Two Long Island companies publish kitchen prices, and they are far apart. Center Island Contracting’s lowest number, $75,000, is higher than anything in OZ General Contracting’s first two tiers. Part of the gap is what gets counted. Center Island includes the appliances, fixtures and lighting you buy, and OZ does not say whether it does.
OZ and Center Island kitchen prices side by side
| Scope | OZ General Contracting, Bellmore (Sep 2026) | Center Island Contracting, Farmingdale (Jun 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Same layout | $15,000 to $30,000, refresh | $75,000 to $125,000, with $35,000 to $45,000 of homeowner-bought appliances, fixtures and lighting |
| Full remodel | $30,000 to $65,000, which OZ calls its most common tier | $100,000 to $150,000 when the sink, range, refrigerator or dishwasher moves |
| Walls and structure | $65,000 to $120,000 and up | Priced from plans, commonly from about $150,000 |
On a Center Island same-layout kitchen, between $35,000 and $45,000 of the total is the homeowner’s own shopping. Ask anyone who comes to measure which way they count.
Moving the sink, the range or a wall
A redesign that only swaps doors and counters keeps the plumbing, gas and wiring where they are. Once something moves, the walls and floor open up.
- Moving plumbing or electrical adds $2,000 to $8,000, by OZ’s numbers. Center Island puts layout changes in general at $10,000 to $35,000, because framing often changes too.
- Opening a wall runs $10,000 to $30,000 or more before finish work at Center Island. A load-bearing wall needs engineering, a beam, posts and inspections.
- Older houses. OZ says homes built before 1970 often turn up old wiring, undersized electrical panels and framing that is not to code once the walls are open, and recommends holding 10 to 15 percent of the budget in reserve.
Where the rest of the money goes
| Item | Published range | Who says |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinets | 30 to 40 percent of the budget; $100 to $300 a linear foot | OZ General Contracting |
| Countertops | About $20 to $40 a square foot for laminate, up to $80 to $150 for quartzite | OZ General Contracting |
| Countertops, whole kitchen | $6,000 to $18,000 and up | Center Island Contracting |
| Appliances | $10,000 to $50,000 and up | Center Island Contracting |
| Electrical capacity | $5,000 to $20,000 and up when circuits or the panel need upgrading | Center Island Contracting |
| Tile and backsplash | $2,000 to $12,000 and up | Center Island Contracting |
If you want to see cabinets in person, two showrooms are on our list. Peconic Kitchen and Bath on Marcy Avenue in Riverhead carries Mouser, Fabuwood, St. Martin, Tribeca and ForeverMark and fabricates its own countertops. Creative Stone and Cabinets lists showrooms in East Northport and Riverhead, with Selden marked coming soon.
Kitchen permits and licensed trades
Cabinets on their own do not need a permit in the Town of Islip. Gas lines and new plumbing fixtures do. Center Island Contracting assumes a permit for any kitchen where fixtures move, and says Long Island permits can take 6 to 10 weeks before work starts. In Nassau, plumbers and electricians are licensed by the town, city or village, so the remodeler’s county license does not cover the person running your new circuits.
Questions for a kitchen remodeler
- Are appliances, fixtures and lighting in this price, or am I buying them?
- What moves, and what does each move add?
- Is the wall load-bearing, and who is the engineer?
- Does your schedule start at signing or at permit approval?
- Who designs the cabinet layout: you, a showroom, or an architect?
Warning signs in a kitchen quote
- One lump number. Rich’s Construction in Suffolk says an estimate should break out materials, labor and timeline. A kitchen quote without separate cabinet, counter and appliance lines cannot be compared.
- Full payment in cash, up front. Rich’s names it as a red flag.
- Pressure to sign on the first visit before you have read the estimate and contract, another one on Rich’s list.