New Orleans, LA
KITCHEN REMODEL ESTIMATING.

## Estimating kitchen remodels in New Orleans is not like estimating them anywhere else Humidity averages above 70% year-round in New Orleans. That single fact changes your material selections, your substrate specs, your cabinet finish recommendations, and your labor hours. A boilerplate estimate template built for Phoenix or Denver will undercount your costs before the homeowner even signs. Estimate.Pro is built for how you actually work in the field — walking a shotgun double off Magazine Street or a raised Creole cottage in Gentilly — not how a software team thinks you work. --- ### What the estimating process looks like in New Orleans Older housing stock dominates the city. The median home age in Orleans Parish is well above 50 years. That means you are routinely dealing with: - Unlevel floors and out-of-square walls that require custom cabinet shimming and filler strips - Knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring that forces a panel upgrade conversation before you can spec GFCI circuits under the 2020 NEC (Louisiana adopted the 2020 NEC statewide) - Cast-iron drain lines that may need reaming or relining before a kitchen layout change - Plaster walls behind drywall that add demo hours your estimate has to capture Missing any one of these in your scope means your margin walks out the door. --- ### How Estimate.Pro cuts your bid time to 8 minutes The median time from walkthrough to sendable bid on Estimate.Pro is 8 minutes. Here is how that works for a kitchen remodeler in New Orleans: 1. **AR-assisted measurement on supported devices.** Walk the kitchen with your phone. ONNX-assisted live AR captures linear footage of cabinets, countertop runs, and backsplash area. On devices without AR support, camera and photo measurements are flagged as estimates so you know what to verify. 2. **AI scope-of-work generation.** The app reads your measurements and site notes, then drafts a line-item scope — demo, substrate prep, cabinet installation, countertops, plumbing rough-in and trim, electrical, tile, and punch list. You edit what needs editing. You do not start from a blank page. 3. **Your saved material cost workspace.** New Orleans pricing for cement board, LVT, soft-close hinges, and quartz slab is not the same as national averages. You store your actual supplier pricing from Builders Supply Outlet or Ramelli Ace Hardware in your cost workspace. The estimate pulls your numbers, not a number from a zip code that hasn't been updated since last year. 4. **Client-ready PDF out.** Send from the app. No reformatting in Word. --- ### The permit reality in Orleans Parish The Department of Safety and Permits in New Orleans requires a building permit for kitchen remodels that involve moving walls, relocating plumbing, or adding electrical circuits. Permit fees run on a valuation schedule — for a mid-range kitchen remodel valued between $30,000 and $60,000, expect a permit fee in the $300–$600 range plus plan review fees. Work in a historic district (Marigny, Bywater, Garden District, French Quarter adjacent) triggers HDLC review, which adds time and potentially scope constraints on exterior-visible elements like windows above the sink. Building that permit cost and the HDLC review allowance into your estimate from line one keeps your bid honest. --- ### Pricing that fits a one-crew shop or a five-crew operation - **Free tier:** No credit card. No time limit. Good for getting your first bids out the door. - **Pro — $39/seat/month:** Full AI scope drafting, AR measurement, cost workspace. - **Elite — $79/seat/month:** Adds Stripe Connect invoicing (0% platform fee) and invoice exports. Run your whole billing cycle from one tool. - **Crew — $399/month flat:** Covers your whole team. No per-seat math. On the Free tier, Stripe Connect carries a 3% platform fee. Pro and above pay 0%. --- ### Why kitchen estimating in New Orleans rewards specificity Homeowners in New Orleans have remodeled kitchens before, or their neighbors have. They know costs have climbed. They also know that contractors who show up with a vague number on a napkin lose the job to whoever shows up with a detailed scope. A line-item estimate that calls out "moisture-resistant MDF cabinet boxes specified for high-humidity environment" or "HardieBacker substrate per manufacturer installation guidelines" tells the homeowner you have done this before and you are protecting their investment. That detail closes jobs. Estimate.Pro gives you that detail in 8 minutes so you can bid more jobs without working more nights.