Full Kitchen Remodel in Riverside, CA

A full kitchen remodel with Milestonescalendar means the room is taken back to the studs or close to it and rebuilt: new cabinets, new countertops and backsplash, new sink and faucet, updated plumbing and electrical, new flooring, lighting and paint, and appliances installed or reinstalled. It is the most expensive kind of kitchen work, which is exactly why we price it one line at a time. A homeowner who can see each line can control the total.

How the Budget Breaks Down

Every full remodel estimate we write in Riverside is built from the same set of lines. What changes from kitchen to kitchen is how heavy each one is.

Demolition and Disposal

Removing cabinets, counters, flooring and sometimes drywall, plus dumpster and haul away. This is a modest line, but it grows in older homes where there are layers of flooring glued over one another, or where plaster and lath walls come down instead of drywall.

Cabinets

Usually the largest line. The price is driven by box material (plywood lasts better around sinks and dishwashers than particleboard), by construction (framed cabinets are traditional and forgiving; frameless cabinets give you more usable drawer width), by door style (inset doors cost noticeably more than overlay doors because they must be fitted precisely), and by hardware. Soft close hinges and full extension drawer slides are worth paying for. Elaborate crown moldings and glass fronts are optional.

Countertops and Backsplash

Quartz is the most common choice because it needs no sealing and resists stains. Granite and quartzite are natural stone and vary slab to slab. Porcelain slab is thin, hard and heat tolerant. Solid surface is repairable and seamless. Butcher block is warm and inexpensive but needs oiling and does not like standing water. Backsplash tile is priced by the square foot, and a busy pattern with lots of cuts costs more to install than the tile itself.

Plumbing

If the sink, dishwasher and refrigerator water line stay where they are, this line stays small. Relocating the sink, adding a prep sink, or adding a pot filler adds drain, vent and supply work, and in a slab on grade ranch house it can mean cutting the floor. In pre war Riverside homes we often recommend replacing old galvanized supply pipe while the wall is open, since it narrows with scale over the decades, and the hard local water does not help.

Electrical

Current code calls for dedicated circuits for the dishwasher, disposal, microwave and refrigerator, GFCI protection at countertop receptacles and AFCI protection on kitchen circuits. Under cabinet lighting and recessed lighting add to this line. Switching from gas to an induction range often requires a larger circuit and sometimes a panel upgrade, which is common in older Arlington and Magnolia Center homes.

Ventilation

A hood that ducts outside does far more than a recirculating one, especially in a hot kitchen. Larger hoods can trigger make up air requirements, so the hood you pick can reach into the electrical and HVAC lines too. We check this before you fall in love with a model.

Drywall, Flooring, Paint and Trim

These lines depend on how much of the room is disturbed. If new cabinets have a different footprint than the old ones, flooring usually has to be replaced rather than patched.

Permits, Inspections and Contingency

Permits are pulled through the City of Riverside for work that moves walls, plumbing or circuits, with historic review added in designated districts. Contingency is a separate line, larger for older houses.

What Actually Moves the Total

In practice three decisions do most of the work. Whether the layout changes, what the cabinets are made of, and which countertop material you choose. Keeping the sink and range in place while spending on better cabinet boxes is almost always a better use of money than the reverse.

The Sequence

Demolition, rough plumbing and electrical, inspection, drywall, cabinets, countertop template, countertop install, backsplash, fixtures and appliances, final inspection and punch list. Cabinets and slabs have lead times, so we order them early and plan the demolition date around delivery, not the other way round. Expect to be without a working kitchen for several weeks, and we will help you set up a temporary one elsewhere in the house.

When a Full Remodel Is Not the Right Call

If your cabinet boxes are sound and you like the layout, a refresh can deliver most of the visual change for far less. We will tell you so. Call (951) 491-0460 to talk through your kitchen and get a line item estimate.