Kitchens & bathrooms

Kitchen renovation

The single largest discretionary spend in most homes, and the one where the gap between a refresh and a rebuild is widest. Two kitchens of identical size can differ by a factor of four in price, entirely because of decisions made before anyone picks up a tool.

Also called: Kitchen remodel · Cabinet supply and install

Scope

What the work is—and what it isn’t.

Most disputes begin with an exclusion nobody read. Confirm both columns against any quote you receive before comparing prices.

Normally included

Design and layout, including appliance and service locations
Cabinet supply and installation — stock, semi-custom or custom
Countertop templating, fabrication and installation
Backsplash tile
Plumbing rough-in changes and fixture installation
Electrical rough-in, circuits, lighting and appliance receptacles
Flooring, if it is being replaced
Drywall, paint and trim make-good

Normally excluded

Appliances themselves, unless specifically listed
Structural work if a wall is coming out — that is priced separately
Asbestos or vermiculite abatement discovered once walls open
Permit fees, unless the quote says otherwise

What moves the price

Why two quotes for the same room differ.

These are the decisions and conditions that actually drive cost on this trade. Understand them and a wide spread between quotes usually explains itself.

01
Cabinet construction — stock, semi-custom and custom are three different products, not three price levels of one product. Box material, drawer hardware and finish carry most of the difference.
02
Whether the layout moves. Keeping sink, stove and fridge where they are avoids plumbing, gas and electrical relocation, which is where hidden cost concentrates.
03
Whether a wall comes out, and whether it is load-bearing. A beam means an engineer, a permit and, often, temporary shoring.
04
Countertop material and edge detail, plus the number of seams and cut-outs.
05
Ceiling height and soffits — taller cabinets and removed bulkheads mean more cabinetry and more drywall.
06
Age of the house. Pre-1980 usually means the electrical needs upgrading to current code as soon as the walls are open.
07
Whether the kitchen is on a slab or over a crawlspace, which dictates how easily drains can move.

Cost ranges

What it costs in Halton.

Cost ranges for this trade have not been published yet.

Rather than repeat a national average that means nothing in Halton, this table stays empty until the figures are ones I have priced myself. The cost drivers above are the part that matters most anyway—they explain why the numbers vary.

If you want a real number for your property, that is what the walkthrough is for.

Book a free walkthrough →

Before you sign

What the quote must contain.

If any of these is missing, ask for it in writing before you compare prices. A quote that cannot answer these questions is not a quote—it is an estimate wearing a suit.

Cabinet brand, line, box material and door finish named specifically — not 'custom cabinets'
Countertop material, thickness, edge profile and slab allowance
An allowance figure for anything not yet selected, and what happens if you exceed it
Who supplies and who installs appliances
Whether electrical is being brought to current code, and who pulls the ESA permit
Demolition and disposal, itemised
A written schedule with a start and a finish date
Payment schedule tied to milestones, not to dates

Walk away

Red flags on this trade.

None of these are matters of taste. Each one has a specific consequence, and each is visible before you commit any money.

A single lump-sum number with no breakdown
'Custom' used without naming a shop or a product line
Allowances so low they guarantee a change order
A deposit above roughly a third of the contract value
Asking you to pull the permit yourself
No mention of what happens when the walls open and something is found

Before the final payment

Every door and drawer aligned, closing softly, with even reveals
Countertop seams tight and in agreed locations
ESA certificate of inspection for the electrical work
Appliances tested under load, not just plugged in
Cabinet and appliance warranty documents handed over
Deficiency list agreed in writing before final payment

Agree a written deficiency list before releasing the last payment. It is the only leverage that survives the end of a job.

If you are selling

What this does to a sale.

A dated but sound kitchen rarely stops a sale; a half-finished one does. Before listing, the question is almost never 'should I renovate the kitchen' — it is 'what is the smallest amount of work that removes it as an objection'.

Ready to hire

I’ll give you one or two names, not a directory.

Contractors on the bench supply current WSIB, liability insurance and licence documentation, and I have walked their finished work. No referral fee is accepted from any of them.

Request an introduction See the vetting standard →

Also worth reading

Reading a quote & protecting yourself→All trades and specialties→Free renovation walkthrough→

A straightforward first conversation

Thinking about kitchen renovation?

Tell me where you are in the process. We’ll discuss the property, the market, and the questions that matter most to you.

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