Kitchen remodel questions

Do I need a building permit to remodel my kitchen?

 In most cases yes. If the project will cost more than $ 5,000, involves structural modifications or electrical or plumbing modifications you must have a building permit.

Does a kitchen remodeler need to be a licensed general contractor?

If the kitchen remodel price is more than $ 30,000, the contractor must be a licensed general contractor. Even if the price is below $ 30,000, a licensed contractor is well versed in building codes, has passed stringent requirements and must maintain financial stability. The piece of mind a qualified professional provides is valuable regardless of the cost of your project.

Do the national “big box” chains offer the best price?

 No. In most cases national chain stores are 10-30% higher than independent remodelers. Contrary to common beliefs, the large chain stores pay the same price for products and labor as local independent dealers. They must then add on a massive mark up to cover their huge overhead.

Should a kitchen designer have NKBA training?

 Would you feel comfortable if your doctor had 1 day of training? “Big box” store “designers” receive one day of training on CAD software and are then transferred from the garden department to the kitchen department.

 NKBA designers spend many hours in design training, attending product education and must enroll in continuing education. They must pass certification exams and maintain ethical work practices.

Why can’t I have the renovation work done without a permit? Who is going to know?

 If you have work done by a licensed and professional contractor, he or she is not going to want to jeopardize their state license by completing unpermitted work. Unlicensed firms are not able to obtain permits. This may seem fine at the moment, but having work done in your home without a permit when it is necessary will come back to haunt you later on.

 First, if a permit is required for your home renovations, it is illegal to complete the work without one. Secondly, work that is done without a permit is not inspected by a certified inspector.  Building inspectors work on your behalf to make sure the work is not only done correctly, but does not pose any safety or life-threatening issues. Lastly, when it comes time to sell your home, potential buyers will need to be notified of any unpermitted work that has been done in the home. You may be tempted not to disclose this information, but it is illegal not to. Besides, most buyers will have a home inspector look for things like unpermitted renovations before they purchase a home. If they hired a sharp home inspector, the inspector will be able to tell just by looking up property records what permits were pulled and for what. Most of this information is public record and is quite easy to obtain.

 

Allen David Cabinetry is a state licensed general contractor with only NKBA trained designers.