How to Choose the Right Kitchen Contractors

You’ve been thinking about remodeling your kitchen for quite some time, especially after your built-in microwave started acting up. As you look around your cooking space you wonder, “How do I choose the right kitchen contractor?”

If your kitchen is in need of an upgrade and you’re thinking about hiring kitchen contractors, read to learn how to find the best one that works with you.

Step 1: Consider Hiring an Architect First

Before you start searching Google for home kitchen contractors you should first consider hiring an architect. An architect can sit down with you and plan out a kitchen remodel that not only fits your budget but also fits the style you already have in your home. You don’t want your kitchen’s style to feel out of place. An architect will help you design your kitchen remodel so it feels as though it was always part of your home.

• Was the kitchen remodel finished on time?
• Was the finished work within their budget?
• If there were changes, were the changes reasonable? Or did they feel out of place?
• If there were corrections that needed to be made, did the contractor readily return to fix them?
• Would they use the contractor again?
• Would they recommend them to close friends and family?
• Was the contractor nice to work with and did they treat them well?
• How did they like their work? Are they happy with how things turned out, or did they wish things went differently?

With these simple questions at hand, you can really get a true sense of their kitchen contractors and if they recommend them. If you don’t know anyone who’s had their kitchen redone, don’t worry. That’s why website reviews exist. Check out the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List for reviews of local kitchen contractors.

However, you should beware of kitchen contractors that only have good reviews. Not every project goes smoothly, and if a kitchen contractor has nothing but glowing reviews it’s possible the reviews aren’t authentic.

Step 3: Conduct Phone Interviews

Once you have a good list of kitchen contractors you might want to hire, call them for phone interviews. Here you can ask such questions as:

• Do they remodel kitchens? What projects do they typically handle?
• Can they provide references from past clients?
• How many projects do they have currently and what can they handle?
• How long have they worked with their subcontractors and crew?
• Can they provide financial references from banks and suppliers?
• What kind of insurance do they have in case something goes wrong?
• Do they have a website with a gallery of their work?

Getting references from past clients is important. If the kitchen contractor you’re speaking to feels hesitant to give out this information, it might be best to move on. Kitchen contractors who do great work are more than willing to show it off because they’re proud of it.  If they don’t, it could be a sign that their work is not up to par or worse, not presentable. You should be working with a kitchen contractor who is so proud of their work they’ll be more than happy to show it off.

Step 4: Try and Contact Previous Clients

By now you will have a solid list of kitchen contractors and a few clients they have worked with. If you can, contact them and ask about the kitchen contractor’s work. You can use the questions from step 2 if you’re unsure of what to ask. If the past client you’re speaking with feel comfortable enough, you might be able to ask some of your own questions as well. So be sure to write all of your questions down beforehand so you don’t forget any.

Step 5: Meet Up in Person

Here is where you’ll let the kitchen contractor take a look at your architect’s plans and the kitchen itself. You’ll get to talk in-depth about what you want to have done to your kitchen and you should get a ballpark estimate of how long it could take.

You will also see how well you communicate. As we have mentioned before, communication is key in any kitchen remodel. You want to work with a kitchen contractor who understands your concerns and talks them through with you.

Step 6: Take a Break

“Why take a break? I want my kitchen redone now!” Look, we’ve all felt this way. We want things fixed and we want them fixed today. But now is the time to take a breather and really consider everything you just learned. You no doubt took in a lot of information and you need time to process it all before you make the decision of who to hire.

When you do finally hire a contractor, get everything in writing. NEVER leave anything blank. You don’t want a situation where the contractor suddenly goes over budget because you left something open-ended.