New Day Construction plans kitchen remodeling in Monroe, WA, for homeowners whose kitchen quit working for them a while ago. Some only want a refresh, a straight upgrade to new cabinets and counters in the same footprint. Others are tired of an inefficient kitchen and want the wall between it and the dining room gone. We start in the same place either way, with how you actually use the room. Who does the cooking, and how many people crowd in around dinner time?
Plan Your Monroe Kitchen Remodel
Our crews work across Snohomish County and King County, and we take on each kitchen renovation across Monroe from our Lake Stevens offices. Planning a kitchen goes better with two lists. Bring photos of styles and surfaces you like, then bring the things that annoy you about the room today, because the second list usually does more for the design. We go through your goals, your house, and the scope before we write an estimate, and we mark which selections belong in it and which are still open.
Kitchens with us start around $40,000 as of October 2026, and the budget section below shows what moves that number.
Discuss Your Project
Kitchen Remodeling Services in Monroe
Every kitchen remodel we build comes down to five decisions, and each one pulls on the others. Whether you want a complete kitchen rebuild or a smaller update, the same five come up.
Layout and workflow
A workable kitchen starts with how you move between the sink, range, refrigerator, and storage. Keeping each appliance where it is keeps a project simpler. Moving the sink means new pipes and often new wiring, so the price follows the pipes. Reconfiguring layouts is where a remodel can transform the way the room works, and it's also where the price climbs fastest. Improved functionality should come first, and the best kitchens manage functionality and style at once.
Taking out a wall is where we slow down. If it carries a load, the structural part of the job adds $15,000 to $25,000 as of October 2026, depending on posts, support below, and what the crawl space looks like. In our experience we read a wall correctly about nine times out of ten. The tenth time shows up after demolition. On one recent project a wall everyone treated as non-structural turned out to carry a load, and the fix (a beam, two posts, engineering, and a city sign-off) added about $30,000. We tell you up front that the bid rests on our current read of the wall. If we're wrong, you can trim the scope and stay close to the original number, or keep the full vision and cover the difference. Structural changes, including removing a load-bearing wall or changing an opening, may require an engineer, so ask about that before you fall in love with a floor plan.
Cabinets and storage
Cabinets are the biggest swing in any kitchen's price. In a $60,000 kitchen they typically run $20,000 to $25,000, and the tier you pick moves everything else. Thoughtful design also puts the trash pull-out right next to the prep zone.
The table below shows what the boxes and doors alone can cost by tier, based on our own jobs (as of October 2026).
| Tier |
Typical cost, units alone |
| Semi-custom |
around $20,000 |
| Custom |
$50,000 to $60,000 |
| European-style flat-panel with integrated pulls |
up to about $80,000 |
Before you choose, decide what has to live in the room. Storage solutions such as deep drawers for pots and pans or a pantry pull-out save more counter space than extra wall units. Cabinet hardware matters more than people expect, since you touch it dozens of times a day, and manufacturers such as Blum publish care and adjustment guidance for soft-close hinges and drawer systems. We don't sell or install kitchen cabinets on their own. They come as part of a full kitchen remodel, and if you want to feel the difference between tiers, our Bellevue showroom lets you open the drawers yourself.
Countertops and backsplash
White counters and white cabinets with LED lighting are what most of our clients ask for in 2026, and quartz is the usual pick. That modern aesthetic looks great in photos, but it only works when the details are right. Whatever material you choose, confirm the dimensions, the edge profile, the sink fit and how the backsplash meets windows and the wall units. Laminate costs less, quartz or granite hold up longer, and porcelain tile on the backsplash wipes clean in seconds. Every countertop trades durability and style against budget, so pick the one you'll still like in ten years.
One thing worth knowing before you sign. A third-party fabricator cuts and installs the stone. We handle the surrounding work ourselves, including the hood vent, fixtures and much of the final installation. Your selections and any material allowances go into the written scope, and care instructions for quartz vary by brand, so follow the manufacturer's sheet.
Lighting and electrical
Think about general lighting and task lighting for prep areas together. Modern lighting such as dimmable ceiling lights and LED strips under the wall units is easy to plan before drywall goes up and expensive to add after, because a new circuit means opening walls you just paid to close. Good lighting solutions start with outlets and switch locations on the plan. Electrical and plumbing go through subcontractors we work with, and what they can do depends on the existing wiring and the agreed scope. Required rough-in inspections take place before the walls close. Electrical inspections are handled by Washington State Labor & Industries or the applicable local electrical inspection authority, while other required inspections follow the local permitting process. Washington's 2021 residential code has applied statewide since March 2024, and the State Building Code Council keeps the current adoption details.
Flooring and finishing details
Floors, paint, trim and hardware tie the room together. Transitions into the next room and the new floor height at the dishwasher and doors deserve a look early. Material choice moves the number fast. Durable flooring such as floating LVP runs about $11 per square foot installed ($5 for material, $6 for labor), while engineered hardwood comes to $20 to $22 per square foot installed (as of October 2026). We take hardwood on as part of a bigger remodel only. If the subfloor turns out damaged after demolition, that repair gets priced as a change order.
From First Discussion to Final Walkthrough
Here is the whole process in the order we follow it on every kitchen, so you know what happens after the first call.
Discuss the project
Tell us your priorities, send photos and the basics of the property, and say what you want to explore. Ask us anything about the entire process, from first call to final walkthrough. If you're unsure what to prioritize, we provide guidance on that in the first call. The conversation can happen by phone, at one of our offices or at the Bellevue showroom.
Review the space
We visit the house to look at existing conditions, access, and the work you have in mind. That visit shapes the planning decisions that follow.
Define scope and estimate
You get a written scope with selections, allowances and exclusions. We tailor it to your house and write it up line by line. Anything we can see and price at the consultation belongs in the bid, so cabinets and other visible items shouldn't turn into surprise add-ons. The exception is a hidden condition, such as rot or a wall that carries more than expected, and we explain upfront how those changes are priced.
Plan selections and approvals
You pick materials, and we identify the approvals, specialist work, and lead times your project needs. Custom units take longer to build. City review takes anywhere from about six weeks to three months depending on the city. For Monroe, the City's Community Development Department handles residential remodel permits. Since March 23, 2026, building permit applications have been submitted through the city's online permitting portal, and its remodel application checklist outlines the required documents.
Coordinate construction
We agree on access and dust protection, then walk through the sequence from demolition to installation. Clear communication keeps that sequence honest, so you get timely updates every week and a fast answer when something unexpected turns up behind a wall. Attention to detail here, like protecting floors and sealing dust barriers, matters as much as the schedule.
Walk through the result
We go through the finished kitchen together and write down anything left to fix. At handoff you receive the warranty documentation package, and the final payment is due only after you accept the work. Our craftsmanship stands behind it for two years.
Planning Your Monroe Remodeling Budget
Compare proposals by what they include, and look past the bottom line. A low first number tells you very little. If another contractor bids $50,000 for a comparable scope and finishes at $50,000, that's a good price and we'd tell you to consider it. The trouble starts when a $50,000 bid ends at $100,000. When we quote a $100,000 kitchen, you should expect to pay close to $103,000, and the gap should trace to scope you added or to something nobody could see before demolition. Staying within budget is the promise we care about most.
The table shows where our kitchens typically start (as of October 2026). They are benchmarks, and plenty of projects come in above or below them.
| Kitchen size |
Typical starting point |
What moves it |
| Small |
around $40,000 |
Tier of units, layout changes |
| Medium |
around $60,000 |
Counters, layout moves |
| Larger |
around $80,000 |
Structural work, custom units |
Material level matters more than square footage. The next table lists the decisions that change a proposal most and what to ask about each.
| Decision |
Why it matters |
What to clarify |
| Layout |
Moving fixtures or changing walls adds work. |
Which changes are included. |
| Materials |
Selections affect cost and ordering time. |
Which choices are confirmed and which are allowances. |
| Existing conditions |
Concealed issues may only show up after removal. |
How discoveries and changes are priced. |
| Approvals |
Required sign-offs depend on the scope. |
The jurisdiction and who handles each application. |
Payment follows the same plan on every project. You pay in two installments, the first before work begins and the second after we finish and you accept the work. We take cash and standard banking channels, and we add no payment fee. If you want financing, we work with third-party platforms (Hearth and RenoFi) for eligible projects. New Day isn't the lender. Rates, fees and terms come from the lenders on those platforms and are shown to you before you accept anything, so read them closely.
Plan Around Your Daily Life
Plan on living in a work zone. That's how we describe it to families, and the part that needs thought is logistics. Your kitchen is part of your living space, so a remodel touches more than one room. Where will the kids be, which rooms stay usable, and how will everyone move through the house? Most of the stress in a remodel comes from skipping those questions.
We build the schedule around your household whenever we can. On one current project the family stays downstairs while we rebuild upstairs, then they move up and we start on the lower floor. About nine out of ten of our projects get phased around the family's real situation. Phasing adds time and can add a little cost, since the work flows less efficiently. For the kitchen itself, we set up a temporary cooking area when possible, usually a microwave and a counter in another room.
If you're also thinking about a bathroom remodel in Monroe or new flooring, tell us early. Combining scopes saves setup time and keeps the look consistent. The same logic scales up to whole-home remodels. One whole-home remodel we completed before the family moved in took about two months, while similar projects in occupied homes can take three to six months.
Tell Us About Your Monroe Property
Share your priorities, budget range and preferred timing so we can propose a scope that fits your home. A few details make the first conversation much more useful.
- The age of the house, since homes built before 1978 fall under the EPA's lead-safe renovation rules that paid contractors must follow
- Photos of the room and the ones next to it
- Whether you belong to an HOA that needs to approve changes
- The date you'd like to be cooking in the new kitchen
- Your price range, even if it's loose
We serve Monroe (ZIP 98272) and surrounding Snohomish County, along with homeowners in King County.
What to Look for in a Remodeling Proposal
Ask for a clear description of the work, the material allowances, the exclusions, the expected sequence and the process for approving changes. A useful estimate lets you compare what's included, line by line. Weigh the quality of work in finished projects next to the price, because the two tell different stories.
Check the contractor too. Washington requires contractors to register with the state, and you can look up any company, including ours, in the L&I contractor lookup. New Day Construction, LLC is registered under NEWDADC823QR and insured. We give a two-year workmanship warranty on completed work, and you also receive the manufacturer warranties on installed materials and fixtures. Their conditions differ by product, so confirm the terms in your written agreement.
A Real New Day Project in Lake Forest Park, Custom Cabinets
We want to show how these decisions play out on a real job. This one was a bathroom and laundry room in King County. The central choice was still the one every kitchen faces, semi-custom or custom cabinetry.
Daniel came to us on a friend's recommendation. His bathroom and laundry room hadn't been touched since 1984, and the rest of the house had already been updated. Max, our project manager and a former casework installer, visited the next day and walked through both rooms. He found shower tile that looked fine but predated modern waterproofing, so demolition and substrate prep took more care than they would in a newer space.
We gave Daniel two options (prices from the 2026 estimate). Semi-custom cabinetry came to $46,000. Custom cabinetry came to $54,000. Both included materials, labor, demolition, haul-away and permits. At our Bellevue showroom he compared samples in person and saw that the catalog colors and finishes didn't match what he wanted, so he chose custom. The extra $8,000, about 17 percent, bought the exact color and fit. He told us our professionalism and the showroom ranked second among his reasons for hiring us, right behind his friend's recommendation.
The work ran from mid-March to mid-May 2026, a little under two months. The final cost matched the $54,000 quote, paid in two installments with no financing. He received the full warranty package at handoff.
FAQ
These are the questions Monroe homeowners ask us most before they call.
What is the 30% rule in remodeling?
The 30% rule is an informal remodeling budget guideline suggesting that total renovation spending stay below 30 percent of a home's value. On a $500,000 house, that would mean $150,000. It's not a legal requirement or a universal spending limit, and a kitchen remodeling budget should reflect the home's condition, project scope and homeowner's priorities. Ask for a recent appraisal, or compare median sale prices for similar homes nearby, before you set the number.
What is the average cost of a kitchen remodel in Washington state?
Published figures vary a lot by source. Kitchen remodeling costs in Washington vary considerably by project scope, materials and location. At New Day Construction, small kitchen remodels start around $40,000 and medium-sized projects around $60,000, based on our October 2026 pricing benchmarks.
What is the biggest construction company in Washington state?
BNBuilders, headquartered in Seattle, ranked No. 106 nationally on ENR's 2026 Top 400 Contractors list, which measures construction revenue from 2025. Firms of that size mostly build offices, hospitals and schools. A kitchen is a different kind of job, and a family-owned local team that answers its phone matters more to most homeowners than a national ranking.
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Monroe, WA?
Expect around $40,000 for a small kitchen, $60,000 for a medium one and $80,000 for a larger one (as of October 2026). Kitchen cabinets can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000 depending on tier, while structural wall changes can add roughly $25,000 to the overall remodel budget. We price what we can see at the consultation, and the final cost may change if you request additional work or hidden conditions emerge after demolition.
How long does a kitchen remodeling project take?
Kitchen remodeling construction typically takes six to ten weeks, depending on the scope, material availability and complexity of the work. City review comes first, and it takes anywhere from about six weeks to three months depending on the city. Custom units add build time. Our bathroom and laundry project in Lake Forest Park finished in a little under two months.
Do I need permits for a kitchen remodel in Monroe, WA?
Often, yes. Moving plumbing, electrical or gas lines and removing walls generally call for a city sign-off in Monroe, while swapping units in the same spot may not. The city decides for each scope, so we confirm it during planning and handle the applications for our projects.
How do I choose a kitchen remodeling contractor in Monroe, WA?
Verify the state registration and insurance first. Then compare written scopes line by line, and ask how the contractor prices changes after demolition. Ask how many recent jobs finished near the quoted price and on the quoted schedule. That answer tells you more than any review count, and it's the one we're proudest of.
Discuss Your Monroe Kitchen Remodel
Tell us about your property, the work you have in mind, your priorities and your preferred timing. We'll review the details and talk through next steps toward an estimate. Estimates are free.
Call (425) 584-2936 or email [email protected]. New Day Construction, LLC also welcomes you at our Bellevue showroom, 1850 130th Ave NE #1, Bellevue, WA 98005, where you can compare hardware and finishes in person.
One honest note. We build full remodels, and our smallest projects start at $20,000. If all you need is a new range hood, a handyman will do it faster and cheaper, and we'll say so.
Request a Remodeling Consultation
See also our kitchen renovation in Bellevue, bathroom remodeling in Bellevue, and kitchen work in Everett, Bothell, Redmond and Lake Stevens.
