Planning guides
Kitchen remodel planning guides
These kitchen remodel planning guides answer the questions to settle before demolition: what it costs, which permits apply, how much room the layout needs and which materials hold up. Every figure names and links its source.
They're written for Holladay and Salt Lake Valley homes, many of them built in the 1950s through the 1970s. Start with costs if you're budgeting, or with layout if you already know the room doesn't work.
Costs, budget and timeline
What a Kitchen Remodel Costs in Holladay
Regional Cost vs. Value and Houzz figures, and what pushes a project up or down.
Read the guideKitchen Remodel Budget Planning
Setting a budget, a contingency and priorities before anyone quotes a price.
Read the guideKitchen Remodel Timeline
How long planning, permits and construction really take, phase by phase.
Read the guideChange Orders and How to Avoid Them
What a change order is, what it costs and how a written scope prevents most of them.
Read the guidePermits and planning
Kitchen Remodel Permits in Holladay
Which kitchen work needs a permit, how to apply and how long review takes.
Read the guidePlanning Before Demolition
The decisions and documents to have settled before the old kitchen comes out.
Read the guideRemoving a Load-Bearing Wall
How to tell if a wall carries load, and what engineering, beams and permits involve.
Read the guideKitchen Expansion vs. Reconfiguration
When to work inside the existing footprint and when adding space makes sense.
Read the guideLayout and space
Kitchen Layouts Compared
Galley, L-shape, U-shape, island and peninsula layouts, and where each works.
Read the guideKitchen Work Zones and Traffic Flow
The work triangle, activity zones and aisle widths that keep cooks out of each other's way.
Read the guideKitchen Island Size and Clearances
How much room an island needs, from aisle widths to knee space per stool.
Read the guideOpen-Concept Kitchen Guide
The tradeoffs of opening a kitchen to the living space, from storage to sightlines.
Read the guideKitchen Appliance Placement
Where the sink, dishwasher, range, refrigerator and microwave work best, with landing space.
Read the guidePantry and Storage Planning
How much storage a kitchen needs and how to plan pantries, drawers and corners.
Read the guideMaterials and finishes
Kitchen Cabinet Construction
Face-frame vs. frameless, stock vs. custom, and what certification tests actually check.
Read the guideQuartz vs. Granite vs. Quartzite
How the three countertop materials compare on heat, sealing and care.
Read the guideKitchen Flooring Options
Vinyl plank, tile and wood compared for kitchens, and how flooring meets cabinets.
Read the guideKitchen Lighting Plan
Task, general and accent layers, light levels and color quality for a kitchen.
Read the guideOlder homes and living through it
Ready to talk about your own kitchen?
Guides cover the general case. Your kitchen is specific.
Tell us what isn't working, and we'll share it with an independent local kitchen remodeling professional who can look at your actual room.
Better layouts. Better living.
Know the plan before demo
The guides explain what a well-planned kitchen remodel should include. Start with what isn't working in yours.
or call (385) 895-9892