It's significant that Bay Area homeowners are talking about a particular kitchen & bath remodeling company in Solano County called Cook's Kitchen & Bath, whose planning and organization go far beyond what others give and which those homeowners are avidly recommending to friends and family.

Why are planning and organization such key factors in a kitchen & bath contractor? Because many homeowners already know that they should ask to see proof of license and liability insurance. (Or use contractors interviewed for this report since proof of both is a prerequisite to be featured in The Prime Buyer's Report.) But they may not know that the level of customer service (planning, organization, and communication) are just as fundamental.

Key to Accurate Pricing Is Planning at Cook's Kitchen & Bath in Vallejo CA

Cook's Kitchen & Bath is in Benicia CA. We spoke with owner David Cook, who's been doing kitchen & bath remodeling for over 18 years. He agreed that thorough planning, and full, clear communication to the homeowners are key components of what he's doing that impresses clients so much.

"It starts with the planning," David explained. "We present the homeowner with a full design plan that addresses all the variable costs up front, including the homeowner's choice of cabinets, plumbing, electrical. Presenting that to homeowners alleviates a lot of the pressure on them. It's written proof of what they're going to get by working with us."

That's an important distinction because those variables, like choice of fixtures, cabinets, countertop material, etc. all affect the total cost of the project. Some contractors will happily promise to provide an initial job proposal for free, but only because they don't invest any time figuring out the homeowner's choices of fixtures and materials ahead of time. As a result, bids from those kinds of contractors are unrealistically low, and go up after the job is underway.

By contrast, David Cook presents clients with a three-ring tabbed binder containing all the specifications of their job. "And it's in plain English," says David, "not a complicated flow chart that the average person can't understand. And I give them an Outlook calendar specifying which tasks will be done on each day so they know what to expect."

Cook's Kitchen & Bath: Honesty in Scheduling

Unlike some other home services, a kitchen or bath remodel may take many weeks, sometimes months, and puts two of the most-used rooms in the house out of commission for much of that time. All this while your family is still living in the house. Unfortunate homeowners can attest to contractors still in their home 3 months after they were supposed to be finished, often because they disappear to do jobs for other clients.

This is exactly the reason why David Cook of Cook's Kitchen & Bath goes the extra mile for his clients regarding scheduling and planning. David says, "We reserve a specific window of time for each client and the job comes in finished within that window 97 percent of the time. Only something unforeseen like getting a bad load of lumber might require an adjustment."

Local Boy Was Always A Builder

David Cook has 18 years of experience in the industry now, but he showed a knack for building as early as his childhood in Livermore. That's where he built a series of treehouses in the walnut orchard across the street and they were always the best in the neighborhood. Now he lives in Vallejo with his wife (a Benicia native) and children. His brother helps run Cook's Kitchen & Bath Inc.

The family can often be found camping off Highway 4, or skiing at Kirkwood, Sugarbowl, or Heavenly; and while David's pretty good on the slopes, he says he's too old for the ski jumps.

Randomly selected customers who received research phone calls (like Charlie, Rosemary, and Kathleen) cited David's attention to detail on their behalf and say it's a reflection of how he takes the homeowner's own interests to heart. Others (like Lori, Mike, and Monica) confirmed the extra effort David Cook puts into communicating a thorough and detailed timeline to the homeowner so they can plan accordingly. And all agreed the quality of the work was superb.

So rather than get fooled by a so-called free estimate that's no more than a deceptively low bid which specifies only cheap shoddy fixtures the contractor knows you'll want to change once the job is underway, give David Cook at Cook's Kitchen & Bath a call. His previous clients testified to his superior craftsmanship, thorough accountability, and the benefits of his honest approach to upfront detailed pricing.