Design-Build Remodeler vs. Big-Box Store vs. Handyman for a Kitchen

Not every kitchen project needs a remodeler. A loose hinge, a new faucet and a full gut with a moved wall are different jobs, and each has a kind of provider that fits it. This page compares four of them, sets out what Washington and Oregon law allow each to do, and is plain about when JDI is the wrong call. If you are choosing between design-build and hiring a separate designer and builder, that comparison is on our page about design-build versus a general contractor.

The four options side by side

A handyman: right for small jobs, with legal limits

A good handyman is the sensible hire for swapping cabinet pulls, adjusting doors, replacing a damaged toe kick or patching drywall. The limits are where people get caught.

Washington

• Unregistered work stops at $500. RCW 18.27.090(9) exempts work on one project only when the total price for labor and materials is under five hundred dollars, and never for someone who advertises as a contractor or splits a job to stay under the line.
• The registered handyman specialty has its own ceiling. Under WAC 296-200A-016, a handyman must do all work personally, without employees or other specialty contractors, and is limited to "minor and casual work of existing residential maintenance and repair" with time and materials under two thousand dollars. "Work requiring a building permit may not be done by this specialty."
• Plumbing and wiring need their own credential. RCW 18.106.020 requires a plumbing certificate to do plumbing work, and RCW 19.28.041 requires an electrical contractor license to do electrical installation for others. The same WAC section says installing a dishwasher or garbage disposal needs a plumber certification and/or electrical license.

Oregon

• The exemption is under $1,000 and narrow. ORS 701.010(4) exempts a person whose total contracts on one structure or project are under $1,000, and only when the work is "of a casual, minor or inconsequential nature." It does not apply to anyone with a sign, card or advertising that suggests they are a contractor.
• Above that, a CCB license is required with the right endorsement (ORS 701.021). A residential limited contractor, for example, may not take a contract over $5,000 (ORS 701.038).
• Unlicensed work leaves you with fewer remedies. The Construction Contractors Board says it can only help "if the contractor was licensed during your construction project."

Home-improvement store installation programs

Large home-improvement retailers sell cabinets, counters, flooring and appliances, and many offer installation. These programs vary, so treat the following as questions to ask, not assumptions.

• Who is the contractor on your contract? Installation may be carried out by a separate company. Find out whether you are contracting with the store or with that company, and look up whichever signs, plus the company that sends the crew. Washington's definition of a contractor covers "cabinet or similar installation" (RCW 18.27.010), and Oregon's covers anyone who "arranges or undertakes" the work (ORS 701.005).
• What is in scope? Installation is generally tied to the products being sold. Moving a drain, adding a circuit, patching walls or refinishing the floor around new cabinets may be excluded or sold separately.
• Who measures, and who pays for a mistake? If cabinets arrive short, the contract should say whether that is the measurer's, the supplier's or the installer's problem.
• Who pulls permits and arranges inspections? Get the answer in writing. Our permit guide shows which kitchen work needs one.

For a straight replacement of products the store sells, in the same footprint, this can work well. It is a weaker fit once the job needs design decisions or trades the program does not cover.

A kitchen-only installer

Independent cabinet and countertop installers do one thing well: set boxes level, scribe fillers and trim, and get tops seated. Washington registers this as the "Cabinets, millwork and finish carpentry" specialty, and stone or tile tops fall under its own specialty. Hire one when you are keeping the layout and you, or a showroom, have already planned the cabinets. Before choosing, compare refacing versus replacing cabinets, since refacing changes who you need.

The gap is everything around the boxes. Someone still has to disconnect and reconnect the sink, move an outlet, patch the backsplash wall and schedule inspections. If nobody is named for those tasks, that someone is you.

A design-build remodeler

A design-build firm designs the kitchen and builds it with one accountable team. It is more than a small job needs. It earns its place when:

• the layout changes, or the sink, range or island moves;
• plumbing, gas lines or electrical circuits have to be relocated or added;
• a wall is opened or removed (see opening a kitchen wall);
• permits, inspections and engineering are involved;
• several trades have to be sequenced so nobody waits on anybody else.

For scale, JDI's published planning range for a small kitchen (under 120 square feet) at our Essential tier is $28,000-$45,000 before sales tax. That is a planning range, not a quote, and it shows why we are not the right hire for a hardware swap. Our page on kitchen remodel levels helps you place your own project.

When JDI is not the right fit

Be honest with yourself about the size of the job, and we will be too. You probably do not need us for:

• new cabinet hardware, hinge adjustments or a sticking drawer;
• a single repair, such as a cracked tile, a leaking trap or a damaged panel;
• a faucet or appliance swap in the same location (hire the licensed trade);
• repainting walls or cabinets with nothing else changing.

For those, a registered handyman or the right licensed trade is quicker and costs less. Countertop-only and cabinet-refacing jobs are different: JDI takes those, although most of our work is full remodels. See countertop or cabinet replacement without a full remodel. Whoever you hire, check their registration, which our page on verifying a Washington contractor walks through, and for Oregon work use the CCB's License Search.

If your project fits design-build

If your kitchen involves a new layout, moved plumbing or gas, an opened wall or permits, a design-build team will save you the coordinating. JDI Construction is a family-owned design-build contractor in Vancouver, operating since 2007 (Washington registration #JDICOCN932KZ, Oregon CCB #176101). We handle design, permits and project management, and back the work with a 5-year written workmanship warranty. Get a sense of the range with our kitchen cost calculator, then book a free in-home consultation.