St James is Town of Smithtown for most addresses, though the villages of Head of the Harbor and Nissequogue sit alongside it with their own building departments. Confirm which governs yours before filing.
What we see in St James kitchens
Smithtown takes residential building permit applications online, which is a real convenience over towns that still want paper across a counter. Smithtown publishes a residential fee schedule, but its own FAQ notes the posted figures are dated and asks you to call for an accurate number — so call (631) 360-7522 rather than trusting a fee quoted off a web page, ours included. Smithtown specifics.
St James has a mix we like working with — some genuinely old houses with proportions worth building to, and plenty of more ordinary stock where a standard cabinet run drops straight in.
In the older houses, the highest-value move is usually vertical: taking wall cabinets to a real ceiling height rather than stopping at the standard line and leaving a dead strip above. It costs a little more in cabinets and it changes how the room reads.
Permits in St James
The short rule: same footprint is finish work, moving anything that carries water, gas or electricity is not. What that means at Town of Smithtown Building Department has the filing detail, the fees position and the phone number.
What a kitchen costs in St James
Complete installed kitchens run $20,000 to $30,000 — cabinets, quartz, island, new sink and plumbing, demo and labor. The sets came from cancelled orders and are already in our warehouse, which is why the price works and why it is finite. Long Island contractors publish $30,000 to $80,000 for the same job, with a three to sixteen week wait for cabinets.
What the price covers, line by line · why the lead-time gap is so large · five ways to cut a kitchen bill · what belongs in any quote
Verified August 2026. Requirements and fees change and each department publishes independently. Confirm anything here with the Town of Smithtown Building Department at (631) 360-7522 before you order materials or sign a contract.
Want a real number on your kitchen?
We measure on site and price it in writing. Free, no obligation, no showroom.
Also serving, near St James
We are based in East Patchogue and work across Suffolk County. Near St James we regularly work in:
- Smithtown
- Nesconset
- Head of the Harbor
- Stony Brook
- Kings Park
- Setauket
If your town is not on the list, call anyway — the list is where we work most, not a boundary. Anything from Nassau through the Twin Forks is fair game; we tell you honestly if travel makes a small job uneconomical.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Town of Smithtown cover all of St James?
Most addresses, but not all. The villages of Head of the Harbor and Nissequogue sit alongside St James with their own building departments, so confirm which governs yours before filing.
How do I get a building permit in Smithtown?
Smithtown takes residential applications through an online portal, and permits for alterations are issued by the Building Department with fees payable at application. Call (631) 360-7522 for a current fee, because the Town's own FAQ notes the published schedule is dated.
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in St James, NY?
Long Island contractors publish full remodels at roughly $30,000 to $80,000 for 2026. Our complete installed kitchens run $20,000 to $30,000 using cabinet sets from cancelled orders that are already in our warehouse, covering cabinets, quartz counters, an island where the room takes one, a new sink and its plumbing, demolition and haul-away, and labor.
Related Reading
- Permits at your building department — what triggers a filing, and the phone number
- What $25,000 buys — line by line
- Cabinet lead times — why in-stock is faster
- Cheapest way to redo a kitchen — five moves, ranked
- Kitchen remodel cost — 2026 Long Island numbers
Ready to Get Started?
Planning a kitchen in St James? Call Alec's Construction at (631) 312-7441. We measure on site, price it in writing, and you can look at the actual cabinet sets first.