Kitchen contractors, Greater Seattle Area
How to Find a Professional Kitchen Remodeling Contractor Near You
A professional kitchen remodeling contractor is a firm that designs and builds the whole kitchen under one contract. To find one, shortlist local design-build firms, verify each one's Washington L&I registration, bond and insurance, give all of them the same written brief, and compare itemized bids for cabinets, counters, appliance connections, permits and weeks on site.
Below are the kitchen checks, our prices and schedules, and what is different in Renton. To have your kitchen measured and priced, Book a Consultation.
What does a professional kitchen remodeling contractor do?
A kitchen remodeling contractor plans the room and runs every trade in it: demolition, cabinets, counters, plumbing, gas, electrical, flooring and finishes, plus the permits and inspections. With one firm holding all of it, one person answers for the schedule and the price. On our jobs, the designer lays out the kitchen and shows it in 3D before you approve it, and the counters are measured after the cabinets are set, so they fit the boxes actually installed. The full service is on Kitchen Remodeling Across the Greater Seattle Area.
Ask early what a contractor leaves out. Our kitchen prices include demolition and the electrical, plumbing, gas and venting connections for your appliances. They do not include the appliances or their installation. A bid that says nothing about appliances cannot be compared with one that lists them.
Who should design your kitchen: a kitchen designer, an architect or a design-build contractor?
For most kitchens, a design-build contractor or a certified kitchen designer is enough. An architect or engineer comes in when the structure changes. The City of Renton notes that structural changes may require plans stamped by a licensed Washington State architect or engineer (Residential Interior Remodels, City of Renton, read October 2026). Our pricing treats a load-bearing wall the same way: it needs a beam, engineering and a building permit.
If you hire a separate designer, look for the CKBD title, Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer. The National Kitchen and Bath Association grants it after two exams, one on its planning guidelines and one on a portfolio of real projects reviewed by certified jurors, and asks for 20 hours of continuing education each cycle (NKBA Certifications, read October 2026).
Whoever designs it, settle the details that change the cabinet order: drawer counts, a pantry tower, corner storage and what fills the space above the upper cabinets. Our guide What Is a Soffit in the Kitchen? covers that last choice. Our Lynnwood kitchen was completed in early 2024 and cost about $50,000. Its cabinet order was laid out in drawings, with a lazy susan in the corner, a pull-out spice rack and recycling pull-out beside the range, and a full-height navy pantry.
How do you vet a kitchen contractor's past kitchens and credentials?
Check the company's registration, bond and insurance on the Washington L&I contractor lookup first; our guide How to Find and Hire a Good Remodeling Contractor walks through that check and the shared steps. Our Washington contractor license number is VOLCABI792C6.
For a kitchen, add one check: ask to see finished kitchens with the city, the scope and the price of each. Our pricing guide lists past kitchen jobs from about $35,000 to about $90,000, with the price of each.
What should a written kitchen remodel bid include?
Give every contractor the same written brief, or the bids will not line up. List the cabinet grade you want (stock, semi custom or custom), the counter material, the flooring, the appliances you will buy, any sink, range or wall that moves, the lighting and your target start date. The L&I Hiring a Contractor page (read October 2026) says: "Get at least 3 written bids and compare them carefully." Then read each bid line by line against the table below.
| Line | What the bid should say | How we price it |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinets | Stock, semi custom or custom, and the lead time | Semi-custom from the Basic level; custom cabinetry adds 8 to 12 weeks of lead time |
| Counters | Material, edge and when they are measured | Quartz from Basic; measured after the cabinets are set |
| Appliances | Who buys and installs them | Not included; we prepare the electrical, plumbing, gas and venting connections |
| Moving the sink, range or gas | Priced on its own line | Not in Basic; included from Mid-Range |
| Walls | Structural or not, and who engineers it | A load-bearing wall needs a beam, engineering and a building permit |
| Permits | Who files them and whether fees are included | We file and book inspections; permit fees are priced separately |
| Damage found at demolition | How rot, water damage or old wiring is handled | Priced in writing before that work goes ahead |
| Demolition | Removal and disposal of the old kitchen | Included at every level |
Our column: Volcano Builders kitchen pricing guide and kitchen service page, October 2026.
How much does a kitchen remodel cost, and how long does it take?
Our published starting prices run from $35,000+ for a refresh to $120,000+ for a large open kitchen at the Basic level. Most clients choose Mid-Range, which starts at $110,000+ for a medium kitchen. The weeks below are on site, after design, selections and permits. Every size and finish level is on Cost of a Kitchen Remodel in the Greater Seattle Area.
If one bid is far below the others, compare it line by line before you trust it, and check that it still has appliance connections, permits, counters and the floor.
| Kitchen | Basic starting price | Time on site |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh: cabinet boxes and layout stay | $35,000+ | 2 to 5 weeks |
| Small or galley, 70 to 120 sq ft | $60,000+ | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Medium, 120 to 200 sq ft | $85,000+ | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Large and open, over 200 sq ft | $120,000+ | 10 to 16 weeks |
Source: Volcano Builders kitchen pricing guide, updated October 2026. Starting prices include a standard material allowance; appliances and permit fees are extra.
Which permits does a kitchen remodel need?
New cabinets alone usually need no building permit. Moving a loadbearing wall needs one, and moving pipes or circuits can need separate plumbing or electrical permits. The 2021 Seattle Residential Code exempts "installing kitchen cabinets, paneling or other surface finishes over existing wall and ceiling systems", provided no changes are made to the building envelope (section R105.2, item 2, 2021 Seattle Residential Code, Chapter 1, page 1-7, read October 2026). Section R105.3 then adds that "separate master use, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and other permits may be required for the above exempted items."
In Seattle, plumbing and gas piping permits come from Public Health, Seattle and King County, separate from the building permit. Our guide Do you need a permit to remodel in Seattle? covers each case. Ask every contractor who files the permits and books the inspections. We do both for the scope you sign.
What should you ask a kitchen contractor before you hire them?
Ask the questions a kitchen raises:
- Who designs the kitchen, and will I see it before I approve it?
- When are the cabinets ordered, and what is their lead time?
- When are the counters measured?
- Who runs the job each day, and which trades are subcontracted?
- How is a change order written, and does it show the cost and the added time?
- Where do we cook while the kitchen is out?
The change order answer matters most. On our Shoreline kitchen in 2022, a design layout was approved before the build, and the scope still grew once work was under way: one change order added a beam and another added a repipe of the water lines. That kitchen cost about $70,000.
How do you choose a kitchen remodeling contractor in Renton?
Use the same checks, then add Renton's permit rules, because the City of Renton issues its own permits. Renton's Building Permits FAQ (read October 2026) says the city requires "a State of WA Contractor's License and City of Renton Business License prior to the issuance of any permit," so ask each contractor for both. The city's Residential Interior Remodels page (City of Renton, read October 2026) says "Separate permits are required for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire sprinklers and alarms." Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are over the counter and typically issued the same day; a residential first review decision typically takes 2 to 3 weeks. The same page says Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and L&I regulations require an asbestos survey before renovation or demolition, so ask who orders it. The same FAQ limits single family remodel work to 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.
Ask neighbors and local agents who they hired, and ask each contractor for a kitchen they built in Renton. Ours was a condo kitchen refresh in 2024 that cost about $35,000. The cabinets, granite and backsplash were sound, so they stayed. The work went into a new luxury vinyl plank floor, paint and electrical, as part of a whole condo remodel. More of our local work is on Home Remodeling Contractors in Renton, WA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we live at home during a kitchen remodel?
Usually, yes. The kitchen itself is out of use while it is built, so plan a temporary kitchen in another room with the refrigerator, a microwave and a small counter. We agree working hours and the crew's path through the house before the build, and your project manager tells you ahead of any day the water or power has to be off.
What is the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel?
Cabinets and the labor to install them. They are usually the largest single line, followed by counters and any wall or plumbing moves.
What warranty should a kitchen contractor give?
Ask for it in writing. Ours covers installation and labor for 2 years from substantial completion, and you can extend it up to 5 years for an added charge set in your contract. Materials carry the manufacturer's or supplier's warranty.
How do I get a kitchen remodel price?
Book a Consultation. We visit your home, measure the kitchen and talk through what you want, then send a written, itemized price before any work starts.
