Kitchen Remodel Quotes: How to Compare Them Fairly
You get three kitchen quotes. One is $18,000, one is $31,000, one is $47,000 — and not one of them lists the same work. So which one is the real price?
None of them. Not yet. A quote is only a price for the scope written on it, and when the scopes don’t match, you’re not comparing prices. You’re comparing three different kitchens. Here’s how I tell homeowners to line them up, line by line, before anybody signs anything.
Key takeaways
- A kitchen quote is a price for a written scope — if two quotes list different work, the cheaper one isn’t cheaper, it’s smaller.
- Compare the same five blocks on every quote: demo and haul-away, cabinets (boxes, assembly, install), counters with sink and plumbing reconnect, electrical and plumbing moves, and permits and inspections.
- Any line that says “allowance” is a guess, not a price — ask what product it actually buys before you compare totals.
- The quote that leaves things out is the one that grows later, in change orders, after your kitchen is already torn apart.
- Get the comparison in writing: ask each contractor to re-quote the exact same scope, then compare totals.
Start with scope, not the total
The total at the bottom is the last number you should look at. The first thing I do with any quote — mine or a competitor’s — is read what the work actually is.
Does it include demo and haul-away, or does the old kitchen become your problem? Are cabinets priced as boxes only, or boxes plus assembly plus installation? A cabinet number that skips assembly and install can look thousands cheaper and cost the same — or more — by the time somebody hangs them. Same with counters: is the sink in there? Is the plumbing reconnect in there? Or do those show up later as extras?
Two quotes can describe the same finished kitchen and be $10,000 apart on paper, purely because one of them wrote the whole job down and the other one wrote half of it.
The five blocks every quote has to show
When I sit down with a homeowner holding a stack of quotes, we go block by block:
- Demo and haul-away. Who tears out, who hauls off, who pays the dump fees.
- Cabinets, complete. Boxes, assembly, installation, hardware — the full stack, not a box price dressed up as a kitchen price.
- Counters, complete. Material, fabrication, install, sink, and the plumbing reconnect.
- Trades. Every electrical move, every plumbing move, panel work if the layout changes — named, not assumed.
- Permits and inspections. Who pulls them, whose license they’re under, and whether the fees are in the number.
If a block is missing from a quote, that doesn’t mean it’s free. It means it’s not in the price — yet. That’s the gap where “cheap” quotes grow.
“Allowance” is the word that costs you
Here’s how this usually goes: a quote carries a line like “countertop allowance” or “tile allowance” with a tidy number in it. That number was picked to make the total look good. Then you go pick your actual stone, and the real price is double the allowance — and the difference is yours to pay, mid-job, when your kitchen is already in pieces.
An allowance isn’t a lie. It’s a placeholder. But you cannot compare placeholders. Ask every contractor the same question: “At that allowance, what exactly am I getting — name the product.” If they can’t name it, the number isn’t real yet, for them or for you.
The cheapest quote is usually the smallest job
I don’t lose sleep over being underbid. I lose sleep over what happens to the homeowner after. The low quote that left out permits, left out assembly, left out the reconnect — that job doesn’t stay low. It climbs, one change order at a time, and it climbs at the worst possible moment: after demo, when going back is not an option.
The honest comparison is never “who’s cheapest.” It’s “who wrote down the whole job.” A complete quote can look higher and finish lower. I’ve watched it go both ways for thirty years, and the written scope wins every time.
How to make them comparable
You don’t need to be a contractor to fix this. Take the most complete quote you’ve got, and send its scope — just the list of work, not the prices — to the other contractors. Ask each one: “Price this exact scope, in writing.” Now you’ve got three prices for one kitchen, and the comparison is finally real.
And hold every quote to the same standard I’d want held to mine: licensed and insured, permit pulled under a real license, payment schedule in writing, and a number that’s good for a set number of days — not a number that changes when the wind does.
Most homeowners finance part of a kitchen: small jobs from $120/month, typical projects in the low $200s–$300s/month, with approved credit, at rates as low as 4.49% APR with approved credit through our financing partner. Compare financing the same way — same scope, same terms, in writing.*
Ready to get one honest number?
Bring me the quotes you’ve got. I’ll sit down, line them up against the scope your kitchen actually needs, and show you where each one is light — including mine, if it is. Then I’ll measure for free and give you our complete number in writing, good for 14 days.
Call or text me at (561) 462-9293, or reach us through our contact page. You can see how we build them on our kitchen remodeling page, and if you’re wondering what the remodel itself is like day to day, I answered that too: will you be able to cook during a kitchen remodel? Start at onelconstruction.com and judge us on the work.
Onel Construction LLC — Florida Certified General Contractor CGC1511492. Licensed and insured, serving Boca Raton and a 75-mile radius — West Palm Beach to Miami.
Prices are averages from recent jobs, set before the latest round of tariff-driven material price increases, and subject to change with inflation, tariffs, and market conditions. Your free estimate always uses current numbers.
FAQ
Why do kitchen remodel quotes vary so much for the same kitchen?
Because they’re rarely quoting the same kitchen. One includes demo, assembly, install, and reconnects; another prices cabinets as boxes and leaves the rest out. The totals differ because the scopes differ — line the scopes up first, then compare totals.
What should a complete kitchen remodel quote include?
Demo and haul-away, cabinets complete (boxes, assembly, installation, hardware), counters complete (material, fabrication, install, sink, plumbing reconnect), all electrical and plumbing moves by name, and permits and inspections with fees accounted for. If a block is missing, ask for it in writing before you compare.
What does “allowance” mean in a kitchen quote?
A placeholder amount for a product you haven’t picked yet. It’s not a price. Ask what specific product the allowance buys — if nobody can name it, expect the real cost to land higher, mid-job.
Should I just take the lowest kitchen quote?
Only if it’s also the most complete one. A low quote with missing scope almost always finishes higher after change orders. Compare identical scopes, check license and insurance, and get the payment schedule in writing — then the lowest of those is a fair pick.
Insurance savings vary by carrier, policy, and home — figures shown are “up to” amounts, not guarantees. Grant eligibility, amounts, and funding availability are determined by the program and may change. Financing subject to lender approval; rates and payments vary by credit profile. All financing examples assume approved credit through our financing partner.
