Your kitchen is where a Renton home actually gets lived in, and since 2009 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 Renton permit center, the build, and the final walkthrough where you sign off.
Renton has some of the best remodel candidates on the Eastside. Kennydale and the Renton Highlands are full of 1950s and 1960s ramblers with solid bones and closed kitchens. Fairwood, Benson Hill, and Cascade have 1970s and 1980s two-stories where the kitchen is walled off from the family room. Talbot Hill and the neighborhoods near The Landing add newer townhomes to the mix. Every one of those kitchens can be opened up, and we design the structure to do it right.
Call (425) 577-8512 or schedule a free in-home consultation.
Kitchen Remodeling in Renton: What We See in Local Homes
Renton’s housing story runs through Boeing. The company set up its plant on the Lake Washington shore in 1941, and the first homes in the Renton Highlands opened in October 1942 to house war workers. Those units were meant to be temporary, yet many are still standing, and the Highlands joined the city at the end of the war. Renton’s population grew nearly fourfold between 1940 and 1950. Housing that was built in a hurry and meant to be temporary can hide surprises, so a Highlands kitchen remodel may involve more than new finishes.
Closer to downtown, the houses are older still. A recent survey of downtown Renton recorded a home on Williams Avenue South from 1901 and a run of Colonial Revival bungalows, such as one on Morris Avenue South from about 1920. Kennydale grew slowly north of town through the early 1900s and stayed independent until residents voted to join Renton, which became official in early 1970. Benson Hill joined the city on March 1, 2008, while neighboring Fairwood is still unincorporated King County, so a Fairwood kitchen is permitted by the county, not by Renton.
Permits in Renton
The City of Renton’s Permit Services team handles residential interior remodel permits, and the city requires separate permits for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work. Structural changes may need plans stamped by a Washington State architect or engineer, and the city says first reviews typically take two to three weeks. Higgason Homes’ project manager files the Renton permits and books each inspection.
Recent kitchen projects in and near Renton
These recent kitchens come from homes near Renton.
- Sepic Kitchen Remodel: A short drive from Renton on Mercer Island, the Sepic family’s kitchen was redone with custom cabinetry, fresh countertops, and a better layout.
- Campbell Kitchen Remodel: Up in Bellevue, this design-build kitchen combined custom cabinets and updated counters with a layout drawn for the family.
- DeBruiel Kitchen Remodel: East along I-90 in Issaquah, the DeBruiel kitchen gained new custom cabinets, new countertops, and a layout planned around the household.
Our pricing is public, so you can check the kitchen remodeling cost page before we ever meet.
Recent Kitchen Remodels in and near Renton
What Our Renton Kitchen Remodeling Service Includes
A Renton kitchen might sit in a downtown Colonial Revival bungalow or a Highlands house that began as temporary housing for war workers. Either way, we settle the scope on paper first.
Kitchen Design and 3D Planning
Our designers and engineers begin at your kitchen table. They measure, learn how you cook and for whom, then return with a layout you can see well before demolition. Cabinet elevations, finishes, and layout options are decided in design, not halfway through construction.
Layout Changes and Structural Work
Taking down the wall to the family room, moving the range, rerouting plumbing, or adding a window: that is how a dated, closed kitchen becomes an open one. Our engineers work out the beam, our project manager files the permit, and the crew that frames the opening stays to finish it.
Electrical, Plumbing, Lighting, and Appliances
Renton issues separate electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits. Here we handle dedicated circuits for today’s appliances, under-cabinet and pendant lights on their own switches, a properly vented range, and water run to the refrigerator’s new spot, not its old one. Appliances are planned from the first drawing, so panels line up and nothing ends up “close enough.”
Custom Cabinetry and Storage
Cabinets give a kitchen its look and decide whether it works day to day. Ours fit the room: full-height pantries, drawer stacks where doors used to be, corners that stop going to waste, and islands sized to your space, not a catalog. Our Sepic (Mercer Island) and DeBruiel (Issaquah) kitchens got custom cabinetry. Cabinet lines are priced at good, better, and best, so the money goes where you want it.
Countertops, Backsplash, and Islands
Pick quartz, granite, marble, or exotic stone counters, adding a waterfall edge or butcher block accent where the design suits it. Backsplash runs from ceramic tile to natural stone. An island that seats four and hides the microwave? We draw it that way. In Bellevue, our Campbell kitchen paired updated counters with custom cabinets.
Flooring, Millwork, and Finish Carpentry
A new layout can bring new flooring across kitchen and dining space; hardwood that stays gets refinished to match the rooms next door. Finish carpenters who work at it every week handle trim, crown, and millwork. People judge a remodel by its finish, and finish is our strongest suit.
Our kitchen remodeling services page covers the full scope.
Our Design-Build Process in Renton
Idea to Innovation is our name for it: communicate, collaborate, create. On a Renton kitchen, it goes like this.
- Free in-home consultation. In the Highlands, Kennydale, Benson Hill, or near downtown, we come to your home, walk the kitchen with you, and listen first.
- Design and planning. Our designers and engineers work out the layout, drawings, and selections. No construction date is set until the plan and its written price have your approval.
- Permitting. Your dedicated Project Manager files with the City of Renton’s Permit Services team and books every inspection. Structural work, a new plumbing run, or electrical changes each need a permit, and we never skip one.
- Construction. You deal with one crew, one Project Manager, and a single point of contact. Week by week you see what the crew is doing and what you decide next.
- Final walkthrough. We call the job done only once you have approved the finished work: our 100% satisfaction guarantee.
How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost in Renton?
Our pricing is published, and every good, better, and best level is on our kitchen remodeling cost page. With Higgason Homes, a Renton kitchen remodel usually falls between about $80,000 (a small kitchen kept in its current layout) and $150,000 and up (a large kitchen with walls removed and everything replaced). A Highlands kitchen refreshed in place and a bungalow kitchen opened up could land at opposite ends.
- Small kitchen: good $80k, better $100k, best $120k+.
- Medium kitchen: good $90k, better $115k, best $140k+.
- Large kitchen: good $100k, better $125k, best $150k+.
Each price includes painting, permitting, design, labor, materials, and fixtures. We quote appliances separately, and also code-required upgrades that appear once walls are open, which is worth planning for in the wartime Highlands homes. Three choices swing the price most: a layout change, replacing floors instead of refinishing them, and your cabinet and countertop level. To compare kitchen costs around the Eastside, check our 2026 Eastside remodel cost guide.
How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take?
Two things decide your timeline: the scope of work and the length of permit review. Your contract sets the schedule in writing before work begins. The fastest route leaves the layout alone and swaps out cabinets, counters, flooring, and lighting. Moving walls, plumbing, or gas adds engineering, review by Renton’s Permit Services team, and an inspection at each stage, so it takes longer, and in Renton that can mean separate electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits. Either way, you will have a calendar, your Project Manager, and an update every week rather than guesswork.
Recent Kitchen Projects Near Renton
These are real Higgason Homes kitchens in the neighborhoods next door to Renton. Every one has its own page with more photos.
Kitchen Remodeling Across Renton’s Neighborhoods
Renton’s neighborhoods were built, and joined the city, at very different times, and both facts shape a kitchen remodel.
- Renton Highlands. The first homes here opened in October 1942 for Boeing’s war workers, and many of those units, meant to be temporary, still stand. Because they were built as temporary housing, it is wise to plan for the structure and systems, not only the cabinets.
- Downtown Renton. Houses near downtown include one from 1901 and Colonial Revival bungalows from around 1920. A kitchen in a house that old was designed long before today’s appliances, so a remodel tends to reach into the electrical and plumbing.
- Kennydale. Kennydale grew slowly and became part of Renton in early 1970, after residents voted for it in November 1969. Slow growth means houses of different ages can sit side by side, so your own house’s age matters more than the neighborhood name.
- Benson Hill. This area became part of Renton on March 1, 2008, so a kitchen remodel there now goes through the City of Renton’s permit process.
Whichever Renton neighborhood you live in, the same design-build team and process described on this page apply to your kitchen. Planning more than a kitchen? Our Renton home remodeling and Renton bathroom remodeling pages cover those projects.
What Our Kitchen Clients Say
“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.”
“The Kirkland kitchen is fantastic, Jen did an incredible job designing it, there is so much storage. We really love it.”
Read more on our Google reviews.
Why Renton 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 2009.
- 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.
Renton Kitchen Remodeling FAQ
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Renton?
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 Renton?
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 Renton permit center and schedules the inspections, so you have one point of contact from application to final sign-off.
How long will my Renton 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 Renton 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 project we are asked for most in Renton’s Kennydale, Highlands, and Fairwood homes. Our engineers size the beam and the permit covers the structural change. 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 Renton?
Yes. Higgason Homes (Higgason Construction) is a fully licensed and bonded Washington State general contractor, license HIGGACL847M1, and has remodeled Renton kitchens since 2009.
Ready to Start Your Renton 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 Newcastle, Bellevue, Issaquah, and Mercer Island.
Browse the York kitchen remodel for another recent kitchen that shows the cabinetry and countertop options we offer.