In this article
In short
- Start with how you cook, host and store things. The layout should follow your habits, not the other way around.
- Widely used guidelines from the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA): 42-inch work aisles (48 inches with two cooks), 36-inch walkways, and a work triangle of 26 feet or less.
- In San Jose, replacing cabinets, countertops, tile or flooring does not need a permit. Moving or adding a sink, an appliance or a wall makes it a major remodel that needs plans.
- Lock in appliance models and cabinet drawings before demolition, and order long-lead items early.
Most kitchen regrets come from decisions made too late: an appliance that does not fit the opening, an outlet hidden behind a hood, a drawer that hits a fridge door. Every one of them is cheap to fix on paper and expensive to fix in plywood. The sections below move in the order a good project does, from how you live to how the work is sequenced.
Start with how you live
Before you pick a style, write down how the kitchen is used on a normal weekday and on its busiest day. A one-page brief saves more money than any material choice, because it keeps the design aimed at real problems.
- How many people cook at once, and who cleans up?
- Do guests gather in the kitchen? Where do they stand?
- What is hardest to find, reach or store today?
- Which appliances do you use daily, and which could live in a pantry?
- Where do groceries, trash, recycling and pet supplies go?
- Do kids need a homework or snack spot?
- What must stay, and what do you dislike about the current layout?
Photograph and measure the existing room, including ceiling height, window and door openings, and the location of the sink, gas line, electrical panel and exhaust duct. Those fixed points decide how much of the layout can change without opening walls or moving utilities.
Layout and clearances
The NKBA publishes planning guidelines that designers use as a baseline. They are guidelines, not code, and local rules can be stricter, but they describe what tends to feel comfortable in daily use.
| Item | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Work aisle, one cook | 42 inches minimum, measured between counters, tall cabinets or appliances |
| Work aisle, two or more cooks | 48 inches minimum |
| Walkway | 36 inches minimum |
| Work triangle | Each leg 4 to 9 feet, and all three legs together 26 feet or less |
| Counter beside the sink | 24 inches on one side and 18 inches on the other |
| Counter beside the cooktop | 12 inches on one side and 15 inches on the other |
| Counter beside the refrigerator | 15 inches on the handle side |
| Preparation area | 36 inches wide and 24 inches deep, next to the sink |
| Seating, no traffic behind | 32 inches from the counter edge to a wall or obstruction |
| Seating, traffic behind | 36 inches to edge past, 44 inches to walk past |
| Clearance above the cooktop | 30 inches to combustible material (24 inches allowed with an approved hood or noncombustible protection) |
The work triangle connects the sink, the cooktop and the refrigerator. Short legs make a kitchen efficient, but the triangle is not a rule to obey blindly. Kitchens with several cooks, a large island or separate prep and cleanup areas often work better when they are planned as zones: cooking, cleanup, preparation and storage, with traffic that does not cut through any of them.
- Work aisle between the counter and the island: at least 42 inches with one cook, 48 inches with two.
- Walkway: at least 36 inches.
- Work triangle: each leg 4 to 9 feet and all three legs together no more than 26 feet. In this example the legs measure 5.5, 6.5 and 6.5 feet, a total of 18.5 feet.
An island is not automatically better. It earns its place when every aisle around it stays at or above the clearances in the table. In a narrow room, a peninsula or a rolling worktable can give you the surface without choking the traffic.
Safety placements worth knowing
- Do not place a cooktop under an operable window, and keep flammable window treatments away from it.
- Keep a fire extinguisher near the kitchen exit, away from the cooking surface and 15 to 48 inches above the floor.
- Choose a cooktop whose controls do not make you reach across hot burners.
Cabinets and storage
Cabinets are usually the largest line item and the longest lead time, so settle them early. There are three broad tiers: stock cabinets in standard sizes, semi-custom cabinets with more sizes and finishes, and fully custom cabinets built to your measurements. Cost and lead time generally rise in that order, so ask every supplier for the lead time in writing.
Where storage upgrades earn their keep:
- Deep drawers instead of doors for base cabinets, so nothing disappears at the back
- Full-extension, soft-close hardware
- A pull-out for trash and recycling near the prep area
- A tall pantry or a pull-out pantry
- Corner solutions such as blind-corner pull-outs
- Vertical dividers for trays, cutting boards and baking sheets
Ask for the cabinet layout as a drawing with every cabinet labeled, and have the contractor check it against the appliance specifications before anything is ordered. Filler panels, crown molding and toe-kick details are cheap to plan and expensive to fix.
Counters, backsplash and surfaces
Choose the countertop for how you cook as much as for how it looks.
| Material | Strengths | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Quartz (engineered) | Low maintenance, consistent pattern, non-porous | Very high heat can damage the resin; seams show on long runs |
| Natural stone (granite, quartzite, marble) | Distinctive, durable | Needs periodic sealing; marble etches from acids such as lemon juice and wine |
| Solid surface | Seamless look, repairable | Softer, so it scratches and can mark from heat |
| Butcher block | Warm, can be sanded and refinished | Needs oiling and sensitive to standing water |
| Porcelain slab | Resists heat and stains | Edges can chip; not every fabricator is experienced with it |
| Tile | Budget friendly, many patterns | Grout lines need regular cleaning |
Most fabricators measure a template for the countertop once the cabinets are installed, then fabricate it, so allow time between cabinet installation and the counters. Plan outlet positions before the backsplash is set, so the plates line up with the tile instead of fighting it. In San Jose, countertops and tile are among the surface improvements that do not need a permit.
Lighting, ventilation and power
Lighting. Plan three layers: ambient light from ceiling fixtures, task lighting over every work surface (under-cabinet fixtures are the usual answer), and accents such as pendants over an island. Put each layer on its own switch or dimmer so the room can shift from cooking to dinner to late-night snack.
Ventilation. A hood that vents to the outdoors removes moisture, grease and combustion byproducts that a recirculating hood leaves in the room. NKBA recommends a ducted system rated at 150 cfm or more. The code minimum for a ducted hood is 100 cfm, and very powerful systems (over 400 cfm) need makeup air. In San Jose, replacing an exhaust hood requires a third-party HERS verification report and ENERGY STAR compliant equipment rated at 100 CFM or more.
Power. Countertop receptacles, receptacles within 6 feet of the sink’s outer edge and dishwasher outlets need GFCI protection, and receptacles cannot be installed face-up in a countertop. Large appliances often need their own circuits, which your electrician will size from the appliance specifications. That is why model numbers should be final before rough-in begins.
Water and gas. Moving a sink or a dishwasher means new supply and drain lines, and moving a gas appliance means new piping. Replacing appliances where new electrical, plumbing or mechanical work is involved falls under a minor permit in San Jose. Relocating them is a major remodel.
Permits in San Jose
San Jose splits kitchen and bathroom work into two categories (Building Bulletin #274 (opens in a new tab)):
| Category | What it covers | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| No permit | Cabinet refacing or replacement, countertops, tile, flooring of any size, painting, non-rated drywall, and swapping faucets or outlets in place | Nothing, as long as there are no structural, electrical or plumbing changes |
| Minor remodel | Replacing several fixtures or appliances with new electrical, plumbing or mechanical work, with no change to their number or location and no structural change | A minor kitchen and bath permit, obtained online with no plans |
| Major remodel | Changing walls, windows or framing, or relocating or adding fixtures or appliances | Plans and plan review |
Rough and final inspections are required, and inspectors ask for a completed smoke and carbon monoxide alarm affidavit. If an inspector finds structural changes on a minor permit, plans and plan review for a major remodel will be required. Our permit guide explains the process step by step.
A realistic order of work
- Design and selections. Layout, cabinet drawings, appliance models, fixtures and finishes are decided and recorded in writing.
- Ordering. Cabinets, appliances, windows and special-order items are ordered, with delivery dates confirmed.
- Permit. Applications go in, and permitted work does not start until the permit is issued.
- Demolition and protection. Dust barriers, floor protection, utility shutoffs and a temporary kitchen are set up.
- Rough-in. Framing changes, plumbing, electrical and mechanical work are done while the walls are open.
- Rough inspection. The inspector checks the work before it is covered.
- Insulation, drywall and paint preparation. The walls are closed and finished once the rough inspection has passed.
- Flooring and cabinets. Floors go in first, then the cabinets are set and leveled.
- Countertop template and fabrication. The fabricator measures once the cabinets are in, then builds and installs the counters.
- Backsplash, trim-out and appliances. Fixtures, lighting and appliances are connected.
- Final inspection and punch list. Anything that needs adjusting is written down and fixed.
Plan around phases and milestones, not a single end date. Ask for a written schedule that marks the long-lead items, the inspection points and the decisions you owe, with dates.
Kitchen planning checklist
- A one-page brief of how the kitchen is used
- Measured drawings of the existing room, with utilities marked
- Aisles, walkways and landing areas checked against the guidelines
- Cabinet drawings with every cabinet labeled
- Final appliance models and their specification sheets
- Lighting plan with separate switches for each layer
- A ducted hood sized for the cooktop
- Outlets planned before the backsplash
- A written schedule with long-lead items and inspection points
- A temporary kitchen plan for the weeks without a sink
Ready to plan your kitchen?
Our kitchen team can walk through your layout, appliances and permit path in a free consultation.
Quick answers
Do I need a permit to replace my cabinets and countertops?
Not in San Jose, as long as the work involves no structural, electrical or plumbing changes. Cabinet replacement, countertops, tile, flooring and painting are all listed as work that does not need a permit.
What is an allowance?
A placeholder budget for items you have not chosen yet, such as tile, lighting or plumbing fixtures. If your selection costs more than the allowance, the difference is added to your price through a written change order.
Can I live at home during the remodel?
Often, with a plan. Set up a temporary kitchen in another room with a microwave, a small refrigerator and a place to wash dishes, and ask your contractor about dust control and which days the water or power will be off.
Sources and further reading
The figures and requirements in this guide were checked against these public sources in November 2026. Codes, fees and thresholds change, so confirm the current rules before you start.
About this guide. Written by the GLS Construction team. GLS Construction is a licensed general contractor (License #835800) in San Jose and a division of General Landscaping Service, established in 2002. You can check any contractor's license on the CSLB website.
This article is general information. It is not legal, engineering or financial advice, and it does not replace the advice of the building department that reviews your project.
