Full kitchen remodeling

What a full remodel includes

A full remodel usually means taking the room back to the walls and floor and rebuilding it: new cabinets, new counters, a new sink and faucet, new flooring, updated lighting and often new appliances. Many projects also move plumbing or electrical, change a doorway or take out a wall. The more of those changes you make, the more the job costs and the longer it takes.

In Pleasantville, a lot of remodels start in houses built before 1960. Kitchens in those houses were designed for a different way of cooking, with less counter space, fewer outlets and smaller refrigerators. A remodel is the chance to fix all of that at once, rather than piece by piece.

Planning the layout first

The layout decides how the kitchen works every day, so settle it before you pick colors. Think about where you prep food, where dishes go after dinner and where people tend to gather. In a narrow room, a single wall of tall cabinets plus a run of base cabinets across from it can hold a surprising amount.

Moving the sink or range costs more than leaving them where they are, because pipes, gas lines, venting and wiring have to follow. Sometimes the move is worth it. Ask the contractor to price the plan both ways so you can compare.

• Measure what you store now, and plan cabinets around it
• Leave room to open the dishwasher and oven doors fully
• Plan outlets along every counter run
• Decide early whether the range will vent outside

Budget and contingency

Cabinets are often the largest single line in the budget, followed by counters and labor. HomeBlue puts a medium Westchester kitchen at about $25,500 to $37,100, and Sweeten suggests about $40,000 to $50,000 for a mid-grade Westchester remodel. High-end projects with custom cabinetry and stone can reach $120,000 or more.

Set aside a contingency of 10 to 20 percent. Older houses can hide rot under a sink, outdated wiring or uneven subfloors, and finding them mid-job is common. A contractor who mentions this up front is giving you an honest picture.

Questions to ask at the first visit

When the contractor comes to measure, have a short list ready. Ask how they would handle the layout, which parts of the job they do with their own staff and which go to subcontractors, and how long cabinets and counters take to arrive. Ask who orders the appliances and who is responsible if something arrives damaged. A clear answer to each question is a good sign that the job will be run carefully.

Living through the work

Block Renovation estimates that most Westchester kitchen remodels take about 6 to 12 weeks once construction starts. During that time, set up a temporary kitchen in a dining room or basement with a microwave, a toaster oven and a coffee maker. Paper plates help. Ask the contractor how they will protect the rest of the house from dust and how they will keep you updated on the schedule.

Typical full kitchen remodel costs

Published ranges, not quotes. Westchester prices often run higher than national averages.

Ranges are from the sources below, rounded, and are not quotes. Your price depends on size, materials, layout changes, permits and the contractor.

Sources: Angi; Block Renovation; HomeBlue; Sweeten