Kitchen Remodeling in the Baltimore Area

What does a Solomon kitchen remodel include?

A Solomon kitchen remodel runs from demolition and repairs behind the old cabinets through new flooring, cabinets, countertops and backsplash. Fixtures, paint and a final walkthrough finish the job. You can choose a full gut with a new layout or keep the footprint and replace cabinets, counters and floors. Many Baltimore kitchens fall somewhere in between.

A full-scope kitchen usually goes in this order:

1. Tear-out. We remove cabinets, counters, backsplash and flooring and protect the rest of the house.
2. Repairs. We fix what we find: soft subfloor, out-of-plumb walls, old patches and damaged drywall.
3. Flooring. New luxury vinyl plank or tile goes down. Our flooring installation page covers subfloor prep in more detail.
4. Cabinets. We mark a level line on the wall, set the cabinets, and shim them so doors line up.
5. Counters and backsplash. Countertops, backsplash, sink, faucet and appliances go in.
6. Finish. Patching, paint, trim and a walkthrough with you.

How do you remodel a galley or rowhouse kitchen?

The best rowhouse galley kitchens keep the long run of cabinets, use light colors, and put every inch of wall to work for storage. Many Baltimore rowhouses have a narrow kitchen between the dining room and the back door, with little room for an island. Moving walls is possible, but it adds cost and permit work, so we usually start by getting more out of the existing footprint.

What helps most in a narrow kitchen:

• White or light gray shaker cabinets, with uppers that use the full wall height
• A continuous counter on the longest wall so prep space isn’t broken up
• Subway tile or slab backsplash that bounces light down the room
• Under-cabinet lighting so you aren’t working in your own shadow
• One flooring material running from the kitchen into the hall, so the space reads as one room

Our white galley kitchen fits white shaker cabinets, a stainless refrigerator and a gas range along a single narrow run. Our gray shaker kitchen uses an L-shape with white quartz counters, subway tile, a black faucet and under-cabinet lights.

Rental kitchens

A rental kitchen calls for different choices than a kitchen you’ll cook in for twenty years. Landlords usually want durable, easy-to-clean finishes that photograph well, are simple to repair, and can be matched later if a door or a section of floor gets damaged. We plan the work around your vacancy dates.

In one small rental kitchen we installed white shaker cabinets, a white subway backsplash, granite-look counters and dark LVP floors. That combination looks clean in listing photos and holds up to tenants. The kitchen can also be folded into a larger rental turnover or whole-home renovation so the unit is ready to list at once.

Cabinets, counters and backsplashes

The cabinets set both the look and most of the budget, so we start there. We’ve installed white and light gray shaker cabinets, high-gloss white slab cabinets, and two-tone kitchens with white uppers and dark lowers. Counters have ranged from quartz and granite to butcher block and marble-look slabs, with backsplashes in subway tile or matching slab.

Whatever you choose, the installation decides whether the kitchen looks right. We level and mark the wall before the first cabinet goes up, shim the boxes so doors and drawers line up, and check the gaps between doors before the counters go on.

What affects the cost of a kitchen remodel?

Cabinets and layout decide most of what a kitchen remodel costs. Keeping the sink, range and refrigerator where they are is the simplest path, while moving them means new water, drain, gas or electrical runs. The other main drivers:

• Cabinet line and count. Stock, semi-custom and custom boxes differ widely, and a full-height run uses more of them.
• Countertops. Quartz, granite, butcher block and slab backsplashes each price differently by the square foot.
• What’s behind the old cabinets. Soft subfloor, damaged drywall or out-of-plumb walls add repair work.
• Wall changes. Opening or removing a wall is an alteration that needs drawings, and a bearing wall needs a beam.
• Electrical and plumbing. New circuits, lighting and appliance hookups are permitted trade work.
• Flooring. Whether new flooring runs only under the kitchen or through the hall and dining room.

We give a written price after we’ve measured the room and seen the walls and floor.

Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen?

Cabinets, countertops and tile alone don’t need a permit in Baltimore City, but any new or replaced plumbing, gas or electrical fixture does, even in the same spot. In the City, only licensed master plumbers, master gas fitters and electricians can be issued those permits. Removing or opening a wall is an alteration that needs scaled drawings. (Baltimore City DHCD)

In Baltimore County, permits are required for alterations, structural work and whenever a new kitchen is created, and all electrical and plumbing work needs its own trade permit. The County doesn’t say whether a same-layout cabinet and counter swap needs a building permit, so call 410-887-3953. (Baltimore County PAI) For City rowhouse kitchens, see our Baltimore kitchen remodeling page. Confirm for your address.

What do clients say about our kitchen work?

Clients who have had kitchens done with us mention a clean job site, clear communication and an orderly process. One client had new kitchen cabinets installed along with new flooring across the first floor and fresh paint in every room, and noted in their review that cleanup happened as soon as each area was finished. Another said the job site was always clean. If you’re planning a bathroom too, see our bathroom remodeling page.