Q & A
Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.
How do I hire a contractor for a kitchen remodel?
The secret to hiring the best contractor(s) for your kitchen remodel is to compare several professionals’ customer reviews, ratings, specialities, services and prices. You can do this by searching online for the best kitchen remodelers near you.
When you search online, you can quickly view important information about the contractors on their profiles. Read through the customer reviews, and look for profiles that feature before-and-after photos from the contractor, as well as their past clients. Inspect those photos closely to gauge the contractors’ craftsmanship.
You should also make sure the contractor is properly licensed and insured in your area. Some state governments regulate licensure for contractors, while some don’t. Check licensing requirements in your state.
Before you hire anyone, contact at least contractors to discuss the scope of your kitchen remodel. And request written estimates from each contractor.
What is the average cost of a kitchen remodel?
The average cost of a kitchen remodel is $12,961. However, you should always get a cost estimate from a general contractor or kitchen remodeler near you when planning your renovations.
The cost of upgrading your kitchen depends on a variety of factors. The first is whether you’re doing a small, medium or large remodel. Where you live also matters, with expensive cities correlating with more expensive kitchen renovation costs. The cost will also increase if you’re altering the footprint of your kitchen, changing the location of plumbing and fixtures and/or installing expensive materials like granite countertops.
To learn more about kitchen remodeling costs, read “How much does a kitchen remodel cost?”
Is it worth it to remodel a kitchen?
Remodeling or renovating your kitchen can be worth the time, effort and money — especially if you plan to sell your home. A kitchen remodel is among the most appealing types of remodeling projects for potential buyers, according to the National Association of Realtors. In fact, some realtors report that a kitchen remodel has helped close a sale. This type of remodeling is also valuable because it can build a stronger desire to be in your home.
Contact the best kitchen remodelers near you to get started on your project.
Where do I start when remodeling a kitchen?
When preparing to remodel a kitchen, start your planning process with the space planning phase. Before worrying about what the kitchen will look like, focus on where things will be located for workflow and function. In what order will your sink, stovetop and countertop go? Where will the refrigerator be? Then, you can start thinking about the materials, appliances and overall design for your kitchen.
If you have a solid idea of the design you want, contact multiple kitchen remodeling contractors and services to find out how much your project will likely cost and which professional is best-suited for the project.
How can I save money on my kitchen remodel?
To keep your kitchen remodel costs as low as possible, avoid making changes after construction has begun. This will reduce the amount of wasted time and material on the part of the contractor and help you avoid extra charges.
Double-check all measurements to make sure you order the right size appliances, cabinets and materials. Also, try to work within your existing kitchen’s footprint to avoid having to pay a plumber or electrician to completely redo your layout.
Research all of your options for flooring, tiles, countertops and appliances. Try to get an expert’s opinion before purchasing any material if you’re unsure about the quality.
Finally, get a few cost estimates from at least three contractors near you before you hire anyone to take on your project.
What should you not do in a kitchen remodel?
Common mistakes in kitchen remodeling include choosing fragile or low-quality materials and appliances. Attempting to DIY the entire renovation is another mistake, especially if you lack the expertise and training to do so.
A few other mistakes include:
- Not setting a budget
- Not thoroughly researching your options for materials, kitchen appliances, etc.
- Not comparing cost estimates from multiple contractors, electricians, plumbers, etc.
- Not measuring the areas in your kitchen, as well as the desired appliances
If you’re not sure where to start, contact a top-rated kitchen remodeler who can help you plan your kitchen remodel.
Do I need a contractor for a kitchen remodel?
A kitchen remodel is one of the most important investments you can make in your home, and it’s critical to get the details right; that’s where a home renovation contractor comes in. A minor remodel usually includes new cabinet faces and hardware, replacement appliances, and paint, while an extensive job may enlarge the kitchen’s square footage, install new cabinets or an island, change the layout, and lay new tile or hardwood floors. Any renovation that includes filing permits, construction, or electrical or plumbing work is best completed by an experienced contractor who knows local codes.
Reviews for San Diego kitchen remodelers
Marc B.
Gave me great advice for a small kitchen remodel project. very professional and down to earth. thank you
Thumbtack Customer
Jose remodeled my house from painting the whole house,new laminate flooring ,remodeled the kitchen and bathrooms.He did an excellent job.He did extra job without charging extra.He also keep me inform on the status of the job.I will definitely use him again.Good job Jose.
VR V.
Kitchen remodel turned out to be amazing. Nico and his team provided quality service and were a pleasure to work with. They completed the project with no delays and addressed post project follow-up issues promptly.
Timothy J.
David did a great job on my kitchen remodel project. Provided solid, quality work, materials and a competitive bid. This project was both starting and finished in a timely manner. Satisfied overall and would highly recommend David to others.
Sandeep K.
Ilan did a wonderful job in getting our kitchen remodel project completed on time and with in our budget. His attention to detail on every aspect is commendable and he was keeping us upto date with every step of the project and time line with which each of the these gets completed. He was easy to work with and he made several improvements to our project along the way which gave us added advantage to the kitchen we were looking for. We were really surprised with the professionalism and the commitment he and his team showed on this project which helped us to get the project right on the agreed time and within the budget. We will definelty recommend King Remodeling for any kitchen project and it was a great pleasure to work with the entire team.Thanks,Sandeep.
Lina W.
We did a large kitchen remodel with Teak Owl and am so happy we went with them! I interviewed 6 contractors and went with Jonathan from Teak Owl because he seem extremely knowledgeable (some contractors had no idea what they were talking about), calm, and his price was reasonable. We also liked that he was going to do a lot of the work himself and we wouldn't be paying a middle man.We have done 3 kitchen remodels over the years, so it's not our first rodeo.As the project went on, we found Jonathan and his team to be excellent communicators. We talked almost everyday by text or phone, and all the messages were meaningful and professional, we never felt pushed off or gaslighted.These guys have to be some of the most honorable contractors in all of San Diego, pointing out things they did wrong or their sub contractors messed up and always planned to fix it for free, when we didn't even notice it or wouldn't have known better. These guys have old school values with new all the new technology!They kept super close to the budget. We expected them (and all contractors) to try and bill us for minor things and they didn't do that. Change orders were not more expensive than having it in the plan from the beginning, like other contractors would ding you hard for that. The outcome of our kitchen remodel is it looks AMAZING and everything is perfect! Every outlet is level (they use a laser level), everything works perfectly (years of experience to fix things that no one else would have the knowledge), every cabinet is beautiful and works perfectly. To summarize Jonathan and his team were calm, professional, respectful to me as a women (so hard to find!), did everything with integrity and perfection! These guys are the real deal!!
Norman M.
Mike asked me for a recommendation and I said it would be my pleasure. His Team. was meticulous in their performance of remodeling our kitchen. I felt very comfortable with him in my home and I will do so again when an additional project is required. He leveraged his professionalism by sub contracting people who were well experienced in their field of contracting, which included painting backsplash electrical wiring. and the installation of lights on our ceiling. I would recommend him for any job that requires a professional ethical contractor. Thank you, Mike, for everything you do
Jesse F.
My wife and I had been thinking about a kitchen remodel for several months before starting to get bids. JMM provided the best value for the price and they were able to talk us through everything without a lot of high pressure sales tactics. They were very communicative and any time an issue came up (any large project has a couple) they were very good about letting us know and working with us to make sure it was solved to our satisfaction. Most of the workers cared about providing quality work and minimizing the impact to us while living here which was nice. But at the end of the day the most important things to us were that it turned about better than we expected and within the budget specified on our contract. I would highly recommend JMM to anyone looking at any sort of large scale house remodel. Feel free to ask JMM for my email if you would like to talk through our experience as a customer or ask any questions not addressed in our review.
Ashu S.
I normally don’t write many reviews but with Don I just had to write it. Don and his team worked for kitchen remodel at our home. Due to CV19 we were stuck in a different city and we wanted to get the project done at the earliest possible. We talked to Don on phone and told him about our schedule. Don and his team started working on our house 10 days before we moved in town. We were little skeptical initially that our project will suffer both in quality and schedule since we were not there in town ... this was because we had a very bad experience in the past with some other contractors (who had to be micromanaged on a daily basis and would skip days if not monitored). But with Don and his team it was completely different. This is a very professional and a honest set of individuals who one will deal with. Right from his demo guys to granite fabricator to tile and backsplash team to the folks/Don who did the cabinet, everyone is just hands down great!!! He gave us some very frank suggestions and his opinions which we are glad we took! The one thing we really liked was that he told us up front how he works in couple projects in parallel and that our project estimates should account for +/- 2-3 days and he finished on time! He does not have to be micromanaged and is very professional with his commitments and schedule. He gives lot of thought on minute details and his quality of work is just “Awesome”! I remember asking him to change few things last minute and he did it with the same zeal and did not cut corners on quality of work just to finish the project. I am so glad that we got to have our kitchen done with him and we know who we are going to go for all our future remodel projects! We highly recommend Don for any of your remodel needs, you won’t regret! Don thank you very much - We really appreciate your great job you did for us!
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