Remodeled kitchen with new cabinets and an island, the kind of work done in Center Moriches, New York

Alec's Construction remodels kitchens in Center Moriches (11934), working out of the yard in East Patchogue. A kitchen job here starts with the house rather than the catalogue — which walls carry load, where the drain and gas can go, how the hood will vent, and whether the electrical panel can feed modern appliances — because those answers shape the layout before a cabinet is chosen.

Kitchen Remodeling in Center Moriches

Center Moriches gives us three different kitchens depending on the street. Near the bay there are older shingle houses where the kitchen has been redone a few times over the decades, each time on top of the last, so the floor can be three layers deep and nothing is quite level. On the canal grids off Senix Creek and Areskonk Creek the 1960s ranches have a closed kitchen at the back with a wall between it and the living room, and that wall is the first thing people ask about. And the newer elevated houses built after 2012 put the kitchen up a full story, with the water, drain and gas lines running down through the enclosure below the floor. North of Montauk Highway the hamlet is wooded and inland, with ranches and splits that are the more ordinary Long Island kitchen problem: a galley that wants to open up.

What We Look at First in Center Moriches

On a ranch, we start in the attic. Whether the wall between kitchen and living room carries the roof depends on which way the ceiling joists run and where they lap, and the attic shows that in a few minutes. On an elevated house we start underneath, tracing how the supply, drain and gas lines get from the enclosure up to the kitchen. Center Moriches files with the Town of Brookhaven, and the waterfront blocks are in the mapped flood zone.

Kitchens in Low Houses Near the Bay

Near the bay many houses are small, on slabs or crawl spaces, and a good number were raised after 2012. In a raised house the kitchen often got rebuilt quickly at the time, and a remodel now is the chance to do it properly.

On a slab, the sink drain is in the concrete, so the sink tends to stay on its wall. In a crawl space the plumbing is reachable, which makes moving the sink to an island possible, though the drain still needs proper venting.

Salt air is hard on appliances and hardware, and humid air is hard on wood. A range hood ducted outside and a sealed, painted finish on the cabinets are worth more here than inland.

In a mapped flood zone a large remodel can count as a substantial improvement, which brings the whole house under the flood rules. We check the address before scoping a full gut so the budget conversation is honest.

New kitchen cabinets, counters and lighting in a Long Island house

The Order of the Work

Kitchens run on lead times, so the order matters. The layout and the cabinet order are locked first, and the demolition date is set from the cabinet delivery, not the other way around.

Once the room is open, the structure and the systems come before anything you can see: a beam where a wall comes out, the drain and its vent, the gas line, new circuits for the appliances, and a hood ducted outdoors. Those get inspected while the walls are open. Then the finishes go in: drywall, floor, cabinets, counters after templating, backsplash and appliances, with a final walkthrough together at the end.

Permits in Center Moriches

Center Moriches files with the Town of Brookhaven at Independence Hill in Farmingville, and the hamlet's waterfront blocks are inside the mapped flood zone. Replacing cabinets and counters in place usually needs no permit, but removing or opening walls, moving plumbing or gas, and new electrical circuits are permitted work in Suffolk, and we file before the work is covered.

Alex walks the house in Center Moriches, photographs what he finds and gives you a written scope in the order the work has to happen — whether or not you hire us. Call (631) 312-7441 to set up a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take out the wall between the kitchen and living room in my Center Moriches ranch?

Often yes, but the wall decides how. In many ranches the ceiling joists rest on a center wall, and the kitchen wall may be part of that line. If it is bearing, the opening needs a beam sized for the span, posts that carry the load down to the foundation, and a permit from the Town of Brookhaven. If it is not bearing, the job is mostly patching the floor, ceiling and the wiring that ran through it.

Can you remove the wall between my kitchen and living room in Center Moriches?

Usually, yes. First we find out whether the wall carries load. If it does, it is replaced with a properly sized beam and posts down to the foundation, and that is permitted work. Plumbing, ducts or wiring in the wall get rerouted. We look at it on the walkthrough and tell you what it involves.

Can my kitchen be done before the holidays in Center Moriches?

Often, if the planning starts early. The deciding factor is the cabinet lead time, not the labor. If the layout and the cabinets are chosen early in the fall, a remodel can usually be finished in time. We give you a realistic date once the cabinet order is placed.

Who issues the permit for kitchen remodeling work in Center Moriches?

Center Moriches files with the Town of Brookhaven at Independence Hill in Farmingville, and the hamlet's waterfront blocks are inside the mapped flood zone. Replacing cabinets and counters in place usually needs no permit, but removing or opening walls, moving plumbing or gas, and new electrical circuits are permitted work in Suffolk, and we file before the work is covered.

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Work With Alec's Construction

This page is written by the crew that does the work. See Alec's Kitchen Remodeling service — layout, walls, venting and power planned before the cabinets are ordered. One crew from the first walkthrough to the last inspection.

Also in Center Moriches through the cold months: Bathroom Remodeling and Interior Painting.

Also Serving Center Moriches

Talk to Alec's Construction About Kitchen Remodeling in Center Moriches

We come out, look at the house, photograph what we find and put a written scope in your hand. No pressure, no obligation. Working across Suffolk County since 2018.

Or call (631) 312-7441

No cost, no obligation. We reply the same day.