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What's Involved in a Kitchen Renovation?

The sequence, the decisions that drive cost, and how long you'll be without a kitchen.

A kitchen renovation is the most disruptive room in the house to renovate and the one with the highest return on doing it well. The scope ranges enormously, and where you land on that range is what determines both cost and how long you're eating takeout.

The three scope levels

  1. Cosmetic. Same layout, new surfaces. Cabinets refaced or replaced in the same configuration, new counters, backsplash, flooring, fixtures and paint.
  2. Layout change. Moving cabinets, relocating the sink or range, adding or resizing an island. Plumbing and electrical move, which adds real cost.
  3. Structural. Removing a wall to open the kitchen to living space, moving a window, or expanding into adjacent space. Beams, engineering and possibly HVAC rework.

The jump from level one to level two is significant; the jump from two to three is larger still.

The sequence

  1. Design and layout
  2. Selections, with cabinetry ordered first because of lead time
  3. Permits, if plumbing, electrical or structural work is involved
  4. Demolition
  5. Structural work, if any
  6. Rough plumbing, electrical and HVAC
  7. Inspections
  8. Drywall and paint
  9. Flooring
  10. Cabinet installation
  11. Countertop templating and installation. Counters are templated after cabinets are set, which is why there's a gap here
  12. Backsplash
  13. Plumbing and electrical trim, appliances
  14. Final details and punch list

What drives the cost

  • Cabinetry, typically the largest single line item, with a wide range from stock to fully custom
  • Countertops, where material choice swings the number substantially
  • Layout changes, because moving plumbing and electrical costs more than replacing surfaces
  • Appliances, which can range dramatically
  • Structural work and any engineering
  • Discovery. What's behind the wall in an older home. Carry a contingency. See contingency

The countertop gap

Worth planning for: countertops can't be templated until cabinets are installed and level, and fabrication takes time after templating. That means a stretch with cabinets in and no counters. It's normal, and knowing it's coming makes it much less frustrating.

Living through it

Set up a temporary kitchen somewhere: microwave, refrigerator, coffee, a sink you can reach. Agree in advance on dust barriers, working hours and which entrance the crew uses. And be realistic about the timeline; the cabinet and countertop lead times are usually longer than the actual construction.

See our renovation work and making selections.