Here's what I'm not going to do: throw a price at your kitchen remodel without seeing your kitchen. Any contractor who quotes a kitchen blind is guessing, and guesses have a way of doubling once the demolition starts.
Sunrise has a lot of kitchens that are original to the house — dark oak cabinets from the 80s, laminate counters, soffits boxing everything in, the fluorescent light panel. Solid houses, tired kitchens. The question I get first is always the same: what's this going to cost, and is it worth doing? Here's the honest breakdown.
I'm Joe. I run Onel Construction out of Boca Raton. Fifteen years remodeling kitchens across South Florida, and Sunrise's 70s-through-90s housing stock is exactly the kind of work I do best.
Where the Money Goes in a Sunrise Kitchen Remodel
Every kitchen breaks down the same way. Here's the honest anatomy:
Cabinets — the biggest line item. This is where budgets are made or broken. Refacing your existing boxes (new doors, new drawer fronts) costs a fraction of full replacement — and a lot of Sunrise's older cabinets are genuinely solid wood boxes worth keeping. Stock cabinets are the value play. Semi-custom gets you the sizes and finishes you actually want. Full custom is beautiful and priced like it. Most of my customers land in the middle — and that's usually the smart money.
The soffits. Those boxed-in bulkheads above the cabinets in 80s and 90s kitchens — removing them opens the kitchen up and lets you run taller cabinets to the ceiling. Sometimes they're empty, sometimes they're hiding ductwork or plumbing. I check before we plan around it, because what's inside determines whether it's a quick demo or a reroute.
Counters. Laminate is the budget option and there's no shame in it. Quartz is what most people choose now — tough, low maintenance, looks great. Granite, marble, butcher block — each has trade-offs I'll walk you through. The material is only half the cost; fabrication and installation is the rest.
Layout changes. The silent budget killer. Keeping your sink, stove, and fridge where they are? Reasonable. Moving plumbing, gas lines, or electrical across the kitchen? Every move is labor, permits, and inspections. Sometimes it's worth it — a bad layout is a bad layout. But go in with your eyes open: the floor plan drives the price more than the finishes do.
The stuff you don't see. Electrical panel capacity, plumbing condition behind the walls, subfloor issues. I don't know what's back there until we open it up, and neither does anyone else. I budget honestly for the unknowns instead of pretending they don't exist.
The Order of Operations — Why It Matters
A kitchen remodel is choreography. Demo, then rough plumbing and electrical, then inspections, then drywall, then cabinets, then counters (templated after cabinets are in — always), then backsplash, then fixtures and appliances. Skip a step or do them out of order and you pay for it twice.
This is where experience shows. A cheap crew rips everything out on day one and then stands around waiting on inspections. I sequence the job so there's always work happening and you're not living without a kitchen a day longer than necessary.
Do I Need a Permit for a Kitchen Remodel in Sunrise?
For electrical, plumbing, or structural changes — yes. New circuits, relocated drains, gas line work, opening walls: all permitted, all inspected. If your project involves taking down a wall, my engineer Troy Bishop reviews the structural side before anything comes down — no guessing on load-bearing walls.
A contractor who suggests skipping permits on a kitchen is telling you he doesn't want anyone looking at his work. The inspection protects you, and on a project this size, you want that paper trail.
How to Not Get Burned
Deposits. A reasonable deposit is normal — materials have to be ordered. A contractor demanding most of the money upfront is a red flag the size of a billboard. My payment schedules are tied to completed milestones. You pay as real work gets done.
The allowance game. Some contractors bid low with tiny "allowances" for cabinets, counters, and fixtures — numbers so small you can't actually buy anything decent. Then every selection becomes a change order and the price balloons. I spec realistic numbers from the start.
One throat to choke. Onel Construction LLC is a licensed general contractor — CGC1511492. Plumbing, electrical, drywall, tile, cabinets — I run the whole job. You make one phone call: mine. (561) 462-9293.
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What About Cost? The Honest Answer
I price every kitchen in person after I see it, measure it, and talk through what you want. What I can tell you now:
- Small refreshes (paint, fixtures, hardware, minor updates) can finance from $120/month with approved credit through Acorn.
- Full remodels typically land in the low $200s–$300s/month with approved credit, rates as low as 4.49% APR.
- The cabinets, the counters, and the layout changes drive the number — not the zip code.
Free in-home estimate. I'll measure, we'll talk scope, and you'll get a real price for your actual kitchen.
Straight talk on numbers: the financing figures above are examples from Acorn's programs, not quotes — your actual payment depends on approved credit and the scope of your job. Material prices have moved with recent tariff increases, so don't treat any ballpark as a bid. The free estimate I give you in person uses current numbers.
Why Me and Not the Other Guy
A measure tech comes out. No salesman — we measure your kitchen, look at what{A}s behind the soffits, and price it in writing.
I won't sell you what you don't need. Solid wood boxes from the 80s? I'll tell you to reface and put the savings into counters or appliances. I'd rather have you call me for the next project than oversell this one.
No allowance games. Realistic numbers from the start. The price I give you is built to hold.
One contractor, start to finish. Licensed and insured. Cabinets, counters, plumbing, electrical, tile, drywall — me and my guys, one schedule, one phone number.
Related Services
- Bathroom Remodeling in Sunrise — that original bathroom is probably next.
- Roof Replacement in Sunrise — the exterior to match the new interior.
- Kitchen Remodeling in Boca Raton — my main kitchen page, same straight process.
Sunrise Kitchen Remodeling FAQ
My kitchen is original 1980s — dark cabinets, soffits, the works. Where do we start?
With the layout and the boxes. If the cabinet boxes are solid, refacing plus new counters, lighting, and backsplash transforms the room for a fraction of a gut job. If the layout doesn't work or the boxes are shot, we plan a full remodel. I'll tell you which one you're looking at when I see it.
Can you remove the soffits above my cabinets?
Usually yes — and it makes a dramatic difference, letting you run cabinets to the ceiling. But I check what's inside them first: sometimes it's empty, sometimes it's ductwork or plumbing that needs rerouting. No surprises on demo day.
How long will I be without a working kitchen?
A full remodel typically runs four to eight weeks depending on scope. I'll give you a real timeline after I've seen the space, and we'll plan a temporary setup — microwave, toaster oven, grill — before demo day.
Do I need a permit?
For electrical, plumbing, or structural changes, yes — and most real kitchen remodels include at least one. I pull the permits and coordinate inspections. You don't fill out a thing.
Let's Talk About Your Sunrise Kitchen
Call or text (561) 462-9293. Free in-home estimate. I'll look at the space, listen to what you want, and give you a straight price — no games, no pressure.
Onel Construction LLC — 7100 W Camino Real, Ste 302, Boca Raton, FL 33433. Licensed & insured, CGC1511492. Serving Sunrise and all of Broward County.
