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Cooking Up A New Kitchen!

The baker screwed up our wedding cake. And I’m glad she did, because I learned a “Reading Rainbow” lesson.

Maybe I’m not a bona fide foodie, but I know people; like, I think I can safely say I’ve got my finger on the pulse. So what would be more popular than chocolate cake with chocolate frosting? Nothing, amirite?? Apparently, our baker thought otherwise, because that night I spied a second layer of yellow cake beneath the frosting.

I was bummed when I first saw that, but then I noticed something else. People had taken both flavors. That was a V8 moment for me. Sure, weddings are expensive and decisions had to be made, but it cost the same either way, so why didn’t we think about giving people choices? We had always been inclusive people — hey, bring your friend along! — but during any parties we’ve had since, we’ll offer a variety of sodas, beers or desserts.

What does this have to do with remodeling projects? I’ll circle back, but first let’s discuss common ways that contractors operate, as well as the intersection between what are small businesspeople who have decades of working with homeowners, versus the many clients with little to no experience in undertaking a large scale renovation. That imbalance can lead to surprises.

Some contractors work on a simple hourly basis. They generally start the clock when they arrive at the client’s house and, outside of lunch, will keep it running until the job is finished, including trips for supplies. These are often closer to handymen, proficient at a lot of tasks, but probably not expert at too many. Homeowners are often scared of not knowing the total, but smaller jobs will usually end up costing less.

Ironically, the next group of contractors also charge by the hour, but it’s just hidden in a total estimate. So if a guy wants to earn $40 per hour, he’ll calculate how many hours it will take to lay the floor, then multiply that by his per hour price. These are usually one or two person outfits who will do any task within their comfort level, then might bring in an electrician to wire the box.

The next group are General Contractors. They usually have crews, so they’re able to schedule a job sooner or finish projects more quickly, though pricing reflects that. However, there is no overriding Colorado certification for G.C.’s; those are handled by each municipality. What happens, however, is they’ll get a bill to renew a license in Lakewood, then realize they haven’t done a job there in four years, so they’ll let it lapse. Pretty soon, they’re no longer ‘General Contractors’, they’re ‘general contractors’ with the same knowledge and expertise. They just are no longer allowed to file permits.

Anyway, suppose you’re planning a major remodel: new cabinets, floors, counters, backsplash, patio slider. You call five contractors to estimate the job, then receive five responses. Three might propose a like-for-like replacement; one will suggest moving the sink to improve the flow; the fifth may say removing a wall will net you more counter space.

Soon, their bids arrive and you must...must...read them entirely. Some contractors will do the shopping for you; others will have preset tiers of products. Maybe you’ll be given an allowance of X dollars for each product; of those, some will refund “unspent” money, others won’t.

We once had customers buy products for three bathrooms; two weeks after construction started, they came in crestfallen. They had assumed the bid was on the entire project, but the G.C. asked when their tile setter would start. That was $7K they didn’t expect. It turned out their contract had two paragraphs of the same five sentences, except one said “not” in it. Again, you need to understand the bid fully. And ask questions.

Back to let ‘em have cake. We felt most people go about it wrongly, because they’re too eager to have one point of contact; that leads to essentially asking the maker of the brushes to also paint the masterpiece. They’ll hire the company with the lowest price, and even though there’s a box full of crayons available, they’ll look at the sample door he brought by and say, “Yeah, that’s okay.”

We knew there’s a better way, which is why we created a 4,400 square foot showroom with hundreds of products and colors to compare. And whether it takes one trip or ten, we’ll help you put together a unique look that’s not someone’s package of A, B or C. And it doesn’t matter who does the installation. Con your brother-in-law into helping, use your favorite contractor, work with one from our referral list, or hire us; either way, the great ones will have excellent reviews and be able to handle a project from start to finish, so you won’t be stuck scheduling your own drywaller.

But regardless who you use, be sure to tell them, “We want to buy the rainbow of products offered by those cool cats over at Foothills Kitchen & Bath!”