How to Hire a Kitchen Island Contractor for Your Dream Kitchen

Kitchen islands have many benefits, but installing one can be a big undertaking, and you want to be sure you hire the right pro to do the job. Here are some guidelines for hiring a kitchen island contractor to design and build your new space so you’ll be cooking with ease in no time.

How to Find a Kitchen Island Contractor

For a kitchen island job, your best bet will be to hire a general contractor or a company that focuses specifically on kitchen remodels. When looking into hiring a pro to work on your home, asking for recommendations from friends, family, and neighbors is a good way to find a reliable company whose work you can see for yourself.

Doing research online, such as running a search for local general contractors, is also a good way to find companies near you. Make sure you read any online reviews available and check out before and after photos, if they’re available, to see samples of the company’s work. 

Before Hiring a Kitchen Island Contractor

Kitchen islands cost an average of $4,800 to install, and custom models can run $10,000 or more, so it’s essential to find the right pro for the job. Before hiring your general contractor/kitchen remodeler, there are a few steps you should take to get prepared for the process.

Plan Your Project for Accurate Quotes

You can design a kitchen island in a number of ways, so make sure you make a list of all the relevant details that your pro will need to know. Some things to think about are:

• Square footage of the island

• If you want a custom or prefab island

• If you want cabinets

• Paint color palette

• Number of outlets needed

• If you want your island to include plumbing

• Countertop materials

• Appliances such as a stove and/or sink

Once you have your list together, you’ll want to get quotes from at least three different contractors. Talk to them about what goes into their pricing model and include any details or must-have aspects on your list.

Check Your Kitchen Island Contractor’s Qualifications and References

Most states require that contractors obtain a license and carry insurance. Research your contractor to ensure they have the appropriate licensing and insurance. You should also ask your pro for references. Talking to previous clients can tell you a lot about the company, and you may even be able to visit a site or see some of their finished work for yourself.

Questions to Ask Your Kitchen Island Contractor

To narrow down your list of pros and choose one to hire, you should put together some questions to ask your potential candidates. These questions include:

• How long has their business been in operation? What is the company’s permanent address?

• What type of licensing/insurance do they have? When did they get licensed? 

• Have they worked on similar jobs in the past? How many similar types of projects have they completed in the past year? Ask for examples.

• Can they install appliances?

• Do they have references?

• When could they potentially start?

• Will this project require permits?

• Can they give you a written quote and break down the pricing?

Tips for Hiring Your Kitchen Island Contractor

Once you’ve narrowed down a few companies you’re interested in, you can start the hiring process.

Interview Your Contractor

It’s important to research and interview more than one contractor before you decide on someone for the job. This step is not just for pricing comparison purposes, but also to get different viewpoints on what might work best for your project. You may meet with a kitchen designer who has a great idea you haven’t even considered, like installing a skylight over your kitchen island.

Timing is also a factor when interviewing your contractors. You may find a good contractor who can’t start your project for six months, then interview a great contractor who can start right away. Take your time with the interview process.

Get a Contract and Arrange Payments With Your Kitchen Island Contractor

Putting everything in writing is essential for every construction job, big or small. Read your contract carefully before you sign anything. Be sure the contract covers the full scope of the work, and ask any questions on your mind before signing.

Get a payment schedule put down on paper, including a down payment, any installment payments that you will make, and final payment once the job is over and you’ve inspected the work. Also, make sure the dates on the contract make sense for your project—you don’t want to leave the dates open and have your kitchen under construction for longer than it needs to be.

Keep Records of Your Project

As your contractor works on your kitchen island, keep track of everything, including hours worked, progress and schedule, plumbing and electrical work, and so on. The more detailed your records are, the easier time you’ll have if there happens to be a problem down the road. 

Look for Red Flags and Prepare to Troubleshoot

To ensure that you hire the right person the first time, be on the lookout for red flags during your research and interview process. Some red flags to look for include:

• Refusing to provide references

• Asking you to pay cash only

• Providing a really low, unrealistic estimate

• Asking you to pay in full before the job is through

A good way to protect yourself against problems down the road is to make sure that remedies for issues and disagreements are outlined fairly in the contract before you start the job.

After Your Kitchen Island Contractor Has Finished

Once your kitchen island project is complete, your contractor should walk through the job and let you inspect their work. After you’ve done that, if you’re satisfied, you can complete your final payment according to what you worked out in your contract.

If you’re impressed with your contractor’s work, leaving them a review online or offering to be a reference for them can help out their business. Make sure you keep all your paperwork from the project, just in case something goes wrong in the future.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Contractor? 

You hire a handyperson to install a mostly prefabricated kitchen island, which costs $50 to $150 per hour. However, custom jobs will require a general contractor and their team of subcontractors to handle electrical systems and plumbing. General contractors charge 10% to 20% of the total project cost. Alternatively, some contractors charge $300 to $500 per day, and each additional laborer costs $150 to $250 per day. 

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

You may be able to DIY a straightforward prefabricated kitchen island, so long as you have some basic contracting chops. This will save on labor costs, but you must still purchase the island and any necessary tools. This could cost as little as $100, in the case of simple rolling designs, or as much as $2,000.

However, if you want a custom build, go with a contractor. They’ll be able to navigate any unforeseen hurdles during the job, and they can outsource some of the more finicky parts of the installation, like adding electric, gas, or water lines—which you should never attempt to DIY. Additionally, a pro will be able to source permits and ensure everything is up to code.