What Should Be Included in a Kitchen Remodel Quote?

Two quotes for the same kitchen can differ by twenty thousand dollars and both be honest. The difference is almost always what is not written down.

Here is what belongs in a kitchen quote, what gets left out, and how to compare two documents that look nothing alike.

What must be in writing

• A scope of work, room by room and trade by trade. Not “kitchen remodel — $38,000”. What comes out, what goes in, who does the plumbing.
• Cabinet make, line and door style. “Shaker, white” is not a specification. Two cabinets described that way can differ by fifteen thousand dollars.
• Countertop material, thickness, and edge profile, and whether the price includes the template visit.
• Who supplies the sink, faucet, appliances and hardware. This is the single most common source of a surprise bill.
• Demolition and disposal. Dumpster included or not.
• Permits: who files, who pays. What your town requires.
• Payment schedule tied to milestones, not dates. Signing, delivery, substantial completion.
• A start date and a duration, even approximate.
• Licence and insurance, with the certificate available on request.
• What happens if something is found behind the wall. An allowance or an hourly rate, agreed before it happens.

The things routinely left out

None of these are dishonest by themselves. They become dishonest when they are omitted so the bottom line looks smaller than the competitor's.

• Backsplash. Frequently excluded. Ask.
• Appliance installation, as distinct from appliance supply. Hooking up a gas range is not the same job as carrying it in.
• Flooring. Often a separate line or excluded entirely.
• Painting the room after the work.
• Handles and knobs. On a large kitchen this is a real number.
• Under-cabinet lighting and any new circuits it needs.
• Electrical upgrades a modern kitchen triggers — dedicated circuits, GFCI, a panel that is already full.
• Plumbing modifications if the sink moves even slightly.
• Dust protection and daily cleanup. Ask what standard they hold themselves to.
• Removing the old appliances.

How to compare two quotes that look nothing alike

Do not compare totals. Build one list of every line item that appears on either quote, then price both against that same list. Ask each contractor to price the items they left off. Half the gap usually disappears in that exercise, and the half that remains is the real difference.

Then ask both of them the same three questions: what is your lead time on the cabinets, who pulls the permit, and what happens if you open the wall and find something. The answers tell you more than the prices do.

Red flags

• A large deposit up front. New York law limits home improvement deposits and a contractor asking for half before materials are ordered is telling you about their cash position.
• A one-page quote with a single number.
• Asking you to pull the permit as the homeowner. That moves the liability onto you. Be very careful.
• Cash-only, no written contract. No recourse, no warranty, and a problem at resale.
• A price good only if you sign today. Real contractors are booked out; they do not need to close you in an evening.
• No licence number they will put in writing. Home improvement contractors on Long Island are licensed at county level and Suffolk and Nassau are separate.

What ours looks like

Our installed kitchens run $20,000 to $30,000 — cabinets, quartz counters, an island, a new sink and the plumbing, demo and haul-away, and labor. Not included: backsplash, appliances, flooring, and handles on most sets. The price works for a specific and finite reason: the cabinet sets came from projects that were cancelled after the cabinets had already been ordered, so they are paid for and sitting in our warehouse. When they are gone the price goes back to market.

It is written as a scope with a flat total — the rows say what work is included, and the number at the bottom is the number. The full inclusion list is here.

Towns we do kitchens in

We are based in East Patchogue and most of our kitchen work is in Brookhaven and Islip, but we go where the job is. If you are inside an incorporated village, the village building department governs rather than the town.

• Brookhaven — Patchogue, East Patchogue, Medford, Holbrook, Farmingville, Coram, Selden, Bellport, Shirley, Mastic, Centereach
• Islip — Islip, Bay Shore, West Islip, East Islip, Sayville, Bohemia, Oakdale, Brentwood
• Smithtown — Smithtown, Nesconset, Commack, Kings Park, St James, Hauppauge
• Huntington — Huntington, Northport, Dix Hills, Melville, Greenlawn, Huntington Station
• Babylon — Babylon, West Babylon, North Babylon, Lindenhurst, Copiague, Deer Park
• Brookhaven villages — Port Jefferson, Patchogue village, Bellport and Lake Grove run their own building departments

If your town is not on the list, call anyway — the list is where we work most, not a boundary. Anything from Nassau through the Twin Forks is fair game; we tell you honestly if travel makes a small job uneconomical.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be included in a kitchen remodel quote?
A room-by-room scope of work, the cabinet make and door style, countertop material and edge, who supplies sink, faucet, appliances and hardware, demolition and disposal, who files and pays for permits, a milestone payment schedule, a start date and duration, licence and insurance, and what happens if something is found behind the wall.

What do contractors leave out of kitchen quotes?
Most commonly the backsplash, appliance installation, flooring, painting, cabinet hardware, under-cabinet lighting, electrical upgrades, plumbing modifications if the sink moves, and removal of old appliances.

How do I compare two kitchen quotes?
Do not compare the totals. Build a single list of every line item that appears on either quote and have both contractors price against that same list. Then ask each one their cabinet lead time, who pulls the permit, and what happens if they open a wall and find a problem.

Is a large deposit normal for a kitchen remodel?
No. New York limits home improvement deposits, and a contractor asking for a large share before materials are ordered is usually telling you about their cash position rather than their process. Payments should be tied to milestones.

Should the contractor or homeowner pull the permit?
The contractor. If a contractor asks you to pull the permit as the homeowner, that shifts liability for the work onto you, and it is a significant warning sign.

Related Reading

• Questions to ask before you hire — the conversation before the quote
• Kitchen permits by town — who files and what it costs
• Kitchen remodel cost — what the ranges actually mean
• What $25,000 buys — a worked example
• Cabinet lead times — the question to ask both bidders