We thought ours wasn’t load-bearing, either, based on the ways the joists ran, etc. Then they got in and saw it was because of the way one of our bathtubs in the floor above was supported. So be prepared. |
| For those of you who did this on the lower end - staying around 50k - who was your architect? Who are the architects in the DC/MoCo area that keep the prices lower? |
A sub 50k kitchen ain't using an architect. You aren't going to be changing the footprint got 50k. At most, you're replacing cabinets and appliances. |
mr. lowes or ms. homedepot. |
| Depending on your tastes and who you hire to do it, I would guess anywhere between 60K - 200K. Higher end being if you move a lot of walls, change the structure and choose high end finishings & appliances. |
I'm the PP who took down a wall but got Home Depot cabinets and appliances on sale. We did hire a designer for $5k because we have no style sense but no architect. The Home Depot guy laid out our cabinets, and we and the designer tweaked them a little (like the size of the island). The contractor handled the permits and confirming that the wall was not load bearing. |
| Ours was 30k with no cabinets and nothing fancy. Just new counters, some new standard appliances, some tiling, and basic woodwork and painting. |
| We replaced everything in our kitchen and didn't move walls - cost was $70K for really good cabinets, new lighting, wood floors, quartzite countertops, island, all new appliances, hardware, etc. This was with a design build firm in Fairfax County - full service design and project management. |
Would you recommend your designer? |
Who was the design build? |
Yes, it was Redbird Redesign, who I first heard about on this board. She saved us from decision fatigue. It was a good balance of service and cost for us. We had someone to guide us and help us make decisions but we bought everything ourselves over the course of months (lots of sale shopping). If we couldn't decide, we'd send pictures and ask which was best. We plan on using her in the future. |
| Ours was $30k. We removed a load bearing wall (had to create an arch support), removed soffits, built a bar, and switched locations of the stove and fridge but did not change plumbing. We did upgrade the waste line when the wall was removed as the pipes were 80 years old. Did lots of electrical, including a range hood. We replaced all appliances and got semi-custom cabinets and quartz counters. Kept our floor. I worked with a kitchen designer who ordered the counters, sink, and cabinets. Managed all the other work myself with contractors I knew and had worked with before (plumber, electrician, drywall contractor and handyman). It look forever but was a fraction of the cost. Contractors who have seen it think I spent $80k at least. |
| Does Redbird have a build arm? Or did you find a GC? |
Sorry, your numbers don't add up. There's no way you did all that with permits and licensed workers, unless this was a decade ago. Materials alone would hit nearly 30k. |
and managed by moi. |