My buddy's advice on pacing a remodel saved me $2,800, and I almost ignored him

My friend Mike, who flips houses in Tacoma, told me to never book a contractor for a full kitchen gut until I had every single cabinet and tile order confirmed in writing. I thought he was being dramatic, so I signed a crew for a 3-week timeline with only the countertop picked out. Two days in, the tile I wanted was backordered six weeks, and the crew had to stop everything. Mike helped me rework the schedule so we did the flooring and lighting first, then waited for the tile with no idle labor charges. The total overrun was maybe $400 instead of the $3,200 the contractor quoted for a pause and remobilize. Has anyone else dodged a bullet by slowing down a build just to lock in materials first? I'm curious if that's a normal risk or just a kitchen thing.

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mila_brown1016d ago

Every contractor I've met quotes worst case for pauses anyway, so that $3,200 number might've been inflated from the start. Locking in materials is common sense, but it sounds like your buddy's advice mainly saved you from your own poor planning. Good outcome, but maybe not the near-miss you think it was.