When you are ready for a kitchen remodel, who do you hire to do this work? Do you need a general contractor, architect, kitchen designer or all of the above? Who guides the project and makes things go smoothly? Whose taste can you trust to ensure your new kitchen is everything you hoped it would be? Below, we look at three of the most important players in kitchen remodelling, thanks to some insights provided to us by Calgary Home Renovations by Aspire.
General Contractors
General contractors oversee and manage your kitchen renovations project from beginning to end. These professionals help ensure you have the outcome you want and the right people on hand to do the job.
General contractors fulfill the following objectives:
Understanding your vision
Helping you set the right budget
Solving problems and offering solutions
Making referrals to other professionals for your job, such as architects and kitchen designers
A good contractor knows how to help you make the right choices for materials and labour, according to your budget. They also know how to help you avoid common project pitfalls, such as with planning mistakes, building errors and code requirements. Your contractor helps you prepare for government inspections, too.
Further, a quality contractor knows who to rely on for each aspect of the project. They have electricians, masons, cabinet makers, plumbers, HVAC technicians and others in their contact list, ready to help you fulfill your remodelling needs.
You should hire a contractor if your kitchen project requires major structural changes, significant repairs, demolition, permits, restoration or a variety of other professionals from multiple fields.
Architects
Architects work with you in many of the same ways as a contractor. Some of their objectives include:
Understanding your vision
Problem-solving
Providing solutions
An architect develops your ideas into conceptual drawings. Through a back-and-forth process with you, they take your input to refine these drawings until you are satisfied. These final architectural drawings are the ones used for your kitchen renovations work. They also obtain approval from your local government for the renovation work to begin.
Sometimes architects stay on the project after providing the plans and approvals. But this is not always necessary. If they do remain on the job, they can help you find a contractor to fulfill your needs from this point forward. Some also oversee contractors and the project as a whole.
It is important to hire an architect if your project involves extensive reshaping or changing of the structural environment of your kitchen space. They can help you meet your design goals for a cost-effective, budget-friendly and energy-efficient design.
Despite all of the services they provide, not all kitchen renovation projects require an architect. You should consider hiring one if you are moving, building or removing walls, for example. Also, hire one if your project will cost more than 10 percent of your home's value. If you need an architect, your general contractor can help you find one, or you can find the architect on your own, first.
Kitchen Designers
Like the other two above-described professionals, kitchen designers get to know your design objectives to help you plan your project and achieve these results. Kitchen designers do not just make things look good. They also help you improve your kitchen's functioning, energy efficiency and safety. A kitchen designer, if you decide to work with one, can help you find an architect or general contractor. Or, you can find a designer through either of these other two professionals.
Hire a kitchen designer if you want to enhance the value of your home and seek an outcome of a smart, stylish space in tune with the latest or coming trends. This designer will help you get the most out of your budget and space. They can help you avoid costly mistakes along the way.
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