Kitchen Remodel Checklist for San Jose Homes: Decisions Before Demolition

Keeping the sink, range, and dishwasher where they are keeps the plumbing, gas, and electrical work simpler. Moving or adding fixtures and appliances can make the kitchen work better, but in San José it makes the project a major remodel with plans and plan review. Our San José permit guide explains the difference.

Taking out a wall is a bigger step. Our guide on removing a wall to open up a kitchen covers load-bearing walls, plans, and the City’s review.

Confirm the model and size of the range, refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, and hood before cabinets are ordered. Each one affects cabinet openings, power, gas or water lines, and the countertop.

New appliances can also change the electrical load, so ask whether the panel can take the new circuits before you commit. Palo Alto, for example, asks for a residential load calculation even for its instant kitchen and bath permit, and that permit isn’t available when a project needs a panel upgrade.

The City of San José’s key requirements for minor kitchen remodels say kitchen exhaust fans must be ducted to the outside, with a HERS report. A replacement range hood also needs at least 100 CFM and Energy Star equipment. Decide where the duct will run before cabinets and ceiling work are set.

A cooktop in an island changes that plan. Landford’s San Jose kitchen has a cooktop in a navy island under a suspended range hood, and the Palo Alto kitchen also puts the cooktop in the island.

New light fixtures can mean new wiring, so settle them with the layout. In Landford’s Los Gatos kitchen, we ran new lines for the cabinet and under-cabinet lighting.

The exact order depends on the kitchen, but most remodels follow this sequence. Inspections apply when the work is under a permit, and your permit card lists which ones. In the Los Gatos kitchen, the cabinets and countertops were in place when the backsplash was templated and laid out dry; the project write-up shows how the tile, cabinets, and lighting were planned together.

Landford Construction does kitchen remodels in San Jose, the South Bay, and the Peninsula, including custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, islands, and lighting. Landford applies for the permit, updates you after each stage and inspection, and walks through the finished kitchen with you. To plan meals while the kitchen is out of use, read about living at home during a remodel.

Send photos of your kitchen, and for suitable projects Adam gives a free preliminary price range before a site visit.