INSIGHTS

Most homeowners in Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Bedminster, Far Hills and Peapack-Gladstone start a kitchen project in a pretty predictable place: they call a contractor. Denise Jones, who runs J2 Design Studio in Bedminster, has spent years watching projects begin that way. Her concern is not that the first plan won’t work. It’s that homeowners may never see the other ways the room could work before they commit to one.

That isn’t a knock on contractors. It comes down to the role they are being asked to play. “Contractors will typically not consider moving any plumbing or electrical, because that’s more expensive and they’re fearful of not getting the job, or adding costs with their suggestions without tangible value that the homeowner can see and sink their teeth into,” Jones says. “The contractor typically doesn’t suggest anything that’s going to cost more than just updating what is there.” If the project might involve an architect or a structural change, that can affect the cost and scope before construction even begins.

Jones calls the work she does before that point “master planning” or “pre-construction planning.” It happens before anything is drawn up for permit. The goal is simple: figure out what is actually possible in the room before deciding which version of the project is worth pursuing.

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