How Much Does a Remodel Project Cost?
The biggest question in our industry (by far) is: How much is this all going to cost?
That is a concise question, but the answer requires a lot more than an off-the-hip number. Our company does not offer square footage pricing (ever) or general pricing without seeing the space in-person first. And I don’t think it’s advantageous for you to collect your quotes from contractors that do business that way. Here’s why:
Every client, every project and every home is different.
You are going to have different priorities than your neighbor, your sister or coworker. Everyone has opinions and preferences for how they think their space should be to fit their lifestyle. That makes each remodel unique and gives it it’s own set of requirements (that then filters into how much it will cost).
Let’s take a kitchen remodel, for example. You can gut a kitchen and put in all new cabinets, countertops, light fixtures, tile, etc back in the same location they were in (that would be a more basic remodel). Or you can gut the kitchen, remove a bearing wall to open it up to other rooms – which then requires you to refinish the floors on the main level and touch-up paint the adjacent rooms, then you relocate all of the fixtures to accommodate a new layout, cabinetry, lighting, appliances, etc. You might have 8ft high ceilings or 10ft high ceilings. You might live in a 100 year old home, requiring lead and asbestos remediation. You might live in a brand new home with custom trim throughout. I could go on, but I’ll spare you. There are So.Many.Factors. So many factors that aren’t taken into account if the contractor/designer hasn’t even seen your space.
So, if I give you a quick quote over the phone that is really low and ends up being nowhere near what the actual project costs, you might end up moving forward on a project that you can’t actually afford. How disappointing would that be?
And on the other end of the spectrum, if I gave you a quick quote that’s extravagantly over-the-top from what your project ends up costing, or maybe just completely inappropriate for the pricepoint of your home, then you might just stop there and never do that project. Or you might go find another contractor that didn’t just give you a bid for the Taj Mahal.
These examples are extremes, but the point is:
You will not get a realistic cost for your remodel project by asking someone for pricing over the phone.
Your remodel is going to take time. So take the time to do some research and find a company you’re going to want to deal with for months.
You should hire a remodeling company that takes the time to put some work into your project and give you an estimate for the project cost. It won’t be a final number. It won’t be exact. Usually it’s a price range. But it will be realistic and that will arm you with the information you need to decide if you want to move forward with them and work towards a final cost (where you will know the exact number of your project).
If a contractor/designer/remodeling company will not spend the time to meet you in-person to see if you are a good fit for each other and to discuss your project (even just 30 minutes), then you should move on. To me, that’s them saying you aren’t worth their time. And you shouldn’t have to pay for a meeting with a company that hasn’t given you anything to help you with your project.
Most companies (ours included) will discuss your project on the phone with you, then meet in person, then provide a quote. And they do all of this work to get you an initial cost estimate on your project for FREE (I know, I saved the best info for last, you’re welcome).
If you’re interested in doing a remodel in the Denver metro area, feel free to look at our portfolio, read our testimonials and more about us to see if we might be a good fit for you. If so, feel free to reach out on our Contact Us page and we’ll chat!