Kitchen & bath
The two rooms with the most going on behind the walls, done properly.
Most of the work is invisible
Kitchens and bathrooms carry more plumbing, electrical and ventilation per square foot than any other room in a house, which is why they cost what they do and why the finish is the last thing that matters.
Moving a sink or a range means moving drainage and gas, and drainage in particular has to fall in the right direction, which is sometimes what decides where an island can go.
Waterproofing is the whole job
In a bathroom, almost every serious failure is a water failure that took two years to show. Pans, membranes, backing board and the detail at every change of plane are where a bathroom is actually won or lost.
It is invisible when it is right, which is precisely why it is the first place a cheap job saves money.
The finish is a schedule, not a mood board
Cabinetry, stone, tile and fittings all have lead times, and they are not the same lead times. Cabinets are ordered months before they are hung. Tile has to be on site before the setter starts, in the full quantity, because a second batch will not match the first.
So we work backwards from the trade dates and give you a decision deadline for each item rather than a single date by which you have chosen everything. It is a less romantic way to run a kitchen, and it is the reason the job does not stop in week six waiting on a handle.
What this covers
- Layout changes and structural openings
- Plumbing and drainage re-routing
- Electrical, lighting and ventilation
- Waterproofing and substrate
- Cabinetry and millwork
- Stone, tile and countertops
- Fixtures, fittings and appliance installation
Before and after
The same rooms, twice.
One house, photographed before the work started and again after it finished.
Before
After
Before
After
Related work
Kitchen & bath projects
Questions
About kitchen & bath.
Further reading
From the journal
Rebuild or Remodel? How to Tell Which One Your House Actually Needs
The structural, financial and code questions that decide whether to remodel or rebuild, and where remodeling stops being the cheaper option.
How to Vet a Contractor in California: Seven Checks Worth Doing
How to verify a California contractor's licence, bond and insurance, what a real estimate contains, and what state law requires in the contract.
Where we do this work
Start with a site visit.
We come out, walk it with you, and tell you what we think it takes. Free, and no decision is needed on the day.