Kitchen renovations, North Shore
Kitchen tired, cramped or just not working?
Doors that will not close, a bench too small to cook on, or the sink and cooktop in the wrong place. We strip it out and rebuild it, with the plumbing, gas and power planned before the cabinets are measured, and one person to ring the whole way through.
- Licenced plumbers and gas fitters
- Upfront pricing, agreed before we start
- Contract as Fair Trading requires
Sound familiar?
- "The doors are falling off and the bench is swollen around the sink." Water has been getting into the cabinets for years. Usually a slow leak under the sink nobody could see.
- "There's nowhere to put anything down." Not enough bench, not enough storage, and the fridge in the way.
- "We want the sink on the island and gas to the new cooktop." Moving the water, the waste and the gas is plumbing work. It decides what layout you can have.
- "We don't know where to start." Start with a site visit. We look at the room, talk about what you want, and give you a first price.
What happens if you leave it
A leaking sink waste or a weeping dishwasher hose rots the cabinet floor and then the floor under it. The longer it runs, the more comes out when the old kitchen does.
And an old gas cooktop or a tired hot water connection does not get safer with age.
How it goes
Looked at, priced, planned, built
- Book a site visit. We go through layout, finishes, budget and whether anything is moving.
- Scope and price. Pick the cabinets, stone, tapware and appliances yourself, or we do the running around. You get the final price and a contract before anything is pulled out.
- A program. Check measure, cabinets into production, and a start date, so you know when the kitchen is out and when it is back.
- Built, fitted off and cleaned. The same person runs it from strip out to the splashback, and the room is handed back clean.
Behind the cabinets
The part of a kitchen you never see
Why a plumber should run your kitchen. A straight answer
The expensive mistakes in a kitchen are behind the cabinets: a waste with no fall, a gas line in the wrong place, a dishwasher with nowhere to drain. When the licenced trade that owns those is running the job, they get planned before the cabinetmaker measures, not fixed after.
Most of the cost of moving a sink or a cooktop is in the floor and the walls, not the cabinets. We tell you at the site visit what each layout change will cost, so you choose with the numbers in front of you.
How long without a kitchen?
Allow about a week for a standard kitchen from removal to being usable. A custom kitchen with more carpentry can run to three weeks.
You are back in use once the benchtops are in and the plumbing is connected. A barbecue, a kettle and a microwave in another room get most families through.
Finishes people ask us for
Before you book
What people ask us
What will it cost?
It depends on the size, the finishes and what is moving. You get the final price in writing before anything starts. Upfront pricing, agreed before we start.
What if you find rot behind the cabinets?
You cannot see it until the old kitchen is out. If we find rotten timber, an uneven floor or old pipework, we stop, show you, and price it. Nothing extra is done without you agreeing first.
Who do I deal with?
One person, start to finish. You are not chasing a plumber, a gas fitter, an electrician and a cabinetmaker separately. We run the trades and the program.
Will the house get wrecked?
No. Drop sheets over the floors on the way in and out, the mess taken away as we go, and a proper clean at the end.
Kitchens on the North Shore since 2007
Our job records run from 2016. Since then we have done more than 1,300 jobs in kitchens: sinks, taps, dishwashers, gas cooktops and the rough-in for new kitchens. Licenced plumbers and gas fitters, contractor licence 227192C.
From our Google reviews
His team's work is always performed to the highest quality and Simon is honest and knowledgeable. STS have managed both my home and business renovations.
Bridget Knox, Google reviewAlways replied to emails and texts, were good at communicating timings. Knowledgeable and easy to speak with. Great local business.
Tia H., Google reviewThe final price was exactly what he quoted. We will definitely use them again, highly recommended.
Glenn Crouch, Google reviewKitchen on its last legs? Book a site visit.
We look at the room, talk through what you want, and give you the price before we start.
Common questions about kitchen renovations
What is the process from quote to finished kitchen?
A site visit, where we go through layout, finishes, whether fixtures are moving and what the budget is. If the job would benefit from a designer we will say so and can recommend one. Then a first quote, then a firm price in writing before anything comes out.
How long does a kitchen take?
Allow about a week for a standard kitchen from removal to being usable. A custom kitchen can run to three weeks, particularly where carpentry is involved or plumbing and electrical are moving. Benchtops are the item most likely to hold a job up.
Can I use the kitchen while the work is on?
Not for the middle part of it. You are back in use once the benchtops are in and the plumbing is connected. Plan ahead: a working barbecue, a kettle and a microwave set up somewhere else makes a big difference.
Who sources the materials?
Either of us. If you have the time and enjoy it, choose them yourself. If not, we will do it, which is a service we charge for. Most people do a bit of both.
What can go wrong once the old kitchen is out?
The same as a bathroom: what is behind the cabinetry. Rotten timber, a floor that is not level, poor render, old pipework or wiring that is not to current standard. We show you what we find and price it rather than absorb it quietly or spring it on you at the end.
What mistakes do people make?
Picking the cheapest quote without checking what is in it. Not confirming every trade is licenced. And on a job over the home warranty insurance threshold, not making sure the contractor has that insurance in place, which is the one that leaves you exposed.
Is STS licenced for kitchen work?
Yes, for kitchen, bathroom and laundry renovations. You can check us and any other contractor on the NSW Fair Trading site, and you should.
Word gets around
Neighbours telling neighbours. Give us a call and spread the word.
Planning a new kitchen?
Book a site visit. We will look at the room, talk about the layout and the budget, and come back with a scope and a price.
Office hours: Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm.
Photos of the kitchen as it is now, and anything you have saved that you like, help us get the first price close.