Kitchen Cost Estimate

[PaleRider]

Hello,

Currently we are looking at house that's around 400-450K range (Tuscany, Royal Oak..~1500 sqft). For most of them my wife wants to upgrade the kitchen to a set of maple cabinets (maybe with granite counter tops - depends on the price).

We are wondering about the cost of getting this done, just a ball park estimate, because if it's like 20K we might as well increase our house budget to ~470...

thank you for your input.

[Mangina]

I think you can get a basic level granite installed for around $85 a square foot. I have no idea on the cabinets.

[Super_Geo]

Buying the granite is pretty cheap, but it costs a lot to install, you have to pay them to cut a hole in it for your sink, etc. But definately worth it... if you're paying $450,000 pay the extra (roughly) $10-15,000. Laminate looks kinda cheap, can fray or get water damaged if you don't take care of it... but granite is pretty up indestructible.

Cabinets are expensive as hell cause you have to get someone to come in and install them, and I hear they're a real bitch to do yourself. I just bought a place and it came with granite counters in the kitchen and bathrooms, but the cabinets are made of laminated particle board and looks kinda cheap. I'm planning on getting wood cabinets down the road... haven't gotten someone to come in to do an estimate yet but I've been told to expect around $8000, or more depending on the size of your kitchen.

We should make a home improvements thread, would be handy and interesting to see what other people are doing. Here's some big/small things I'm thinking of doing in the next few months:

- Scrape off 6 inches of stipple along the edges of the ceiling to give it a boardered look... I think it'll look pretty sharp. (around $500 to have someone do it... I think?)
- Rip out the old tubs in the bathrooms and put in dark tiles or some sort of granite/marble and install a rain shower. ($8k-10k)
- Get new cupboards/cabinets ($8k)
- Maybe hardwood floors? Though I dont' mind the carpet. (??)
- Install 2 ceiling speakers as the rear surround speakers. (??)

The prices in the parenthesis are what I'm guessing it'll cost, I don't really know though... Anyone have experience with this stuff?

[Maddog55]

Super_Geo....your prices and advice are way off.

Originally posted by Super_Geo
Buying the granite is pretty cheap, but it costs a lot to install, you have to pay them to cut a hole in it for your sink, etc.

Granite is expensive period. About $75 - $120 per sq foot. All granite companies include installation and any required holes to be cut in the price. They will only credit you about $500 if you want to do it yourself. And unless you know how to work with epoxy, diamond grinders and near-perfection shimming and levelling it is NOT a "DIY install project". The average size kitchen granite tops will run you about $4,000 to $6,000.

Originally posted by Super_Geo but the cabinets are made of laminated particle board and looks kinda cheap. I'm planning on getting wood cabinets down the road... haven't gotten someone to come in to do an estimate yet but I've been told to expect around $8000, or more depending on the size of your kitchen.

ALL pre-made kitchen cabinets are made with particle board and laminate. If you want to go to actualy plywood and solid lumber cabinets you're looking at the million- dollar home, custom-made cabinets. Expect to pay minimum of $20,000. That can easily go up to $50,000 or more,depending on the size.

Originally posted by Super_Geo
- Rip out the old tubs in the bathrooms and put in dark tiles or some sort of granite/marble and install a rain shower. ($8k-10k)

$8-10K will get you a COMPLETE re & re of your bathroom. New tub, toilet, sink and fixtures, new cabinets, tile, plumbing, electrical fixtures and paint. Including all demo and garbage removal.
To just re & re tile and put in a rain shower will cost you much much less. I can give a quote on that to Pale_Rider

Originally posted by Super_Geo
- Maybe hardwood floors? Though I dont' mind the carpet. (??)

Hardwood will run you about $10-$11 per sq

Pale_rider: If you want to just hire a contractor to completely renovate the kitchen (new cabinets and granite tops) you're going to look at a starting point of about $20K, minium. And trust me...it ALWAYS, always always will run you more than you budgeted for!!! AND take longer than you expected!! lol.....its just the 'nature of the beast'.

[Super_Geo]

^ Whoa really? Most of those were budgetary pricing given to me by my home inspector, and he seemed to know what he was talking about. Who knows though...

You seem to know quite a bit on this stuff, what line of work are you in if you don't mind me asking?

Originally posted by Maddog55

Granite is expensive period. About $75 - $120 per sq foot. All granite companies include installation and any required holes to be cut in the price. They will only credit you about $500 if you want to do it yourself. And unless you know how to work with epoxy, diamond grinders and near-perfection shimming and levelling it is NOT a "DIY install project". The average size kitchen granite tops will run you about $4,000 to $6,000.

When I was looking at granite samples the salesman said that the prices didn't include installation (he also looked like he was 16 years old though...) and they were priced at $85/sqft. When I was talking to people about installing granite I never heard anything as low as $4-6k, it was more in the 8-10k range, if not more than 10k... could just have been that I was asking the wrong people though.

Originally posted by Maddog55

ALL pre-made kitchen cabinets are made with particle board and laminate. If you want to go to actualy plywood and solid lumber cabinets you're looking at the million- dollar home, custom-made cabinets. Expect to pay minimum of $20,000. That can easily go up to $50,000 or more,depending on the size.

...

Originally posted by Maddog55

$8-10K will get you a COMPLETE re & re of your bathroom. New tub, toilet, sink and fixtures, new cabinets, tile, plumbing, electrical fixtures and paint. Including all demo and garbage removal.
To just re & re tile and put in a rain shower will cost you much much less. I can give a quote on that to Pale_Rider.

I'm looking to have that done, I'm guessing you're in the industry? Can you PM me your contact info, I'd like to talk to you about pricing re: ripping out a tub and tiles and put in new tiles/rainshower. I have a friend who's a manager at a tile/granite store, he's the one who told me to expect around $8k.

But like I said in my OP, I don't know much about this stuff at all... any/all help would be greatly apprechiated

[Euro838]

If this is something you are planning to do afterwards anyways, I'd recommend that you do this during the building process. I think it will save some money plus won't have the hassle of doing it afterwards. Upgrades may seem like they cost a lot at the time but I don't think you'll save very much later down the road if you are planning to have it done professionally. If you are a DIYer, then that's a different story.

I think the prices given by Maddog55 are very accurate but obviously it will vary depending on your choices and taste but those values could be used for a high percentage of what's out there.

[Maddog55]

^^ Good advice.


Super Geo: Sorry...looks like you were the victim of bad advice lol. There's so many so called "professionals" out there giving bad advice. Home inspectors are very poor on actual costs. That $85 price PLUS install sounds like the good ole boys at Home Depot (?) DONT ever get granite from them. There is a shop called "Granite Direct". They quoted my kitchen at $4200 and did two other friends at that price. The reason they are lower is they template by CAD and then have the slab cut and polished overseas and then shipped. They're prices are good but long wait time. 4-6 weeks. and sometimes the piece is broken in transit..making even longer times. Good guys though. The larger guys like Porter or Dauter will run you higher, but they have nicer material, more selection and manufacture your piece right in thier own shop. Very high quality work. But 8-10 grand is not out of line either. You can have a kitchen thats easily doubles the size of a smaller home kitchen. Hence the price difference.

I am a tile contractor specializing in high end custom work and reno's. I also worked for a large granite shop for years back in BC. I've been in the biz for over 25 years now. I also general contract my own reno's. Some of my: WORK

If you're serious about a bathroom re&re, contact me via PM and we can discuss further. Expect a good month or two on wait-time...super busy right now lol.

[Gspotracer]

I'm renovating the kichen in one of my houses right now, Heres a rough idea of what its costing

Cabinets $8000 - Solid maple doors, fronts and sides

Granite $4300

Appliances $5000 - Stainless steel

Tile $2000

Tatal about $20,000 and thats not including labour

[PaleRider]

wow thanks for the detail reply.

Maddog55: from your post, this means
Gspotracer's $8000 cabinet was "made with particle board and laminate"?

appreciate your detail input. I haven't settle on which house I am going to buy yet, but these number definitely helps.

[Gspotracer]

Originally posted by PaleRider
wow thanks for the detail reply.

Maddog55: from your post, this means
Gspotracer's $8000 cabinet was "made with particle board and laminate"?

appreciate your detail input. I haven't settle on which house I am going to buy yet, but these number definitely helps.

The shelves, tops & bottoms are particle board but the rest is maple, these were not the cheapest cabinets I could find but above average quality.

[Maddog55]

Originally posted by PaleRider
wow thanks for the detail reply.

Maddog55: from your post, this means
Gspotracer's $8000 cabinet was "made with particle board and laminate"?

appreciate your detail input. I haven't settle on which house I am going to buy yet, but these number definitely helps.

Yes...I should've mentioned that I was talking about the "boxes" themselves..not the doors. doors (at least the 'raised panel' doors) are always solid. But the boxes are made of K3 and laminate.

There's one other option when renovating kitchen/bathroom cabinets. "Re-facing". My principle residence has cabinets that were made in the early 70's. ALL 1/2" plywood construction. Everything, even the drawers. So we had them resurfaced with Oak 1/4" ply and new solid oak doors and new h/w. I'd never want to throw away solid cabinets like that to be replaced with K3. These cabinets havent sagged a bit in over 30's years. They look like a $50,000 set of New Oak Cabinets!

Gspot...$2,000 for tile? Must be nice tile!!!

[thanatos1111]

Maddog, I bought an a$$load of 12" Granite Floor tile and need a few pointers before I install... the big question on my mind is how to cut it, space it, and grout it.... Any tips?

[Maddog55]

Originally posted by thanatos1111
Maddog, I bought an a$$load of 12" Granite Floor tile and need a few pointers before I install... the big question on my mind is how to cut it, space it, and grout it.... Any tips?

Hooo man....Granite is in a completely different ball park than ceramic tile as far as a "DIY" project. I've known many tile setters who can't set granite to save thier lives.

First of all you have to set it so that its near perfectly level, otherwise it's reflection will show all uneven tiles. I use a sharp-edged level on each and every piece I put down to make sure they're perfectly level. The joints should be 1/16th" maximum. This also requires a very smooth install job as you will get "lippage" if its not. Grouting it is easy, but you want to use an UNsanded grout.
To cut granite you will need a "wet" saw with a diamond blade. Home depot rents them, but they're about $60-70 per day. (you can buy those cheapo diamond saws for $149...but you'd probably burn it out on one job..if it even lasts that long. Granite is very hard on a cheap saw)
How big an area are you installing? Lets put it this way: I can set about 400-500 feet of floor tile in one day. Granite....MAYBE 200. 100 if there's lots of cuts. A beginner or "DIY'er probably 3 times slower.

Good luck.

[premiere1]

if anyone is looking to have granite countertops installed, send me a PM...beyonder's deal starting @ $65 per square foot installed.

Alex