Kitchen remodeling FAQ

Houzz's 2026 U.S. Kitchen Trends Study defines a major remodel as one that replaces at least all the cabinets and appliances; anything less is minor. The difference shows in spending: the study found a median of $55,000 for major remodels and $20,000 for minor ones. Deciding early which category you're in is one of the most useful budget decisions you can make. See the Holladay kitchen remodel cost guide.

Source: Houzz 2026 U.S. Kitchen Trends Study.

Yes, though scope matters more. In Houzz's 2026 Kitchen Trends Study, the median major remodel was $75,000 for kitchens of 250 square feet or more and $46,000 for smaller ones. Houzz's separate 2026 Houzz & Home study uses a 200-square-foot cutoff and found medians of $55,000 for larger kitchens and $35,000 for smaller ones. The two studies use different samples, so compare within one study, not across them.

Sources: Houzz Kitchen Trends 2026; Houzz & Home 2026.

Consumer Reports recommends at least a 10 percent cushion for problems like hidden structural or electrical issues. For a benchmark on older homes, HUD's Standard 203(k) rehab loan requires a contingency reserve of 10 to 20 percent for structures 30 years or older. With Holladay's median home built in 1969, budgeting toward the higher end is reasonable. Read the budget planning guide.

Sources: Consumer Reports; HUD 203(k) contingency rules.

In the Houzz & Home 2026 study, 37% of homeowners went over budget on 2025 projects. The top reasons were products or services costing more than expected (52%), choosing pricier products (35%), a more complex project than expected (32%) and changed scope or design (31%). Most of those can be reduced by locking selections and scope before demolition. How change orders affect your budget.

Source: Houzz & Home 2026.

Mostly from savings. Houzz & Home 2026 found 84% of renovating homeowners used savings, 34% used credit cards and 13% used a secured home loan such as a HELOC. If you're considering borrowing against your home, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains the options and warns that because your home is collateral, you could risk foreclosure. Holladay Kitchen Co. doesn't offer or arrange loans.

Sources: Houzz & Home 2026; CFPB home equity guide.

It's still a good check. NKBA's planning guidelines say the three legs between sink, cooktop and refrigerator should total no more than 26 feet, with no leg under 4 feet or over 9 feet, and no major traffic path should cut through it. NKBA's fourth-edition guidelines also frame planning around activity centers, which suits kitchens with two cooks or an island. Work zones and traffic flow explained.

Sources: NKBA Guidelines 3 and 5; NKBA 4th ed. summary.

NKBA guidance calls for a work aisle of at least 42 inches for one cook and 48 inches for two or more, measured between counters, tall cabinets or appliances. A walkway that isn't a work area should be at least 36 inches. These numbers decide whether a galley can stay a galley and whether an island fits at all. Compare kitchen layouts.

Source: NKBA Guidelines 6 and 7.

NKBA puts the total at 158 inches of countertop frontage, 24 inches deep. Placement matters as much as length: a continuous 36-inch-wide prep area next to the sink, at least 24 inches of landing space on one side of the sink and 18 inches on the other, and 15 inches beside the refrigerator handle. See the appliance placement guide.

Source: NKBA Guidelines 11, 12, 16 and 25.

NKBA measures storage as total shelf and drawer frontage: 1,400 inches for a small kitchen under 150 square feet, 1,700 inches for a medium kitchen and 2,000 inches for a large one over 350 square feet. It also recommends at least one corner cabinet with a functional storage device so the corner isn't wasted. Pantry and storage planning.

Source: NKBA Guidelines 27 and 29.

NKBA's fourth-edition guidelines recommend layered lighting with at least 50 footcandles of task light at work areas and at least 20 footcandles of general light, a color rendering index of 90 or higher, and a consistent color temperature within the room. Under-cabinet lights should sit near the front edge of the cabinet so they light the counter, not the backsplash. Plan your kitchen lighting.

Source: NKBA Planning Guidelines, 4th ed. summary, section 8.3.

They behave differently. Caesarstone describes its quartz as roughly 90% quartz with resins and pigments, needing no sealing, but advises against setting hot pans directly on it. The Natural Stone Institute says granite handles hot pans easily, while porous quartzites need sealing, and notes that marble is sometimes sold as quartzite. A glass scratch test helps tell them apart. Quartz vs. granite vs. quartzite.

Sources: Caesarstone; Natural Stone Institute.

Holladay's Building Division lists cabinets, trim, carpet and paint as exempt, along with swapping a defective plumbing fixture or a light or receptacle for an equivalent one. Once you add a circuit, move a gas line, change drain and vent piping or take on a remodel of any size, a permit is required. Read the Holladay permit guide.

Source: City of Holladay Building Division FAQ.

Holladay says it strives to complete the first plan review within 7 business days, and applications are submitted online through the city's iWorQ portal. Utah law also requires cities to finish plan review for a single-family home no later than 14 business days after the application's screening period ends. Other cities in the valley run their own building offices and timelines. See a realistic remodel timeline.

Sources: City of Holladay FAQ; Utah Code 10-20-909.

Rarely. Utah's handyman exemption covers only work valued under $7,000, counting labor, materials and all changes. Even below that amount, electrical and plumbing system work generally requires licensed electrical or plumbing contractors, gas appliance work requires certification, and HVAC work requires a licensed HVAC contractor. A full kitchen remodel almost always exceeds the exemption. Planning before demolition.

Source: Utah Code 58-55-305(1)(h).

The FTC's "Hiring a Contractor" guide lists the contractor's name, address, phone and license number; estimated start and completion dates; the payment schedule; the contractor's obligation to get permits; how change orders are handled; a detailed materials list; warranties; and a clean-up clause. It also suggests limiting the down payment and tying progress payments to completed work. Check the license in the DOPL lookup before signing.

Source: FTC, "Hiring a Contractor".

Utah's Residence Lien Restriction and Lien Recovery Fund Act protects owner-occupants who paid their contractor in full and meet its conditions, including a written contract with a licensed contractor for jobs over $5,000. The fund itself can no longer pay claims, but a DOPL Certificate of Compliance still requires a lien claimant to release the lien. The FTC also recommends collecting lien waivers before final payment. Contracts and change orders.

Sources: Utah DOPL; FTC.

If you hire a contractor, likely yes. Utah's asbestos rule requires contractors to have an inspection performed by a Utah certified asbestos inspector before renovating; owner-occupants doing their own work are exempt. Common sources include vinyl tile, sheet vinyl and mastic, popcorn ceilings and duct wrap. About 69% of Holladay homes were built before 1980. Remodeling older Holladay kitchens.

Sources: Utah Admin. Code R307-801-9; Utah DEQ; ACS 2020-2024.

EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies to paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978. The firm must be EPA- or state-certified, contain the work area, avoid open-flame burning and power tools without HEPA exhaust, and verify the cleanup. In Utah, the DEQ Division of Air Quality certifies firms and publishes a list of them. Living through a kitchen remodel.

Sources: EPA RRP work practices; Utah DEQ.

Often not. InterNACHI notes that 60-amp electrical services may be inadequate for modern appliances and recommends at least 100 amps. Utah's residential code requires at least two 20-amp small-appliance circuits for kitchen counter receptacles, which many older kitchens lack, and new circuits need an electrical permit in Holladay. Grounded outlets have been required in new construction only since 1962. Kitchen plumbing and electrical.

Sources: InterNACHI; 2021 IRC E3703.2 (Utah).

It's worth discussing while the walls are open. InterNACHI says galvanized pipe has a useful life of roughly 20 to 30 years, and that internal corrosion isn't visible and is hard to detect. Replacing supply lines before new cabinets and drywall go in is far easier than opening finished walls later. Plumbing changes beyond like-for-like fixture swaps need a permit in Holladay.

Sources: InterNACHI; City of Holladay FAQ.

It deserves more care. The Utah Geological Survey says houses built before 1975 aren't built to today's earthquake codes and that unreinforced brick or masonry houses are more susceptible to damage than wood-frame homes. USGS puts the chance of a magnitude 6.75 or larger quake in the Wasatch Front region at 43% over 50 years. Holladay requires permits for structural work, and an engineer's review is a prudent step. Removing a load-bearing wall.

Sources: Utah Geological Survey; USGS Fact Sheet 2016-3019.

No. Holladay Kitchen Co. is a kitchen remodeling planning resource and matching service. We publish planning guides and, when you submit a request, share it with an independent local kitchen remodeling professional. We don't employ tradespeople, perform construction or sign remodeling contracts. Any agreement is directly between you and the professional you choose. More about Holladay Kitchen Co.

Your name, phone, email, the problem you selected and the page you submitted from are shared with an independent local kitchen remodeling professional so they can respond to your request. Forms are processed by a third-party service, FormSubmit. We don't sell your personal information. The Privacy Policy explains retention and how to ask for access or deletion.

No. We don't prepare drawings, estimates or schedules. Those come from the remodeling professional you work with, ideally as a proposed layout, a written scope, selections, a project sequence and an expected schedule before demolition. Our guides explain what each should include so you can compare proposals. See how the process works.

Requests are accepted from homeowners in Holladay, Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights, Murray, Sandy, Salt Lake City and other parts of Salt Lake County. Each area page covers local housing ages and which building office handles permits. There's no office or showroom; everything starts online or by phone.