Best approach for a major kitchen gut job? | Kitchen Improvement

Laura Jones · 2026-02-28T19:28:34.247+00:00

My wife and I are finally pulling the trigger on gutting our 1980s kitchen. We got a quote from a local contractor who just builds, but we'd have to hire a designer separately to figure out the layout. We also looked at a couple of all-in-one remodelers like J&J Builders. Is the premium for an all-in-one company actually worth it for just a kitchen?

fox.paul7mo ago

I think it depends on how much time you have. If you piece it out, YOU become the project manager. If you work full time, that gets exhausting really fast.

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elizabethtaylor7mo ago

100% worth it if you find the right team. We used Hurst Design Build Remodel for our kitchen and dining room knock-through. Having the designers and construction crew on the exact same page saved us so many headaches. They handled all the permitting and scheduling perfectly.

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umaf447mo ago

Honestly, people make this sound like brain surgery. It's just a KITCHEN. If you have a clear idea what you want, hiring separate folks can work fine. The 'premium' for all-in-one is often for convenience, not some magic fix. They still have to deal with the same delays and problems anyone would. Save the cash if you can handle a bit of stress and phone calls. Not every job needs a full service team to avoid disaster.

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