Keep what works
List cabinets, appliances, flooring and connections that may remain. Note repairs, adjustments or finish changes you want considered.
Decision: what must remain untouched?
KITCHENS / BAY AREA
Plan the room before the finishes.
A useful kitchen brief begins with what should stay, what needs to change and how the room should work every day. Use this page to organize those decisions before discussing scope and an estimate.
Discuss your kitchenChoose the depth of change
01 / DEFINE THE CHANGE
Keep. Replace. Reconfigure.
These are planning paths, not fixed packages. Your actual scope may combine them after the existing room, products and responsibilities are reviewed.
Replace within the layout
Identify items to replace while keeping the main room arrangement. Record appliance models and approximate cabinet and countertop dimensions before purchasing.
Decision: which positions stay the same?
Reconfigure the room
Describe the circulation, storage or work-area problem you want to solve. Wall, opening, plumbing, electrical or exterior changes need separate feasibility and approval review.
Decision: what problem justifies moving things?
02 / DAILY FLOW
Follow a normal day through the room.
Specific moments reveal useful priorities more clearly than a style label. Write down where each routine becomes crowded, awkward or short on storage.
Arrival & groceries
Where do bags land, and which items need an immediate home?
Preparation & cooking
Which counter area, appliance door or crossing path gets in the way?
Serving & gathering
Where do people sit, pass through or gather while the kitchen is in use?
Cleanup & storage
What has no convenient place, and what is difficult to put away?
03 / MATERIAL DECISIONS
Choose with use, care and scope in view.
Bring links, samples or inspiration first. Product dimensions, quantities, suitability, lead times and purchasing responsibility should be checked against the agreed scope before ordering.
Cabinetry & hardware
Note door style, storage needs, exposed panels, fillers and hardware. Confirm the exact layout and appliance requirements before ordering.
Counters & backsplash
Discuss seams, edges, sink and cooktop cutouts, wall conditions and the transition between counter and backsplash.
Flooring & transitions
Identify what is under the current finish, where heights change and how the kitchen meets adjacent rooms.
YOUR PRODUCT NOTES
One product. One clear record.
Keep the exact model, open questions and order details together. Use one printed sheet per item, from the first selection to receipt.
Before you order
For a sink and countertop, record the sink model, drawing and planned faucet or accessory holes. Ask the fabricator what must be available before final measurement; record the answer and date.
Plan the delivery, too
Before ordering a large item, ask the supplier where delivery ends and whether carrying it inside, unpacking or installation is included. Confirm the delivery route, doorways, tight turns, stairs and any building access or elevator arrangements with the delivery team. Record who will resolve open questions.
Print a blank copy and fill it in by hand. The downloaded HTML file also opens in a browser without an internet connection. Nothing is entered or uploaded here.
Mark unresolved details “To confirm.” A selection, an order and a checked delivery are different steps. This sheet does not place an order or approve installation.
04 / COMPARE THE SAME SCOPE
Make each estimate answer the same questions.
A total is easier to compare when the assumptions behind it are visible. Use the same room information and requested changes for every conversation.
- What stays, what is removed, and which surfaces or adjacent rooms need protection?
- Which preparation, installation, finishing and cleanup tasks are included or excluded?
- Who selects, purchases, receives and checks each product and its quantity?
- Which site conditions, approvals and qualified trades still need confirmation?
- How will unexpected conditions and requested changes be documented before extra work?
This planning framework does not determine permit requirements, price, availability or a start date. Those depend on the property, confirmed scope, selected products and required approvals.
Use the estimate comparison worksheetPLANNING GUIDE
A clearer brief. A more useful estimate.
Plan your Bay Area kitchen project with a checklist of decisions, photos and estimate questions. This guide also includes a city-resource section specifically for Los Altos.
YOUR KITCHEN / YOUR NEXT STEP
Bring the room, priorities and decisions together.
Start with your city, photos and the depth of change you are considering. The contact page prepares an email for you to review and send; photos can be attached in your email app.