If you are keeping your existing kitchen layout, revising it or starting new; we can take your new cabinet ideas from inspiration to completion! Here is how we make your dream kitchen a reality:
Scheduling an On-Site Project Detail Visit
Please Text or leave a phone message to 830-307-8788 You may also indicate your preferred call-back time to schedule a free preliminary phone consultation. You may also email us at anrebe@gmail.com
What to Expect During the On-Site Project Detail Visit
The appointment usually takes about an hour. During the visit we take measurements and pictures for the project. We discuss your goals to guide us developing relevant drawings to produce a bid. We will refine this further when drawing are made and pictures of products are available to choose from. We will send plans and revisions back and forth electronically until we reach agreement. There is an $85 fee for an On-Site Project Detail payable in advance and which is deducted from the install contract when we reach that stage. There is a small mileage fee when the distance travelled is greater then 30 miles from our service area centered Harper Texas.
While we can provide a general ball-park cost estimate when you provide some general measurements and the details that you are aware of, the final contract price is not guaranteed until a proper On-Site assessment takes place.
How To Prepare for an On-Site Project Detail
To prepare it is helpful to do a little clearing of the countertops. In kitchens this means measuring the walls behind the cabinets and being able to run a tape measurer along the wall at the back of the countertop. We may need to pull the refrigerator and range out a little to measure behind them. Plan for the hour, ready with your list of requirements and having limited outside distractions.
I can be reached at cell/text 830-307-8788. Also at email: anrebe@gmail.com (more below)
Executing the Contract
When we reach an agreement to remodel with product selected and priced to both our satisfaction, we can then proceed to sign a contract and financial agreement which includes a downpayment. At this time we accept cash, cheques or credit/debit cards. I am looking at venders offering retail financing and may soon have a link up on this website. On typical cabinet contracts, we will look to fund the materials delivered and fund the balance on completion. Larger projects, such as new-construction or larger remodels may have installment payments tied to certain progress goals as the project is completed.
What to Expect when Starting the Project
When remodeling kitchens we have to plan tear-out of the original cabinets and countertops. Cabinets that have been screwed into place generally can be removed in units. Cabinets that are nailed or built into place are generally demolished on-site. Sometime customers choose to DIY their demolition and clean-up jobs in preparation for the new cabinets.
Tile countertops have to be pried off of the cabinets and that is generally destructive of the cabinets. Other types of countertops are generally easier to remove. Disposition of intact used cabinets removed should be declared in the contract. (We are prepared to haul off debris for a fee.)
Solid surface or stone countertops can be difficult to separate into constituent pieces. If you are contemplating reusing them, we will need to hire a contractor that installs them to remove them in advance and intact.
There will be a trash trailer during the tear-out and remodel phases of the project. We utilize the cardboard packing material to protect the floor in the project area and to outdoor access. Most dust and dirt is produced during the removal of the old cabinets and any other revisions/repairs that take place before installing the new cabinets. It may be preferable to close off the work area to contain dust. During the install phase a cut-area (chop saw, table saw etc) is ideally set up outside under a porch roof or in a garage. The site is swept daily and will get a detailed cleaning on completion of install. It may be wise to change HVAC air filters at the end of the project. Pets will need to be contained out of the work area and as materials are moved in or out.
Timeline
Removal of the old generally takes a day. Next comes any repairs to the walls and any revision to electrical and plumbing service. As much as possible we will pre-schedule these contractors to try to keep control of the timeline. Sometimes walls are added or extended, sometimes walls are shortened or removed (if structurally possible) . Soffits above the wall cabinets built/removed if possible (plumbers, hvac and electricians often use the open space too and revisions there can get complicated). Drywall repairs and painting can add days. Install of cabinets may require some paint touch-up afterwards but getting the bulk work done in advance reduces time and expense in paint-prep. Occasionally unseen damage due to water leakage etc. is uncovered and structural work may be required and expand the timeline.
Install of a small residential kitchen with ready-made cabinets can be done in one to three days depending on details. Larger cabinet projects can take longer. RTA–ready to assemble–cabinets add days to the timeline. After this, the decision (made in the contract) regarding countertops affects the schedule. I install ready-made laminate countertops, usually easily done in less than a day. Other types, tile/stone/solid-surface are installed by other contractors. Typically we try to have these scheduled in advance as soon as we have a delivery date for the cabinets so there is not too much lag time from cabinet install to countertop install.
What Are You Going to Do While You Don’t Have a Usable Kitchen?
You will be without a working kitchen for days if not weeks accounting for possible competition in scheduling or unexpected problems (such as water damage to structure behind or under cabinets). That is best planned for. We can temporarily re-utilize old countertops cut short with the old sink to get things going temporarily after a cabinet install if the countertop contractor is going to be delayed. Best to plan for an alternate area for usage during the project. It is best to close-off the kitchen area during the project to reduce spread of dust and keep pets out of the work area. That means that it may also be convenient to move the refrigerator out where it can be accessed more easily etc.
How Long Does It Take to Get Started
After the Project is Detailed and a contract is executed we can order materials. Some venders have a selection of cabinets in-stock, ready to ship. Not necessarily all of the ones you might want, so some ordering of cabinets may be necessary. Figure three or more weeks for delivery of cabinets made-to-order. Within a business day or two of delivery into air-conditioned space (cabinets are made with wood and must acclimate to where they will be installed) I will come and inspect the shipment for damage and to make sure we have all we need to complete the job. Once we are certain we can finish we can confirm the schedule to remodel/install the kitchen. If items are damaged in-transit or are missing from the order and that will prevent install of the countertop, I prefer to delay the schedule until the replacements arrive. That is usually on the order of five to ten business days. From that point onwards the schedule will progress as outlined above with the caveats listed. Generally it is desirable to keep the time your kitchen is inoperable as short as possible.
