By Abdullah M. Ghabayen, founder and president of AMG Proline, engineer, licensed general contractor and interior designer, building kitchens in Chicagoland since 1996. Updated September 18, 2026.
Our consultation is free, and there’s no obligation. We come to your home, measure, talk through what isn’t working, and follow up with a fixed written price itemized by trade.
📞 (708) 979-3298 · 💻 Book your free in-home consultation · 📍 Showroom: 4711 W 135th St, Crestwood, Mon–Sat
Budget Ranges to Anchor the Conversation
You don’t need a final number before the visit, but a range makes every decision easier. Here’s what the tiers look like in Chicagoland:
| Scope | Typical range | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic refresh | $15,000–$30,000 | Same layout; countertops, backsplash, hardware, paint, refacing or new doors |
| Full remodel, same footprint | $35,000–$70,000 | New cabinets, counters, flooring, sink, lighting and appliances |
| Gut with a layout change | $70,000–$150,000+ | Moving plumbing or the range, opening a wall, electrical upgrades, permit drawings |
Full detail is in our kitchen remodel cost guide for Chicago. Telling us your range doesn’t make the project cost that much. It tells us where to concentrate the money so you get the kitchen you actually want.
What Happens During Our Consultation, Step by Step
Here’s exactly how the visit runs, so nothing about it is a surprise.
| Step | What happens | How long |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Walkthrough | We look at the kitchen with you and talk through what frustrates you, how you cook and who uses the room | 20–30 min |
| 2. Measurements | We measure the room, note windows, doors, soffits and appliance locations, and check the panel and what’s under the floor where we can | 15–30 min |
| 3. Scope discussion | We tell you which ideas are straightforward, which involve plumbing, electrical or structure, and what needs further investigation | 15–20 min |
| 4. Materials | We bring samples, or you visit the Crestwood showroom to compare slabs, door styles and hardware under real light | As long as you like |
| 5. Design | We produce 3D mapped-out designs for your approval. Nothing is ordered until you sign off | After the visit |
| 6. Written price | A fixed price itemized by trade and material, with permit fees in the scope, not added later | After the design |
Who shows up: Abdullah, the owner. He is an engineer, a licensed general contractor and an interior designer, and he is on your job site after you sign, not just at the estimate. Most companies hand you to a salesperson at the estimate and a subcontractor after the contract. That’s the difference worth asking every bidder about.
What you get afterward: a 3D design, a fixed written price by trade, a realistic schedule, and an honest list of anything that can’t be known until a wall is open, with the range if we find it.
Questions Worth Asking Every Contractor You Meet
- Who will be on my job site day to day, and who do I call with a problem?
- Is the price fixed and itemized, or an allowance-based estimate?
- Are permits and permit fees included in the scope?
- Are your crews employees or subcontractors, and are they insured?
- What happens, in writing, if you find a problem behind the walls?
- Who handles design, and is it included?
- What’s the realistic schedule, and what could delay it?
- Can I see finished projects like mine, and talk to those homeowners?
- How do you protect the rest of the house during demolition?
- What’s the payment schedule tied to?
Any contractor worth hiring will answer all ten without hesitating.
Planning a Bathroom Too?
Most homeowners who remodel a kitchen are thinking about a bathroom next, and the two share the same rule: the decisions that cost the most money are the ones made too late. In bathrooms it’s the glass. Tempered glass can’t be cut or drilled once it’s made, so a shower enclosure is templated after the tile is finished, and heavy frameless panels need blocking behind the wall before it’s closed up, which is a framing-stage decision.
We handle that in house. Our glass division, AMG Glass & Shower Doors, is owned and managed by AMG Proline and runs out of the same Crestwood showroom, fabricating and installing frameless, semi-frameless and sliding enclosures, glass walls and vanity mirrors with our own team. Bring both rooms to one consultation. See bathroom remodeling and walk-in shower installation.
How Many Quotes Should You Get, and How Do You Compare Them?
Three is the number most homeowners land on, and it’s a good one: one is no reference point, five turns into a part-time job. But three quotes only help if you compare the same things. In remodeling, the totals differ mostly because the scopes differ, not because one company is cheaper.
| Compare this, not the bottom line | Why it changes the number |
|---|---|
| Is design and 3D layout included? | Hiring a designer separately adds cost and time |
| Are permits and permit fees in the scope? | Often excluded, then billed later |
| Fixed price or allowances? | Allowance-based estimates almost always rise |
| Cabinet grade and construction | “New cabinets” can mean stock or custom, a difference of tens of thousands |
| Countertop material and slab selection | Ordering by name vs. picking your slab |
| Electrical and plumbing scope | Panel work and moving services are frequently left out |
| Venting the hood to the exterior | Commonly omitted, then quoted as an extra |
| Who does the work | Employees and a site supervisor vs. rotating subcontractors |
| What happens behind the walls | Change-order policy in writing, or a surprise later |
| Cleanup, protection and the punch list | Small line items that reveal how the job will actually run |
The honest rule: if one bid comes in far below the others, something was left out. Ask which of the rows above it excludes, and the gap usually explains itself.
What Our Written Price Includes
So you can hold every bidder to the same standard, here’s what a full AMG kitchen quote covers, itemized by trade and material:
- Design and 3D layout
- Permit drawings, filing and fees
- Demolition and disposal
- Framing and structural work
- Licensed electrical and plumbing
- Range hood venting
- Insulation and drywall
- Flooring, tile and backsplash
- Custom cabinetry and trim
- Countertop template and installation
- Painting, fixtures, final cleaning and the punch-list walkthrough
One crew, one contract, one point of accountability. Appliances are the one item you can supply yourself.
Red Flags to Watch For When You’re Collecting Quotes
- A price quoted without measuring the room
- No written scope, or a one-page total with no breakdown
- A large deposit demanded up front
- Pressure to sign at the first visit, or a discount that expires that day
- No license, no certificate of insurance, or reluctance to provide either
- No permits “to save you money”
- Cash-only terms
- No local address or showroom you can visit
- Reviews that all arrived in the same week
- Vague answers about who will actually be on your job
When to Book, and What the Schedule Looks Like
Design, selections and cabinetry lead times mean the calendar runs further ahead than most homeowners expect. A kitchen you want finished before the holidays generally needs to be in design well before fall, and spring projects fill up over the winter. Booking the consultation early costs nothing and keeps your options open; waiting usually means choosing from whatever dates are left.
Get a written price you can actually compare. Free in-home visit, measurements, 3D design, then a fixed price itemized by trade, with permits in the scope.
Book your free consultation · (708) 979-3298 · Showroom: 4711 W 135th St, Crestwood, Mon–Sat
How many quotes should I get for a kitchen remodel?
Three is usually enough, as long as you compare scopes rather than totals. Check whether design, permits, electrical, plumbing, venting and cabinetry grade are included in each one.
Why are kitchen remodel quotes so different?
Almost always because the scopes differ: design excluded, permits left out, allowances instead of fixed selections, or a different cabinet grade presented as the same thing.
Is your estimate free, and is the price fixed?
The consultation, measurements and estimate are free, and you receive a fixed written price itemized by trade and material before any work begins.
Do you require a deposit?
Payments are tied to a schedule in the contract rather than a large up-front demand. We go through it with you before you sign.
How far ahead should I book a kitchen remodel?
Earlier than most people expect. Design, selections and cabinetry lead times mean holiday-season completions are usually planned months ahead, and spring projects fill over the winter.
Is the kitchen remodeling consultation free?
Yes. The in-home consultation, measurements and estimate are free, with no obligation.
How long does a kitchen consultation take?
Usually about an hour: a walkthrough, measurements and a scope discussion. Material selection can take longer if you want to go through samples.
Who comes to the consultation?
Abdullah, the owner, who designs the project, prices it and is on the job site during construction.
How soon will I get a price after the consultation?
The design comes first, then a fixed written price itemized by trade and material. Timing depends on the scope, and we tell you at the visit what to expect.
Do I need to visit the showroom, or will you come to me?
Either. Our Crestwood showroom is open Monday through Saturday with real slabs, door styles and hardware, and we bring samples to your home if that’s easier.
Can you look at my kitchen and bathroom in the same visit?
Yes, and it’s usually more efficient. We remodel both, and our own glass division handles shower enclosures and mirrors.
Do you charge for the design?
Design and 3D layout are part of our process rather than a separate hire. If you already have a designer or architect, we build from their drawings.
What if I’m not ready to start for six months?
That’s a good time to meet. Early planning gets you accurate pricing, a schedule that fits your calendar and time to choose materials without pressure.
Why Homeowners Choose AMG Proline
- The owner runs your project: engineer, licensed general contractor and interior designer in one person, on site through construction
- 2025 Marquis Who’s Who inductee and Millennium Magazine cover feature in Architecture, Construction and Real Estate
- Best of Burbank (2019, 2020), Business Hall of Fame and a Complaint-Free award
- BBB accredited, Houzz Pro, licensed and bonded in Illinois
- Custom cabinetry built in house, sized to walls that are rarely square in older Chicago homes
- Glass and shower doors in house through our own division
- Crestwood showroom, Monday through Saturday
- Fixed written pricing, itemized by trade, permits included in the scope
“If you are searching for a quality and detailed oriented GC to rehab your personal home, then Abdallah and his AMG team are one of the best. They have the entire team from interior design to all the trades. They will rehab your project based on budget and preferences. Highly recommended.”
— Saleh A., read the review on Google
About the Author
Abdullah M. Ghabayen is the founder and president of AMG Proline, a kitchen and bath remodeling company with a showroom in Crestwood, Illinois, serving Chicago and the suburbs. He is an engineer by training, a licensed general contractor by trade and an interior designer by practice, with a career that began in his family’s glass shop in 1996. In 2025 he was inducted into Marquis Who’s Who and featured on the cover of Millennium Magazine. Read more about Abdullah and AMG Proline.
Book Your Free In-Home Consultation
Bring your list, your photos and your questions. We’ll bring the tape measure, the samples and straight answers.
Book your free consultation · (708) 979-3298 · Showroom: 4711 W 135th St, Crestwood, IL, Mon–Sat
Related: kitchen remodel cost in Chicago · kitchen appliance planning · custom kitchen cabinets · kitchen remodeling · our projects
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