Your kitchen is where a Kirkland home actually gets lived in, and since 2007 Higgason Homes has been designing and building custom kitchens for families across the city. We are a licensed and bonded design-build contractor based minutes away on the Eastside, which means one team handles everything: the first in-home design conversation, the drawings, the permit with the City of Kirkland Planning and Building Department, through the MyBuildingPermit portal, the build, and the final walkthrough where you sign off.
Kirkland kitchens range from 1960s ramblers in Juanita and Kingsgate, to mid-century homes in Houghton and the Market neighborhood, to new townhomes near downtown and Totem Lake. The older homes almost always want the kitchen opened to the living space and the electrical brought up to date. The newer ones want storage and finish. One of our favorite reviews came from a Kirkland kitchen, and you can read it below.
Call (425) 577-8512 or schedule a free in-home consultation.
Kitchen Remodeling in Kirkland: What We See in Local Homes
Kirkland’s oldest houses sit close to downtown. Most of the city’s early homes, largely vernacular and Craftsman designs, went up in the 1910s and 1920s in the Market and Norkirk neighborhoods, and Norkirk still has more bungalows than any other part of the city. A kitchen project in one of these bungalows usually starts with finding out what a century of earlier updates left behind in the walls, the floor framing, and the wiring.
After World War II, building moved outward. Above Lake Washington Boulevard, the 96 Lakeview Terrace houses went up in 1942 and 1943 as permanent housing for shipyard workers, and they were the only part of that wartime program kept after the late 1950s. In Bridle Trails, the Bridle Trails Park homes of 1954 to 1956 were designed by architect Gene Zema and sold on their modern electric appliances. Most postwar construction landed in Finn Hill, Juanita, and Rose Hill, and it sped up after 1956. Those houses are now 60 to 70 years old, so it pays to check the electrical panel early when a new kitchen will add circuits.
Permits in Kirkland
Kirkland’s Planning and Building Department reviews residential permits through the city’s Development Services Center, and applications are filed online at MyBuildingPermit. The city lists adding, removing, or relocating any wall, load bearing or not, as permit work, along with interior remodels, changes to electrical circuits, gas piping, and furnace or heat pump installs. Higgason Homes’ project manager files that permit and schedules the inspections.
Recent kitchen projects in and near Kirkland
These recent kitchens are from homes near Kirkland, just north in Woodinville and next door in Redmond.
- Woodinville Open-Concept Kitchen Remodel: The kitchen opens to the great room under a vaulted ceiling, with walnut cabinets wrapping a large white quartz island.
- Woodinville Kitchen Remodel: Stained wood shaker cabinets, white quartz, and an island built around a five-burner gas cooktop.
- Redmond Kitchen Remodel: A dated condo kitchen became a bright, modern space with custom cabinetry and quartz.
To see what a project like these runs by kitchen size, read our guide to kitchen remodeling cost.
Recent Kitchen Remodels in and near Kirkland
What Our Kirkland Kitchen Remodeling Service Includes
Kitchen Design and 3D Planning
Every remodel starts with our designers and engineers at your kitchen table. We measure, we ask how you cook and who you feed, and we come back with a layout you can see before anything is demolished. Layout options, cabinet elevations, and finish selections are worked out on paper first, so the decisions happen in the design phase and not mid-build.
Custom Cabinetry and Storage
Cabinets set the look and decide whether the kitchen works. We build to the space: full-height pantries, drawer stacks instead of doors, corner solutions that stop wasting the corner, and islands sized for the room rather than the catalog. Good, better, and best cabinet lines are quoted so you can spend where it matters to you.
Countertops, Backsplash, and Islands
Quartz, granite, marble, and exotic stone, with waterfall edges and butcher block accents where they fit the design. Backsplash from ceramic tile to natural stone. If you want the island to seat four and hide the microwave, we design it that way.
Layout Changes and Structural Work
Opening the wall to the family room, relocating the range, moving plumbing, adding a window: this is the work that turns a dated kitchen into an open one. Our engineers design the beam, our project manager pulls the permit, and the same crew that framed it finishes it.
Electrical, Plumbing, Lighting, and Appliances
Dedicated circuits for modern appliances, under-cabinet and pendant lighting on separate switches, proper venting for the range, and water lines run to where the fridge is going, not where it used to be. Appliance integration is part of the plan from day one, so panels line up and nothing is “close enough.”
Flooring, Millwork, and Finish Carpentry
Refinished hardwoods that match into the adjacent rooms, new flooring through the kitchen and dining area when the layout changes, and trim, crown, and millwork from finish carpenters who do this every week. The finish is where a remodel is judged, and it is where we are strongest.
See the full scope on our kitchen remodeling services page.
Our Design-Build Process in Kirkland
We call it Idea to Innovation: communicate, collaborate, create. In practice it looks like this.
- Free in-home consultation. We meet at your Kirkland home, walk the kitchen, and listen before we suggest anything.
- Design and planning. Our designers and engineers develop the layout, drawings, and selections, and you approve the plan and a written price before construction is scheduled.
- Permitting. Your dedicated Project Manager files the permit with the City of Kirkland Planning and Building Department, through the MyBuildingPermit portal and schedules every inspection. Structural changes, new plumbing runs, and electrical work all require it, and we never skip it.
- Construction. One crew, one Project Manager, one point of contact. You know what happens each week and which decisions are coming up.
- Final walkthrough. We do not call a project done until you approve the finished results. That is our 100% satisfaction guarantee.
How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost in Kirkland?
We publish our numbers. A Kirkland kitchen remodel with Higgason Homes generally runs from about $80,000 for a small kitchen that keeps its layout to $150,000 and up for a large kitchen where walls come out and everything is new. The full good, better, and best breakdown is on our kitchen remodeling cost page.
- Small kitchen: $80k good, $100k better, $120k+ best.
- Medium kitchen: $90k good, $115k better, $140k+ best.
- Large kitchen: $100k good, $125k better, $150k+ best.
Those figures include design, labor, materials, fixtures, permitting, and painting. Appliances and code-required upgrades that surface once walls are open are quoted separately. What moves the number most: whether the layout changes, whether flooring is refinished or replaced, and the cabinet and countertop level you choose. Our 2026 Eastside remodel cost guide shows what kitchens are running across the Eastside right now.
How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take?
It depends on scope and on permit review, and we put the schedule in writing in your contract before we start. A remodel that keeps the existing layout and replaces cabinets, counters, flooring, and lighting is the shortest path. Moving walls, plumbing, or gas adds engineering, permit review with the City of Kirkland Planning and Building Department, and inspections at each stage, so it runs longer. Either way you will have a calendar, a Project Manager, and a weekly update, not a guess.
Recent Kitchen Projects Near Kirkland
These are real Higgason Homes kitchens in the neighborhoods next door to Kirkland. Every one has its own page with more photos.
Kitchen Remodeling Across Kirkland’s Neighborhoods
We work in every part of Kirkland, and the neighborhood tells us a lot about the kitchen before we see it.
- Juanita and Kingsgate. 1960s and 1970s ramblers and split-levels. Removing the wall to the living room, replacing original cabinetry, and adding an island with seating is the standard Kirkland remodel.
- Houghton and the Market neighborhood. Mid-century homes close to the lake. Custom cabinetry, stone, and finish carpentry that respects the architecture, with layout changes where the original galley no longer works.
- Finn Hill and Rose Hill. 1970s to 1990s two-story homes. Layout modifications inside the existing walls plus a full finish package deliver the biggest change for the budget.
- Totem Lake and downtown Kirkland. Newer townhomes and condos with open kitchens. Storage design, integrated appliances, and lighting make these feel finished.
Higgason Homes is based nearby on the Eastside and holds every license, bond, and insurance required to work in Kirkland. Washington State contractor license HIGGACL847M1. If you are weighing a bigger project, see our Kirkland home remodeling page.
What Our Kitchen Clients Say
“The Kirkland kitchen is fantastic, Jen did an incredible job designing it, there is so much storage. We really love it.”
“The kitchen/family room remodel turned out even better than expected. The quality of the work was exceptional and the crew and management kept me updated on the timeline, what decisions I needed to make and what activities to expect.”
Read more on our Google reviews.
Why Kirkland Homeowners Choose Higgason Homes
- Design-build under one roof. Designers, engineers, and builders on one team, so nothing is lost between the drawing and the job site.
- Licensed and bonded. Washington State contractor license HIGGACL847M1, fully insured, since 2007.
- Published pricing. You can see our good, better, and best kitchen numbers before you ever call.
- A dedicated Project Manager. One person who pulls the permit, runs the schedule, and answers the phone.
- 100% satisfaction guaranteed. We never call a project done until you approve the finished results.
Kirkland Kitchen Remodeling FAQ
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Kirkland?
Between about $80,000 and $150,000 or more with Higgason Homes, depending on the size of the kitchen, whether the layout changes, and the cabinet and countertop level you choose. Small kitchens that keep their layout start around $80k; large kitchens with walls removed run $150k and up. Our published cost chart breaks it down by good, better, and best.
Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen in Kirkland?
Yes, for anything structural, electrical, or plumbing, which covers most real remodels. A cosmetic swap of cabinets and counters in the same spots may not. Your Higgason Homes Project Manager files the permit with the City of Kirkland Planning and Building Department, through the MyBuildingPermit portal and schedules the inspections, so you have one point of contact from application to final sign-off.
How long will my Kirkland kitchen remodel take?
The schedule is written into your contract before we start. Remodels that keep the existing layout are the fastest; projects that move walls, plumbing, or gas take longer because of engineering, permit review, and staged inspections. You get a calendar and a weekly update from your Project Manager either way.
Can I stay in my home during the remodel?
Most Kirkland clients do. We set up a temporary kitchen area, seal off the work zone, and keep the site clean at the end of each day. If your project includes a full-house remodel or major structural work, we will tell you honestly if a short stay elsewhere makes sense.
Do you handle the design, or do I need my own designer?
We handle it. Higgason Homes is a design-build firm, so our own designers and engineers plan your kitchen and the same team builds it. If you already have a designer or architect, we are happy to build from their drawings too.
Can you open my kitchen to the living room?
Yes. Opening the kitchen to the living room is the most common change in Kirkland’s Juanita and Kingsgate ramblers, and it usually means a beam and a permit, both of which we handle. The finish carpentry makes the two rooms read as one.
What is included in your kitchen remodel price?
Design, labor, materials, the fixtures listed in your quote, permitting, and painting. Appliances are not included, and code-required upgrades discovered once walls are open are quoted separately before any work proceeds. There are no surprise line items.
Is Higgason Homes licensed to work in Kirkland?
Yes. Higgason Homes (Higgason Construction) is a fully licensed and bonded Washington State general contractor, license HIGGACL847M1, and has remodeled Kirkland kitchens since 2007.
Ready to Start Your Kirkland Kitchen Remodel?
Reach out for a free in-home consultation and let us bring your vision to life. Call (425) 577-8512 or request a free estimate.
Also remodeling kitchens in Redmond, Bellevue, Newcastle, and Sammamish.
Just up the road, our Woodinville kitchen remodel shows warm wood shaker cabinets and a quartz island in a similar home.