Kitchen remodeling in Buffalo

80%⁷ of city homes were built before 1960. A double's two kitchens often stack one over the other at the back of the house, sharing a drain and a chimney, so moving the upper sink means working in the lower flat's ceiling.

Old paint is a given in houses this age. For homes built before 1978, the EPA advises hiring contractors who use only lead-safe certified renovators.¹⁵ The EPA notes that painted window sashes and frames in homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, which opening and closing the window can release as dust, and that a kitchen remodel may be a good time to replace old windows.¹⁵ Floors can hold older layers too. 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.¹⁶ In a Buffalo one- or two-family house, tearing out finishes, trim, carpet, tile, cabinets and countertops as part of permitted or exempt repair work needs no demolition permit, but removing or containing asbestos needs an asbestos abatement permit.¹³

If you rent out the other flat, New York's registry applies to it. New York's lead rental registry covers rental properties built before 1980 with two or more units in 25 communities of concern, including Buffalo and Cheektowaga in Erie County and Yonkers, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle in Westchester, and requires a lead hazard inspection at least every three years.¹⁷ Lead hazards found under the registry must be fixed with lead-safe work practices by an EPA-certified contractor, or by an owner trained in lead-safe renovation for repainting.¹⁷

These are the national model code's provisions; the city applies New York's edition. 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.¹⁸ In an upper flat, ask whether the hood will duct through a side wall or up into the attic and out, and where the damper sits.

The 2021 International Residential Code calls for at least two 20-ampere branch circuits for kitchen and dining-area receptacle outlets, and allows an outlet for a specific appliance to have its own circuit.¹⁹ The same code requires ground-fault (GFCI) protection on receptacles that serve kitchen countertop surfaces.²⁰ In a double, ask whether your own flat's panel has room before ordering appliances.

More than one in four adults 65 and older fall each year.²¹ 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.²² If the kitchen opens onto a side door with steps down to the drive, a railing and good light there are worth adding to the plan.

Lever handles, pull-out shelves and blocking for future grab bars cost little while the walls are open. NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential trains remodelers in home modifications for aging in place.²³

Dial the number on this page and a recorded line puts you in touch with one independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the Buffalo area. Scope, price and schedule are yours to settle with them.

That company, not you, pays us for the call. There's no charge to you, and we never phone or text you later. How we make money

Do your own check before any contract or deposit. New York State does not license home improvement contractors, but some local governments do, including New York City, the City of Buffalo, and Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties; where a local license is required, the Department of State says to hire only a licensed contractor.²⁴ Check a New York license

A New York home improvement contractor must deposit payments received before the job is finished as the Lien Law requires, or instead give the owner a bond, contract of indemnity or irrevocable letter of credit, and the contract must tell the owner so.²⁵ A New York homeowner may cancel a home improvement contract until midnight of the third business day after signing, by written notice that shows they don't intend to be bound; the right doesn't apply when the owner called the contractor for a bona fide emergency and signed a handwritten waiver.²⁵