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roula_gw

IKEA Installers

roula
9 years ago

I'm in the process of getting an IKEA kitchen. Ordered Abstrakt cabinets and appliances from IKEA. I've been referred to an installer but would like to know what those of you who have used IKEA installers have experienced. I've read mixed reviews on yelp and elsewhere but they're over 5 years old.

Thanks

Comments (18)

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    9 years ago

    Once upon a time, Ikea had a list of independent certified installers they made available as a service to their customers. Now that is a business arrangement between Ikea and a few large companies. It varies wildly, depending on which outfit has the deal with your store. In my area, for instance, they use a nationwide flat pack assembly company more geared to setting up desks in offices than designing/installing kitchens.

    If I were you I would look around to see if there'st anyone in your area who specializes in installing ikea kitchens. Don't just assume you'll get the best referral from the store.

  • _sophiewheeler
    9 years ago

    DIY. It's dead simple.

  • elphaba_gw
    9 years ago

    We used Traemand (we live along the Gulf Coast). Traemand has a nationwide franchise I think. I'm very pleased but then I could tell that the lead guy on the crew was a serious professional. I know that makes a big difference. My experience with contractors is that it is a gamble. Took them 3 1/2 days.

    By the way, they had only two reviews on Angie's list and both were pretty bad. But from what I could tell the reviewers were expecting more than the contractor promises - they don't do plumbing or electrical which means you have to have everything prepped and completely ready with electrical and plumbing in place as much as possible before cabinets and appliances.

    I hated the delivery service but if I remember correctly, that was Ikea doing the delivery, not the installer.

    And also, the installers did some things beyond what they needed to do, such as using their own truck to take back a flat panel that was wrong and get the right one (this meant they wouldn't have to come back).

    I would definitely use them again but I would ask for the same lead contractor and hold out until I could get him. We were responsible for taking back parts (that were still in the box). We got $500 for what we returned. Price for installation was around $3500 (or so) for 25 cabinets and a partial oven installation (without the electrical). I did not use their countertop installation service

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    9 years ago

    The fact that it took an experienced installation crew 3 1/2 days to assemble and install 25 cabinets shows that it is far from simple.

  • juno_barks
    9 years ago

    I've been working to install an Ikea kitchen. The 290+ boxes were delivered in April, and the job isn't yet finished. Some aspects are very simple - the box assembly is as easy as any Ikea furniture I've purchased, and they seem very high quality. The drawers go together really easily, too. However, some parts are much more challenging, it took my DH and I an entire afternoon to figure out the tall pullout.

    But where a contractor's help might really come in useful is with the small things that the typical DIYer doesn't think about every days -- putting in spacers and leveling island cabinets has been difficult for us. We have a decent tool collection, but no table saw, and a contractor will have all tools and will have seen the problems before. In hind sight, I'd consider a quality install to be worth $3500.

    The trick is quality. I have no useful advice for you, selecting contractors is not easy. I agree with the advice for expanding your search beyond the list provided from Ikea, and be aware that some will talk down Ikea cabinets, but mostly because they simply don't know.

    Good luck!

  • elphaba_gw
    9 years ago

    I used the design service for $200. The designer who didn't do a whole lot as far as changing my basic design but who did determine spacers and toe kicks and upper molding and lots of misc stuff I would never have thought of. And then she entered them in the computer and results was a list of all items that would need to be paid for by me at the time I scheduled the delivery at the store. Once delivered, I contacted installer to schedule installation date.

    Design service was well worth it.

    I can't image any regular home owner (even if they are a DIYer) knowing all the extra little parts to include (have you ever heard of a "plinth"?)

    p.s. and I made sure to schedule all this so I got a 20% discount during one of their big sales. I ordered cooktop and oven along with the cabinets and that meant a saving of $400 ($200 each) for these appliances not including all the money we saved on the cabinets.

    This post was edited by elphaba on Thu, Sep 11, 14 at 11:17

  • roula
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for all the replies. I've been referred to Traemond by IKEA but have read not so great reviews. Granted those reviews were from other states...I'm in soCal. The installer is coming Wed. I have a general contractor who will be doing demo and other stuff and have asked him to be there when the installer comes. My guy hasn't worked with Ikea cabinets which is why I needed a referral although he did a good job installing cabinets in the laundry room (I assembled those cabinets).

  • mwkbear
    9 years ago

    I live in Boston and I'm using the local IKEA specialist here, called iKitchensEtc. to do the entire project.

    I work long hours and I know that I don't want to spend my limited free time trying to rebuild our kitchen. Also, I'm not terribly handy and we have a 110 year old house. I can guarantee that nothing is plumb, the wiring and plumbing all need updating, and I'm sure the carpentry work needed to make it look good is going to be well beyond my capabilities.

    They offer many different options for service, everything from just design to complete General Contracting (which is what I'm doing). They haven't started work yet, but I've signed the contracts and work starts in three weeks. So far, everything has been fine and they have been very easy and responsive to work with. Judging by the pile of IKEA boxes we have in our basement right now, I'm very happy I'm not doing the assembly.

    We also ordered the cabinets during the Kitchen Sale and saved $1000 on the order, so if you can time it for a sale, I'd definitely do that.

  • scrappy25
    9 years ago

    some installers are really helpful on ikeafans, I believe ikitchens is one of them, you might want to look over there to ask about local contractors.

  • crl_
    9 years ago

    We did an ikea kitchen about seven years ago (previous house). We hired a carpenter who took care of moving and enlarging a doorway, demoing, laying a cork floor and assembling and installing the ikea cabinets. He charged $40 an hour in the DC metro area. He was not an ikea certified installer. Since needed so much else done, we just hired someone who could do most of the work (I hired a plumber and electrician separately). We were very happy with the work he did and the kitchen as a whole.

    I did put together a couple of cabinets, mostly because I just wanted to. It was easy, but it does take some time. I think I have seen to generally allow one hour per cabinet for assembly time?

  • xisjones
    8 years ago

    Used the design service and installers from Traemond for an IKEA kitchen cabinet install. They did only the IKEA cabinets portion of a full kitchen gut job. A ton of the IKEA ordering and inventorying process was a gigantic hassle (IKEA sent so many wrong parts and not enough of the correct ones, etc.) and the installers and designer from Traemond were amazing -- multiple times they went to IKEA to exchange, retrieve, and purchase items for us. Since working with them vs some of the other contractors who worked on the kitchen (plumbing, electrical, etc.), there have been many times I wished I'd used them for the full scope of the job, as it was so easy to work with them, they did everything on time and on schedule, plus I knew exactly what I was paying and they stuck to that. They went above and beyond multiple times. When I can afford to gut the bathroom, I'm planning to have them back.

  • Tmnca
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    We did the design service with Traemond, and they quoted $2500 for installation and said it would take them about 2 days and likely longer for a contractor not experienced with Ikea cabinets. I am going to ask the contractor about whether he'd be OK having them do the install for the reasons mentioned above (knowing about the trim, parts, working with the store etc) as well as the fact that installed through them the cabinets get an extended warranty. Also we are doing our bathrooms and I figure the contractor crew could work on those (eg tiling shower) while Traemond installs cabinets - we are moving out for a month so we'd like to make sure the job gets done as quickly as possible, since renting a temporary furnished apartment here is costing us 3x our mortgage payment!

    Also I am a DIYer and have installed floating vinyl plank flooring with pro results, etc but I am not up for the job of demoing, plumbing, electrical, drywall and everything else - the cabinet install will not be a huge part of the entire cost and either the contractor or Traemond will have a crew to do it - DH and I can't justify taking time off work to do this.

    Any recommendations on how to broach the subject with the contractor of hiring out the install?

  • xisjones
    8 years ago

    My contractor was thrilled to not have to deal with the IKEA cabinets.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    8 years ago

    tmnca:


    Do you have a signed contract with your contractor to do this work? If so, you need to negotiate a change order and expect it to cost you a bit. As to how to broach the subject, I'd show him your post.

  • Danielle Gottwig
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    tmnca, I don't think you should feel too shy about employing a second contractor to do just the ikea installation. The rationale is sound: an installation team that does ikea installation on a regular basis will know the system really well. Therefore, they will be more efficient than a team who rarely does the job.

    My experience is very similar to that of xisjones: I talked to two general contractors about our project, and they were generally very happy with the conversation until I mentioned Ikea cabinets. At that point, they said something to the effect that they were not sure they wanted to get involved with the time it took. Once I clarified that we were seeking quotes only on other phases of the project, like demo and flooring installation, and did not want them to perform the cabinet installation, the smiles came back.

    If your GC seems perfectly happy with the installation job, maybe he knows the system already? If so, maybe the ikea / traemand subcontractor is superfluous.

  • PRO
    Joseph Corlett, LLC
    8 years ago

    Historian:

    The problem with your proposal is whether or not roula already has the IKEA cabinet installation under contract. If roula is under contract, that contract must be mutually altered before a new contractor can be brought on board or roula could pay twice for a single installation.

  • Danielle Gottwig
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Yes, I agree on that point. Sorry if I wasn't clear. I assumed that roula either isn't under contract or is planning to bring the matter up to the first contractor before proceeding any further. My comment was meant only to relate to whether it is logical, or might even be to the first contractor's liking, to consider a second team to do installation.