HammerDuck › Kitchen & Bath › Kitchen Remodeling
Kitchen Remodeling in Augusta, Columbia County and the CSRA
A kitchen remodel is the biggest check most homeowners write without moving. Here is what the job involves in the CSRA, which rules apply in Georgia and South Carolina, and how to get three written quotes from local remodeling Pros without three sales visits.
Scope
Three sizes of kitchen remodel, and what each one touches.
- Refresh. Same layout, same cabinet boxes. New doors or paint, new countertops, backsplash, sink and faucet, lighting, maybe flooring. No walls move, plumbing and electrical stay where they are. Usually no permit beyond any electrical work.
- Replace. Same layout, everything new: cabinets, counters, appliances, flooring, lighting, and the plumbing and electrical brought up to current code while the walls are open. This is where most CSRA kitchen remodels land, and where a permit is likely because of the electrical and plumbing.
- Reconfigure. Walls come out, an island goes in, the range moves, a window becomes a door. Structural work, new circuits, moved gas and water lines, and a permit for certain. Older Augusta homes with load-bearing walls between kitchen and dining room need an engineer's say before the wall comes down.
The biggest local wrinkle: homes built in Columbia County in the 1990s and 2000s are reaching the age where the kitchen is dated but the house is not, so most of the work there is a replace-in-place. Augusta's older housing stock, from Summerville down to the mid-century ranches of west Augusta, is where walls move and where the surprises behind them live: old wiring, cast iron drains, no insulation.
Rules
Licensing and permits for a kitchen remodel in the CSRA.
Georgia: any remodeling work over $2,500 must be done by a state-licensed contractor, which means nearly every kitchen. Verify the license on the Georgia Secretary of State's site before you sign. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work inside the remodel are done by licensed trades, either the remodeler's own crews or their subcontractors, and each pulls its own permit where one is required.
South Carolina: residential work above the state's threshold needs a licensed residential builder or specialty contractor, through the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Aiken and North Augusta kitchens follow the same pattern: the builder's license plus licensed trades for the electrical and plumbing.
Permits: moving or adding plumbing, adding circuits, moving gas lines and any structural change need permits from the building office for your address. Augusta requires a permit when project materials cost more than $500 or the work needs an inspection, and lists painting, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and countertops as finish work that needs none; Grovetown permits anything that installs, alters or replaces an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system; the City of Aiken permits a panel change-out, a water heater and any plumbing extended to a new place, and exempts the same finish work. A refresh with no plumbing or electrical changes usually needs no permit anywhere in the CSRA. The contractor pulls the permit, not you, and the inspections that follow are your protection.
HammerDuck is a marketplace, not a licensing body: a Pro's license and insurance status is shown as they report it, and HammerDuck does not verify it. Confirm licensing and proof of insurance yourself before you hire.
Getting quotes
How to get three kitchen quotes that can be compared.
- Post photos of the kitchen from each corner, a rough sketch with measurements, and a list of what stays and what goes
- Say which size of remodel you want (refresh, replace, reconfigure) and whether you are supplying cabinets and appliances or want the Pro to
- Ask every quote to separate labor, materials and allowances, so a low number is not just a low allowance
- Ask for the schedule, how long you will be without a kitchen, and who handles the permit and the subs
- Ask how change orders are priced before the first one happens
- Look at the Pro's HammerDuck profile: photos of finished kitchens, their Google rating if they linked it, and reviews from other homeowners here
Kitchens are priced by scope and finish level more than by square footage. Two quotes for the same layout can differ by the cabinet line alone. Three written quotes with the same scope is the only honest comparison, and posting once on HammerDuck is how you get them without three evenings of sales visits.
By area
Kitchen remodeling around Augusta, county by county.
Augusta and Richmond County. The oldest kitchens and the most reconfigurations: galley kitchens opened up, walls that need an engineer, wiring and drains replaced while the walls are open. Remodeling Pros in Augusta, Hephzibah.
Columbia County: Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Harlem. Replace-in-place is the norm; the layout is fine, the oak cabinets and laminate are not. Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Harlem.
Aiken County, SC: Aiken and North Augusta. Historic Aiken homes with kitchens added in several eras, and newer North Augusta subdivisions due their first refresh. Aiken, North Augusta.
Thomson and McDuffie County. Searches for a remodeling company in Thomson are some of the most common ways people find HammerDuck. McDuffie County and the City of Thomson issue permits from one office at 210 Railroad Street, and the county's own guidance is that remodeling over $2,500 takes a state license. Remodeling Pros in Thomson.
On HammerDuck right now
Recent kitchen & bath jobs across the CSRA.
Jobs CSRA homeowners posted here, newest first. A name, address, photo or price is never shown.
- Kitchen & Bath jobTaking quotes
Updated October 24, 2026. Post yours free and local Home Service Pros come to you.
FAQ
Kitchen remodeling: common questions.
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Augusta?
It depends on scope and finish level far more than on size: a refresh, a replace-in-place and a reconfiguration are three different budgets, and the cabinet line alone can move a quote a lot. Post the scope once on HammerDuck and compare three written quotes.
Do I need a licensed contractor for a kitchen remodel in Georgia?
Yes for almost any kitchen: Georgia requires a state license for remodeling work over $2,500. Look the license up on the Georgia Secretary of State’s verification site, and confirm insurance yourself.
Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen?
If plumbing or electrical is moved or added, gas lines move, or a wall comes out, yes. A cosmetic refresh usually does not. The contractor pulls it from the building office for your address, and the inspections protect you.
How long does a kitchen remodel take?
A refresh can be a week or two. A full replace-in-place is commonly several weeks once materials are on site, and cabinet lead times come before that. A reconfiguration with structural work runs longer. Ask every quote for a schedule.
Can I supply my own cabinets and appliances?
Most Pros will install owner-supplied items, with the warranty and the delivery timing on you. Say so when you post so the quotes are labor-only where they should be.
Ready when you are
Three real quotes, no sales visits.
Post your kitchen with photos, measurements and what you want changed. Licensed remodeling Pros in Augusta, Columbia County, Aiken County and Thomson bid on it, and you pick. Free for homeowners, no card needed.
Where these facts come from
Checked against the official pages.
- McDuffie County and City of Thomson: licensed contractors ("Any remodeling work that costs over $2,500 requires a state license"; verify at verify.sos.ga.gov)
- McDuffie County and City of Thomson: building permits (one office, 210 Railroad Street, Thomson)
- Augusta, GA: when permits are required ($500 materials rule) and the Planning & Development FAQ (finish work exempt)
- City of Grovetown: permit requirements
- City of Aiken: homeowners frequently asked questions
Rules and numbers change. Confirm anything that matters for your job with the office or utility named above before you hire.