Eight questions to ask a kitchen remodeler before a deposit

The oak cabinets in your Anderson Township ranch went in around 1978, the laminate has a scorch ring next to the range, and three companies have now stood in your kitchen with a tape measure. One of them was us. The quotes are close, and one company would like a deposit by the end of the month. These are the questions to ask a kitchen remodeler before that check leaves the house, eight of them, in the order the job runs.

Ask each company the same eight, Bulldog included, and write the answers on the back of its quote. We wrote three questions for a bathroom contractor that go deeper on licensing, insurance and whose name is on the warranty. This list covers what a kitchen adds.

1. Whose crews install the cabinets and the countertops

A kitchen job can involve three outfits: the company that sold it, a cabinet installer, and a stone shop that templates, cuts and sets the counters. Ask in these words: "Are the people setting my cabinets your employees? Who makes and installs the countertops? Is the person measuring today on the crew that comes back?"

Our answer: Bulldog installs with its own crews, and the same crew comes for the consultation and the install. Every installer is background-checked. Our quartz, granite and solid-surface countertops are fabricated and installed by our team.

2. How long the kitchen will be out of use, and which parts stay usable

"About two weeks" tells you little until you know what you'll be cooking on. Ask for the number of working days. Then ask the sharper question: which days will we be without a sink, which days is the range disconnected, and can the refrigerator stay plugged in where it is?

The answer depends on the job. Refacing leaves the cabinet boxes on the wall, so the kitchen keeps its shape. New cabinets mean the old ones come out, and the counters and sink come out with them.

Our answer: many kitchen updates take a few days. A full kitchen with new cabinets takes longer, and your project coordinator gives you a detailed schedule before work starts. Which appliances you can use on which day depends on your kitchen, so ask us and get it in writing on that schedule. If the sink will be out for a stretch, set up the coffee maker and a dish tub in the laundry room before the crew arrives.

3. What the written quote lists, line by line

A quote that says "kitchen remodel" and a number is a quote you can't hold anyone to. The Federal Trade Commission says a home improvement contract should include the contractor's name, address, phone number and license number (if one is required where you live), and an estimated start and completion date. The same page says to write promises made in conversation into the contract and fill in every blank.

For a kitchen, look for these by name:

• Cabinets: door style, finish, and whether the job is refacing or new boxes
• Organizers: the pull-outs, drawer dividers or lazy Susan you talked about
• Countertop: material, color and edge profile
• Sink and faucet: the sink type (undermount, farmhouse, drop-in or double bowl) and the faucet
• Backsplash: the material and how far it runs
• Removal of the old cabinets and counters, and who disconnects and reconnects the plumbing

Our answer: a design consultant comes to the house, measures, brings samples of colors and finishes, walks you through the options and gives you a written quote. What happens at a kitchen design consultation goes through that visit. If something you discussed isn't on our quote, ask us to add the line before you sign.

4. What happens if a cabinet box turns out damaged

This one belongs to kitchens. Refacing puts new doors, drawer fronts and veneer on the boxes you already have, so the whole plan rests on those boxes being sound. The sink base is the box most likely to be damaged, since a slow drip at the trap can sit behind the dish soap for months before anyone notices.

Ask two things. At the estimate: "Are my boxes good enough to reface?" And for the job: "If your crew finds a damaged box after we sign, what happens to the plan and the price, and who decides?"

Our answer to the first: if your boxes are solid, refacing gives you a new look in a fraction of the time and cost of a tear-out. If they're worn or damaged, we recommend full replacement. For a box that turns up damaged after you've signed, ask us and get it in writing. You can look at your own boxes before anyone comes over with a five-minute check of the sink base, shelves and face frames.

5. How the countertops get templated

A template is the full-size pattern of your counters that the fabricator cuts the slab to. Some shops trace it by hand with strips of thin board; others measure it digitally. A miss at the back wall shows up as a gap behind the faucet that you look at every morning.

Ask how the template is taken, who takes it, and how many days pass between the template and install day. Pick your sink and faucet before the template appointment, since the sink cutout goes into the stone.

Our answer: we digitally template your existing layout for a tight, accurate fit before fabrication. The time between templating and install depends on the job and the material, so ask us and get those dates on your schedule.

6. The warranty, in writing

"Lifetime warranty" on a flyer is a phrase. Ask to see the warranty itself before you sign: whether it covers the products, the work or both, for how long, and who you call. If the countertop maker and the installer each warrant a different piece, you want both on paper.

Our answer: Bulldog's lifetime warranty covers the products and the workmanship for as long as you own the home. Ask us for the written warranty before you sign, and keep it with your quote.

7. The payment schedule

Ask how much is due at signing, what triggers each payment after that, and what's held back until the end. The FTC says not to pay the full amount for the project up front, notes that some states limit how much a contractor can ask for as a down payment, and says not to make the final payment until the work is done and you're satisfied with it. Tie each payment to something you can see in the kitchen: cabinets delivered, cabinets set, counters in.

If a company offers to arrange the loan, the FTC's advice is to shop around and compare loan terms before you agree. That applies to ours as much as anyone's. And if you do sign at your kitchen table, the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule gives you until midnight of the third business day after a sale of $25 or more made at your home to cancel for a full refund.

Our answer: ask us for the payment schedule and get it in writing on the contract, before any deposit. Bulldog offers financing on approved credit for kitchens, and your design consultant goes over the options with you.

8. Who you call while the job is running

Ask for a name, not a department. On day three the faucet in the box isn't the one you picked, or the truck is blocking the neighbor's driveway. Who picks up?

Our answer: every project gets a dedicated project coordinator who keeps you informed from start to finish and gives you the schedule before work starts. We're open 8am to 8pm, Monday through Sunday, at (513) 657-3750. If you want a direct number for your coordinator, ask for it when you sign.

Comparing the answers from three kitchen remodelers

Lay the three quotes side by side with the answers on the back. A company that answered all eight in writing has told you more than the one with the lowest number and four answers of "we'll see when we get there."

If you're 72 and live alone in Hyde Park, weigh questions 2 and 8: how many days you'll go without a sink, and whose name you call when something's off. If you're in West Chester and plan to list the house in two years, weigh 3 and 4. A damaged sink base found mid-job can push a schedule back, and you want the plan for it on paper before it happens.

Ask all eight at your free in-home Bulldog estimate. The consultant measures, brings samples of colors and finishes so you see them in your own light, and gives you a written quote. The current offer on qualifying full kitchen remodels has to be presented at the estimate, so check current promos before you book. Call (513) 657-3750 or send us your address and a good time.

A new-looking kitchen in days, not months walks through every part of the kitchen in order: what to keep and what to replace.