has (literally) been around the block and has the experience you might lack, be sure to consult close friends and family about the major steps of your journey. While we condone this type of support, homeowners have repeatedly told us through surveys and interviews that deciphering some of the deeper and more complex elements of their project left them seeking more professional support—which our homeowners found with Modernize.

Your biggest friend in a kitchen contract negotiation could be a service like Modernize. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help you.