Kitchen Remodel Bid Teardown: Line by Line, With the Red Flags
A ~200 sq ft kitchen with mid-range finishes in the San Gabriel Valley. One contractor quoted $72,400. Here's that bid line by line, with fair 2026 ranges next to each item.
Representative, anonymized example built from common 2026 Southern California bid patterns — not a specific client's project. Ranges reflect current market pricing.
The total isn't crazy for a kitchen — high-end builds exceed it. The problem is that roughly $15,000 is buried in lump-sum lines you can't verify, with no overhead-and-profit line and 'permits included' instead of a real number.
The bid, line by line
| Line item | Quoted | Fair | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
Demolition & disposal Demo on a 200 sq ft kitchen is 2–3 days of labor plus one dumpster. This is nearly double the fair range — with no breakdown of hours or haul fees. | $6,800 | $2,500–$3,500 | Red flag |
Cabinets (semi-custom) 'Semi-custom' with no brand, door style, or box construction is where margin hides. Ask for the spec sheet and the installed-vs-material split. | $24,000 | $14,000–$20,000 | Check it |
Countertops (quartz) ~45 sq ft of quartz. Get the brand and price per sq ft — a 2× markup on stone is common when it's a lump sum. | $9,500 | $4,500–$7,000 | Check it |
Appliances Appliances should be a written allowance or owner-supplied. Bundling them as a lump sum hides a markup on items you can price yourself at retail. | $11,000 | allowance or owner-supplied | Red flag |
Plumbing (relocate sink + dishwasher line) Reasonable for moving a sink and adding a line, assuming no main-line work is required. | $4,200 | $2,500–$4,000 | Fair |
Electrical (recessed lights, range/micro circuits) In range if it includes the permit-required dedicated circuits. Confirm the recessed-light count. | $5,800 | $3,500–$5,500 | Fair |
Flooring (LVP) Fair for ~200 sq ft of mid-grade luxury vinyl plank, installed. | $3,800 | $2,500–$4,000 | Fair |
Drywall, paint & trim Reasonable for patch, paint, and trim on a kitchen of this size. | $4,200 | $3,000–$4,500 | Fair |
Permits & city fees 'Included' with no figure is a red flag. Permits are a pass-through cost — you should see the actual city fee. 'Included' too often means 'we may not pull one.' | "included" | $800–$1,800 | Red flag |
Overhead & profit There's no O&P line at all — which means margin is baked into the inflated items above instead of shown transparently. You can't negotiate what you can't see. | not listed | 10–20% of cost | Red flag |
Contingency / allowances No contingency means every surprise becomes a change order priced at the contractor's discretion mid-project. | none | 5–10% recommended | Check it |
The red flags, summarized
- A $6,800 demolition line — nearly double fair market — with no hour or haul breakdown.
- Appliances bundled as an $11,000 lump sum instead of an allowance you can verify.
- 'Permits included' with no dollar figure.
- No overhead-and-profit line — margin is hidden inside inflated line items.
- No contingency, so every surprise becomes a discretionary change order.
What to do before you sign
- Ask for every line to show quantity × unit price, not lump sums.
- Convert appliances and finishes (cabinets, counters) to written allowances.
- Require the actual permit fee as a pass-through line.
- Ask the contractor to break out overhead & profit as its own line.
- Get the exact same scope from two more contractors before comparing.
Why homeowners trust our read on a bid
We don't work for the contractor
Keystone is an independent advisor. Contractors don't pay us to be recommended, so our read on your bid has no angle.
Every contractor is verified
CSLB license checked, insurance confirmed in real time through TrustLayer, bond and complaint history reviewed.
References actually called
We ask past clients the uncomfortable questions. Fewer than 1 in 10 contractors who apply make it into the network.
On your side of the table
Bid reviews and contractor matching cost you nothing — ever.
Have a bid you want a second opinion on?
Send us your kitchen remodel estimate and we'll flag the markups, missing lines, and red flags. We also match you with up to 3 vetted contractors for a true apples-to-apples comparison.
Kitchen Remodel bid FAQs
Keep exploring
See fair kitchen remodel pricing, read other teardowns, or brush up with our guides.