How do I figure out if estimates are reasonable?

Guess what if you're going to have a contractor do the work what other method of determining a contractors estimate is reasonable. I mean you can always bring the design and exact measurements to home depot and have them figure out exactly what the material cost will be and then get contractors estimate just for labor. The benefit of going to home depot will be is that they will give you the exact sizes for the each cabinet for free but you better measure your space to the exact inch. Then you can take the sizes of the cabinets and price it accordingly to the style and manufacturer you desire.
My recommendation is get an good independent interior decorator and have them draw up the design it will cost you money initially but may in fact save you money and aggravation in the long run.

"How do I figure out if estimates are reasonable? "

First step is not to ask people who spend thousands of dollars on monthly maintenance fees in overpriced condos and co-ops. They are just as clueless as you are.

wager what on earth is wrong with you? I for one am trying to make a point of being a little nicer this new year. The phrase you have heard before has been modified for 2008 "If you have nothing nice, or thoughtful, or helpful to say, keep it to yourself so that the poison remains IN you."

I found that using an experienced architect who has been through similar renovations was helpful as a third-party opinion. I did a pretty substantial renovation and got one estimate that was materially lower than the others. My architect said that she thought it could be done for that amount, and it turned out she was right. Obviously every situation is different, but you might see what your architect thinks. Architects generally coordinate the process of the renovation as well (from expiditing your building permits, to interacting with the contractor on details of the changes during the process, etc.) which can save you many, many headaches.

Odds are your super / building handyman can give you a quick & dirty estimate of what the work could cost. They might do it themselves on their own time, under the table too.

My neighbor did this and gloated over how much she saved over me following the official licensed coop board process. Later, after she and her husband had split up, I found out from her ex that the super (who had also moved on) took 9mons to do what should have been a 3-5 day job.

Thinking about this has brought a smile to my face.

If you werent nice last year owenduncan, I doubt you'll be nice this year, despite your two day old measly effort.

Happy New Year all, by the way.

lol wager
you must be a broker

wow. A lot of responses without answering the question. Well here it is:

Create a clearly defined scope of work and get multiple bids. Compare the bids.

If you want to confirm whether the contractor you'd like to go with is charging a reasonable price, see what others will charge. No other way to be sure.

Get bids from several reputable contractors who you know through referral only, then pick the cheapest one. Everyone loves giving out their contractor's info if they did a great job and people love to vent about their contractors who quit in the middle with all their money-horror stories. I just had 3 contractors over. 2 of them were basically the same. Then a guy who works for my parents, who Ive known for 15 years, said he would do it for much less. I am paying him for the labor and buying the materials myself. I estimate I will save about 15k this way.