How long does a kitchen renovation take?

It depends on scope, but the on-site portion of a full kitchen renovation is typically measured in weeks, not months, once cabinetry has arrived. Cabinetry and stone have lead times of their own, which is why we order them before demolition begins. You receive a written schedule at step eight of our process, and we build to it.

Can we live in the house during the renovation?

Most of our clients do. We set up dust walls, protect floors and pathways, and help you plan a temporary kitchen. We also keep a predictable daily schedule so you know when the crew arrives and leaves.

Do you work with my interior designer?

Yes, and we enjoy it. Designers refer us because the work is clean and the communication is clear. If you do not have a designer, our concept presentation at step six covers layout, elevations and finishes.

How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Kitchener-Waterloo?

There is no honest single number: a cabinet-and-counter refresh and a full structural reconfiguration are very different projects. What we can promise is a written preliminary proposal with projected costs after a site visit, at no charge, so you have real figures before you commit to anything.

Where do the cabinets and countertops come from?

From local fabricators and suppliers we have partnered with for years. Our countertop partner Top Choice Counters is one example. Local sourcing keeps lead times shorter and gives us someone to call when something needs adjusting.

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Kitchen renovations

Kitchen renovations in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge

The kitchen is where a renovation pays you back every day. We design and build custom kitchens that work harder, feel calmer and hold their value, whether that means new kitchen cabinets and stone in the existing footprint or a full remodel that takes down walls and starts again.

Start a project Call (519) 897-1561

Serving Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. Based at 6 Colby Court, Waterloo, since 2007.

White oak kitchen with a quartz-topped island, upholstered stools and brass pendants

Gas range beneath a white oak hood with a brass pot filler and marble backsplash

What a kitchen renovation with us includes

Every item below is planned, priced and scheduled in writing before construction begins.

Kitchen design
Layout, elevations and finishes planned around how you cook and live, presented as a concept at step six of our process before anything is ordered. If you already have an interior designer, we work alongside them.
Layout and structure
Opening walls to the dining or living room, relocating plumbing and electrical, adding an island or a walk-in pantry. We handle the engineering and the permit drawings.
Custom cabinetry
Kitchen cabinets built for your exact dimensions, in painted shaker, white oak, walnut or a mix. Interiors are planned around what you own: the stand mixer, the sheet pans, the recycling.
Countertops and backsplash
Quartz, granite, porcelain slab and marble, templated and installed by fabricators we have worked with for years, including Top Choice Counters.
Lighting
Layered properly: pot lights for the work zones, pendants over the island, under-cabinet light where you actually chop, and dimmers on all of it.
Flooring
Hardwood, engineered wood, porcelain tile or luxury vinyl plank, matched to the adjoining rooms so the new kitchen reads as part of the house.
Appliances and fixtures
Panel-ready and integrated appliances, pot fillers, proper ventilation that is vented outside, and plumbing done to code the first time.
Finishing
Trim, crown, paint, hardware and the small alignments that make a kitchen look finished rather than installed.

Designed around how you cook, host and live. Built by one team.

Before we draw anything, we watch how your kitchen works now. Where the mess collects, where two people collide, where the light falls at six in the evening. The concept we present at step six answers those specifics, not a magazine.

From that point forward you deal with one contractor and one project manager. Our own crew handles demolition, framing, drywall, tile and finish carpentry, and our long-standing trade partners cover plumbing, electrical, countertops and cabinetry. Nobody is being introduced to your project halfway through.

Finishes are chosen with samples in your home, in your light, against your floors. That is how you end up with a white oak that still looks warm on a grey February afternoon.

How our process works

Finishes we return to

Chosen with samples in your home, in your light. All photographs are RTC projects.

Detail of white oak island drawers with slim brass pulls — **White oak**Rift-cut, clear-coated

Marble backsplash and brass pot filler above a gas range, styled with ceramics — **Marble and brass**Backsplash, pot filler

Range wall with a custom oak hood, brass pot filler and white shaker cabinetry — **Painted shaker**With a custom oak hood

Detail of charcoal shaker cabinet doors — **Charcoal shaker**For islands and millwork

White kitchen with walnut accents, an island range hood and bar seating — **Walnut accents**Against painted uppers

Floor-to-ceiling white oak cabinetry with integrated wall ovens — **Integrated appliances**Full-height pantry walls

Recent kitchens

Open the full gallery

White shaker kitchen with a farmhouse sink, brass bridge faucet and garden window

White oak kitchen island with upholstered counter stools and globe pendant lights

Photographed in a completed RTC kitchen

From a client

We used RTC for our kitchen renovation and we can’t say enough good things. Chad and his team were skilled, detail oriented, organized, and most importantly on schedule! Chad was a pleasure to work with. His easy-going nature kept the stress level to a minimum, and his ability to navigate the contractor / client relationship was excellent. We really love our kitchen and can’t wait to work with RTC again in the future!

Jessica SomertonHomeowner, kitchen renovation

Kitchens across Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge

The housing stock changes from one city to the next. So does the permit office. We know both.

Kitchener

Many Kitchener kitchens we renovate sit in century homes near downtown and Victoria Park, or in post-war bungalows and side-splits in Forest Heights, Stanley Park and Doon. The usual brief is the same: open a closed galley to the dining room without losing storage. More on kitchen renovations in Kitchener.

Waterloo

In Waterloo we see a lot of 1980s and 1990s two-storeys in Beechwood, Laurelwood and Lakeshore where the peninsula is the first thing to go. Swapping it for a working island changes how the whole main floor feels. More on kitchen renovations in Waterloo.

Cambridge

Cambridge kitchens range from stone and brick heritage homes in Galt to newer builds in Hespeler and Preston. In the older houses we plan carefully around thick walls and uneven floors so the finished kitchen looks like it has always belonged.

Do you need a permit for a kitchen renovation?

Usually not for new cabinets and counters in the same layout. Usually yes once plumbing moves, a wall comes out or a window opening changes. The three cities do not agree on every line, so here is what each one publishes.

Do you need a permit for a kitchen renovation?
Work	Kitchener	Waterloo	Cambridge
Cabinets, countertops, tile, paint and flooring in the same layout	No permit	Not listedNot mentioned on the city's list	Not listedCupboards without plumbing and painting need none; countertops, tile and flooring are not mentioned
Replacing a toilet, sink or tub in the same location	No permit	No permitSame type, same location	Not listed
Adding or moving plumbing fixtures, including a new bathroom	Permit	PermitIncluding new fixtures at an existing rough-in	Permit
Removing a non-load-bearing wall	No permitIn a single, semi-detached or townhouse dwelling	PermitAdding or removing walls, interior demolition	PermitAdding or removing walls
Removing a load-bearing wall, beam or column	Permit	PermitStructural change	PermitInterior structural alteration
A new window or door, or a wider opening	Permit	PermitA new or wider opening is a structural change; elevations are required when exterior windows or doors change	Permit
Electrical work: new circuits, lighting, a panel upgrade	ESA permitThe city does not inspect electrical	ESA permit	ESA permit

Permit building permit requiredNo permit the city says none is neededNot listed not on the city's published list, so ask firstESA permit electrical permit from the Electrical Safety Authority

From each city's published permit list, checked October 2026. We confirm the exact requirements for every project and handle the drawings, applications and inspections. The full comparison, with fees and timelines, is in our permit guide.

Kitchens questions, answered.

If yours is not here, the fastest answer is a phone call to (519) 897-1561.

New cabinets, counters and flooring in the same layout do not need a building permit in Kitchener, and Cambridge lists cupboards without plumbing and painting as no-permit work. Moving or adding plumbing fixtures or removing a load-bearing wall needs a permit in all three cities, Waterloo and Cambridge also require one to remove any wall, and a new or wider window opening needs one in all three cities (in Waterloo, as a structural change). Electrical work needs a separate permit from the Electrical Safety Authority. We prepare the drawings and handle the applications as part of the project.

Kitchens and bathrooms are the rooms buyers in this region respond to most, so a well-planned kitchen usually helps both the price and how quickly a home sells. The return depends on fit: a kitchen in step with the house and the street pays back better than one built far beyond it. If you plan to sell within a year or two, our renovate-to-sell service focuses on the upgrades buyers notice; if you are staying, we design for how you live first.

Planning guides

All renovation guides

Open-plan living room looking through to a renovated kitchen

Permits

More ways we can help.

Freestanding tub beneath a crystal chandelier with vertical wood-look tile

Start with a conversation.

Tell us about the room, the house and what is not working. We will come back to you to arrange the next step, which is a free site visit and a written proposal.

Call(519) 897-1561

Emailsales@rtcrenovations.ca

Shop6 Colby Court, Unit 5, Waterloo, ON N2V 1Y9

Fully insured, bondable and WSIB covered. Building in Waterloo Region since 2007.

White kitchen with a farmhouse sink below a bright window

Kitchen renovations in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge

What a kitchen renovation with us includes

Kitchen design

Layout and structure

Custom cabinetry

Countertops and backsplash

Lighting

Flooring

Appliances and fixtures

Finishing

Designed around how you cook, host and live. Built by one team.

Finishes we return to

Recent kitchens

From a client