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

Alec's Construction remodels kitchens in Riverhead (11901), 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 Riverhead

Outside its downtown, Riverhead is farm country, and its farmhouses have the most varied kitchens on the East End. A farmhouse kitchen may be in a back ell that was added onto the original house, with its own roofline, its own floor height and its own wiring history. It may have been the busiest room in the house for a century, so the floor shows the wear and the framing below can show it too. Remodeling one usually means leveling floors, rewiring the room and choosing which old details to keep. The 1950s to 80s ranches and colonials on big lots along the county roads are simpler, with more standard kitchens that open well to a family room. Downtown, near the Peconic River, the riverfront blocks are in the mapped flood zone, and any work below the main floor has to account for that.

What We Look at First in Riverhead

In a farmhouse we start with the floor and the framing under it, checking for sag, rot or old notches cut for pipes. In a ranch or colonial we start with the wall we want to open and the panel. Near the river downtown we check the flood map first. Riverhead files with the Town of Riverhead at Town Hall on Howell Avenue, not with any other East End town.

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 Riverhead

Riverhead files with the Town of Riverhead at Town Hall on Howell Avenue; the downtown waterfront along the Peconic River and the streets around it are in 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 Riverhead, 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

What should I expect when remodeling an old farmhouse kitchen in Riverhead?

Expect the walls to tell you things. Farmhouse kitchens were often added or rearranged over many years, so once the walls and floor are open there may be old wiring, notched joists or a floor laid over another floor. We plan for those possibilities, level the floor before cabinets go in, and run new circuits for the appliances. The permit goes to the Town of Riverhead on Howell Avenue.

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

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 Riverhead?

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 Riverhead?

Riverhead files with the Town of Riverhead at Town Hall on Howell Avenue; the downtown waterfront along the Peconic River and the streets around it are in 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 Riverhead through the cold months: Bathroom Remodeling and Interior Painting.

Also Serving Riverhead

Talk to Alec's Construction About Kitchen Remodeling in Riverhead

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.