What is the Project Scope of Work?
Every kitchen remodel project is different. What separates them is the products and layout change you want to make. These items can be as simple as repainting your cabinets and changing counter tops and backsplash. This kind of project would be considered a kitchen renovation. These types of projects are typically very affordable and will take less time than more complicated kitchen remodeling options.
- Kitchen Renovations – Are usually associated with a kitchen face lift versus making major layout changes. These types of projects require less investment, are shorter time durations are normally do not require construction documents.
Kitchen renovations can be expensive based upon the types of products that are being replaced. Items such as appliances and plumbing fixtures can elevate the required budget quickly. Countertops are also one of those items that have an impact on the affordability of the renovation. - Kitchen Remodeling – Commonly are complicated remodeling projects involving the need for larger investments, longer time durations and permits with required construction documents. Kitchen remodeling projects can involve moving structural walls and opening up the foundation to move underground plumbing.
The largest impact on the kitchen remodeling budget are cabinets followed by appliances. These two items will often represent more then 50% of the total investment required. This causes many owners pause when planning a major kitchen remodeling project. It is essential that if you are planning a major kitchen remodeling project that the design process reveal the true value-added impact of your investment. Understanding where your money is being spent will contribute to your intelligent expenditures toward your project.
Who Should You Hire to Design Kitchen?
As discussed, designing your kitchen remodel is required for major remodeling projects. But designing your kitchen for construction documents is not the only benefit in the design process. By going through the kitchen design process, the owner should be allowed the opportunity to transparently witness the financial impactful elements as the design process evolves. Being impowered to clearly appreciate how moving the location of the kitchen sink has a major cost effect allows the owner more control over decision making. This not always the case.
There are a number of ways to develop design plans and construction documents. Owners have the option of hiring several sources including architects, general contractors, interior designers and kitchen cabinet companies. Who the owner selects as a plan designer will influence your ability to make informed and detailed decisions about your design and associated expenses.
- Design to Bid – The design to bid process is the traditional approach of hiring an architect to prepare the construction documents. The architect will listen to your needs and prepare conceptual design ideas to reflect your needs. This process can take weeks or months depending on the complexities of the project. When the plan development process is complete the owner will solicit bids from remodeling contractors.
The owner is then venerable to the remodeling bids coming in at greater amounts then the targeted budget amounts. If the owner is not willing to accept a higher remodeling cost, they are then left to redesign through value engineering. This can be frustrating for everyone involved in this event. - Design to Build – The design build approach has the owner hire a general remodeling contractor directly. The general contractor will then hire an architect as a member of the design team. This approach allows the general contractor to guide the design process through open conversation about the impact of various adjustments to the proposed budget.
An additional benefit of this approach is that the general contractor is solely responsible to the owner for both the design and the cost. This provides the assurance that general contractor has a vested interest in designing to the proposed budget. This process also places all design team members on the same side. The collaboration eliminates many change orders that can result from errors and omissions from the design process.
Both the design to bid and design to build processes will require the casework contractor to prepare shop drawings of the cabinetry to be approved before they are manufactured. - Interior Designer – Interior designers also provide an option for owners for developing plans for kitchen remodels and renovations. Interior designers like to work with profile views of kitchen perspectives. This is a picture of what the kitchen will look like when complete. Although these are helpful to visualize, they can be difficult to actual use during construction.
If you are required to pull a construction permit, a set of scaled construction plans will still be required. If any structural components of the home are modified, an engineer will still be required for detailed plans and seal. - Kitchen Designer – Yet another option available for the kitchen design process is to directly hire a kitchen design specialist. These are designers who work exclusively for cabinet companies. They prepare scaled plans with detailed elevations and floor plans of the proposed kitchen. This method of designing a kitchen will facilitate the manufacturing shop drawings. Although if there are structural changes to the existing plan, the owner will still be required to hire an engineer or architect.
What Type of Contractor Should You Hire?
Now that you have your kitchen construction documents, you can focus on hiring a reliable contractor for your project. There are still more options for owners to sort through. There are self-performing contractors and more traditional general contractors, which uses subcontractors. In some cases, if the owner is experienced and knowable about home remodeling they might hire specialty trade contractors directly.
- Self-Performing Contractors – This group of contractors has a group of employees that perform the trade services required for the kitchen remodel. This has the advantages of the remodeler having more control over the construction schedule.
- Kitchen Remodeling Contractors – This type of kitchen remodeling contractor can manage most any project regardless of the complexity. They can work with both employees and subcontractors to achieve the desired results.
- Specialty Kitchen Contractors – A specialty kitchen contractor is usually someone who either focuses exclusively on kitchen remodeling or a provides cabinets and offers services of installing their cabinet system. They may have other products and trades such as counter tops that they will include in their offer package.
This type of contractor works best for an owner on less complicated projects with a limited scope of work. Hiring this kind of remodeling contractor can be problematic for projects that require structural modifications and inspections.
