( Kitchen Remodeling — King County )
Kitchen Remodelingin Seattle.
Seattle kitchens are small because they were built when kitchens were meant to be hidden. Almost every remodel here starts with the same question: which wall comes out?
( Seattle )
Kitchen Remodeling for Seattle homes
The city's 1905–1965 housing stock puts the kitchen in a closed room at the back of the house, separated from the dining room by a wall that is very often load-bearing. Opening it is the highest-impact move available in a Seattle home, and it turns a service room into the center of the house. It also means engineering, a properly sized beam, and a permit — which we price into the estimate rather than discovering during demolition.
What comes with an old Seattle kitchen: plaster-and-lath instead of drywall, knob-and-tube wiring that cannot carry a modern kitchen's load, galvanized supply lines at the end of their life, and a panel that was sized for a house with three appliances. With the walls open, replacing all of it costs a fraction of doing it later. Leaving it in is the decision homeowners regret most.
Permits for Seattle projects run through Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections (SDCI), and we handle the filing and inspections as part of the job. For the full picture on how we approach this work, see our kitchen remodeling page — and for everything we build locally, our Seattle contractor page.
Typical Seattle investment
Broad ranges for orientation — your written estimate is free and itemized.
| Tier | Range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh | $25k–$50k | Same layout, new surfaces: cabinetry or refacing, counters, backsplash, lighting, paint. |
| Full remodel | $50k–$100k | New semi-custom cabinetry, stone counters, tile, appliances, updated electrical and plumbing. |
| Layout change / custom | $100k–$200k+ | Walls removed, custom cabinetry, paneled appliances, structural and systems work. |
Seattle questions
- Can the wall between my Seattle kitchen and dining room come out?
- Usually yes. In most craftsman and box-style Seattle homes that wall carries load, so it needs an engineered beam with posts down to the foundation and a permit — commonly $5,000–$15,000 in a single-story house, quoted up front as part of the kitchen.
- What surprises come up in older Seattle kitchens?
- Knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized plumbing, undersized panels and out-of-level floors are the regulars. None are dealbreakers, but they belong in the scope from day one — which is why we carry a contingency and inspect before quoting rather than after.
- How long do Seattle kitchen permits take?
- SDCI is the slowest review in the region. A finishes-only remodel may not need a permit at all; anything moving plumbing, adding circuits or removing a wall does, and can take weeks to months. We file early and order materials during the wait.
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