Plan the layout and the budget first, with a contingency for surprises: HUD’s 203(k) renovation loans, for example, require 10 to 20% for homes 30 years or older. Get several written estimates, check the contractor’s license and insurance, and sign a written contract (FTC). Choose and order cabinets, counters and appliances early. Plan around 36 in counters and work aisles of at least 42 in for one cook (48 in for two, NKBA). The work goes demolition, rough-in, inspection, drywall, cabinets, counters, fixtures, then the final walk-through.
1. Plan and budget
- Write down what doesn’t work in the kitchen now, then your must-haves and nice-to-haves.
- Measure and sketch the room: walls, windows, doors, and where the sink drain, gas line, outlets and vents are. Our kitchen dimensions guide shows the room each layout needs.
- Decide whether the layout stays. Keeping the sink, range and fridge where they are avoids moving plumbing, gas and wiring. To try other layouts in your room first, use the kitchen layout planner.
- Set a budget with a contingency of 10 to 20%, the reserve HUD’s 203(k) renovation loans set for homes 30 years or older. The kitchen remodel cost calculator prices the work line by line.
- Home built before 1978? The EPA recommends hiring a lead-safe certified contractor for work that disturbs old paint.
2. Hire and permit
- Get several written estimates describing the work, the materials, the completion date and the price, and don’t automatically take the lowest (FTC).
- Check the contractor’s license with your state or county, and ask for proof of insurance (FTC).
- Sign a written contract with the contractor’s name, address, phone and license number, the start and completion dates, and every promise made; fill in every blank (FTC).
- Permits: a contractor who asks you to get the building permits is one of the FTC’s warning signs.
- Payments: don’t pay the full amount up front; some states limit the down payment; never make the final payment until the work is done (FTC).
3. Choices to make
Cabinets, countertops, the sink and faucet, the range or cooktop and oven, the range hood, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave, the backsplash, flooring, lighting, cabinet hardware and paint. The sheet has a line for each with the model, price, and when it was ordered and arrives: cabinets and countertops can take weeks, and the counters can’t be measured until the cabinets are in.
4. Sizes to plan around
| What | Typical | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Counter height | 36 in; bar 42 in | SZ-01 |
| Base / upper cabinet depth | 24 in / 12 in | SZ-02 |
| Upper cabinets above the counter | 18 in, 54 in from the floor | SZ-01 |
| Aisle between island and counter | 42 in for one cook, 48 in for two (NKBA) | SZ-04 |
| Work triangle | Each leg 4 to 9 ft, all three 26 ft or less (NKBA) | LY-11 |
| Island depth | 25½ in without seats, 40½ in with; 24 in per stool | SZ-03 |
| Dishwasher opening | 24 in wide, about 34 in high | SZ-05 |
| Counter-depth fridge | 24 to 25 in deep; 29 to 32 in with doors | SZ-06 |
| Sink for the base cabinet | a 30 in sink needs a 33 in base (Kraus) | Sink sizes (soon) |
Each guide gives the sources and the exceptions. Your local code and the product’s install instructions come first.
5. Order of work
- Order early: note each lead time for the cabinets, counters and appliances.
- Demolition and disposal.
- Rough-in: plumbing, electrical and the range hood duct, then the inspections the permit requires.
- Insulation, drywall and primer. Flooring goes in here if it runs under the cabinets.
- Cabinets, then the countertop template and the countertops, then the backsplash.
- Fixtures and appliances: sink, faucet, lights, outlets, appliances.
- Paint, trim and touch-ups, the final inspection, then a walk-through to list anything left to fix. Make the final payment only when the work is done (FTC).
Questions people ask
What is the first step in a kitchen remodel?
Decide what you want to change and set a budget with a contingency, then measure the room. Those three decide the layout, the choices and the contractor you need.
In what order should a kitchen be remodeled?
Demolition, rough-in plumbing and electrical, inspections, drywall, cabinets, countertops, backsplash, fixtures and appliances, then paint and the final walk-through.
How much should I budget for surprises?
There is no single rule for every budget. As one benchmark, HUD’s 203(k) renovation loans require a reserve of 10 to 20% of the repair costs for homes 30 years or older, and at least 15% when the utilities don’t work; for newer homes the reserve is optional unless there is termite damage. Set yours with your contractor after the walk-through.
Does a kitchen remodel need a permit?
Usually, when it involves plumbing, electrical or structural work. Your building department decides; the FTC lists a contractor asking you to get the permits as a warning sign.
Final Takeaway
Settle the layout and a budget with a contingency before you hire anyone, then get several written estimates and a written contract from a licensed, insured contractor. Order cabinets, counters and appliances early, since their lead times set the schedule. Plan the sizes from your own room and appliances, starting from 36 in counters and work aisles of at least 42 in for one cook, and keep the work in order: demolition, rough-in and inspection before walls, cabinets and counters.
Main Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam (July 2022): multiple written estimates; licenses and insurance; what the contract should include; permits; payments.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: homes built before 1978; lead-safe certified contractors.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Standard 203(k) Contingency Reserve Requirements: 10 to 20% for homes 30 years or older, 15% minimum when utilities aren’t operable, optional for newer homes unless there is termite damage (read 28 October 2026).
- National Kitchen & Bath Association, Kitchen Planning Guidelines with Access Standards (the older free edition), as quoted in our kitchen size guides (the codes in the table), which list each size’s sources.
- Kraus, KHU100-30 spec sheet: a 30 × 18 in undermount sink needs a base cabinet at least 33 in wide.
Checked 15 October 2026; sizes checked again 19 October 2026.