A kitchen renovation has more trades in one small room than almost any other job in a house. Plumbers, electricians, gas fitters, drywallers, cabinet installers and countertop makers all need their turn, and most of them need the one before them to be finished. In this post we walk you through the stages of a kitchen renovation in the order they happen in Metro Vancouver, explain what each stage waits for, and show where the inspections fit.
If you are still working out which permits your kitchen needs, read our guide to kitchen renovation permits in Metro Vancouver first. This post starts where that one ends: the permits are in hand, and the work is about to begin.
Why the Order Matters
Most of what makes a kitchen safe ends up hidden. Drain pipes, water lines, wiring and gas piping all run inside the walls and floor. Once drywall and cabinets cover them, nobody can see them again without taking the room apart.
That is why the inspections sit in the middle of the job. The City of Coquitlam's guide, Inspections to be Scheduled Prior to Concealing Any Works, puts it plainly: work that is covered too early may need to be opened up again for inspection, which can cost the owner time and money. The guide calls its list general guidance and tells you to ask your building or plumbing official which inspections your own project needs.
The order also protects the finishes. A countertop measured before the cabinets are fixed may not fit. Cabinets hung before the drywall is done will be removed to finish the walls.
The Stages of a Kitchen Renovation
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Design and Measuring
The kitchen is drawn to the room's real dimensions: wall lengths, ceiling height, window and door positions, and where the existing pipes, vents and electrical panel are. Decide on appliances at this stage, because the range, hood, fridge and dishwasher each set the size of a cabinet opening and the kind of connection behind it.
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Permits and Pre-Renovation Testing
Building and trade permits come before any demolition. In an older home, asbestos testing also comes first. WorkSafeBC's asbestos guide for homeowners says you need to have your home tested before a renovation or demolition starts, and that any asbestos found must be removed or contained before the project can begin. If only the kitchen is being renovated, only the areas being disturbed need to be surveyed. Since January 1, 2024, asbestos abatement contractors in BC must be licensed.
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Demolition
The old cabinets, counters, flooring and any walls marked on the drawings come out. The survey report tells the crew which materials need an abatement contractor. Once the room is open, the trades can see the existing pipes and wires and confirm the plan.
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Rough-In Plumbing, Electrical and Gas
Rough-in means the pipes, wires, boxes and gas lines that go inside the walls and floor before they are closed. The plumber runs drain and water lines to the new sink and dishwasher positions. The electrician adds circuits, boxes for outlets and switches, and the connections for the hood and other fixed appliances. A gas fitter runs piping to a gas range or cooktop.
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Rough-In Inspections
This is the stage that sets the pace of the whole job. Coquitlam's guide lists an interior fixtures rough-in inspection for drain, waste and vent piping and a second one for water piping, including a pressure test, and it says both must be complete before the framing inspection. The framing inspection covers all trades. For gas, Technical Safety BC's homeowner gas permit page asks for an inspection at each stage of construction and after the work is done. Under a Technical Safety BC homeowner electrical permit, the owner sends a declaration after each phase of work or every 180 days, whichever comes first.
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Insulation and Vapour Barrier
If the renovation opens an exterior wall, the insulation and vapour barrier go back in after the rough-in inspections pass. Coquitlam lists a separate insulation and vapour barrier inspection for this stage.
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Drywall
With the walls approved, drywall goes up and is taped, filled and sanded. Where a wall is a required fire separation, such as a wall between a house and a secondary suite, Coquitlam lists a fire separation inspection of the fire-rated drywall before tape and joint filler go on.
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Cabinets
Base cabinets go in first, set level and fixed to the wall. Upper cabinets follow. The plumber and electrician need the cabinet positions to be final before they set the sink, dishwasher and appliance connections.
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Countertop Templating and Installation
The countertop maker measures the installed base cabinets and makes a template. The countertop is then cut to that template and installed. The sink and cooktop cut-outs are part of this measurement, so the exact sink and cooktop models must be on site or confirmed first.
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Finishing
Backsplash tile, paint, flooring where it was left for last, light fixtures, faucets and appliances. Coquitlam's final interior plumbing inspection expects faucets, drains, shut-offs and the hot water tank to be complete and working.
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Final Inspections
Each trade permit closes with its own final inspection, and the building permit closes last. Coquitlam's guide says the final building inspection needs the final plumbing inspections done first, with safety items such as guardrails, handrails, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and cooktop clearances in place.
Factors That Change the Order
Who Issues Your Permits
Technical Safety BC's jurisdiction page lists which cities issue their own electrical and gas permits. Vancouver, Burnaby and both North Vancouvers issue both. Richmond issues gas permits only, and West Vancouver issues electrical permits only. In Coquitlam, New Westminster and Port Moody, Technical Safety BC issues both. A kitchen in Richmond, for example, can have a City gas inspector and a provincial electrical inspector on the same job, each with their own schedule.
How Inspections Are Booked
Each city books inspections its own way. Coquitlam uses an online system open 24 hours a day and asks you to book before 4:15 p.m. on the day before the inspection. Burnaby books inspections for the next available business day by phone, and some inspections can be booked on its My Permits Portal. Burnaby's home improvement permit page also asks that a printed copy of the permit and drawings stay on site for inspections.
The Age of the Home
A home that needs an asbestos survey and abatement adds a stage before demolition. The survey report also names the materials to be removed, for example "all walls and ceilings in the kitchen", which tells you how much of the room the abatement contractor will handle.
Moving Walls or Services
Keeping the sink, range and fridge where they are keeps the rough-in small. Moving the sink to an island means new drain and water lines under the floor, and a structural wall change brings its own drawings and inspections. The more you move, the more there is to inspect before the walls close.
Practical Tips for Keeping the Order
Finalize Appliances Before Demolition. The rough-in is built around the appliance list. A change of range or hood after the walls close means opening them again.
Book Inspections as Soon as Each Stage Is Ready. Every day a stage waits for an inspection is a day the next trade cannot start.
Keep the Permit and Drawings on Site. Inspectors check the work against the approved drawings. Burnaby asks for a printed copy on site.
Photograph the Open Walls. Before drywall, take photos of every wall with pipes and wires. They help with future repairs and show where not to drill.
Ask for Each Final Inspection Record. Collect the final record for each trade permit before the last payment.
How Costar Manages the Order of Work
Costar's process page describes five stages: design and planning, pre-construction, construction, handover and warranty. By Costar's own account, in pre-construction the final drawings go in for permits and approvals, and any issues are resolved before the start date and schedule are set. During construction, the client reviews details such as flooring, cabinets, electrical, lighting and plumbing, and Costar supervises the crew and the trades and arranges the rough-ins and the city inspections.
That means one person tracks when each stage is ready and books the next trade and the next inspection. At handover, the process page says the client receives a project binder with manuals and a list of contacts for the trades and appliances installed in the home.
Our kitchen renovation service covers projects across Metro Vancouver. Costar's project gallery lists the Kitsilano Townhouse Renovation at 3737 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, as a home renovation and staging project. If a new kitchen is part of a larger handover, our guide to the new home handover walkthrough explains what to check before you sign off.
A kitchen goes in the same order every time, and each stage waits for the one before it. Bring your plans and we will map out the stages for your home. Tell us about your project today.
Related on this site: Kitchen renovations in Metro Vancouver · Our five-stage process · Book a one-hour project consultation
