Kitchen Remodeling Plans and PE-Stamped Permit Drawings
Most kitchen remodels stall in the same place: the building department asks for drawings the homeowner does not have. We produce the full set — layout and elevations, electrical and plumbing plans, and sealed structural calculations when a wall comes out — prepared to the code edition your jurisdiction actually enforces and stamped by an engineer licensed in your state. Fully online, fixed fee, no hourly billing.
- Permit-ready sets, not concept sketches
- Load-bearing wall removal with sealed calculations
- 2023 NEC and 2024 IRC kitchen provisions
- Revisions through plan review at no extra charge
Three Levels of Kitchen Remodel — Three Different Drawing Sets
What your building department wants to see depends entirely on how far you are going. Quoting the wrong scope is the most common reason a kitchen permit comes back rejected, so we establish this first and put it in writing.
Level 1 — Finishes in Place
Cabinets, countertops, flooring and appliances replaced in the existing footprint with no wiring, piping or framing moved. Often permit-exempt, though replacing a receptacle or light usually is not. We tell you honestly if you do not need us.
Level 2 — Layout Change, Walls Stay
The sink, range or refrigerator moves. This pulls in plumbing rough-in, vent routing, new branch circuits, GFCI coverage and range-hood exhaust. Electrical and plumbing plans are normally required, structural is not.
Level 3 — Walls Come Out
Opening the kitchen to a living or dining space. This is the set that needs sealed structural calculations for the new header or beam, the posts beneath it, and the load path down to the footing.
Exactly What You Receive
Every sheet below is prepared for submittal, not for inspiration. You get sealed, signed PDFs formatted for your building department, plus the calculation package reviewers ask for.
Floor Plan and Demolition Plan
Existing conditions, demolition scope and the proposed kitchen layout dimensioned to the wall face, with appliance and fixture locations called out.
Elevations and Cabinet Layout
Interior elevations for each wall, cabinet runs, counter heights, backsplash extents and clearances at the range and refrigerator.
Electrical Plan
Circuit layout, small-appliance branch circuits, GFCI and AFCI coverage, countertop receptacle spacing, lighting and switching, with a panel schedule where circuits are added.
Plumbing Plan
Supply and drain routing for the sink, dishwasher and any pot filler or refrigerator line, with vent configuration shown for the relocated fixture.
Mechanical and Range Hood
Exhaust routing and termination, duct sizing, and a makeup air path where the hood capacity triggers it.
Structural Calculations and Seal
Where framing is altered: header or beam design, post and bearing check, load path to foundation, and the PE seal of an engineer licensed in your state.
The Codes Your Kitchen Remodel Has to Satisfy
Adoption is local, so the governing edition changes from one jurisdiction to the next. We confirm in writing which edition and which local amendments your building department reviews against before we draw anything. These are the provisions that shape almost every kitchen set.
2024 IRC and 2023 NEC
The current cycle for one- and two-family dwellings. Many jurisdictions are still enforcing the 2021 IRC and 2020 NEC, and a few are further back — the edition we design to is the one your reviewer holds.
Countertop Receptacle Spacing
Receptacles are placed so that no point along the wall line is more than 24 inches, measured horizontally, from a receptacle outlet. We lay this out on the plan rather than leaving it to the field.
Small-Appliance Branch Circuits
A minimum of two 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits serve the kitchen and adjoining dining areas, with GFCI protection at countertop receptacles and dedicated circuits where appliances require them.
Island and Peninsula Rule Change
The 2023 NEC removed the long-standing requirement to install receptacles on islands and peninsulas. Where you do install them, placement is restricted. Plans drawn to an older habit get corrected at review.
Range Hood Makeup Air
Exhaust systems capable of more than 400 cfm require makeup air. Where every appliance in the house is direct-vent, power-vent, unvented or electric, that threshold rises to 600 cfm. Big professional hoods routinely cross it.
Structural Alteration
Removing or altering a bearing wall means a designed header or beam, a checked bearing condition and a continuous load path to the foundation — the part of a kitchen remodel that genuinely requires an engineer.
Taking Out the Kitchen Wall
This is the single most common reason a kitchen remodel needs an engineer, and the single most common reason one gets red-tagged. A wall that looks decorative can be carrying roof load, a floor above, or a point load from a girder truss. Removing it without a designed replacement is not a code technicality — it is the structural system of the house.
What we check on every opening:
- Whether the wall is bearing, and what it is actually carrying
- Tributary width and the loads collected at the opening
- Header or beam design, sized for the span and the load
- Posts, trimmers and the bearing condition at each end
- Continuous load path down to a footing that can take it
- Whether the existing footing needs enlarging beneath a new post
- Temporary shoring called out so the crew works safely
- Lateral bracing where a long wall segment is removed
Not Sure If It Is Load-Bearing?
You do not need to know before you contact us. Send photos of the wall on both sides, anything you can see in the attic or basement above and below it, and the original plans if you have them. An engineer tells you which it is, and what a replacement beam would involve, before you commit to anything.
If the wall turns out to be non-bearing, we say so — and you save the structural scope entirely.
What We Need From You
The more of this you have, the faster and cheaper the set. None of it is mandatory to get a quote — a phone photo and an address are enough to start.
The Project Address
City and state decide the governing code edition, the local amendments and which licence the sealing engineer needs to hold.
Measurements or a Sketch
Room dimensions, ceiling height and wall thickness. A dimensioned hand sketch is genuinely enough; we do not need CAD.
Photos
Each wall, the ceiling, the panel, and the space above and below any wall you want removed. This is what lets us assess bearing.
Anything Official
Original house plans, a prior permit, and any correction letter the building department has already issued.
How We Protect Kitchen Remodel Clients Before You Spend a Dollar
Engineering is bought on trust long before it is bought on price. These are the commitments every Residential PE engagement carries, in writing, from the first message.
Free Quote, One Fixed Fee
Consultations and quotes cost nothing. You receive one written fixed fee against a written sheet list — no hourly billing, no surprise add-ons.
A Named Engineer of Record
Every drawing is sealed by a professional engineer holding an active licence in your project’s state, and we confirm who that engineer is before you commit.
Revisions Until Approval
If the plan reviewer returns comments, we revise the sealed drawings and respond as part of the original fee — never as a change order.
Your Documents Stay Private
Drawings, surveys and site information are used only to engineer your project. They are never resold, published or used as portfolio material without consent.
48–72 Hour Turnaround
Most standard packages are sealed and returned within two to three business days, so engineering is never the reason a permit slips.
A Real Engineer Answers
Questions reach an engineer, not a call centre. Open the live chat and you are talking to someone who can actually scope and price the job.
From Photos to a Sealed Kitchen Permit Set
Send Your Kitchen
Share the address, your measurements or sketch, photos of the space, and any comments the building department has already given you.
Free Fixed-Fee Quote
We confirm the governing code edition, the scope level, the sheet list and the schedule, then return a written fixed fee at no cost.
Design and PE Review
We produce the drawings and calculations, then an engineer licensed in your state reviews the whole package before anything is sealed.
Sealed and Submitted
You receive sealed, signed PDFs formatted for your building department — and we stay with you through plan-review comments.
What Goes Wrong on Kitchen Permits, and What We Do About It
Every experienced remodeler has hit these. Naming them up front is cheaper than discovering them at inspection.
The Wall Was Carrying More Than Expected
Opening a ceiling reveals a point load or a girder landing where nobody expected it. We design for what is actually there, and revise the sealed set if the field condition differs from the assumption.
Older Homes, Unknown Framing
Balloon framing, true-dimension lumber, previous unpermitted work. We document what exists and design around it rather than assuming modern framing.
Plan-Review Corrections
Reviewers ask questions. Responding is part of the original fee on work we produced — not an hourly add-on and not a change order.
Panel Capacity
A remodel that adds circuits can exceed what the existing service can carry. We flag it at quote stage, not after your electrician is on site.
Kitchen Remodel Questions We Are Asked Most
Do I need a permit for a kitchen remodel?
Usually, yes — but it depends on scope. Swapping cabinets, countertops and appliances in the existing footprint with no wiring, piping or framing changed is often exempt. The moment you move a receptacle, relocate the sink, add circuits, alter the range-hood duct or touch framing, most jurisdictions require a permit. Adoption is local, so we confirm the rule for your specific address and tell you plainly if you do not need drawings at all.
What drawings does the building department actually want?
For a typical layout change: a floor plan showing existing and proposed conditions, interior elevations, an electrical plan with circuiting and GFCI coverage, and a plumbing plan showing supply, drain and vent for anything relocated. If framing is altered, add a structural sheet with a designed header or beam and the supporting calculations. We confirm the exact sheet list with your jurisdiction before quoting so you are not paying for sheets nobody asked for.
Do I need an engineer or an architect for a kitchen remodel?
For most residential kitchens you need neither until framing is involved. Once a bearing wall is removed or altered, a designed and sealed structural solution is required, and that is engineering work. We provide the structural design and seal, and we prepare the architectural-style layout, electrical and plumbing sheets that go with it as part of the same permit set.
How do I know whether my kitchen wall is load-bearing?
You often cannot tell from inside the room. Direction of the floor joists above, what sits in the attic, whether a wall stacks over a beam or footing below, and whether a girder truss lands nearby all matter. Send photos of the wall on both sides plus whatever you can see above and below it, and an engineer will tell you — before you commit to a structural scope. If it turns out to be non-bearing, we say so and the scope gets smaller.
Do I need stamped calculations to remove a wall, or are drawings enough?
Nearly every jurisdiction wants both: a drawing showing the new header or beam, posts and connections, and the calculation package behind it. A drawing without calculations is the most common reason a wall-removal permit is kicked back. Our structural scope always includes the calculations, sealed together with the sheets.
What electrical code applies to a kitchen remodel?
Under the current NEC, kitchen countertop receptacles are laid out so that no point along the wall line is more than 24 inches horizontally from a receptacle, GFCI protection is required at countertop receptacles, and a minimum of two 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits serve the kitchen and adjoining dining areas. Note that the 2023 NEC removed the old requirement to install receptacles on islands and peninsulas — a change many plan sets have not caught up with. Which edition applies to you depends on your jurisdiction, and we confirm it before drawing.
Do I need makeup air for my new range hood?
If the hood is capable of exhausting more than 400 cfm, makeup air is required. Where every appliance in the house is direct-vent, power-vent, unvented or electric, that threshold rises to 600 cfm. Professional-style hoods cross it routinely, and it is one of the most frequently missed items on kitchen plans. We size the exhaust, route the duct and show the makeup air path where it is triggered.
How long does it take, and how fast can you turn it around?
Quotes normally come back the same business day. Most kitchen permit sets are delivered in three to five business days from the point we have what we need. Structural scopes that require a field-verified condition can take slightly longer, and we tell you that before you commit rather than after.
What does a kitchen permit drawing set cost?
Every project is quoted as a written fixed fee before any work starts — no hourly billing and no change orders. The fee depends on the scope level, the sheet count and whether structural work is involved. Send photos and an address and we will return a firm number, usually the same business day, at no cost.
What if the city rejects my plans?
We respond to plan-review comments on work we produced as part of the original fee. Reviewers ask questions on well-prepared sets too — that is normal. What is not normal is being billed hourly to answer them, which is why we price the response into the job from the start.
I already have drawings from my contractor or designer. Can you just review and stamp them?
Often, yes. An engineer licensed in your state reviews the set against the code edition your jurisdiction enforces, tells you what needs to change, and seals it once it complies. We will not stamp drawings we have not verified — if the set is not ready, you find out before you pay rather than after.
Can a homeowner pull the permit, or does a contractor have to?
That varies by jurisdiction. Many allow an owner-occupant to pull a permit on their own residence; some require a licensed contractor of record for electrical or plumbing work regardless. Our drawings serve either route, and we will tell you what your jurisdiction expects when we confirm the code edition.
One Engineering Team for the Whole Submittal
Most permit packages need more than one discipline. Keeping them with one firm removes the coordination gaps between sheets that cause the majority of plan-review rejections.
Civil Engineer Services
Site plans, grading and earthwork, drainage and stormwater, utilities and paving — sealed for permit.
Structural Engineer Services
Framing, foundations and retaining walls with live, dead, wind, seismic and snow load calculations.
MEP Engineer Services
HVAC, electrical and plumbing design with load calculations, panel schedules and NEC-compliant layouts.
Review & Stamp Services
Already have drawings? We review an existing set against local code and apply a licensed PE seal.
Get a Fixed-Fee Quote for Your Kitchen Remodel
Send a few photos and the project address. We will confirm the governing code edition, the sheet list, the engineer of record licensed in your state and a firm price — usually the same business day, at no cost.