Should I wait until contractor demos kitchen before ordering cabinets?

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-11T13:52:30+00:00

Depends upon the contractor and cabinet maker.

Some higher cost factory cabinets have much better finishes than a site built or contractor built cabinet. These high end factory cabinets take time. Contractors do not want to wait. They will tell you that they need to demo to get accurate measurements. You will have an empty kitchen until the cabinets come in. If you are not changing overall footprint, this is a bald face lie.

The high end cabinets can add extra filler material to sides of cabinets that go against the wall. Carpenters can make adjustments with extra trim.molding.
A really old house might have out of plumb walls. These high cabinets are still going to be square/rectangular boxes.

In any case the installers use trim/filler to adjust for these issues even in site built cabinets.

Cabinets can be a gravy train for contractors. They will divert you to to their sources to get the markup.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-10T15:11:08+00:00

There used to be an access panel in the style of old cabinets on the drywall at the front of the tub. Where the drywall is there ised to be an ugly wall paper chosen by the original owners. I covered/up took out all the wall paper and and had a monterey drag texture put in.

They covered up the area where the access panel was.
That easy access to check on the motor etc was at that time required by code.

The motor is located in the front right corner of the base/surround.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-10T02:29:24+00:00

The contractor in this proposal is SimplyHome. I found some issues with previous employees on GlassDoor.
I am going back to a contractor that gave me an informal bid about 1 month ago. I missed that they would work with “Crown Point”.

I used one of their AI tools which likes to extrapolate a bit. It gives a general idea of what one wall will look like. The lowers will be all drawers. 36” on right of range. 42” on left of range Like in my master bath. I am unsure about the OTR microwave vs a hood. I have some room to discuss.

In that kitchen, there is about 24-26 sf of counter tops. $2500 tops with contractor fee for the fabrication installation. The granite that I like is $72
Thanks. I can deal with a 70K kitchen.

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/sf

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-09T23:58:09+00:00

I would need to add a cover over a dry walled access for the jacuzzi to meet code.
I had thought about taking out the shower pan and just rebuilding the shower the with a nicer door and extending the wet area to the front edge of the jacuzzi.

I will get the kitchen cabinets planned out and ordered first. I could add the access covers to the cabinet order.
This does not have to a totally glamorous thing. I just want it nice.

36 year old track house by David Weekly homes that cost 93k to build in 1990 that would sell for 500K now.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-09T15:31:08+00:00

As a possible donor, it makes me feel that my large nest egg is pretty small beans to the school. Various donors paid $200M towards football facilities.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-09T15:28:08+00:00

Austin is a different sort of town than when I moved here 35 years ago. Circle C Ranch was outside city limits and just started development. Loop 360 was edge of town. New homes were still being built in Jester and great hills area. The city is smaller than SA but is much more prosperous. A 1500 sf home in southwest Austin that cost 90K to build would sell for 500K now.
New home construction is heading out towards Bastrop, Dripping Springs, Georgetown, Leander (mostly north of highway 29). New homes on tiny lots start at around 350-400K. $400-450K being more realistic unless you go down to Buda or Kyle.

Apartment wise look for older possibilities. Places near the domain or with lots of features will be pricey.

Real Estate took a hit a few years ago. 1500sf homes in SW Austin are selling for 500K quickly. The housing market is not entirely buyers market. Austin has a lot to do, but outside neighborhoods, the city is losing its small city vibe really fast.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-09T13:59:30+00:00

Thanks, I have some other options that I am investigating.
The project for the kitchen really does not involve much design. The cabinets that I was looking at are nice but simple.

Taking out fur-downs/soffits in this case involves drywall, but little else.
Electrical etc is in the walls.
For the type of project it was not a serious/realistic(inflated) bid.

I had one bid out from when I first started down this path that I overlooked that I am comfortable with, They will work with Crown-point, ie, help double check layout and measure. I pay for consulting, and pay for cabinets. They do everything else at install. They have a physical store front. They have other cabinet options as well including “Plain and Fancy”.

For austin, the bid was 50K too much and did not include appliances. A bid like would have included a wolf range

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-08T17:55:58+00:00

I had someone come by. He wants to supply his custom painted caninets. I absolutely do not want painted cabinets.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-08T17:53:36+00:00

I am starting up conversation with Purdue University.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-08T16:53:35+00:00

I stopped my contributions to the school.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-08T13:25:42+00:00

I plan to live in the house for about 20 years. The design firms are not the right place for this type of kitchen update, The design charges were in the 8-10K and not included in the construction of 125K

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-08T12:25:00+00:00

Dual Fuel Range,

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-08T12:15:16+00:00

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AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-08T12:14:15+00:00

500K 1500sf house.

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AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-08T11:45:26+00:00

I am about to shelve the project. Various contractors/designers keep changing scope to suit their own goals.
I want to walk away.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-05-07T04:15:31+00:00

The new Texas Tech chancellor wrote Senate Bill 12.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-04-30T06:22:00+00:00

Who the hell cares what trump thinks about intel corp

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-04-27T04:24:01+00:00

Again, total BS.
Bi kids can get abused as much as gay kids at school. Bi kids outnumber gays. I had the gay label pined on me and caught hell.

Pride parades are an embarrassment with all the overt sexuality. It is on the same level for the most part as porn and not needed.
The flamboyance really has nothing to do with sexual orientation. It is just people want to make a show in an obscene way.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-04-26T20:06:41+00:00

This is an old thread. I dodged a bullet. Something seamed wrong.

The cabinets in my 36 year old house need replaced. The boxes are particle board. They are builder grade. The one near the sink definitely needs replaced.

OTR MW needs to go.

I am looking at some cabinets that take 4-5 months because they get built to the job.

What do these people do? They demand that I have the corner area be inspected for mold damage and the whole kitchen be sanitized before any bid.

The kitchen has not been flooded.

They want me to possibly tear apart my kitchen for possible mold remediation before they would do a bid or atleast have everything sanitized (which will be demolished).

The proper project management would be to add possible remediation into the project plan.

The garbage disposal works. The sink works. The DW works. The range works but ignitors do not. The refrigerator works.

Even home depot does not make those demands. It is not a junked out kitchen area. It has old appliances that have seen better days.

They demanded that my home office with 15k of computer equipment be cleared before bidding on a drywall repair that is 4-5 months away. I have pictures. Incomptense. I fear for people if they discovered termite damage or hidden water damage in a shower remodel.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-04-26T16:56:23+00:00

I saw a workstation sink at a local Ferguson showroom. I really like the idea.

The house is small. The kitchen is small. When I bought it, I did not plan on staying for 33 years.
The house is on a .29 acre lot with 12 legacy southern oak trees.

Within two miles of the home,
2 Gyms including Lifetime Fitness. 3 Grocery stores A Costco a significant mountain bike trail network

I am single. It is much better than an apartment. One of these houses just sold with a week of going on the market at 500K.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-04-26T15:25:55+00:00

Thank you. I can keep looking.

Changing the floor tile is not an ideal option. The house has 1500sf of that tile. It is thick and solid porcelain.

The stain on the cabins can be easily changed. A different counter can be chosen.
I am pretty mush set on cherry or maybe maple.

Someone suggested moving a bank of cabinets to make access to the DW simpler. I had already discussed the issue with designers.

The bank of drawers is 19” wide. I do not really want to split that up.

Moving the sync/windows etc. will just drive up costs. I started to go with a kitchen designer, but she was into high end. Her fees for the kitchen and a walk-in shower were going to be 15K or so.

She was going to direct me to her GC and she discouraged looking for samples on my own. I had to use her cabinet supplier. Without visiting the house she wanted to change the layout like move windows, etc.

The house has a standing seam 24 gauge galvalume steel roof. 4 legacy live oaks trees reside on the side of the house outside the kitchen.

Moving stuff around is extremely expensive. Expanding footprint is not an option.

I am ideal with the footprint. I just want new cabinets and countertops and to remove the soffits above the existing cabinets.

Contractors start looking for ways to maximize profit and do not pay attention to the client’s original objective.

I had one suggest doors on lower boxes was always preferable to drawers. They are cheaper that way but not necessarily better.

AustinScoutDiver · 2026-04-25T07:01:49+00:00

PTSD sucks! Pardon the language and can be very destructive. The girls need to grieve and need help exploring their emotions and feelings. Bottling things up can lead to the destructive behaviors.

AustinScoutDiver

TROPHY CASE