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HOW MUCH IS MY KITCHEN GOING TO COST

Designers are asked that question every day. The budget can be set at three price points: Low, Med and High End budget.
Low end will usually be ready to assemble, stock or semi-custom cabinets and lower priced appliances, formica or tile counter and will start around 30K. A mid-priced kitchen will usually be stained or white painted custom cabinets mid-priced appliances common granite counter-top and start at about 45K. High end will usually start at around 65K and up and you can usually get any cabinet you want, stainless steel pro-style appliances, granite counter-top at any price point, custom designed tile back splash....whatever your budget allows.  

HOW MUCH SHOULD I BUDGET  FOR MY KITCHEN?
Without over building you can safely budget between 10% and 15% of the current value of your home. Of course you don't have to spend that amount but going "cheap" could affect the value of your home.

WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN MY BUDGET & HOW SHOULD IT BE DIVIDED
The best way to divide the budget is into thirds, 2/3 for cabinets, counter-tops and appliances. 1/3 for construction: demo, floors, painting, lighting, electrical, plumbing, backsplash, clean-up all labor. This is a general rule, however, if you are moving walls or adding to the footprint of the home the construction portion will be larger

HOW DO I FIND A GOOD KITCHEN DESIGNER?

Shop around. The best idea is to hire an Interior Designer that specializes in kitchen design and is a member of American Society of Interior Designers, ASID. Starting at a Kitchen design showroom is a good idea. Then ask a lot of questions and listen to the answers. They should KNOW more than you do about kitchens. Ask about appliances, flooring, counter-top materials etc. They should should have your needs upper most in their mind and work as a team: you, your contractor and the designer. The designer is responsible for the look of the project and if you buy your cabinetry from her, the fit. She or an assistant will do the measuring that will determine the scope of the space.
Your personalities should fit also. Remember Kitchen designers are really into detail and they should be.

DO I NEED AN ARCHITECT?
Probably not. For a simple re-do....ie. cabinets counter-top, backsplash, lighting plumbing etc....a well qualified kitchen designer is all you will need. However, if you are taking out a load-bearing wall you may need a structural engineer. Your kitchen designer will  have a referral.
An ASID kitchen designer should be able to do all of the drawings necessary for pulling permits. She can also do all the space planning for an addition, but you will need a structural engineer for the calcs and building details.

WHAT IS THE COST OF THE DESIGN PHASE?
The design can be free if you buy all of your cabinetry from the design showroom of your choice. Most designers affiliated with a showroom can take you through the whole process for the price of your cabinetry. This saving can be considerable....design fees start at around $50 an hour for a  designer with a year or less of experience to as much as $200 an hour for a more experienced designer. You will usually pay a minimum of an 8 hour fee. Architects usually charge a percentage of the total budget, 5-10%.

HOW SHOULD I DETERMINE THE QUALIFICATIONS OF MY DESIGNER?

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The most important question is "Were there problems on the job? If so how were they handled?  Also, Go look at a couple of jobs. Remembering that they are showing you their best work.

Even if you are not pulling permits, yes. You will need a full set including: Floor plan with all dimensions, walls, openings, and cabinet sizes from side to side. These should be "FINISHED DIMENSIONS" Next comes the elevations, very detailed. At The Kitchen Works we show the door style in detail, if there are crowns or light rails and the vertical dimension. Next electrical and reflected ceiling (lighting) plan with legend specifying the exact fixtures. In addition you may want details of various elements in the kitchen, such as hoods, backsplash, color selection etc. Additionally, if you are moving load bearing walls or adding to the foot print you may need a structural engineer. Your designer should have one on call. The engineer will do structural calcs and other important drawings. These all insure that that you cabietry and appliance fit the proposed space and that every detail has be accounted for.

HOW LONG WILL MY KITCHEN REMODEL TAKE?

The length of time a kitchen remodel takes depends in a large part on how big the job is.
Actual construction....all the messy unpleasant stuff...can take as little as 6 weeks for a remove and replace job to as long a 4 to 6 months if you are gutting the kitchen, moving walls, changing out windows or adding to the footprint of the house....BUT WAIT! There is more to a remodel then construction...designing, appliance selection, tile backsplash selection, cabinet selection and specification plus ordering all that STUFF you'll need to put that space back togeather and realize your dream....  Count on 6 months. From concept to completion.

Basically the process is broken down into 3 parts:  Design time, Ordering time and Construction time.