Kitchen Remodeling in Boston, MA
Boston kitchens are some of the most demanding we build: narrow rowhouse galleys, brownstone condos with no exterior wall for a hood, three-decker units stacked over each other, and associations with their own rules. We plan for all of it before the first wall opens.
Full remodels, custom cabinets, countertops and condo kitchens in every neighborhood. Call (617) 331-2961.
Kitchens Across Boston’s Neighborhoods
Each neighborhood builds houses differently, and the kitchen is where that shows. Here is what we usually find:
Four Kinds of Boston Kitchens
Planning a Kitchen Remodel in the City
Working in Boston means planning logistics as carefully as the design. Many streets need a permit to place a dumpster or reserve space for a delivery truck. Condo buildings may limit work to weekday hours and require elevator padding. Rowhouses rarely have a straight path for a ten-foot countertop, so seams are planned around the stairs. We handle these details before construction starts so they don’t become delays.
Permits in Boston
Boston’s Inspectional Services Department issues building permits online. Interior work that doesn’t change structure or use generally moves through the short-form process, while structural changes go through plan review. Electrical and plumbing permits are pulled separately by the licensed trades. See our Massachusetts permit guide for details.
Historic Neighborhoods
In Beacon Hill, the Back Bay, the South End and other protected areas, commissions review exterior changes visible from public ways. Interior kitchens are generally outside their review, but a new window over the sink or a vent through a façade may need approval, which we prepare.
What It Costs
In Boston, a same-layout refresh typically starts around $13,000, a full remodel runs about $26,000–$52,000 and condo remodels $20,000–$37,000. Rowhouse and brownstone kitchens lean toward the top of those ranges because of access, plaster repair and ventilation. Read the cost guide or try the cost calculator.
Towns Around Boston
We also remodel kitchens in Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Newton, Quincy, Milton, Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Arlington, Medford, Belmont, Lexington, Watertown, Waltham, Braintree — each town page covers its homes, permits and typical costs ($24K–$92K for a full remodel across these towns).
Typical Boston Kitchen Projects
Most of the kitchens we build in the city fall into a handful of patterns. Knowing which one fits your home helps set a realistic budget and schedule from the start.
The Rowhouse Galley Refresh
In Beacon Hill, Charlestown and the South End, many kitchens are long, narrow rooms on an interior wall. The typical project keeps the plumbing where it is, replaces the cabinets with full-height units that reach the ceiling, adds quartz counters and a tile backsplash, and upgrades lighting. Plaster is repaired rather than replaced, and deliveries are planned around narrow stairs. These projects usually start around $13,000–$26,000 depending on length and finishes.
The Brownstone Condo Remodel
In the Back Bay and South End, brownstones divided into condos often have kitchens that were added during the conversion. A full remodel here typically moves the layout within the unit, upgrades the electrical feed, adds a peninsula where space allows and solves ventilation — either ducting to an exterior wall or specifying a quality recirculating hood. Association approval and building rules shape the schedule. Most fall in the $20,000–$37,000 condo range, with high-end finishes pushing higher.
The Three-Decker Unit Update
In Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, South Boston and East Boston, three-decker kitchens sit at the back of each unit with a door to the porch. We usually close or move a door to create an L-shape, replace old drains and wiring, level the floor and add sound insulation between units. Owners updating rental units often choose durable, neutral finishes and schedule work between tenants.
The Single-Family Opening
In West Roxbury, Roslindale and Hyde Park, Colonials and Capes have basements and more room. The typical project opens the kitchen to the dining room, adds an island with seating and replaces the original cabinets, with an engineered beam where a bearing wall comes out. These usually fall in the $26,000–$52,000 full-remodel range.
Choosing Finishes for Boston Homes
Boston’s older homes suit traditional details: painted Shaker or inset cabinet doors, glass-front uppers, marble or marble-look counters, and warm metals such as unlacquered brass or polished nickel. In newer condos and renovated units, flat slab doors, quartz and matte black or stainless hardware look right. Whatever the style, we specify plywood cabinet boxes and factory-applied finishes, because Boston’s humid summers and dry, heated winters are hard on particleboard and site-applied paint.
Ventilation, Wiring and Plumbing in Boston Buildings
Three technical issues come up in nearly every Boston kitchen. The first is ventilation: in rowhouses and condos the range often sits on an interior wall, and the association may not allow a new opening in the façade. We look for an existing chase, a route through a soffit to a rear wall, or — when there is no path outside — a recirculating hood with a real charcoal filter, chosen to match the range.
The second is electrical capacity. Many Boston units still run on 60- or 100-amp service shared across older circuits, which is not enough for a dishwasher, microwave, induction range and modern lighting. Upgrading the unit’s feed or panel is far easier while the kitchen walls are open, and in condos it may require coordination with the building.
The third is plumbing. Shared cast-iron stacks in three-deckers and older condo buildings are often near the end of their life. When we open the wall, we replace the section serving your kitchen to the next sound joint, pressure-test new lines before closing, and leave access where the association requires it — protecting both your kitchen and the unit below.
Scheduling Boston Projects
Our office is in Worcester, and Boston projects are scheduled on set days each week with the same project lead from the first visit to the final inspection. We book dumpster and parking permits, elevator reservations and inspections ahead of time, and we send a weekly written update so you always know what is happening next.
If you are comparing contractors, ask each one how they will handle the building itself — parking, elevators, neighbors and inspections — not just the cabinets and counters. In Boston, that planning is what keeps a remodel on budget. We put ours in writing before you sign, so you can compare it line by line.
Greater Boston Towns at a Glance
Typical full-remodel ranges, construction times and housing eras in the towns around Boston. Each town page goes into the homes, neighborhoods and permits in detail.
| Town | Typical Full Remodel | Construction | Most Homes Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | $32K–$64K | 8–12 weeks | 1870s–1920s |
| Somerville | $26K–$52K | 7–11 weeks | 1890s–1920s |
| Brookline | $35K–$75K | 9–13 weeks | 1880s–1930s |
| Newton | $37K–$81K | 9–14 weeks | 1900s–1960s |
| Quincy | $24K–$49K | 7–10 weeks | 1920s–1960s |
| Milton | $35K–$72K | 9–13 weeks | 1890s–1950s |
| Needham | $32K–$67K | 8–12 weeks | 1940s–1970s |
| Wellesley | $44K–$92K | 10–14 weeks | 1910s–1960s |
| Dedham | $26K–$55K | 7–11 weeks | 1900s–1960s |
| Arlington | $29K–$58K | 8–12 weeks | 1900s–1940s |
| Medford | $26K–$52K | 7–11 weeks | 1900s–1950s |
| Belmont | $35K–$72K | 9–13 weeks | 1910s–1940s |
| Lexington | $37K–$78K | 9–13 weeks | 1950s–1970s |
| Watertown | $28K–$55K | 8–11 weeks | 1900s–1940s |
| Waltham | $26K–$53K | 7–11 weeks | 1900s–1960s |
| Braintree | $24K–$51K | 7–10 weeks | 1950s–1970s |
Hiring a Kitchen Contractor in Boston: What to Ask
Boston kitchens reward contractors who plan, and punish those who improvise. Before you sign with anyone, ask:
- What is your Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor registration number, and who holds the Construction Supervisor License for structural work?
- Will licensed electricians and plumbers pull their own permits?
- How do you handle condo associations — who prepares the paperwork and the insurance certificate?
- How will you get cabinets and stone into the house, and where will the seams be?
- How do you handle lead paint in a pre-1978 home?
- What happens if you find something behind the walls that isn’t in the contract?
- When will cabinets and appliances arrive relative to demolition?
- How often will I get schedule updates, and from whom?
Good answers are specific. Vague ones — “we’ll figure it out when we get there” — are how Boston remodels end up months late. Our answers to every one of these questions are in writing before you sign.
Boston Homeowners Ask
Kitchen Remodeling Boston FAQ
Get a Written Estimate
Tell us a little about your kitchen. We will call to set up a visit, measure the room, look at the plumbing and wiring that affect the price, and send you a written estimate.
- No-cost in-home visit anywhere in Central MA or Greater Boston
- Written scope and price before you commit
- Design drawings you can keep
Request a Free Estimate
A designer will call you back within one business day.