Kitchen Damage Scope Checklist: The Most Expensive Room to Get Wrong

Flooring and subfloor: the foundation layer

Start with the floor. In a kitchen water loss, the flooring is almost always affected. Identify the material type first.

Hardwood, LVP, sheet vinyl, tile, and laminate all have different replacement costs and scope line descriptions. Measure the full area, not just the visibly damaged section. If water migrated under the flooring, the entire floor may need replacement for material matching and structural reasons.

Once the finished floor is identified, check the subfloor. Pull back a corner or seam and take a moisture reading directly on the subfloor surface. OSB subfloor above 15% moisture or showing any delamination needs replacement.

Plywood is more forgiving but still needs to be below 12% before new flooring can go down. Subfloor replacementSubfloor Replacement: The Hidden Layer That Ruins New FlooringOn my own claim, the adjuster walked right over soft spots in the kitchen floor and never said a word about the subfloor. Not a word. It wasn't unt...
Read more → runs $3 to $10 per square foot and is one of the most commonly missed items on kitchen claims. A 200-square-foot kitchen with saturated OSB subfloor is $600 to $2,000 in scope that most initial estimates leave out entirely.

Cabinets: construction grade matters

Kitchen cabinets are the biggest variable in kitchen scope. A standard builder-grade base cabinet runs $150 to $300 per linear foot installed. Semi-custom cabinets run $300 to $600.

Custom cabinets can exceed $1,000 per linear foot. The adjuster will scope to like kind and qualityLike Kind and Quality: Why Your $600 Cabinets Can't Be Replaced with $200 OnesLike-kind-and-quality (LKQ) is the standard written into virtually every homeowner policy: replacement materials must match what you had in type, g...
Read more →, so identifying the construction grade is critical. Look at the box construction.

Particleboard boxes with thermofoil doors are builder grade. Plywood boxes with solid wood doors are semi-custom or custom. Dovetail drawer joints, soft-close hardware, and full-extension glides indicate higher quality.

Document the construction with close-up photos of the box material, drawer joints, hinge type, and door construction. Particleboard cabinets that absorb water are almost always a full replacement. They swell, delaminate, and lose structural integrity permanently.

Plywood cabinets may be salvageable if caught early and dried properly. Don't forget to scope the hardware separately. Hinges, pulls, knobs, and soft-close mechanisms are separate line items.

Specialty finishes like glazing or distressing add cost and should be documented.

Countertops: material and edge profile

Countertop scope depends entirely on the material. Laminate countertops run $15 to $40 per square foot installed. Granite and quartz run $50 to $150 per square foot.

Marble can exceed $200 per square foot. Identify the material, measure the total square footage including any overhangs, and note the edge profile. Ogee, bullnose, beveled, and eased edges each have a different cost.

When base cabinets are being replaced, the countertop almost always has to come off. That means removal, template, fabrication, and reinstallation. For natural stone, the removal and reinstallation are separate from the fabrication cost.

Some stone countertops can be removed and reinstalled if done carefully by a stone fabricator, but cracking during removal is common. If the countertop cracks during removal, it becomes part of the claim scope. Document the existing countertop material, edge profile, and any special features like undermount sink cutouts or cooktop cutouts before removal.

Include seaming and polishing for stone materials. Don't forget to scope backsplash removal if the countertop extends to a tile backsplash.

Appliance disconnect and reconnect: per appliance

Every appliance that needs to be moved or removed for the repair is a separate disconnect and reconnect line item. This is one of the most commonly missed categories in kitchen scoping. A standard kitchen has five to seven appliances that may need to be disconnected.

Refrigerator with water line, dishwasher with supply and drain, range or cooktop with gas line, microwave with electrical and vent, garbage disposal, and under-sink filtration system. Each one requires a licensed trade to disconnect and reconnect. Gas appliances require a licensed plumber.

Hardwired electrical appliances require an electrician. XactimateXactimate: The Software Behind Every Insurance EstimateXactimate is the industry-standard software used by insurers, contractors, and public adjusters to price repair work. It contains thousands of line...
Read more → has separate line items for each appliance type. Disconnect and reconnect for a gas range runs $150 to $300.

Dishwasher is $125 to $250. Refrigerator with ice maker line is $100 to $200. These add up quickly.

Seven appliances at an average of $175 each is $1,225 in scope that takes five minutes to add to the estimate but is missed on the majority of kitchen claims.

Plumbing scope: supply lines, valves, and disposal

Kitchen plumbing scope goes beyond just the fixture that failed. When you open up the wall cavity or pull cabinets, inspect all visible supply lines and shut-off valves. Corroded angle stops, degraded braided supply lines, and polybutylene piping that's within the affected area should all be scoped for replacement.

Code may require replacement of certain materials when the wall is opened. Supply line replacement for the kitchen sink runs $75 to $200. Angle stop valves are $50 to $100 each and most kitchens have two under the sink.

If the garbage disposal was submerged in water or is showing electrical issues, replacement runs $175 to $400 depending on the model. P-trap and drain line replacement, if corroded or damaged, is $75 to $200. Don't forget to scope the dishwasher supply line and drain if either was involved in the loss.

Each of these is a separate Xactimate line item. Together they can add $500 to $1,200 in plumbing scope that's easy to document and generally approved without pushback.

Electrical: GFCI, lighting, and code requirements

Kitchen electrical scope is often missed because it is not visually obvious. Start with the outlets. Current code requires GFCIThe $300-$900 Electrical Upgrade Hiding in Your Kitchen ClaimOn my claim, every outlet along the kitchen counter was the old two-prong style. No GFCI protection anywhere. I had no idea that mattered until the...
Read more → protection for all kitchen outlets within 6 feet of a water source.

If you're opening up walls for drywall replacement and the existing outlets are not GFCI protected, code requires you to upgrade them. That's $75 to $150 per outlet, and a typical kitchen has 4 to 6 outlets that may need upgrading. Under-cabinet lighting that was damaged by water or disconnected during cabinet removal needs to be replaced or reinstalled.

LED under-cabinet lighting runs $50 to $150 per linear section. If the dishwasher or garbage disposal was hardwired and the wiring was exposed to water, the wire needs to be replaced from the junction box to the appliance. Switched outlets for garbage disposals are a separate line item.

Check the electrical panel for any tripped breakers related to the water event, as this may indicate wiring damage in the affected area. Document all electrical items with photos and note any code upgrade requirements.

Drywall, painting, backsplash, and contents

Round out your kitchen scope with the finish items that complete the restoration. Drywall in kitchens often needs a 2-foot or 4-foot cut above the floor, depending on how high the water wicked up the walls. Measure moisture readings at 12-inch intervals going up the wall to determine the cut height.

Painting should be full room if more than two walls are affected, to ensure a uniform finish. Kitchen paint is typically semi-gloss or satin for washability, so specify the correct sheen in your scope line. Backsplash tile removal and replacement is necessary if the drywall behind it is being replaced.

You can not remove drywall behind a tile backsplash without destroying the tile. Scope the tile removal, new backer board if needed, new tile, and installation separately. Contents manipulation covers moving everything out of and back into the kitchen, including small appliances, dishes, cookware, food items, and personal items.

This is a separate billable line item at $300 to $800 depending on the kitchen size and volume of contents. Document the contents with photos before moving anything.