What to ask a builder when you’re renovating your kitchen

If you have decided that it is time to start your kitchen renovation in Castle Hill Sydney, it is important that you find the best renovation builder for the job.

Here are a few questions to ask prospective Castle Hill builders that will help you decide who the best one to hire is.

A kitchen renovation is a big job, often too big for a DIY project, and the tradie you choose can make or break your project. It is your builder who will determine the timeliness and quality of the work, and the amount of stress both financially and emotionally that you will have to deal with.

To ensure that you are getting the best deal possible, ask all potential builders these questions, and listen to how easily they answer you. If they cannot communicate with you now, they may not be able to communicate with you on the job.

Can you itemise the bid?

Some builders prefer to give you one bottom line quote for your project. However, this leaves you in the dark about exactly how much they are charging for each individual part of the job.

For example, if the original plan calls for marble countertops, and you change your mind and go with a cheaper material, how much should you be credited back? With a single quote, you really have no way of knowing.

On the other hand, if you get an itemised bill, the price for each individual element of the job will be listed including:

Demolition and removing trash
Plumbing
Carpentry
Electrical work
Cabinetry
Tiling and floor covering
Lighting
Drywall and painting
HVAC

Is your bid an estimate or an end price?

Some local builders will bid for a job but treat that bid as an estimate, meaning that the end cost could be much higher. Because of this it is a good idea to request an end, or fixed price bid instead.

If a tradesmen says that there are too many unknowns about the job to give a fix bid, spend some time trying to eliminate those unknowns. If you cannot eliminate all of the unknowns, request that the project specs only describe what he expects to have to do. If any additional work comes up, he can give you a change order, which is a written mini-bid.

Can I meet the foreman?

In many cases, the tradesman you are talking to about your job doesn’t actually swing a hammer, instead he spends his time bidding for new work, managing jobs and workers, and keeping clients happy. Typically, the tradie who will be working on the job every day is the job foreman. Ask if you can meet him or her in person, and check how well the current job is going. This usually gives the renovation builder an incentive to assign you one of the better crews, as you will be more likely to hire him if you see his elite team.

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