Kitchen remodeling in Howard County

22%⁵ of Howard County homes are townhouses or other one-unit attached houses. The Census Bureau counts a rowhouse as a one-unit attached home when a wall running from ground to roof separates it from the house next door.¹⁴ In those kitchens, side walls are shared, so a new window, duct or gas line usually has to go out the front or back.

Kitchens from the 1970s and 1980s may have sheet vinyl or vinyl tile, sometimes still hidden under a newer floor. The EPA lists vinyl floor tile, vinyl sheet backing and flooring adhesives among products that may contain asbestos, which is released mainly when the material is disturbed.¹⁵ The EPA advises having an accredited asbestos professional inspect before a remodel that could disturb suspect materials, and not sanding or power-stripping suspect flooring yourself.¹⁶

For homes built before 1978, the EPA advises hiring contractors who use only lead-safe certified renovators.¹⁷ In Howard County, 29%⁴ of homes were built before 1980, so it's a fair question to ask before cabinets come off a painted wall.

Maryland's Building Performance Standards, in COMAR 09.12.51, incorporate the 2021 International Residential Code by reference.¹⁸ Howard County enforces that code through its own permit office, so the company should know what the county's inspectors look for.

The 2021 International Residential Code says a kitchen range exhaust must discharge outdoors through its own airtight duct with a backdraft damper, never into an attic, crawl space or other indoor area; listed ductless hoods are the exception.¹⁹ In a townhouse with a range on an inside wall, ask how far the duct has to run and whether a ductless hood would pass instead.

The National Institute on Aging suggests keeping frequently used pots, pans and utensils where they are easy to reach, and preparing food while seated to prevent fatigue or loss of balance.²⁰ Lower wall cabinets, drawers in place of base cabinet doors and a counter section you can sit at all help.

Howard County's property tax credit for accessibility features reaches into the kitchen too. Qualifying features include reinforced walls with grab bars around a toilet, tub or shower, an accessibility-enhanced bathroom such as a walk-in or roll-in shower or built-in seat, a clear space of at least 30 by 48 inches in a bathroom or kitchen, anti-scald devices, slip-resistant flooring, and lever handles on sinks, showers and doors.²¹ Howard County's Livable Homes Tax Credit takes the lesser of 100% of eligible costs or $2,500 off county property tax for accessibility features added to an existing home that is the owner's principal residence, and any excess carries forward to later years.²¹

You call the number on this page. The call is recorded, and it goes to one independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the Howard County area. You talk with them directly about your project, timing and price.

We are paid for the call. You don't pay us anything, and we never call or text you. How we make money

Before you sign anything, look the company up yourself. Maryland's Home Improvement Commission licenses home improvement contractors and salespersons, and its License Search shows whether a license is current.²² Check a Maryland license