Kitchen Remodeling in Downey, CA

A kitchen remodel starts with the layout, not the cabinets

Kitchen remodeling means replacing or reworking the cabinets, countertops, flooring, backsplash, lighting and appliance layout of the room your household uses the most. A good one starts with how the room works: where you prep, where the traffic passes, where the refrigerator door swings. Finishes come second.

Many kitchens in Downey are original to houses built in the post-war decades. They tend to be small, enclosed and lined with cabinets that were sized for a different kind of cooking, often with a single overhead light and a window over the sink. Opening the kitchen to the dining or living room, adding counter space or moving the refrigerator out of the way of a doorway can transform a room without adding a square foot.

The kitchen is also one of the most sequence-sensitive projects there is. Demolition, framing changes, plumbing and electrical rough-in, drywall, flooring, cabinets, counters and backsplash each depend on the step before. We schedule it so the room is out of service for the shortest realistic time.

When a kitchen is ready for a remodel

• Cabinets that sag, swell or will not close. Doors that hang crooked or drawers that have lost their runners usually mean the boxes themselves are failing, so new doors alone will not fix it.
• No usable counter space. If you prep food on top of the stove or the washing machine, the layout is the problem, not the appliances.
• Worn or mismatched flooring. Kitchen flooring takes spills, dropped pots and constant foot traffic. Lifting corners and cracked tile mean the surface below needs attention.
• Dark, flat lighting. One ceiling fixture and a window do not light a work surface. Under-cabinet and recessed lighting are often the biggest day-to-day improvement.
• A wall that closes the room off. When the cook is cut off from the rest of the family, opening the wall changes how the whole house is used.

How a kitchen remodel goes, step by step

1. Measure and plan the layout

   We measure the room, note where plumbing, gas and the electrical panel feed it, and sketch layout options so you can see where appliances, sink and work areas will go.

2. Choose cabinets, counters and finishes

   We help you work through the selections that have long lead times, usually cabinets and counters, so they arrive before demolition begins.

3. Demolish and rough in

   Old cabinets, counters and flooring come out. Any wall changes are framed, and the lines for the sink, appliances and lighting are placed where the new layout needs them.

4. Close up and install

   Drywall and paint go first, then flooring, cabinets and counters, then the backsplash and hardware, so nothing finished gets damaged by the next step.

5. Connect, clean and walk through

   Appliances and fixtures are connected, the room is cleaned and we go through everything with you before the final payment.

What affects the price of a kitchen remodel

Kitchens vary more in cost than almost any other room. The biggest drivers are:

Why homeowners call us for their kitchen

A kitchen remodel is a lot of trades in a small room, and the schedule matters. RH Construction And Renovation handles the framing, tile, flooring and finish carpentry in-house under Rigo’s California General B license (#1162715), which keeps the sequence tight and the number of people in your house small.

You will get a written scope that lists what is demolished, what is installed and which items are your selections, so there is less room for surprises. Specialty work such as a gas line, panel change or similar scope that falls under another license class is flagged early so it is arranged correctly.

Where we do this work

We remodel kitchens in Downey and the nearby cities, including Norwalk, Paramount, South Gate and Bellflower. Many of the ranch-style kitchens in Norwalk and Bellflower share the same compact layout as Downey’s.