Kitchen remodel allowances, explained
Why a $68,000 kitchen and a $115,000 kitchen often have the same layout, and how to set allowances you will not blow through.
Questions about your own project? Call (865) 555-0142 and a builder answers.
Most kitchens we remodel keep their footprint. The difference between a $68,000 kitchen and a $115,000 kitchen is usually not walls, it is what goes on them.
Where the money goes
Cabinets take a third of the budget. Counters, the backsplash and the plumbing fixtures take another quarter. Labor for demolition, electrical and plumbing changes is the steadiest part of the number.
Setting allowances that hold
We set allowances from the showroom, not from a catalog. Before the estimate is final, you spend one afternoon with Liesl choosing cabinets, counters and tile at real prices, and those prices become the allowances.
When an allowance moves
If you choose under the allowance, the difference comes off the invoice. If you choose over it, you see the new number on a change order before anything is ordered.
Planning something like this? A builder answers, weekdays 7 to 5.
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