Kitchen refit: Quotes and Deposits

pauper79

I have received a price from a builder for my kitchen to be refurbished. It's only a small kitchen and the job involves taking out the new kitchen and putting in a new one. After some sound advice on this board I got a couple of builders in to price the job and I am reasonably happy with the amount of one of them. But can anyone advise me on the following:

1. They have provided me with a written "estimate", not a quote. This concerns me. Is it standard practice for people not to provide quotes any more?

2. They want a deposit of 40% up front which I consider to be unreasonable, especially as I am buying all the materials. What is generally considered to be a reasonable up front deposit (if any)?

3. The balance of payment is payable on the day of completion. I would prefer to have a week or so to use the kitchen and check properly for any snags etc. Would people say that is reasonable, or is payment on the day of completion pretty standard?

Thanks in advance!

pauper79

Sorry that should obviously have been "taking out the old kitchen..."

RedBern

I suppose if there are some potential problems then an estimate is ok - but if it is a straight swap one kitchen for the other what's wrong with giving you a price and sticking to it?

I wouldn't pay them a deposit up front - what are you paying them for? They haven't done anything and if they were hit by a bus the day before they start work then you've lost 40% of your money? Perhaps agree to pay 50% on completion of the work with the final 50% 7 days later after you've lived with it for a week. If he's a reasonable guy that shouldn't be a problem.

savcab

We never charge a deposit and only charge people at the end of the month the job is completed. Maybe were an odd ball but weve installed 6 kitchens in the last three months and all have paid up in full and been satisfied with the work. They were given estimates and everyone wen over because the client changed things.

It must be different elsewhere but thats how we work on word of mouth. We dont advertise and we put a lot of trust in our clients. Maybe its different elsewhere and people have been bumped by clients and builders alike.

I wouldnt pay 40% deposit to anyone for anything. 10% upfront and hold 10 % as a retention for a week or two in case of problems. You will find that generally that 10% is the profit the builder will make on the job.
Get a contract in writing to protect you and the builder if you are concerned too much.

good luck

lindsaygalaxy

My OH used to fit kitchens and didnt get deposits.
the reason for an estimate is incase anything else comes up, but if they have surveyed the kitchen this shouldnt be the case.

paulie_walnuts_3

hi pauper, i am a little puzzled as to why you would ask a builder to quote' for your new kitchen? you will find that if you use a kitchen specialist you will get a quotation, a usual practice is to list exclusions such as" plumbing and electrics not included" so there is no doubt.A 25% deposit is standard practice,followed by 70% on delivery leaving 5% to be paid upon completion.The companies i use for my restoration projects all operate in this way.I think they would all refuse a job if the client wanted to deviate from their terms as it usually suggests a underlying issue with money!. In your case as you would be suppyling the furniture and appliances yourself then a 10% deposit as a show of faith and the rest on completion would be reasonable,however retaining money after completion is not really fair, all the more reason to choose a company carefully.Are they likley to come back if there is a problem later on,months down the the road,if the answer is no,then don't use them! If you don't have a massive budget ,lets face it who does!,then use a local craftsman, cabinetmaker or joiner,explain that you want a quote not an estimate,even if you only want it fitting most companies have guys sitting on their hands at the moment so they will be supprisingly helpful at the moment!Finally remember,a well designed and well fitted kitchen will add as much as 5% to the value of your home,but a bad one can knock 10% off the value of your home!!! good luck.