Kitchen Remodeling · Simpsonville & Fountain Inn, SC
How to Plan a Kitchen Remodel, Step by Step
Plan in this order: set a budget with a contingency, decide whether the layout moves, choose cabinets first because they have the longest lead, then counters, appliances, flooring and lighting. Kitchens here run $125–$322 per square foot, so a 200 sq ft kitchen between $25,043–$30,159 and $53,501–$64,431 is the range to plan inside.
1. Set the budget, including a contingency
Decide the number before you fall in love with a cabinet door. A 200 sq ft kitchen runs $25,043–$30,159 for a refresh to $53,501–$64,431 custom. Hold back ten percent for what demolition reveals — in an older home that is not pessimism, it is arithmetic.
2. Decide if the layout moves
This is the fork that sets everything else. Keeping the sink, range and refrigerator where they are avoids plumbing, gas and venting work. Moving them buys a better kitchen and costs meaningfully more. Decide it early, because every later choice depends on it.
3. Choose cabinets first
Cabinets have the longest lead time, drive the layout, and take the largest share of the budget. Stock arrives quickly; semi-custom and custom can take weeks. Choosing them first means the rest of the schedule can be planned backwards from a real date.
4. Then counters, appliances, flooring, lighting
Counters are templated after cabinets are installed, so the choice can be made early but the work happens late. Appliances need to be specified before cabinets are built, because openings are sized to them. Flooring and lighting are the most flexible items, and the easiest places to adjust if the budget tightens.
5. Choose the contractor, then confirm scope in writing
Check the license, insurance and recent local work. Then get a written scope with allowances stated plainly — what is included, what is an allowance, and what is excluded. Most disputes trace back to an allowance nobody discussed rather than to workmanship.
6. Plan how you will live through it
Four to eight weeks without a kitchen needs a plan: a temporary refrigerator and microwave, somewhere to wash up, and a realistic view of meals. Homeowners who set this up in advance find the project far less disruptive than those who improvise in week two.
Kitchen Remodeling Questions
What is the first step in planning a kitchen remodel?
Setting the budget, with a contingency, and then deciding whether the layout changes. Those two answers determine every other decision and whether the project needs permits.
Should I buy appliances before cabinets?
Specify them before cabinets are built, because cabinet openings are sized to the appliances. You do not need them delivered early — just chosen, with the model dimensions confirmed.
How much contingency should a kitchen budget have?
Around ten percent, more in a house built before modern electrical and plumbing codes. It covers what is found behind walls and under floors, which is genuinely unknowable until demolition.
Do I need a designer as well as a contractor?
Not always. If the layout stays and you are confident in selections, a contractor with a good cabinet supplier is enough. If walls are moving or the space has never worked, design input earns its fee.
Permits & codes: Greenville County Building Safety · SC Building Codes Council
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