How We Work

A kitchen renovation has many moving parts. Proper design and planning are the differences between getting exactly what you want, and getting what you get.  The thought of renovating can be intimidating, even if this is not your first home renovation project, but there’s good news, it’s not our first rodeo either and we are here to help.  We have streamlined the process into one that’s comfortable, transparent and easy to understand.

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“How do I start?” you may ask….

A typical phone call to us sounds something like this..

” Hello, I am thinking of redoing my kitchen but have no idea of the cost of materials or labor and was hoping to discuss this with you “

(Perfect opening line, says it all and the upfront honesty is appreciated)

We spend about 15 minutes on the phone and discuss the following:

• Your total scope of work

• A timeframe when you would either like to start or complete your project 

• The type of materials you are looking for (quality/warranty/price point)

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We will ask you to provide your contact info, name, address, cell # and email address, and we’ll email you a short homework list that lets us know some particulars about your project. This information helps us in the design stage and looks something like this:

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Your homework is:

• Supply pics of existing kitchen with cabinet doors open and closed…open cabinets will help us to see your inventory and suggest any space saving or organizational accessories.

• Supply pics of any room adjacent and in view of the kitchen.

• Supply inspirational pics of kitchen that show the door style, color or theme/vibe you are going for. Please note what you like about the pics you supply.

• Supply a Full Scope Of Work including all painting, lighting, flooring work, tile-work etc. ( even just your wish list for now so we can get things organized for you )

• Supply hand drawn sketch of the kitchen with measurements for all walls and floor to ceiling height… (see measure guide)

• Measure height of your existing upper cabinets  ( we use this for comparison )

• Measure from the center of your faucet to the nearest side wall and indicate on the plans  ( we use this to determine the location of your existing plumbing )

List what new appliances you would like, i.e. D/W, Ref etc. and approx. sizes.

• Would you like an exhaust hood over the range or a microwave. If exhaust hood do you like the chimney type or the restaurant type with a cabinet above it?

• Do you want a microwave in a cabinet, or a drawer microwave? Any wine coolers?

Note any accessories that you would like, like trash pull outs, mixer lifts, tall pantry or glass in cabinets etc. 

The more detail you provide, the more accurate the initial budget numbers will be. It’s ok if you’re not exact with your measurements, this is just to get started. Before any purchase is made we will come out and take our measurements so we’re responsible for them.

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With your homework list completed we can provide you with an initial design and pricing in just a few days. If the materials we offer work with your budget, we set up a showroom visit to review the  design. We discuss the options in cabinet construction, door styles and finishes of different brands of cabinetry and how those relate to the pricing and lead times. We browse through our many Quartz countertop samples, select a few for pricing and pair them up with the door you have selected.

Pretty simple stuff so far right?

We then revise and re-price your plans based on the notes from our meeting and if needed, we send those plans out to our network of preferred contractors for labor estimates. If you are not reinventing the wheel we will be able to get you some sight unseen labor pricing which, let’s face it, is a lot faster than waiting for a contractor to show up at your door. Our contractors are extremely experienced and are comfortable “ballparking” your labor estimate sight unseen to save on time.

If you have your own contractor already we will happily work with them as well.  

If our contractors provide pricing that works for you, THEN they come out and check the site conditions and revise their estimates accordingly.

The idea with this approach is to show you what you can expect to pay for materials and labor when we fulfill your wish list, and we can get this information back to you quickly and free of charge.

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TO MOVE FORWARD:

Now that we have met and revised the cabinet design we should be extremely close to what the final costs will be. Actual site measurements may call for a tweak in cabinet sizes and minor changes in sizes equates to minor changes in cost.

The next step is a paid design retainer of $2,000.

The design retainer is your confirmation that you plan on making the purchase and that we will continue the process together. If you haven’t already paid us for a site visit to measure, we now come out to measure and check existing site conditions. We make a final revision to plans and pricing and provide your plans and invoice for materials.

You sign our purchase agreement, pay for materials, we place the order. Materials are paid in full at time of purchase. We track the order along the way and stay in touch with contractors to schedule your delivery. It’s important that the cabinets are not on site too soon or too late. As always, timing is everything. 

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Hopefully you have found this information to be straight forward and simple to understand. Our process is very transparent and we pride ourselves in providing a comfortable experience with an exceptional service.

Don’t just take our word for it, feel free to Cyber-Stalk us and check out some user reviews. (If you haven’t already)

Give us a call today or drop us a note and let’s get started!

201.222.1071

Info@HobokenCabinetry.com