This case study describes a composite project based on a kitchen type we build regularly in Brookside — a 1940s brick Tudor with a closed kitchen, one-wall layout, and original plumbing. Names and exact address details have been changed. The cost figures are accurate to KC market conditions in 2025–2026.
The house and the brief
A 1942 brick Tudor in Brookside, 1,850 square feet, two and a half bathrooms, three bedrooms. The kitchen was original — not 1942 original, but a 1978 remodel that froze the room in avocado green and dark-stained oak. The layout was a one-wall galley on the north side of the house, 9x11 feet, separated from the dining room by a full wall with a pass-through window.
The homeowners — a couple who’d been in the house for six years and planned to stay another 15+ — had three goals: open the kitchen to the dining room, add an island, and make it not look like 1978.
The structural assessment
The wall between the kitchen and dining room was load-bearing. In a 1940s Tudor, this is almost always the case — the roof and floor loads above route through interior walls in a way that post-war tract construction often doesn’t. A structural engineer reviewed the situation and determined that the wall could be opened with a 12-foot LVL beam, supported on one end by the existing exterior wall framing and on the other by a new steel column integrated into the adjacent butler’s pantry cabinet.
Engineering drawings: $1,400. LVL beam and steel column material: $2,200. Structural framing and installation: $6,800. Drywall repair in the dining room and adjacent ceiling areas: $3,200.
Structural subtotal: $13,600.
What demo revealed
When the kitchen came apart, two things showed up that weren’t visible from the surface.
The original 1942 plumbing — cast iron drain stack and galvanized supply lines — had never been replaced. The supply lines were still functional but significantly corroded internally. The galvanized pipe was running at reduced diameter from scale buildup. A 1978 kitchen remodel that touched only surfaces left this infrastructure untouched.
The subfloor under the original vinyl had water damage near the sink base — a slow drain leak at some point in the past, long since dried out but leaving a 3x4 area of soft plywood that needed replacement.
We reported both discoveries the day demo revealed them. Written change orders, approval before proceeding.
Plumbing replacement (galvanized supply to copper/PEX throughout the kitchen, new DWV connections): $3,800. Subfloor repair: $900.
Discovery subtotal: $4,700. (This was the contingency category in the original bid.)
The design and material selections
Cabinetry: Semi-custom painted shaker in Accessible Beige (a warm white-adjacent tone that read correctly against the brick Tudor aesthetic). Cabinet run to the ceiling — 10-foot ceilings in this Brookside Tudor allowed for the upper cabinets to run 54” tall above standard 36” base cabinets, creating a built-in look without full-custom pricing. The island was a custom piece from the same manufacturer, with a painted base and butcher block top (different from the perimeter quartz — intentional contrast).
Cabinet material and installation: $22,400.
Countertops: Calacatta-look quartz on the perimeter, 3cm with a waterfall edge on the island leg adjacent to the dining room (now open). Butcher block insert on the island work surface.
Quartz + butcher block, installed: $8,600.
Appliances: Mid-tier package — Bosch 30” induction range (the 1942 Tudor has no gas line in the kitchen; electrical was already available), Bosch dishwasher, a KitchenAid counter-depth refrigerator. 600 CFM external-vent hood with exterior exhaust (required a run through the exterior wall and a new makeup-air damper). Appliances supply-only by homeowner; installation by us: $2,800.
Electrical: New circuits for the range (50A), dishwasher, refrigerator, and two small-appliance circuits. Updated GFCI placement throughout. Recessed lighting (11 cans, dimmable), four pendants over the island (owner-supplied fixtures), under-cabinet LED strip. Panel had capacity without upgrade. Total electrical: $6,200.
Flooring: 5” wide-plank white oak LVP running continuous from the kitchen through the now-open dining room, replacing the 1978 vinyl in the kitchen and the 1990s-era laminate in the dining room. New baseboards throughout both rooms. Total: $6,400.
Tile backsplash: Unlacquered brass-accented zellige tiles from Morocco (owner-sourced), 4” square in a soft white with natural variation. Installation including proper adhesive for handmade tile and sanded grout: $2,100.
Painting: Kitchen and dining room repainted including ceiling. $1,800.
Permits, dumpster, misc.: $1,900.
GC overhead and project management: $4,500.
Final cost breakdown
| Category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Structural (wall removal, beam, column, drywall) | $13,600 |
| Discovery change orders (plumbing, subfloor) | $4,700 |
| Cabinetry | $22,400 |
| Countertops | $8,600 |
| Appliance installation (owner-supplied) | $2,800 |
| Electrical | $6,200 |
| Flooring (kitchen + dining) | $6,400 |
| Tile backsplash | $2,100 |
| Painting | $1,800 |
| Permits, dumpster, misc. | $1,900 |
| GC overhead and PM | $4,500 |
| Total | $75,000 |
Original fixed bid: $66,200 plus a $4,500 contingency (for discoveries). Change orders came in at $4,700 — $200 over the contingency allowance. Total overage from bid: $4,600 (7%). This is within normal range for a full gut in a 1942 home with original plumbing infrastructure.
Timeline
Permit application submitted: Week 0. Permit issued: Week 2 (KCMO standard residential review). Demo through rough-in: Weeks 3–5. Cabinet installation: Week 6. Countertop template: Week 7 (waiting for cabinet installation to be fully complete). Countertop fabrication: Weeks 7–9. Countertop installation: Week 9. Tile, flooring, painting, trim, fixtures: Weeks 8–11. Appliance delivery and installation: Week 11. Punch list walkthrough: Week 12. Final sign-off: Week 12.
Total project duration: 12 weeks from permit issue to homeowner sign-off.
What the homeowners said
“The thing we didn’t fully appreciate until we were in it is how much the structural engineer and the change-order process protected us. When the plumbing showed up, we had a clear number and a clear decision to make. We were never asked to just trust that the cost would be reasonable — we saw it in writing before we said yes. That made the surprise much less stressful than we expected.”
That’s the goal.