Most people are familiar with the old process of hiring a designer to create kitchen plans and then offering the plans to at least 3 contractors for their bid. When the bids come back, the price can vary greatly...sometimes by a factor of nearly 2 times. Obviously the homeowner is left to compare apples and oranges since contractors approach the bidding process differently and what they include varies.

The contractor with the low bid may not understand the entire scope of the project or may be using the old contracting trick...hook'em with an attractive price that is bare bones, then sell the extras at inflated prices after the project begins when the customer has no bargaining leverage. Initially this may appear to be the lowest price, but as you can see when the project unfolds and change orders are made, this bid can turn out to be quite costly.

On the other hand, the contractor with the highest price could be a large company with high operation overhead such as a large product showroom.

With the Beautiful Kitchens of Minnesota design/build process, you will work side by side with us from the beginning of the design process until the project is complete. In addition to project construction, we provide relationship-based service, creative design and stress free project management. We will strive to understand the needs of your household as well as how your family uses the kitchen and will design a new kitchen that meets your needs and budget.

You have decided you would like a new kitchen. Perhaps with your growing family, your current kitchen no longer meets your needs or designs and styles have changed such that your kitchen now looks outdated. A company representative from Beautiful Kitchens will visit your home to discuss your plans and determine the overall scope of the project. You will learn what you can expect from us during the design and construction process. We will provide you the opportunity to review our portfolio of kitchen renovations that will provide you with ideas and you will learn more about our kitchen renovation capabilities. Finally we will discuss potential project costs as well as your budget. If you decide to proceed, we will inform you of the next steps. There is no cost to you for this first meeting.

This is the initial home design visit. During this visit, our designer will listen to your ideas and discuss the features you would like to see in your new kitchen and determine the initial requirements. It is important that the designer understands the daily kitchen needs of you and the members of your household. You and the designer will discuss...kitchen workflow, arrangement of cabinets, placement of appliances and the location of lighting. You will be reviewing the many available options...cabinets, countertops, flooring, plumbing fixtures and appliances. To provide you with ideas, you will have the opportunity to review the designer's portfolio of kitchen renovations. There is also no cost to you for this meeting.

The designer will document your project requirements and work together with your company representative to determine an initial cost for your project and a preliminary contract will be drawn up for your review. With this contract, you would be authorizing us to proceed. The project price offered with this preliminary contract is based the design and product selections you have made to date. It is recognized that after you and the designer have spent additional time arriving at the final look of your new kitchen that the price can change. Your preliminary contract will specify the design and product selections such that you can readily track the cost of any changes you make.

The designer will continue to work with you to provide a computer aided design of your new kitchen. The goal of the continued design consultation is to define and document as many of the details as possible in order to establish a list of materials to be used. The greater the degree of documentation, the less the chance of costly change orders that frequently occur when remodeling projects have poor specifications. With these project specifications, your company representative will work together with your designer to determine a final cost for your project. A final contract will be presented to you for signature and the construction phase of your new kitchen is underway.

Good project management makes for a smooth running project and a pleasant experience for you. At Beautiful Kitchens of Minnesota, our project managers have direct contact with your designer so any questions can be addressed right away. You will be in constant communication with the person assigned to manage your kitchen project. We will communicate the production schedule with you on a regular basis so you are kept informed of the work being done and whom you can expect in your home. One of our goals is to minimize the length of the construction process so that the disruption in your home is minimal.

You can also expect the following.

• We will provide the necessary protective covering for your furniture and belongings as well as clean your home of construction debris at the end of each day.
   
• A professional environment. We do not allow people connected with our company to smoke, use offensive language or use radios while in your home.
   
• We will complete your project to our own highest standards and your complete satisfaction.
   
• A fully insured project. We are fully insured and also require our specialty contractors to provide us with insurance certification. These documents are available for your review.

  Return to > Main Menu