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Kitchen Remodel Quote Comparison: Cabinets, Counters & Allowances

Compare kitchen remodel quotes: cabinets, countertops, plumbing, electrical, appliances and the allowances behind each price.

Put your quotes side by side

Compare the prices once both quotes cover the same work.

Quote A
Costs outside the quote & your reserve

This is money you set aside. It is not a contractor charge or a recommended percentage.

Enter a quoted price

Quote B
Costs outside the quote & your reserve

This is money you set aside. It is not a contractor charge or a recommended percentage.

Enter a quoted price

Quote C (optional)
Costs outside the quote & your reserve

This is money you set aside. It is not a contractor charge or a recommended percentage.

Enter a quoted price

Compare two quotes or three. Type the price of each written quote, then mark what each one includes. A cheaper quote often leaves work out: mark that work Extra with its price and the totals add it back, so you compare the same job.

Before you sign: six checks
  • Get written quotes from at least two contractors, three if you can, and do not pick the lowest on price alone.
  • Hire a licensed, insured contractor. Your state or local building department says which license the work needs; ask for current insurance certificates.
  • Get a written contract with the contractor’s name, address and license number, start and finish dates, the payment schedule and who gets the permits.
  • Do not pay it all up front: tie payments to finished stages, never pay in cash or by wire transfer, and make the last payment when the work is done. Some states limit the down payment.
  • A sale made at your home can usually be cancelled until midnight of the third business day under the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule, and the seller must give you the cancellation forms. The rule does not cover emergency work, a repair you asked the contractor to come and do, or a contract you finish at the seller’s own place of business; your state may give you more.
  • Be wary of a contractor who knocks on your door, pushes you to decide now, or asks you to get the permits yourself.

From the Federal Trade Commission’s advice: How to avoid a home improvement scam and the Cooling-Off Rule.

Check what each quote includes

Leave anything unclear as “Ask.” Choose “Extra cost” to add a separately priced item to that quote’s budget. Do not also put it in the general left-out costs below.

Materials

Cabinets

Maker and line, construction and box material, the number of cabinets or linear feet, hardware and installation.

Countertops

Material, square feet, edge profile, sink and cooktop cutouts, backsplash height, templating and installation.

Appliances

Supplied by you or the contractor, delivery, installation, and haul-away of the old ones.

Labor

Plumbing and gas

Sink, faucet, dishwasher and ice-maker lines; moving the sink or a gas range is its own line with its own price.

Electrical and lighting

The new circuits the appliances need, outlets, under-cabinet and ceiling lights, and room in the panel.

Flooring, walls and paint

Flooring under or around the cabinets, drywall repair, backsplash tile and paint.

Equipment, access and disposal

Demolition and disposal

Cabinets, counters, flooring and walls removed, who hauls them away, and how hidden damage is priced and approved.

Protection, permits and terms

Permits, schedule and payment

Who pulls the permits, how long the kitchen is unusable, and payments tied to finished stages.

Nothing is sent to a contractor. Saving keeps these entries in this browser; downloading makes a text file.

Before asking for a price

Keep the cabinet run in linear feet, the countertop area, the appliance list and any layout change (moving the sink, the range or a wall) with each quote.

Reading the totals

Compare the same cabinet line and count, the same countertop area and material, and the same layout. Ask what each allowance actually buys.

The budget adds the quoted price, separately priced extra costs, other costs left out and any tax not already included. Your chosen reserve is added to that subtotal. Treat every “Ask” row as work that is not yet confirmed as included. Get the answer in writing before comparing totals.

Your project

My project

Saved in this browser only; nothing is sent to us. Choose “Save in this browser” in any calculator or worksheet to add it here.

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