Refresh
Same layout, same cabinet boxes. New doors or a fresh coat on the old ones, new counters, a backsplash, new taps and lights. The fastest way to a kitchen that looks new.
Services
Kitchen renovations
As a kitchen renovation contractor, we take kitchens from a quick refresh to a full gut with a new layout. The cabinets are ordered before the first wall comes down, so the room is out of use for the shortest time.
What is the first step in a kitchen renovation?
The first step is deciding what the kitchen has to do better, not picking a tile. Write down what bugs you now: not enough counter, a fridge that blocks the door, no light over the sink. We measure, draw the layout around those problems, and only then talk about finishes. Demolition comes last in the planning, not first.
Three ways to do it
Refresh, update or start over
A kitchen job comes in three sizes. The right one depends on whether the layout works today and how long you plan to stay.
Update
New cabinets in the same footprint. Counters, backsplash, lighting, flooring and paint all replaced. The plumbing and the stove stay where they are, so the permit stays simple.
Full renovation
A new layout. Walls opened, an island added, the sink or the stove moved, new circuits for the appliances. This is the one that needs permits and the one that changes how you cook.
Step by step
How a kitchen job runs
A kitchen runs in seven steps. The cabinets drive the dates, so the order below is built around their delivery. The five stages every job goes through are on our process page.
Measure and plan
We measure every wall, window and pipe. The layout drawing places the sink, the stove and the fridge first, then the storage around them.
Choose and order cabinets
You pick the door style and colour. We order. Nothing is demolished until the delivery date is confirmed.
Permits
If a wall moves or a circuit is added, we file the permit now, so it is approved before the demolition day.
Demolition and rough-in
The old kitchen comes out. Plumbing and wiring are moved to the new positions and inspected while the walls are open.
Drywall, paint and floor
Walls are patched or rebuilt, primed and painted. Tile or hardwood goes down before the cabinets so the floor runs under them.
Cabinets, counters, backsplash
Cabinets are installed and levelled. The counter is templated, cut and fitted. The backsplash goes on last so it meets the counter cleanly.
Hook-ups and walk-through
Sink, dishwasher, stove and lights are connected and tested. You walk the kitchen with the crew lead and sign off.
These kitchens are example rooms in the styles we build, not our own jobs. For more kitchen renovation ideas, see the before and after pairs on our projects page.
The quote
What changes a kitchen quote
Kitchen renovation cost moves with five things more than anything else. None of them is the tile.
- Moving the sink or the stove, because the drain, the vent and the circuits move with them.
- Custom cabinets instead of stock sizes.
- Stone counters instead of laminate.
- An island with a sink or a cooktop, which needs its own plumbing and power.
- Opening a wall that holds up the floor above, which needs a beam and an engineer.
Behind the walls
Problems we find on kitchen jobs
Kitchens hide their problems behind the cabinets. These are the three we find most once the old boxes are off the wall.
Old wiring behind the cabinets
Older kitchens often run on too few circuits. A new stove, fridge and dishwasher each want their own. We add them while the wall is open.
A floor that is not level
Cabinets on a sloped floor leave gaps under the counter. We shim and level before the first box goes in.
Water damage under the sink
A slow leak soaks the cabinet floor and the subfloor under it. We replace the damaged wood before the new cabinet covers it.
When a cabinet shop beats us
If you only want new doors on cabinets you like, a cabinet refacing shop will do it for less than we can. If you want the layout to change, that is us.
Questions
What people ask about kitchen renovations
Two more kitchen questions we hear on nearly every site visit.
Should I reface or replace my kitchen cabinets?
Reface if the boxes are solid and you like where everything is. Replace if the layout needs to change, the boxes are sagging or water damaged, or you want drawers and pull-outs the old boxes cannot take. We will tell you which one you are looking at on the site visit.
What comes first in a kitchen remodel, the floor or the cabinets?
Tile and hardwood go down first, so the cabinets sit on a finished floor and the floor runs under them. Floating floors such as vinyl plank go in after the cabinets, so the floor can move with the seasons.
By city
Kitchen renovation near you, city by city
Each city page covers the homes, permit office and travel for that place. Pick yours.
York Region
- Vaughan kitchen renovation
- Richmond Hill kitchen renovation
- Markham kitchen renovation
- Newmarket kitchen renovation
- Aurora kitchen renovation
Thornhill is on the Vaughan page, King City on the Aurora page.
Durham
Further out
Lindsay is on the Peterborough page.