Kitchen remodeling across Albany and the Capital Region.
Cabinet replacement through full gut renovations. Design, demo, plumbing, electrical, cabinetry, countertops, tile, and finish — every phase in-house, one contract, one point of contact.
What a kitchen costs here
You get itemised written pricing after we see the room. These ranges are so you can sanity-check a budget before anyone visits.
Existing layout kept. New countertops, backsplash, hardware, sink, lighting, paint. Cabinets refaced or retained.
New semi-custom cabinetry, quartz or granite, tile, flooring, appliances. Layout largely unchanged.
Walls moved, island added, plumbing and electrical relocated. Where most open-concept conversions land.
Full custom cabinetry, panel-ready appliances, specialty stone, structural work.
Ranges reflect Albany-area labour and material costs. Cabinetry is typically 30–40% of a kitchen budget, which is why the cabinet decision moves the total more than anything else. Removing a load-bearing wall adds structural engineering and a beam.
Your kitchen timeline is a cabinet timeline.
On-site work runs three to five weeks. But cabinets are ordered weeks before demo starts, and the order date is what determines when your kitchen actually comes back.
We do not start demo until the cabinets are in our possession. Tearing out a working kitchen and then waiting on a delayed delivery is the most common way a remodel turns into a three-month ordeal — and it is entirely avoidable.
Countertops add a second gap that surprises people. Stone cannot be templated until the cabinets are physically set and level. Template, then fabrication, then install — that is one to two weeks with the cabinets in and no worktop.
Typical lead times
- Stock cabinets — 1 to 3 weeks
- Semi-custom — 6 to 10 weeks
- Full custom — 10 to 16 weeks
- Countertop template to install — 1 to 2 weeks after cabinets are set
- Specialty appliances — can run months. Order first, not last.
Three to five weeks on site
Roughly how a standard gut sequences. You get a written schedule at contract signing.
Demo, disposal, and any framing changes. Plumbing and electrical rough-in begins.
Rough inspections. Drywall, mud, sand, prime. Flooring where it runs under cabinets.
Cabinets set and levelled. Countertop template happens at the end of this week.
The quiet week — stone in fabrication. Backsplash prep, paint, trim, lighting.
Countertops installed, sink and appliances connected, backsplash tiled, walkthrough.
What we do
Full gut-to-stud renovations
Everything out, everything new — including whatever the last renovation left behind the walls.
3–5 weeks on siteLayout reconfiguration
Walls opened, islands added, work triangle rebuilt around how you actually cook. Load-bearing changes engineered and permitted.
Custom cabinet installation
Stock through full custom. Scribed to walls that are never square in older Capital Region homes.
Countertop fabrication & install
Quartz, granite, and solid surface. Templated after cabinets are set, seams placed where you will not look at them.
Tile backsplash & flooring
Layout dry-set and confirmed with you before anything is permanently fixed — especially around outlets and range hoods.
Islands, peninsulas & lighting
Islands with power and plumbing, under-cabinet and pendant lighting, dedicated circuits for appliances.
Four steps, written scope before anything starts
No verbal estimates that change on install day.
Free in-home estimate
We measure, discuss goals and budget, and check what is behind the current layout where we can. You leave with a written scope and itemised pricing — not a “starting at” ballpark.
Design, 3D scan, and selections
We scan your existing kitchen with a Matterport camera at no charge, so you can see the new layout before demo. Cabinet lines, countertop slabs, tile, and appliances all get selected and ordered now.
Free 3D scan with every estimate →Structured renovation
Demo does not begin until cabinets are in hand. Then demo, plumbing, electrical, cabinets, countertops, tile — sequenced so you are not waiting on a subcontractor. Daily progress updates.
3–5 weeks on siteFinal walkthrough & punch list
Joint walkthrough before we call it complete. Punch list items resolved within 5 business days.
Kitchens around the Capital Region
Full gut · Albany area · 5 weeks · Load-bearing wall removed
Layout reconfiguration · Capital Region · 4 weeks
Before you call
How do we live without a kitchen for a month?
Most people set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere — fridge, microwave, kettle, and a utility sink or the nearest bathroom for washing up. We help relocate the fridge on demo day and can leave a working outlet where you want it.
Plan for takeaway more often than you expect, and move anything you actually use out before demo rather than during. The week the countertops are in fabrication is the one that tests people’s patience — you have cabinets and no worktop.
How far ahead should we start?
Work backwards from cabinets. If you want a kitchen finished by December and you are choosing semi-custom, selections need to be locked by roughly September. Full custom, earlier still.
The estimate and design phase is quick. Cabinet manufacturing is not, and that is the part nobody can compress.
Can you take out a wall to open the kitchen up?
Usually. If it is load-bearing, it needs a beam and structural engineering, which adds cost and permit time but is entirely routine.
What matters more is what is inside the wall. Plumbing stacks, HVAC trunk lines, and electrical panels are far more expensive to relocate than framing. We check before quoting rather than after opening it up.
Do we need a permit?
Yes if plumbing or gas is being moved, electrical circuits added, or walls altered. A like-for-like cabinet and countertop replacement in the same layout often does not. We pull whatever is needed and schedule the inspections.
Should we buy our own appliances?
You can, and many clients do. Two things matter: get us the specification sheets before cabinets are ordered, because cabinet openings are built to them, and order early. Specialty and panel-ready appliances can run months, and a missing range holds up the whole finish.
What if you find something behind the cabinets?
On older Capital Region housing stock this is common — old leaks under the sink, knob-and-tube wiring, out-of-code venting. We document it, show you, and price the repair before proceeding.
If there is water damage, see water damage restoration — depending on the cause it may be an insurance matter.
Does a kitchen remodel add value?
Kitchens return better than most renovations, though rarely dollar-for-dollar. Mid-range remodels tend to return more proportionally than high-end ones, particularly if the current kitchen is visibly dated relative to the rest of the house.
If you are remodelling to sell, the standard gut tier is usually the right target. If you are staying ten years, build the kitchen you want.
What clients say
Craig and his crew were great to deal with! Good communication and great work. Quick, efficient, and professional — I’d highly recommend them!
Connor was so helpful, kind and thorough! Cannot recommend their services enough, we will certainly be using them again!
I chose Clifton Development Group after 2 other estimates and they did not disappoint! If you are looking for work done with precision and at a good price, certainly give them a call!
Serving 30+ Capital Region towns
Albany, Clifton Park, Saratoga Springs, Loudonville, Delmar, Troy, Schenectady, Halfmoon, and more.
Bundling kitchen and bathroom
Scheduling both together reduces total downtime and can save on material ordering, since you are buying from the same suppliers in one go.
Free in-home estimate
Ready to start your kitchen?
Free in-home estimate, free 3D scan, and a written scope before any work starts. If you have a date you need it finished by, tell us — cabinet lead times decide when we can start.
Mon–Fri 8AM–5PM · Sat by appointment