Kitchen remodeling
Kitchen remodeling, planned so you are not eating takeout for three months
A kitchen remodel is the most disruptive thing you can do to a house, and it goes well or badly depending on planning. Josh sequences the job so demolition starts only when the cabinets are on the ground, and the kitchen is out of service for weeks, not months.
In short
The kitchen in the Reading house on the projects page is the typical Fox Gables kitchen: a closed-off room opened to the dining area, white shaker cabinets, granite countertops, stainless appliances, new plank flooring and recessed lighting. It is the kitchen most people in Lancaster County want, and it is a good kitchen, because the materials are durable and the layout works.
Josh handles the kitchen as general contractor and carpenter: demolition, any wall changes, framing, drywall, cabinet installation, countertop templating with the fabricator, trim, flooring and the coordination of the plumber and electrician. The result is one schedule and one person to call.
Scope: what a kitchen remodel can include
Kitchens range from a cabinet-and-counter swap to a full gut with a new layout. Josh prices the scope you want.
- Cabinets: stock, semi-custom or custom; shaker, flat-panel or raised-panel; painted or stained
- Countertops: granite, quartz, butcher block, laminate; templated and installed by the fabricator on Josh's schedule
- Layout changes: removing a wall to the dining or living room, adding an island or peninsula, relocating the sink or range
- Flooring: plank vinyl, tile or hardwood, run under the cabinets or up to them depending on the plan
- Lighting: recessed cans, under-cabinet lighting, pendants over the island, on new circuits
- Plumbing and electrical updates to current code, including dedicated appliance circuits and GFCI
- Backsplash tile, trim, crown molding on the cabinets, and paint-ready walls
- Appliance installation and venting for the range hood
Opening the wall
The most common structural change in a Lancaster County kitchen remodel is removing the wall between the kitchen and the dining room on a 1950s to 1970s ranch or split-level. Whether that wall carries load depends on the house; many do. Josh identifies it, and if it is bearing, installs a beam sized for the span, usually an LVL, with proper posts to the foundation. It is a day of work and a permit, and it changes the whole house.
Cabinets: where the money goes
Cabinets are a third to a half of a kitchen budget. Stock cabinets in standard sizes are the economical choice and fine for a straightforward layout. Semi-custom lines add sizes, finishes and interior options. Custom cabinets from a local shop, and there are good ones in Lancaster County, make sense for odd spaces and specific looks. Josh installs all three and will tell you where each makes sense.
Plywood boxes last longer than particleboard, soft-close hinges and drawer glides are worth it, and a full-overlay shaker door in a painted finish is the choice that will not look dated in ten years.
| Scope | Typical range | Kitchen out of service |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinets, counters and backsplash only, same layout | $16,000 to $32,000 | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Full remodel, same layout, mid-range materials | $30,000 to $50,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Full remodel with wall removal and new layout | $45,000 to $75,000 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Full remodel, custom cabinets and premium finishes | $70,000 and up | 5 to 8 weeks |
Sequencing so the kitchen is down for weeks, not months
Cabinets take four to eight weeks to arrive. Countertops are templated after cabinets are in and take another one to two weeks. The kitchen that is down for three months is the one where demolition started the day the contract was signed. Josh does not start demolition until the cabinets are delivered. Then the order is: demo, rough plumbing and electrical, inspection, drywall, paint-ready, flooring, cabinets, template, finish plumbing and electrical, countertops, backsplash, trim, appliances. Each step is scheduled before the first hammer swings.
On the job
Island with pendants, a common request 
Sink under the window, apron front
How a job goes
From the first call to the walkthrough
- 1
Call or send the form
Josh calls back the same day, usually within a couple of hours. Tell him what is going on and he will ask a few questions.
- 2
Josh comes out and looks
On the roof, in the attic, under the deck. He measures, takes photos, and brings samples in the truck. No sales presentation.
- 3
You get a written estimate
Materials named by brand, the scope spelled out, a price that does not expire at midnight. Over $500 it is a written contract, as Pennsylvania requires.
- 4
The work gets done
Materials delivered, the job done by Josh with help as the job needs, the site cleaned every day, permits and inspections handled.
- 5
Walkthrough, then you pay
Josh walks the finished job with you. Anything on the list gets done. Final payment when you are satisfied.
Questions people ask
How long is the kitchen unusable?
Two to six weeks depending on scope, counted from demolition, which does not start until cabinets are on site. Josh sets up a temporary sink and a place for the microwave.
Can you remove the wall to the dining room?
Usually. If it is load-bearing Josh installs a beam and posts. It is a permitted structural change he does regularly.
Where do you get cabinets?
Stock and semi-custom lines through local suppliers, and custom cabinets from Lancaster County shops. Josh will show you options at each price level.
Granite or quartz?
Both are durable. Quartz is uniform and needs no sealing; granite is natural stone and needs sealing every few years. Prices overlap.
Do I need a permit for a kitchen remodel?
For plumbing, electrical and structural changes, yes, in most municipalities. Josh pulls the permits and schedules inspections.
Can you do a kitchen in a Lancaster row home?
Yes. Narrow kitchens are a layout puzzle Josh enjoys. Galley layouts with tall cabinets and good lighting work well.
Free estimate
Get a number, not a pitch.
Tell Josh what the house needs. He will call back, come out, measure, and give you a written estimate with the materials named.
(717) 598-7728Calls and texts answered seven days a week. Estimates by appointment, Monday to Saturday.
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