Kitchen & Bath Design News recently posed the question to dealers and designers in the kitchen and bath industry: “What steps do you follow to ensure your projects are completed on time and on budget?” Following are some of their responses:

“The most important element of keeping a project on time is the delivery of the cabinets. Our cabinet lead time is usually eight weeks. Once the ship date is determined, we then schedule the rest of the project. We don’t like to start the project too far ahead, or too far behind the cabinet delivery schedule, in order to avoid any down time. This practice helps the budget aspect of the project as well. You want to avoid extra costs, such as storing the cabinets and having to have them delivered a second time. Any down time is a waste of man hours, so we try to avoid that wherever possible.”

Pamela Polvere, owner
Pamela Polvere Designs
Elmwood Park, IL

“The sales/designer must stay involved in the process to complete projects on time. Maintaining communication with the homeowner and contractor is major. Keeping everyone involved in the project and informed of the status of the cabinet delivery and installation becomes paramount. It’s about keeping all parties informed about when products leave the manufacturer. It’s important to contact the homeowner and contractor again when the cabinets arrive to set up delivery. Maintaining communication makes practical sense.

In keeping on budget, it’s about how projects are estimated. You must provide adequate allowances. Otherwise projects will go over budget. The contractor and designer must have adequate numbers. If it’s a high-end customer, there should be higher allowances. If the allowances [are set too low], each time the customer makes a decision, that customer will be over budget. When given proper allowances, the budget generally stays on target.”

Rick Miller, owner/president
Miller’s Fancy Bath & Kitchen
Louisville, KY

“To ensure projects will be completed on budget, we thoroughly price up front. We have structured formulas for generating the price. We bid on the cabinetry and get quotes on anything we’re subcontracting. We provide our installers with a book of detailed drawings and numbering, with all the parts numbered to the drawings. They have comprehensive information when they’re unloading a truck and going through the parts, including the appliance specifications and details. It helps with efficiency on the jobsite. I also make a point of checking in with the contractors, designers and anyone else involved in the scheduling as the project is coming up and during the process to keep the communication clean. We have in-house installers working for our company who know our system and how we do things. Hopefully, we learn as we go.”

Kristie Eagle McPhie, CKD, co-owner
McPhie Cabinetry
Bozeman, MT

“We have a specific system for keeping things on time and budget. It’s a two-step process in our company. It starts by setting expectations with the client. We put the plans together and price everything for the project. All of the information goes into a project binder signed off by our production company. Materials are ordered and staged in our warehouse. We bring everything into our warehouse before we start, so we aren’t waiting. Then, we do a pre-construction conference with the client, designer and production people. Everyone meets on the jobsite to set expectations and help manage clients’ stress and fear of the unknown and give them a comfort level of what to expect. At the meeting, they’re given an expectation of the people working on the project and a schedule of exactly what will happen when. We also have weekly meetings with the client to discuss what was accomplished, what it says on the schedule and any questions or concerns. When everything’s hooked up, we do a walk through with the client to make sure we don’t have a punch list at the end. We address what needs to be done or fixed to finish on the date we promised. There usually isn’t anything left on the completion date. We did everything in the time frame and price agreed upon. It leaves us with a good referral and a happy client.”

Lynn Monson, CKD, CBD
DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen
St. Louis Park, MN

“Keeping on time and budget is important. Before we order anything or set a date, we check the lead times. We check in periodically with our vendors to make sure everything is still on schedule and the orders are correct. Stay on top of the project, keep your to-do list going and check back with everyone.

It’s important to check the budget several times. If you order something incorrectly, you have to re-order it. It can throw the budget off and hold you up. It’s about keeping installers informed on the upcoming job and checking with them through different stages of the installation process to keep them on task. You have to be a project manager and keep everyone informed and on task. This keeps everything on budget and within the time frame.

Communication is number one in my book. Otherwise you won’t get ahead. You have to know where you are in the process, where your customer is and where your vendors are coming from. If you don’t ask and talk with people, you’re shooting blind.”

Erika Fursman, designer
Kitchens & More
La Harpe, KS