Tips for Kitchen Craft cabinet install
Our homeowner renovating her 1913 home is running short of cash and we’re trying to see if we can help out by doing the install her Kitchen Craft cabinets ourselves. I called up our KC rep today and asked how much we’d ‘save’ by having them just deliver the cabinets, and we do the install (they had been planning on doing it), and she said “ooh, do you have someone that can do frameless cabinets? Because if they aren’t used to all the parts and pieces it can wind up costing you more than if we had done it.” Well, I’ve done 6 kitchens with IKEA cabinets in older homes, and also KraftMaid cabinets from HD, so would installing Kitchen Craft cabinets be much different?
They were quoting us $3000 for installation, including 250 for a double wide bath vanity. I’m charging the client my “friend-of-the-family-break-even rate” of $40.00 per hour, and am thinking if I took 50 hrs to install one small kitchen (two 12 foot walls of cabinets) plus a desk with overhead and a vanity, it’d save her a grand.
Am I nuts to be thinking this way?
Anyone done Kitchen Craft cabinets and have any tips?
PS: and also, if KC doesn’t do the install, it voids the warranty. What exactly do you warranty on kitchen cabinets?
Edited 4/2/2007 12:47 pm ET by geoffhazel
Replies
I've installed Kitchen Craft cabinets. My advice is to 1) estimate the installation price and ask for 90% upfront, 2)negotiate an hourly wage with the agreement that you get paid even if the kitchen is incomplete when you leave the first time, or 3) run away.
I have never installed a Kitchen Craft kitchen that has been complete, correct, or otherwise without defect. Of course I'm sure it does happen, just it has never happened to me. This likely has a lot to do with the designer or retailer also, and may not be entirely due to the manufacturer.
I install kitchens everyday, and usually the install is complete when I leave and I can ask for my money. How can you feel good about asking for your money when the kitchen is sitting there incomplete, due to backordered, or incorrect cabinets.
With regard to the warranty, it is true that the client will have a difficult time to receive warranty items ( and there will be some)
That's how Cabinet retailers ensure they make their nickel on the install also. If there is a door with a ding, or a defective drawer slide they will say that it was the installer, and it's usually impossible to prove otherwise.
$2000 should be lots to install the kitchen you described, of course, it's not the cabinet count that takes time, it's the trim and details.
Galley kitchens are the easiest to install also.
Good luck
Geoff
If you've installed Ikea then I dont know why you couldnt install the Kitchen Craft cabinets.
I cant imagine how I'd take up 50 hours to instal the few cabinets that you've mentioned but I havent seen the house so maybe I should can that estimate.
I guess I'm not sure how a warranty would be voided if you installed the cab's but I dont do any store boughts anymore so maybe I'm not to up on policy. On the other hand I cant remember ever having a warranty issue with store boughts, suppose its possible and I'm sure someone will come in here and tell me that they in fact have had issues so.........
I gotta go google Kitchen Craft and see what makes them so special.
Doug
Edited 4/4/2007 8:04 pm ET by DougU
Scruff pretty much convinced me to bag it. The owner has planned on paying the install fee, and I've got PLENTY of work ahead of me including all the doors, trim, front porch, tile shower, and laminated wood floors. I don't really need the work, and it'll get the project done faster if they do it.
And if there are any missing pieces, their problem
Any scratched doors, their problem.
Any out of plumb walls, floors, etc. -- their problem.
Mis-measurement? Their problem.