Kitchen Remodeling in San Diego
Custom kitchen remodels designed, built, and project-managed by one in-house team — with a line-by-line scope, real cabinetry, and a clear timeline from demo day to your final walkthrough.
A recent IL Total kitchen remodel in Carlsbad — white-oak cabinetry, waterfall quartz island, slab marble backsplash and brass fixtures.
A kitchen is the most complex room in the house to remodel — cabinetry, plumbing, gas, electrical, countertops, and tile all have to land in the right order, on a slab that often hides post-tension cables. The bids you collect can look similar on the front page and mean completely different things underneath. We work differently: before anything is demolished, you get a 3D design and a scope that spells out every line of work we’re doing and every finish you’re buying, so the number you approve is the number you plan around.
Why homeowners choose IL Total for their kitchen
A scope that prevents surprise change orders
Every stage — demo, plumbing, electrical, cabinets, counters, tile, fixtures — is written out and split into what we include and what you purchase. You’re not signing a vague one-page estimate that grows once the walls are open.
Build quality you can’t see in a cheap bid
Quartz counters set on a proper plywood substrate, gas and water lines run to code, the hood and island plumbing vented correctly, and GPR slab scanning before we cut for an island. The difference shows up in year five, not week one.
Design, permits and build under one roof
3D renderings, plan sets, permits and inspections, and the construction itself are all handled by one accountable team — one contract, one point of contact, no finger-pointing between a designer, a GC, and a handful of subs.
What’s included — and what you buy
This is the part most homeowners get burned on. Here’s how a standard IL Total kitchen splits out. Your exact scope is tailored at your consult, but the structure stays the same.
| We include (labor & rough materials) | You purchase (finish materials) |
|---|---|
| 3D design & birdseye cabinet layout, approved before anything is ordered | Countertop slabs (quartz or your choice) |
| Custom cabinetry — designed, supplied and installed | Sink, faucet, garbage disposal |
| Demolition, dust protection, and haul-away | Backsplash & any decorative tile |
| Rough plumbing — sink/island relocation, gas line, hood vent, angle stops, P-traps | Appliances |
| Rough electrical per design — outlets, range/hood/dishwasher circuits, pendant & under-cabinet lighting | Light fixtures |
| Framing, drywall repair, texture and paint in the work area | Cabinet hardware |
| Quartz countertop fabrication, backsplash tile, finish-fixture install | — |
| Permits, inspections, portable toilet & dumpster, final cleanup | — |
We deliver and install everything in the left column, cabinetry included — so you’re not coordinating a separate cabinet vendor on the side. You also get a material list with realistic budget figures up front, so there are no blind spots on the finishes you buy.
We shop the finishes with you — at contractor pricing
Choosing finishes is where most homeowners feel lost, so you don’t do it alone. We take you through the design showrooms in Miramar in person and help you choose your tile, countertops, fixtures, faucets and hardware so everything works together. And we don’t mark those materials up — you pay our direct contractor pricing, which is often 10–20% below retail. That saving frequently offsets a meaningful part of the labor difference between us and a cheaper bid.
A recent kitchen, start to finish
A full kitchen we designed and built in Carlsbad — custom white-oak cabinetry, a waterfall quartz island, integrated panel appliances, and the kind of hidden storage that only comes from designing the cabinets ourselves.
Our kitchen remodel process
The same sequence every time — it’s what keeps a kitchen on schedule and out of trouble.
- Design & 3D layout. We design the kitchen and render it in 3D. Nothing is ordered or demolished until you approve the layout.
- Demolition & protection. Floors and the path to the kitchen are covered; old cabinets, counters and fixtures come out and get hauled away.
- Rough plumbing, gas & electrical. Sink and island lines, gas to the range, hood venting, and all circuits are run to the new design and inspected.
- Framing & drywall. Any wall, soffit, window or door changes are framed; drywall is patched, textured and primed.
- Cabinet installation. Your custom cabinets are set level and secure, with crown, fillers and hardware.
- Countertop fabrication. We template, fabricate and install your quartz on a plywood base, with the sink cut to fit.
- Backsplash & finish fixtures. Tile, grout and trim go in; faucet, sink, disposal and hood are installed and tested.
- Final walkthrough. We test everything, clean up, and walk the finished kitchen with you.
How long it takes
Most standard San Diego kitchen remodels run roughly 6–10 weeks of on-site work once your finish materials are on hand. The single biggest scheduling variable is cabinetry: custom cabinets typically carry a 4–8 week lead time, so we design and order early while other prep happens. Kitchens that involve moving windows, removing walls, relocating gas, or post-tension slab work add time — we give you a realistic, project-specific schedule at your consult rather than a number that slips the moment we start.
What it costs — and why we’re not the cheapest
Kitchen pricing swings widely with cabinetry, countertop material, and how much plumbing and electrical moves, so an honest number comes from your actual scope, not a web page. What we can tell you is why our bid usually lands above the lowest one: it includes a detailed scope that protects you from change-order creep, custom cabinetry and a proper countertop substrate, code-correct plumbing, gas and electrical, permits and inspections, and one team that carries the project end to end. On materials we push the other way — you buy your finishes at our contractor pricing, not retail, which claws back part of the difference. A cheaper bid often gets to its number by leaving the build items off the page — then adding them back once the work has started. We’d rather show you the whole number now. Bring us the other estimate and we’ll walk you through exactly where the difference is.
Get a real number for your kitchen
Tell us what you want to change and we’ll put together a clear scope, a realistic budget, and a timeline — no vague estimates, no pressure.
Kitchen remodeling — frequently asked questions
What’s included in your kitchen remodel, and what do I buy myself?
How long does a kitchen remodel take in San Diego?
Why does your kitchen remodel cost more than the other contractor I spoke to?
Do you design and supply the cabinets too?
Do I have to pick all the finishes myself?
Do you handle permits and inspections?
Keep exploring
Note: Scope, timeline and pricing vary by project, lot and finish selections. The ranges on this page are typical for San Diego kitchen remodels and are confirmed for your home in a free consult — they aren’t a quote. IL Total Design & Build, licensed San Diego design-build contractor, CSLB #1058676.