Finding the Right Contractor Essential to Kitchen Cabinet Refacing Projects

by Kirk Bangstad
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

So you've decided to jump on the kitchen cabinet refacing bandwagon? Congratulations, you're probably going to save a bundle on your kitchen remodel and will soon have a sparkling new kitchen. Before you can start sending out the invites to your housewarming party, you're going to need to find a top-notch cabinet refacing contractor.

Advice on Finding the Right Cabinet Refacing Contractor

The Hartford Courant recently published an article about how to find a reliable home improvement contractor. This advice generally applies to those contractors who provide kitchen cabinet refacing services as well.

1. Your eventual contractor should have plenty of insurance coverage.
2. Check to see whether potential contractors belong to associations like the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Membership and interest in industry associations shows that a contractor is interested in keeping up with the latest cabinet refacing trends.
3. Get a list of references and pictures. You should call other people who have hired a prospective contractor for similar cabinet refacing projects to see if they had a good experience. Also, pictures of completed projects can be worth a thousand words.
4. Get multiple bids. Fees for your kitchen cabinet refacing project shouldn't vary by large percentages. If you get a bid that is really skewed from two or three others, you should be wary of that contractor.
5. It is the contractor's job to buy all necessary permits. If you buy the permits, you're liable for any damage. A professional contractor with insurance shouldn't ask you to obtain any permits.

Remodeling your kitchen doesn't have to be a nightmare if you hire the right contractor. Experienced contractors know how to make the process move along smoothly and stay within an agreed-upon budget. Use this list of tips to find the right contractor, and then just count the days until your housewarming party.

Source

• Hartford Courant

About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is an artist manager and singer working in Chicago, IL. His previous experience includes consulting for technology companies in the Silicon Valley and serving as a field director and publicist for a statewide political campaign. Kirk holds a B.A. in government from Harvard University.