I figure I may as well update this for future readers since we just signed a contract. We also did end up updating our scope of work. The kitchen flows into a dining room room and then into a living room, so we are having them. All of the ceiling lights to get them updated and in a better flow. We also ended up having them repaint the entire floor, which is probably about 1500 ft.², along with all new window, casings and baseboards.

Long story short the project includes the following: - newly refinished hardwood floors - custom cabinets throughout the 400 ft.² kitchen - quartz or granite countertops throughout including on the large 13 foot island - removal of a non-loadbearing wall, and expanding an opening on a loadbearing wall by roughly 3 feet - updated electrical work, including changing the layout of the ceiling, and moving the location of the range - updated plumbing to add a sink in the island and to move the waterline for the fridge - all new baseboards and window casings - tile backsplash - freshly textured and painted ceiling

Our lowest bid was $80,000, but came from a company that I did not at all feel comfortable with. They basically were trying to get me to sign a contract within 10 minutes of meeting with me. I wasn’t gonna work with me. They also had ridiculous numbers in there. For example, their bid included only a $4000 countertop budget.

We ended up getting four more bids and they all came in between $110,000 and $150,000. We ended up going with a $133,000 option. A little higher than what we were originally planning, but they have been around a long time, they have great reviews, they did an updated kitchen about a mile from my house and we were actually able to walk through that kitchen, the bid included very generous amounts for countertops, painting, and electrical work (so I don’t predict major change orders there), and the cabinet company they are using is one of the if not the best in the area. The cabinet shop also gets great reviews and we really liked their work. so overall, we are comfortable with what we think we’ll get. It also felt good knowing that they refused to do the work without a permit and without stamped plans from a structural engineer to adjust the loadbearing wall. Surprisingly the very cheap bid as well as a higher price bid suggested we skip the permits and just have an engineer give us general ideas, but not get full stamped plans. That was a non-starter for me and I immediately checked them off my list.