Kitchen Design & Build

Only when the layout changes. If walls are moving, plumbing or gas is relocating, or cabinetry is being specified from scratch, that is a design phase and it carries a fee — credited in full toward your construction contract when you build with us. If your layout isn’t changing — same footprint, same plumbing, new finishes — there is no design agreement and no fee: we measure, spec it and quote it. We’ll tell you which one your project is on the first call.

Cabinets are usually the single biggest line in a kitchen, so it's worth understanding the three tiers before you decide. Stock cabinets are pre-built in fixed sizes, door styles, and finishes — they're the most affordable and the fastest to get, which makes them a strong value when a fairly standard layout works for your space. Semi-custom keeps most of that value but opens up more sizes, modifications, and finish upgrades, so you can fine-tune the layout without jumping to full custom pricing; this is where most of our kitchens land. Custom cabinets are built to your exact specification by a cabinet shop, with essentially no limits on size, materials, or detailing — the trade-offs are the highest cost and the longest lead time. There's no single right answer; it depends on your layout, your finish goals, and your timeline. We'll walk you through all three in the showroom so you can see and price the differences.

If your project has a design phase, we move into it once your estimate is signed, and this is where your kitchen really takes shape. We render the new space in photorealistic 3D so you can see the layout, cabinet style, colors, and finishes before any demolition begins, then we refine that design together until it's right — moving an island, trying a different door profile, or comparing countertop options is easy at this stage and costs nothing but time. From there, you select your specific cabinets, countertops, and hardware at our cabinet partner's showroom, working within the clear allowances built into your estimate so there are no budget surprises. Seeing everything in 3D up front means fewer changes once the build starts, a smoother schedule, and a finished kitchen that matches what you pictured. If you want something above your allowance, it becomes a simple change order that you approve before we order anything.

Because we buy through wholesalers and retailers rather than a single manufacturer, we're not locked into one product line — and that works in your favor. We regularly install Fabuwood, Dreammark, Forevermark, Cubitac, Wolf Classic, and J&K, which together cover a wide range of door styles, finishes, and price points. That means we can match the cabinet line to your kitchen instead of steering you toward whatever one brand happens to stock. If you want a painted shaker in a particular white, a warm stained wood, or a budget-friendly line that still holds up to daily use, we can source it. During design we'll show you options across a few manufacturers so you can compare construction quality, finish, and cost side by side. The goal is simple: the right cabinet for your style and budget, backed by lines we've installed enough times to know exactly how they perform and how they hold up over the years.

Yes — and the process is built so you're never guessing. Your estimate includes clear allowances for cabinets and hardware, so you know exactly what your budget covers before you sign anything. Allowances are set at real numbers for the tier you're after, so the line you see is the line you'll spend. If your project has a design phase, we render your kitchen in photorealistic 3D and refine it with you, then you choose your specific cabinets, countertops, and hardware in person at our cabinet partner's showroom, where you can see and touch the actual products. If everything you pick fits within your allowances, your price doesn't change. If you fall in love with something above your allowance — a higher cabinet line or a premium countertop — that becomes a clear, itemized change order that you review and approve before we order it. No surprise charges, and no mystery line items at the end.

A kitchen refresh that keeps the layout runs $35,000 to $60,000; a full design-build kitchen runs $60,000 to $140,000. Cabinetry is the largest single driver — the jump from semi-custom to custom moves the number more than anything else — followed by countertops, and then by whether the layout changes, since relocating a sink, moving gas or opening a wall brings structural, electrical and permit work with it. For context, the wider Bergen County market starts around $25,000 for a cosmetic refresh, which is the bottom of our refresh tier rather than a design-build project. You get an itemized written quote priced against an approved design, not a per-square-foot guess.

Often, yes — opening up a closed-off kitchen is one of the most common and most transformative changes we make, but it has to be done correctly. The first question is whether the wall is load-bearing, meaning it helps hold up the house. We start with a structural assessment to answer that, and if the wall is carrying weight, we bring in engineering to spec the right beam or header so the structure stays sound once the wall comes out. From there we pull the required permits and build to code, with inspections along the way. Removing a wall can also involve rerouting electrical, plumbing, or HVAC that runs inside it, which we plan for up front so it lands in your estimate rather than becoming a surprise later. The result is the open, connected layout most homeowners are after — done safely, permitted, and inspected, not just knocked out and patched over in a weekend. Where the change needs sealed drawings, our design team prepares the permit set and a licensed New Jersey architect reviews and seals it.

Yes. Hamlett Renovations is a licensed New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor, NJ HIC #13VH12093400, and fully insured, so you're protected from the estimate through the final walkthrough. In New Jersey, home improvement contractors are required to register with the state, and hiring a registered, insured contractor is your best protection against the corner-cutting that unlicensed operators are known for. Every kitchen we build is also backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty, which means that if something we installed isn't performing the way it should within that first year, we come back and make it right. We're glad to share proof of insurance and references before you sign, and we encourage you to ask; a reputable contractor should never hesitate to show you they're properly credentialed. It's a standard we hold on every job, and it's a big part of why so much of our work comes from repeat clients and referrals.

Design usually runs three to five weeks depending on rounds of changes. Construction depends on whether the layout moves: a refresh that leaves the walls and plumbing where they are runs three to six weeks, and a full design-build kitchen — moving walls, relocating plumbing and gas, new cabinetry — runs ten to fourteen weeks. Cabinetry lead time is the most common cause of delay, which is why we order against an approved design rather than waiting until demolition starts.

Usually yes. Under the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, work that alters plumbing, gas, electrical or structure needs a permit and inspections, which covers most real kitchen renovations — moving a sink, adding circuits, or taking out a wall all qualify. Purely cosmetic work, such as replacing cabinets, countertops or flooring in their existing positions, generally does not. We pull the permits and schedule the inspections ourselves in the towns we work in.