How to Compare Kitchen Remodel Bids

Give every contractor the same brief

Before you invite bids, write a one-page brief: the layout you want (or the problems to solve), whether walls are coming out, the appliance models you've chosen, your countertop and cabinet direction, and anything you already know you want kept. Hand the same brief to every contractor. Bids built from different conversations can't be compared fairly.

Lay the bids side by side, line by line

Make a simple table with a row for each part of the work and a column for each bid. Fill in what each one includes, and mark anything that's missing or vague. The gaps are usually where the price difference lives.

• Demolition and haul-away.
• Protection of floors and rooms outside the kitchen, and dust control.
• Structural work and who provides the structural design, if walls are moving.
• Plumbing, electrical, gas and ventilation work, including any panel upgrade.
• Cabinets: custom, semi-custom, stock or refaced; construction details; hardware.
• Countertops: material, slab count, edge, backsplash, cutouts.
• Flooring, subfloor repair and transitions.
• Drywall, trim and paint.
• Permits, inspections and who pulls them.
• Final cleaning and closeout.

Read the allowances carefully

An allowance is a placeholder amount for something you haven't chosen yet, like tile, lighting fixtures or hardware. A bid with low allowances looks cheaper but will grow as soon as you make real selections. Compare allowances against what you actually expect to choose. In a high-end McLean kitchen, where finishes tend to be premium, unrealistic allowances are the most common source of surprise.

Find the exclusions

Exclusions tell you what the contractor won't do. Look for phrases like "by owner," "not included," or "if required." Common exclusions include permits, structural design, appliance installation, painting outside the kitchen, and repairs to anything found behind walls. None of those are wrong to exclude, but you need to know who will cover them.

Check the basics on the contractor

• Virginia contractor license: you can look up any license through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). Kenney Construction's is #2705187519.
• Insurance: ask for proof.
• Who does the work: the company's own crew or a subcontractor you'll never meet?
• Who you call: one named contact through the whole project?
• Familiarity with Fairfax County permits, since McLean projects go through the county.

Watch for red flags

• A single lump-sum number with no breakdown.
• Pressure to sign quickly or a discount that expires today.
• Reluctance to pull permits for work that clearly needs them.
• Vague language around structural work in an older home.
• No written change-order process.

Ask the same follow-up questions of every bidder

• What's the sequence of work, and when are selections needed from me?
• How are changes priced and approved during the project?
• How will you handle conditions found behind walls in an older home?
• Which inspections are expected, and who schedules them?
• Who is my day-to-day contact?

Write down each answer. The way a contractor answers these questions, clearly, vaguely, or not at all, tells you a lot about how the project will run. For a large McLean renovation with structural work, clear answers on discovered conditions and change orders matter as much as the bottom-line number.

Compare schedules and sequencing, not just price

A bid should explain the order of work: demolition, rough-in, inspections, cabinets, countertops, finishes. It doesn't need to promise a date, but it should show the contractor has thought about the sequence for your kitchen, including when slabs are templated and when appliances must be on site.

Use reference ranges as a sanity check

Kitchen Kings publishes its reference ranges so you can check whether a bid is in a sensible neighborhood for its scope. If a bid for a full layout change with custom cabinetry comes in far below the high-end range, look hard at what it leaves out.

Photos are from Kitchen Kings projects; the cabinets going in on the right are from a remodel in Herndon. None are in McLean.