Get Inspired & Plan Your Renovation
The decisions to make, and the order to make them in, before requesting a first quote.
Plan before you shop
Most budget overruns don't come from a bad contractor. They come from decisions made too late. Changing your mind about the layout after the cabinets are ordered is expensive; thinking it through two weeks earlier costs nothing.
This page follows the order decisions are best made in: first what is structural and costly to change, then what is cosmetic and easy to change.
Kitchen styles
Six directions worth considering before you settle on yours.
Modern
Classic
Farmhouse
Scandinavian
Traditional
Contemporary
The process, step by step
Five decisions to settle before the first quote.
Measure and photograph what you have
Record the room's dimensions, the position of the sink, range, and refrigerator, then photograph every wall. This is what lets a contractor price the job without three site visits.
Settle on a style and materials
Cabinet material is the line that moves the total most. Deciding between melamine, thermoplastic, and solid wood before requesting quotes stops you comparing proposals that aren't comparable.
Set a budget and a ceiling
Fix a target figure and an absolute limit. Hold back 10 to 15 percent for the unforeseen: in an older building, what is behind the walls is never quite what you pictured.
Decide whether the layout moves
Keeping the sink, range, and refrigerator where they are costs substantially less than relocating them. It is the single decision with the largest effect on budget, so settle it before you call anyone.
Request three quotes at identical scope
Give every contractor exactly the same information and require the same level of detail. A quote well below the others is almost always leaving a line out.
What it will cost
Where these projects actually go wrong
Reading through hundreds of public reviews left by Quebec homeowners after a kitchen renovation, the same seven problems recur. Almost none of them are about taste or style — they are failures of verification, sequence, and contract. Here is what to require for each.
1. The final measurement check
This is by far the most common failure. A plan gets amended partway through, the amendment is missed at final verification, and a piece arrives the wrong size. Countertops are hit hardest, because they are made last and made to measure. Require that final measurements be taken on site, after demolition, and that the signed plan carry a date and a version number. Ask who, by name, signs off before it goes to production.
2. Who installs, and what happens if they don't turn up
Multiple homeowners describe the same day: the assigned installer doesn't arrive, and nobody calls. Get the installation team named in the contract, a same-day phone number, and a commitment to be told before the scheduled hour if there is a delay.
3. What has to arrive on the same truck
A typical case: the countertop arrives without its supports, then the adhesive and trim are missing, and installation stretches across three round trips. Ask for a full packing list — boxes, doors, hardware, supports, trim, adhesive — and check it against the delivery before the truck leaves.
4. Payment terms
A deposit on order and a balance at completion are normal. A balance demanded before unloading, on your doorstep, is not. Have the contract state exactly when each payment falls due, and hold back a final amount payable only after the deficiency list is cleared.
5. After-sales service, in writing
The worst experiences reported are not mistakes — they are mistakes that were never put right. Get the warranty length in writing, what it covers (boxes, doors, hardware, finish), and the response time. A warranty with no response time commits to nothing.
6. Corner cabinets
The most frequently voiced design regret is the paired L-shaped doors on a corner cabinet or lazy Susan: they rub against neighbouring doors and drawers and need constant hinge adjustment. On a polyester door, that rubbing eventually marks the finish. If your plan includes one, ask to see one installed in the showroom and open it yourself.
7. The order of operations
Paint, wallpaper, and flooring go in before the cabinets, not after. Cutting around boxes that are already installed takes longer, costs more, and looks worse. It is the easiest regret to avoid and it costs nothing — you only have to fix the sequence before you order.
Once style and layout are settled, a realistic range becomes possible. The estimator breaks cost down line by line and applies a regional labour adjustment, with GST and QST calculated separately.
Frequently asked planning questions
How do I avoid a measurement error on my cabinets?
Require that final measurements be taken on site after demolition, not from the original drawings. The plan sent to production should carry a date and a version number, and you should know who signs it off. This is the failure Quebec homeowners report most often, and the only one that verification prevents outright.
When should I pay the balance on my kitchen?
A deposit on order and a balance at completion are standard. Demanding the balance before the truck is even unloaded is not. Have the contract state exactly when each payment falls due, and hold back a final amount payable after the deficiency list is cleared.
Should I paint before or after the cabinets go in?
Before. Paint, wallpaper, and flooring go in ahead of the cabinets. Working around boxes that are already installed takes longer, costs more, and looks worse. It is the easiest regret to avoid.
Where do you start with a kitchen renovation?
With measurements, and with the decision of whether the sink, range, and refrigerator move. Those two things determine most of the budget and shape everything else, including whether you need a municipal permit.
How long should I allow between deciding and finishing?
Generally three to six months. Cabinet manufacturing alone takes six to twelve weeks, and it is almost always that item which sets the schedule, not the length of the site work.
Do I need a designer to renovate a kitchen?
Not necessarily. For a standard-sized kitchen where the layout stays put, a good cabinet supplier will usually draw the plan. A designer earns their fee when the room is an awkward shape or a wall is coming down.
What are the most expensive mistakes?
Relocating plumbing without needing to, ordering cabinets before measurements are final, and leaving no contingency. All three translate directly into budget overruns.
Ready to move to quotes?
Describe your project once and compare contractors holding a valid RBQ licence.