How to Compare Kitchen Remodel Estimates

Three contractors look at the same kitchen and return three prices that are far apart. Usually nobody is overcharging and nobody is giving the work away. They have priced three different jobs. Comparing estimates is the work of finding those differences and removing them, so that what is left is a real difference in price.

Why bids for the same kitchen differ

• Different scope. One includes new flooring into the dining room, another stops at the kitchen threshold. One moves the sink, another leaves it.
• Different material grade. Cabinets are the largest single swing. Standard cabinetry and custom-built cabinetry can both be described as "new cabinets".
• Different allowances. A low allowance for countertops or fixtures lowers the total without lowering what you will pay.
• Different assumptions about your house. One contractor has assumed the wiring is adequate, another has priced the new circuits and protection the current electrical code requires for altered work.
• Things left out. Sales tax, permit fees, design, debris disposal, painting and appliance installation are the usual ones.

Finish level alone explains a wide spread. JDI's published planning ranges for a medium kitchen of 120 to 200 square feet run $42,000-$65,000 at the Essential tier (updated layout, mid-grade materials, standard cabinetry) and $78,000-$125,000 at the Signature tier (custom-built cabinetry, premium quartz or tile, name-brand fixtures), before sales tax. Those are planning ranges from our cost calculator and not quotes, but they show how far apart two honest numbers can be when the contractors pictured different kitchens. The full table is on our kitchen remodel cost page.

Line-item versus lump-sum estimates

A lump-sum estimate gives one price for the whole job. A line-item estimate breaks the price into parts: demolition, framing, electrical, plumbing, cabinets, counters, tile, flooring, paint.

A lump sum is not a sign of bad faith, and a firm price for a well-defined scope is a perfectly good way to buy a kitchen. The scope description is what matters. A lump sum attached to two pages of specifics is more useful than forty line items that each say "per plan". What you cannot work with is a single number and a one-line description. L&I lists a contractor who does "not provide a written contract or complete bid" among its warning signs.

If you receive a lump sum and want to compare it, ask for a breakdown by category. Most contractors will give one. To see which categories usually carry the weight, read where the money goes in a kitchen remodel.

Allowances

An allowance is a placeholder amount for something you have not chosen yet, such as tile, light fixtures or a faucet. Pick something that costs more and you pay the difference. Pick something that costs less and you should get a credit.

Allowances are legitimate, and early in design they are unavoidable. They are also the easiest way for an estimate to look lower than it is. For each one, ask:

• What does the amount cover: material only, or material and installation?
• Is it enough for the product I have been shown or have described? Ask the contractor to name an example that fits within it.
• If I go over, is a markup added to the difference?
• If I come in under, do I get the full difference back?

The cleanest fix is to make selections before you compare. Once the countertop, tile and fixtures are chosen, an allowance becomes a price, and the two estimates either agree or they do not.

Exclusions

Read the exclusions list first. If there is none, ask for one. Common exclusions on kitchen estimates include:

• Permit fees and the time spent obtaining permits
• Design and drawings
• Appliances, or their delivery and installation
• Asbestos survey and any abatement
• Repairs to hidden conditions such as rot, outdated wiring or damaged subfloor
• Painting, or painting beyond the kitchen
• Flooring transitions into adjoining rooms
• Debris hauling and disposal

None of these is wrong to exclude. Each one has to be paid for by someone, though, and an estimate that includes them will look more expensive than one that does not.

Sales tax

Washington treats remodeling for a homeowner as a retail sale, and under WAC 458-20-170 the prime contractor must collect retail sales tax "measured by the full contract price". That means labor is taxed as well as materials. As of October 2026, the Department of Revenue's combined rate is 8.9% in the City of Vancouver, and 8.0% or 8.7% in unincorporated Clark County depending on whether the address is inside the public transportation benefit area. Those rates are published for October 1 to December 31, 2026 and are updated quarterly.

At those rates the tax on a kitchen is a large sum in its own right, so an estimate that leaves it off will look meaningfully cheaper. L&I advises that a contract state the "price, including sales tax". Ask every bidder to show the pre-tax price, the rate and the tax as separate lines, and check your address in the Department of Revenue's Tax Rate Lookup Tool. Our page on sales tax on a kitchen remodel in Washington explains the rule in full.

Permits

Check three things: whether the estimate assumes a permit at all, whether the fee is included, and whether the work of drawing plans and attending inspections is included. Inside the city, Vancouver sets remodel permit fees from a valuation of the work determined by the building official, with plan review and other charges added, so an estimate can only carry an informed figure for it. A bid that says nothing about permits on a job that moves plumbing, adds circuits or removes a wall is incomplete. See the City of Vancouver permit process for how the fees are built up.

Contingency

A contingency is money set aside for what cannot be known until the walls are open. Estimates handle it in three ways: a stated contingency line that is yours if unused, a contingency buried in the price, or none at all, with every surprise becoming a change order. Ask which approach each contractor has taken, and what the change order process is. An estimate with no contingency on an older home is lower on paper and likely to grow. Our page on budgeting a kitchen remodel covers how much cushion to hold yourself.

Putting two estimates on the same footing

Build a simple worksheet with one row per item and one column per contractor. Fill it in from the estimates, then ask each contractor about every blank.

When the rows match, compare the totals. If a gap remains, it reflects real differences in overhead, labor quality, management or margin, and you can weigh it against everything else you have learned about each company. L&I's advice is to compare the warranties offered as well as the price.

Before you sign the one you choose, check it against what a remodeling contract should contain.

How JDI presents an estimate

JDI Construction gives homeowners an itemized plan and a 3D design layout after a free in-home consultation, so the scope behind the number is visible. We are glad to have our estimate set beside another on a worksheet like the one above. If you are still at the planning stage, our kitchen cost calculator gives a range by kitchen size and finish tier, before sales tax. When you want a figure for your own kitchen, contact us to arrange a visit.