If you’re starting a remodel, you’re likely thinking about your kitchen. There are a lot of ways to manage a kitchen remodeling project. We’re going to explore the 4 most popular approaches today. Consider their benefits and disbenefits against your budgets, goals, and timelines.

Design-build companies

If you have the funds, a design and build studio can manage your whole project. This is the most expensive but most hands-off approach. These companies have everything in-house. That means nothing is outsourced – not plumbing or electrical (which usually even general contractors need to outsource). They will have relationships with appliance manufacturers but you will likely notice a more formulaic approach to their design. Since they’re not solely focused on kitchens, you may not end up with the bespoke, custom kitchen you’ve dreamed of. But you’ll not need to oversee the project at all. They can make big, sweeping changes like moving layouts and removing walls, so that might be of interest if your current setup is impractical.

Retail store

If you’re not interested in making structural changes, a big box or custom kitchen store may be the right place for you. The Washington Post reports, “Both Ikea and Home Depot train employees in kitchen design. They outsource construction, but homeowners don’t have to use their [vendors]. The cost of labor can be cheaper through a big-box store than a general contractor because the stores give their contractors many projects and the contractors often pass the discounts onto the homeowner. Unlike a design-build company, though, these contractors may not have the licenses to make structural changes. The stores also offer warranties for products and services.” Then you have a specialty kitchen store that likely has the same relationships with contractors but with nationally-recognized design qualifications. However, with both of these options, your design scope will be purely cosmetic and you’ll need to look after the contractors while work is underway.

Kitchen designer

Choose a kitchen designer if you want a truly personalized kitchen. This is ideal for homeowners who have unique use cases for their kitchens. Perhaps you’re a wine lover, avid baker, or preserves maker, or have another niche hobby. A kitchen designer; like Baruchi Studio, can take the time to craft a truly bespoke kitchen concept for your lifestyle. We’re also experts with the latest materials and design approaches – so you’ll be leading the pack in terms of kitchen aesthetics. A kitchen designer can advise on major or minor works from simple cabinetry changes to knocking down walls. And some will even manage your contractors for you. Or you can simply come to them for the great designs and take those to your own contractor.

General contractor

A general contractor is great if you want to save costs and know exactly what you want. Some can build right from a photo. But you are going to manage the whole process and you’ll probably need to do all the procurement yourself too. GOOP suggests, “Collect bids from several contractors, and ensure you have three points of comparison at least. Once you get the numbers back, keep in mind that it’s not unusual to see a 50% difference in bids: Don’t automatically pick the cheaper one. Make sure each contractor is able to defend every line item in his/her bid—and if you see pricing for something in one bid and not in another, ask why it’s missing.” Make sure you understand who they will be subcontracting with too.