Kitchen Remodel Warranties: Workmanship, Products and What to Get in Writing

A new kitchen comes with a stack of warranties, not one. The contractor stands behind the installation. Each manufacturer stands behind its own product. The two are written by different companies, last for different periods and have different claim routes. Knowing which is which before you sign saves a great deal of argument later, when a drawer front delaminates or a seam opens and everyone points at someone else.

Workmanship and product warranties compared

A third category sits between them. Countertop fabricators, cabinet makers and specialty trades may give their own warranties to the contractor or to you. Ask who holds each one and whether you can enforce it directly.

What Washington law says, and what it leaves open

Homeowners often assume the state sets a minimum warranty on remodeling. As of October 2026 we could not find one. The contractor registration law, chapter 18.27 RCW, sets bond and insurance requirements and a required disclosure statement, but the sections we reviewed contain no warranty period for remodeling work. Treat that as our reading of the statute, not as a guarantee that no rule exists anywhere in Washington law.

Here is what the statutes do establish:

• A written warranty is part of your contract. A claim on a written contract has a six-year limitation period under RCW 4.16.040(1). A contract that is not in writing has three years under RCW 4.16.080(3). That difference is the plainest reason to have warranty terms on paper.
• Construction claims have an outer limit. Under RCW 4.16.310, a construction claim must accrue within six years after substantial completion or the end of the contractor's services, whichever is later, and RCW 4.16.326(1)(g) says the contract limitation period expires on that same six-year schedule "regardless of discovery". Substantial completion is when the improvement "may be used or occupied for its intended use."
• The bond stands behind improper work. RCW 18.27.040(1) conditions the contractor's registration bond on paying "all amounts that may be adjudged against the contractor by reason of breach of contract including improper work." The bond's limits are explained in contractor insurance, bonds and workers' comp.
• Goods carry an implied warranty when a merchant sells them. Under RCW 62A.2-314, unless excluded or modified, "a warranty that the goods shall be merchantable is implied in a contract for their sale if the seller is a merchant with respect to goods of that kind." That is the rule for goods a merchant sells, such as an appliance bought from an appliance retailer. Whether a remodeling contract, which mixes labor and materials, counts as a sale of goods is not something we could confirm.

The practical lesson is the same either way: do not rely on what the law might imply. Rely on what the contract says.

What to get in writing

L&I's advice is that a remodeling contract should include, at a minimum, "Warranties and processes for change orders", and that you should compare "the warranties offered" between bids. A workmanship warranty worth having answers these questions on paper:

1. Length and start date. How many years, and counted from what: substantial completion, final payment or the final inspection?
2. Coverage. Which work is covered. Ask specifically about tile and grout, caulk joints, paint, cabinet door adjustment, drywall cracks and plumbing connections.
3. Exclusions. Normal wear, seasonal wood movement, owner-supplied products, damage from misuse or from water that entered somewhere else.
4. The claim process. Who to contact, whether notice must be written, and how quickly the contractor commits to respond.
5. The remedy. Repair, replacement or refund, and who chooses.
6. Labor on product failures. If a covered product fails, who pays to remove and reinstall it during the workmanship period and after it.
7. Transfer. Whether a future buyer can use it.

Put the warranty side by side with the rest of the bid when you are comparing kitchen remodel estimates, and make sure it is part of the signed agreement described in contracts, deposits and change orders. A warranty mentioned in a sales conversation and absent from the contract is hard to prove.

Manufacturer warranties and product registration

Product warranties vary widely by manufacturer and by product line, so read the actual document for each major item before you order it, not after it is installed. Look for four things: who may install the product without voiding coverage, whether registration or proof of purchase is required, what care or cleaning is required, and whether labor is covered or only parts.

• Record model and serial numbers for every appliance at delivery, before they are built in.
• Register products with the manufacturer if it asks, and keep the confirmation.
• Keep invoices or a contractor-provided list showing purchase dates.
• Ask your contractor which warranties it registers for you and which are yours to do.
• File the care guides for cabinets, countertops and flooring. Finish and stone warranties often depend on following them.

Keep the warranty alive: maintenance and prompt notice

Washington's construction defect statute gives builders defenses that depend on what the homeowner did after the job. Under RCW 4.16.326(1)(b) and (c), a builder may raise a homeowner's unreasonable failure to minimize damage or give timely notice, and a failure to follow written maintenance recommendations where "the homeowner had written notice of the schedule, the schedule was reasonable at the time it was issued, and the homeowner failed to substantially comply".

In plain terms: if your contractor hands you a maintenance sheet (re-caulking the sink joint, sealing stone, running the hood fan), follow it and keep a note of when. When something looks wrong, report it in writing straight away, with photos, and take reasonable steps to stop the damage spreading, such as shutting off the water to a leaking fitting.

When a warranty claim is not being honored

Start with a dated, written request that quotes the warranty term and attaches photos. Give the contractor a fair chance to inspect and repair. If that fails, your documented options under Washington law, including a claim against the bond and the deadlines for each, are set out in what to do if a remodel goes wrong. Bring the warranty paperwork listed in the final step of the kitchen remodel checklist.

JDI's workmanship warranty

JDI Construction gives a 5-year written workmanship warranty on its remodeling work. Manufacturer warranties on the products in your kitchen are separate documents with their own terms. Our current terms are on our warranty page. Ask us to walk through them, and the exclusions, during your consultation for kitchen remodeling in Vancouver, before you sign anything.