I’m wanting to do a full gut remodel of my kitchen. I’ve had a couple walkthroughs with promise of an estimate, but it’s been over a week and I haven’t heard anything.
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Chances are, if you haven’t heard back by now, that’s a good sign the contractors aren’t that interested in your project. Unless it’s a very complicated project or there are some prices on fixtures and other particulars they are trying to figure out, it shouldn’t take more than a week. Creating an estimate should take about an hour for a contractor to sit down and crunch the numbers. If they haven’t set aside that amount of time, it’s because it’s not a priority to them. Probably because they are working on larger projects or bidding on more profitable projects. And If they didn’t have the professional courtesy to 1) tell you it would take at least a week when they did the walk-through, or 2) call to say sorry it’s taken so long and they are still working on it, then they probably just aren’t that professional. I’d use this as an indicator on how they will treat you the remainder of the project (i.e. you might get put off halfway through your project).
Now If you aren’t under a time crunch, they might not be bad options. If they have lots of work, usually that means they are a good contractor (they’re getting lots of referrals). Might not be that professional, but might be great tradesman. The other side to that coin is that if someone doesn’t have ANY other work, it could mean they are lousy tradesman. This is not a rule, just a theory. For instance, I just had wood floors put in my house and I called the installer at 3 PM and he showed up the next morning and did a fantastic job. But I also had a very good reference from a custom home builder as to his workmanship.
Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the home improvement industry and the reason sites like this exist, it’s hard to find a good contractor to do good work on a tight time frame.So weight out what’s most important to you. Sometimes projects just can’t wait. And there are plenty of contractors out there that are lousy tradesman but are good salesman and that’s the only reason they can stay in business. So go with your gut AND a good referral and you should be safe.
Best of luck!
I generally tell a homeowner I will have a quote/proposal within 3 days from the day of the walk through. That gives me enough time to figure out a material list and prices especially since the price of material, mainly lumber, fluctuates so much sometimes. There are a lot of specifics and variables depending on the job and depending on how elaborate the work or remodel is. For larger jobs with specialty items, for example, large additions, whole house renovations or new homes being built, then it may be slightly longer for the contractor to get the quote to you. Out of respect, you should be contacted by the next day after the walk through to ensure you that he is working on it or he has to pass. Everyone is busy which is understandable but if you are on a time sensitive schedule, then by him contacting you shows his punctuality.
Hope this helps.
Wish you the best.
The truth is that on the majority of estimates that a contractor goes on they already know the price by the time they finish their walk through. Estimates are usually simple calculations. It’s the cost of materials plus the cost of labor needed to install those materials. There are other variables to factor in. For instance, the cost of permits required or what a subcontractor will charge all need to be added on to the total cost. My point is that none of the math required to give a customer a estimate is overly complicated and it shouldn’t take any real time to figure out. The only reason for an estimate to take time before it could be given is that the contractor doesn’t know the cost of one or more of the variables. That should be something that worries at least a little. Because for instance if he’s waiting to hear back from a supplier for the cost of the materials you can pretty much assume he hasn’t worked with those materials before or even if he has its been awhile since the last time. If that’s their reason for not getting back to you promptly, it should at the very least cause you to hesitate before agreeing to move forward with them. Or maybe their waiting on subcontractors to give them a price. That fact is that if they’ve been in business for any amount of time and have worked on projects similar to what your looking to get done. Then they should already have someone they know and trust to complete the work. The fact that they don’t know what the subcontractor is going to charge could mean that they have never had to ask the subcontractor to perform that type of work before because they themselves have never taken on a job similar to yours. Now granted there can be as many justifiable reasons that they never worked together before, maybe the sub they normally use is unavailable or maybe they had under performed on the previous job.
The main point I’m trying to get at is KNOW YOUR CONTRACTOR and make sure you know exactly what you want and expect from them. And if they don’t exceed or at the very least meet your expectations from the very first moment you meet, then do not hire them. Before you sign or agree upon anything make sure you clearly state what exactly your expecting of them and make sure those expections are stated on the contract. If there is something missing from the contract or its written in such away that it leaves room for interpretation then make sure it is rewritten and don’t sign it until you are completely satisfied with everything in it. Remember your the employer, the contractor works for you and not the other way around. If they have a problem with your terms then find someone else. I good contractor will prefer to work with a clear understanding of what it is that you want and what it will take for them to have a satisfied customer.
I know I deviated quite a bit from the question that you had asked but it seems to me that you probably don’t have much experience with contractors in the past and I’ve seen over the years far too many people spend their hard earned money only to be left feeling unsatisfied with the finished product. There are a lot of bad people out there calling themselves contractors and willing to take someone’s money and leaving them with not much more then regret and disappointment. But there also is a lot of good people who got into this profession because they have a passion for it and they desire to be great contractors. Make sure you take your time and find the contractor that is right for you. So, I guess the short answer to your question would be. That you should receive an estimate in whatever responsible amount of time you stated that you want it by.
You should have your estimate in hand with in 24 hours.
A Skilled Remodeler can and should be able to give you a spoken estimate within 10% as soon as the walk through is done.
The client will have a proposal in their email next day. A follow up will take place within three days of that. Thanks
Depending on the size of the project, you should have your estimate within 2-3 days for an average sized project. 1 week, at the most, for larger projects.
You should receive a quote no later than 3 days for a kitchen remodel. Most contractors have square footage estimates already in their head from experience.
Some Contractors are just looking to get that next big job, If you do your homework, and look around to at least three contractors in the field you are looking at. You will have a much better chance at getting a quality Contractor and saving you money in the long run. Typically, depending on the scope of work, an estimate should be back to the customer, within 24 hours, if you haven’t received it by then, It doesn’t hurt to call for an update, even though they are working for you, they sometimes need to get pushed to get it done.
Generally speaking Most quotes are based on the scope of the work being done. So Cal Contractors and Remodeling, Inc. would be able to be quoted at the sit. In rare situation if the job is very complex the quote should be received the following business day. I base this on the services we provide and how we do business.
It will depend on the contractor, if they have someone on staff that only does the estimating. If not, they have to do the quotes at night and wekends most of the time. This will delay your quote. 1 week should be plenty of time for a price to be drawn up and sent over, unless the job is really intricate.
You have to give a contractor between 3-5 days to present you with an accurate proposal, unless you can tell them exactly what you want for all your finishes, cabinets, tile, granite, door pulls, backsplash tile, lighting, crown moldings, etc, etc.
I’m not sure if somebody came back to me in 24 hrs with a price, I would hire that company.
I always tell people they will have the proposal in 3-5 days.
with all respect, the problems that arise at the end of these type of projects are usually because people did not factor in all the small things at the end, that take 2 or 3 days of manpower to complete.
Typically a kitchen remodel estimate should take no longer than 3 days. We let our clients know when they should expect to receive their estimate after the walk through.
In your scenario, as stated by others already, the contractor may either be:
A.) not interested in the job - factors influencing this decision are primarily budget, scope of work, start time, and the amount of jobsites they currently maintain.
B.) they may have simply forgotten. We recommend sending them an email or giving them a call. Worst case scenario they will at least let you know that they are no longer interested in the job.
There are few ways to calculate the price and the same job in different
house can never have the same cost. Just the accessibility to the entrance of the house and working in different floor would be a important factor on my price. It would have to be very simple and long time costumer to give price wright on the spot.
Most Companies should have it within a week depending on your project size and type. Obviously replacing a sink and building a new garage are going to take a different time frame.
- John
Depending on the contractor and the project within 72 hours. I try to have an estimate for my customers within a 72 hour window.
If there are any permits that would take an additional amount of time or any special circumstances such as a building over four stories on a busy street, this would take a scaffolding bid in addition. Most bids if they’re general can be done on site with a hard copy because it is possible to print a contract mobile. If a contractor is knowledgeable, giving a customer a bid on site after a walk through, estimate of Sq feet and scope of work shouldn’t be a problem.
We try to send the estimates out within 2 days of walk through.