Kitchen renovations
A kitchen is the densest room in the house — services, ventilation, water and heavy cabinetry all landing inside four walls. Most of what goes wrong in one goes wrong behind the drywall.
Context
The decision that quietly determines whether you like your kitchen in five years is the hood. A recirculating hood filters grease and puts the air, and all of its moisture, straight back into the room. In a climate where the outdoor air is already at capacity for most of the year, that moisture has nowhere to go but into your cabinetry and your wall assembly. A ducted hood vented directly outside, with a make-up air path, is the correct answer, and it has to be planned before the cabinets are ordered, not after.
The second is the panel. Houses in this region built before roughly 1980 commonly have 60- or 100-amp service and a panel with no spare spaces. A modern kitchen wants two dedicated small-appliance circuits, a dedicated circuit for the dishwasher, one for the microwave, one for the range, and GFCI protection throughout. That is a service upgrade conversation, and it belongs in the estimate rather than in a change order in week four.
Scope of work
What is actually in the proposal
Eight line items, each one a row you will see in the written scope, with a plain explanation of what it covers and why it matters here.
- Demolition and disposal
Cabinetry, finishes and flooring out, sorted and disposed of to the municipal waste stream. Where the house predates 1990, nothing is opened up until the hazardous materials survey is back.
- Structural alterations
Removing a wall between a kitchen and a dining room is almost never a partition-only job in a house of this vintage. Beam sizing goes to an engineer, and the engineer's letter goes into the permit file.
- Rough plumbing
Supply and drain relocation for sink and dishwasher, back to accessible connections. Old galvanized supply found in the wall gets flagged and priced before it is cut, not after.
- Electrical
Circuit design, panel assessment and rough-in by a Technical Safety BC licensed electrical contractor under permit. Dedicated circuits and GFCI protection to current BC Electrical Code.
- Ventilation
Ducted hood to the exterior, sized to the appliance, with the shortest practical duct run and a proper exterior termination. Make-up air where the hood's capacity requires it.
- Cabinetry and millwork
Set, scribed and levelled to the floor you actually have. Cabinets are ordered against site measurements taken after demolition, not against the drawing.
- Countertops and splash
Templated after cabinets are set. Sink and cooktop cutouts confirmed against the actual appliance spec sheets, in writing.
- Finishes and commissioning
Paint, flooring transitions, hardware, appliance connection by the licensed trade, and a written deficiency walk before the final payment is requested.
Questions
About kitchen renovations
Can I keep using the kitchen while you work?
No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is planning to work around you badly. Plan on a temporary kitchen — a fridge, a kettle and a microwave somewhere else in the house. We will tell you at scoping which week the water and the range go off so you can plan around the worst of it.
Do I need a permit to change my kitchen?
If you are replacing cabinets and finishes in the same layout, usually not. The moment a wall moves, plumbing relocates, or the electrical service is altered, you do. Electrical and gas permits are separate and are pulled by the licensed trade contractor, not by us.
Why does the estimate include an allowance instead of a price?
Because you have not chosen the tile yet. An allowance is an honest placeholder with a number attached, and it is reconciled against the actual invoice. A contractor who buries selections in a lump sum is not being cheaper — they are being less specific.
Reviews
What Azem's clients say
5.0 out of 5 across 5 reviews, every one of them public, attributed, and linked to where it was posted.
Azem of Durak Homes is everything that one would want in a contractor — reliable, conscientious, efficient, considerate, and knowledgeable. In short, he gets the job done, and leaves the worksite spotless. I am happy to recommend his services.
Bathroom renovation · October 2024 · Verified on Bark
Azem was extremely efficient and very professional. He got the work done and cleaned up everything afterwards. We will be utilizing his services again!
Repairs and carpentry · October 2024 · Verified on Bark
Super efficient. Azem came within an hour, assessed the work and did the repairs quickly and efficiently. He didn't leave any mess. Really happy with the service and would highly recommend him to friends.
Repairs · September 2024 · Verified on Bark
Related
Bathroom renovations
A bathroom is a small room with a water problem. Everything that matters in one is decided in the two days between the framing being closed in and the tile going on.
What's in the scope →
Basement finishing and suites
Finishing a basement is not a framing job. It is a water-management job that ends in framing, and the order matters more than anything else on this page.
What's in the scope →
Whole-home renovations
A whole-home renovation is a scheduling problem wearing a construction costume. The trades are the easy part; the order they arrive in is where projects are won and lost.
What's in the scope →
Decks, siding and exterior work
The leaky-condo crisis is living memory in this province, and it is the reason drained, vented wall assemblies are standard practice here. Everything on the outside of a house in this region is a water-management detail.
What's in the scope →Ready to price it?
Send the age of the house, what you want changed and roughly when. That is enough for Azem to tell you whether he's the right call.