Kitchen Remodeling in Media, PA
Custom kitchens for Media’s pre-1940 stone twins, brick rowhomes, and wood-frame Victorians — designed and built by one team, on a fixed price, since 1989.
Last updated: May 2026 · Alex Smearman, Fedor Fabrication
Most kitchen remodels go wrong the same way
It’s almost always one of these three:
- The estimate that creeps the moment the walls come open.
- The crew that vanishes for two weeks at a stretch.
- The finger-pointing when the designer and the builder stop talking.
The fear of landing there is the real reason a lot of good kitchens stay dated for years — and it’s a reasonable one. It’s the thing we built this company to put to rest.
A Media kitchen is a major, months-long decision, and in a pre-1940 borough stone twin or Victorian rowhome no one can promise exactly what’s behind the plaster until the work starts — knob-and-tube, a 1960s 100-amp panel, galvanized supply lines, a cast-iron stack near the end of its life. So before you commit, you want straight answers — what it really costs, how long it really takes, and what it’s like to live through. That’s what the rest of this page is for.
We’ve rebuilt Media kitchens since 1989 on fixed-price contracts, with one point of contact who answers your calls — so the number is real before you sign, and you’re never the one chasing us.
What working in a Media stone twin or Victorian rowhome involves
Almost every Media kitchen we open up is in pre-1940 borough housing stock — stone twins, brick rowhomes, and wood-frame Victorians. The pattern repeats:
The original kitchen is small and in the back. Built as a service space, not a social one:
- Typically 80–120 square feet at the back of the house
- Often a small pantry, sometimes an enclosed back porch
- Most projects open to the dining room or absorb the pantry
The infrastructure is the project. What we typically find:
- Knob-and-tube wiring in some portion of the original system
- 100-amp panels from a 1960s or 70s service upgrade
- Galvanized supply lines corroding for 80+ years
- Cast-iron drain stacks that may need replacement
- Lath-and-plaster walls — preserved where possible
- Original wood floors — almost always preserved and refinished
The historic district matters for exterior work.
- Overlays affect facades, windows, exterior doors, visible chimney work
- Interior kitchen work is rarely affected
- Anything visible from the street usually needs HARB review
Cabinetry should match the architecture. Inset or Shaker cabinetry — painted or stained walnut, paneled appliances where the budget supports it. Frameless European cabinetry rarely lands the same way in a 1908 Media stone twin.
The same crew, start to finish
The people in your home are our own carpenters — not subcontracted labor that shows up one day and disappears the next. It’s why the work holds up, and why homeowners keep telling us our crews are the most respectful, communicative people they’ve had in their house.
What Media borough kitchen remodels actually cost
Bids for a project like this land all over the map — and the lowest one is usually the one that climbs the most once the walls come down. We’d rather hand you the honest range up front. Media projects almost always involve infrastructure work; cosmetic refresh scope is rare, and cabinet replacement and full remodels dominate.
| Tier | Range | Typical Media project |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic Refresh | $30,000 – $45,000 | Rare — only on post-2000 contemporary kitchens |
| Pull-and-Replace | $40,000 – $75,000+ | Possible on smaller homes with sound infrastructure |
| Full Remodel | $65,000 – $120,000+ | Standard pre-1940 borough scope including infrastructure |
| Custom Kitchen Build | $100,000 – $150,000+ | Larger Media singles or down-to-studs scope |
Two dials set the price: scope and finish — and they move independently. Scope is how much work and how big the project is — a cosmetic refresh keeps your layout and cabinet boxes and updates the surfaces; a pull-and-replace swaps everything within the same footprint; a full remodel moves walls and reworks the layout; a custom build takes the kitchen down to the studs. Finish is the separate dial: you can pull-and-replace with Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Great Northern cabinetry, or take a full custom build and stay budget-conscious with Tribeca cabinetry and GE Café appliances. The scope tier sets the size of the job; where you spend within it is yours to steer. We’ll install whatever you spec — the brands below are simply the lines we reach for most.
Media pre-1940 borough kitchens often land at the upper end of the published full-remodel range, and full custom builds regularly exceed it. What we tell clients up front: visible kitchen finishes are usually 60–65% of the project budget; the other 35–40% lives behind the wall. Appliances are not included in these ranges unless noted in your project scope.
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Want the full line-item breakdown?
The 2026 Southeastern PA Kitchen Cost Guide breaks down every tier — from a $30K refresh to a $150K+ custom build — with line-item costs from completed Fedor projects across Chester County, Delaware County, and the Main Line.
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Selections
The cabinetry, counters, and appliances we install
We build from lines that hold up in a working kitchen — not whatever’s on promotion. Here’s what we typically spec, and we don’t take supplier kickbacks on any of it:
- Cabinetry: six lines, accessible to fully custom — Tribeca, Aspect, Century, Shiloh, Eclipse, and Great Northern (plywood boxes, dovetailed drawers, soft-close throughout)
- Countertops: Cambria, Caesarstone, Silestone, and Emerston quartz; granite and quartzite slabs from Imperial Marble & Granite
- Plumbing fixtures: Kohler, Delta, Brizo, Hansgrohe, and Rohl — specified through Ferguson and Weinstein Supply
- Appliances: from GE Café and KitchenAid up to Sub-Zero, Wolf, Thermador, Miele, Bosch, and Monogram — sourced at cost through Gerhard’s
Our Design-Build Process
Most remodels go sideways for the same reason: design and construction don’t talk to each other. The designer draws something the builder can’t actually build for the price quoted, and you’re stuck in the middle.
We use a design-build model — the team that designs your Media kitchen is the team that builds it. By the time you get a contract, every line is priced, every spec is confirmed, and the old-house problems other remodelers hit mid-job (knob-and-tube, a corroded galvanized supply, a cast-iron stack, the lath-and-plaster that has to come down where a new run goes) are already solved. We sequence around Media Borough’s inspection schedule and manage any HARB submittals if your project touches anything visible from the street.
The 8 steps, start to finish
- First Call — 15 minutes with Alex, the owner, to hear what you’re planning.
- In-Home Consultation — we walk the space and listen.
- Design + Initial Estimate — a concept and a real budget range.
- Selections & Refinement — every finish chosen before we build.
- Fixed-Price Proposal — every line priced; the number is real before you sign.
- Pre-Construction — permits, ordering, scheduling, staging.
- Construction — carpenter-led crews, one point of contact, weekly updates.
- Walkthrough + Warranty — closeout, backed by a 1-year workmanship warranty.
On schedule — and you’re never chasing us
“Nobody showed up for two weeks” doesn’t happen here. We block dedicated crew time and hold to it, with one point of contact who answers your calls and a live portal showing exactly where your project stands.
Ready when you are
That is exactly how your Media kitchen would run.
Fixed price, one point of contact, weekly updates, a 1-year workmanship warranty. The first step is a free 15-minute call — real numbers for your house and an honest answer on whether we are the right fit.
Media Borough + Delaware County permitting for kitchen work
We handle all of it — every required permit, pulled through Media Borough. Permit fees tend to run 1–2% of contract value and are included transparently on every Fedor proposal.
Where we source for Media kitchen projects
- Plumbing fixtures: Ferguson (Delaware) — Wilmington, DE showrooms available
- Tile and stone: The Tile Shop (Wilmington, DE)
- Flooring: Avalon Flooring (Wilmington, DE)
- Appliances: Gerhard’s Appliances (Malvern)
Recent Work
Recent Media Projects
What Media Homeowners Say About Working With Us
★★★★★ 4.8 / 5
186+ verified reviews across Google and Angi
Reading reviews is the single best way to know what working with a contractor is actually like. We’d rather you read what our Delaware County clients say in their own words than read marketing copy from us.
Everything from first meeting to final completion was a pleasure to work with the sales, craftsmen and ownership of Fedor. Everyone involved was committed to a quality design and installation of our new kitchen. We highly recommend Fedor Fabrication for kitchen and bath renovation. We are very pleased with our new kitchen.
Marianne M. — verified Google review
by far the best around ! kitchen and bathrooms in 2 homes that are outstanding …no need to interview other contractors !
Jack K. — verified Google review
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Media?
Media kitchen remodels run $30,000 to $150,000+, and most land in the upper tiers. A pull-and-replace on a smaller home with sound infrastructure runs $40K–$75K; a standard pre-1940 borough full remodel including infrastructure runs $65K–$120K+; a down-to-studs custom build on a larger Media single runs $100K–$150K+ and often beyond. Media skews high because pre-1940 stone twins and rowhomes need knob-and-tube replacement, galvanized-to-copper replumb, and panel upgrades newer homes don’t. Appliances aren’t included unless noted in scope. The free cost guide above breaks every tier down.
How long does a Media borough kitchen remodel take?
Most Media kitchen remodels run 6–8 weeks of active construction once cabinetry and materials are on site. The full timeline from first call to final walkthrough is typically 3–5 months, because a pre-1940 borough home adds steps a newer home doesn’t — opening to the dining room, knob-and-tube and galvanized replacement, lath-and-plaster repair, and Media Borough inspections between phases. We give you a hard date at proposal and update it weekly in the JobTread portal so you always know where the project stands.
What’s included in your fixed-price quote?
Everything we can see at signing: design, all materials (cabinetry, countertops, tile, fixtures, hardware), all labor and trade partners (electrical through our electrician, plumbing through our plumber, tile, finish carpentry), permits, inspections, dumpster, project management, and the final walkthrough. The known old-house work — panel replacement, galvanized-to-copper replumb, lath-and-plaster repair where a new run goes — is priced in, not left as an allowance that balloons later. Appliances are included only if noted in your scope. The only thing that changes the number is scope you add after signing, documented and approved by you in writing first.
What happens when you open a wall in a 1900s Media home?
In a pre-1940 Media stone twin or rowhome we almost always find something behind the plaster — knob-and-tube wiring, a 1960s 100-amp panel, galvanized supply lines, or a cast-iron stack near the end of its life. None of it surprises us; it’s why these projects take real expertise to run. We price what we can see directly on the proposal and flag what we can’t. If hidden conditions surface at demo, we document, photograph, price, and get your written approval before proceeding. No silent change orders.
Can I keep my existing kitchen layout?
Sometimes — but in a pre-1940 Media home it’s usually worth opening the wall to the dining room or absorbing a back pantry, which is the single most common change we make here. If the existing layout genuinely works and you just want new cabinetry, counters, and finishes, that’s a pull-and-replace — faster and less expensive. We give you an honest read on your specific kitchen; keeping a bad layout to save money is the change homeowners regret most within a year.
What if I want to remove a wall or add an island?
Common on Media projects. Many pre-1940 borough kitchens were built closed-off at the back of the house, and opening to the dining room or a former pantry transforms how the home lives. If the wall is load-bearing — frequently the case in these homes — we bring in a Pennsylvania-registered structural engineer for a stamped beam design, scoped and priced on the proposal, not improvised mid-project. An island is one of the most-requested Media features; we account for the cabinet, electrical, and any plumbing runs it needs from the start.
What cabinetry and materials do you typically install in Media kitchens?
Inset or Shaker cabinetry in painted or stained finish is the right call for a pre-1940 Media home — frameless European cabinetry rarely lands the same way in a 1908 stone twin. We spec cabinetry through Shiloh and Great Northern, tile and stone through The Tile Shop in Wilmington, plumbing fixtures through Ferguson, and appliances through Gerhard’s in Malvern. We don’t take supplier kickbacks — the recommendation is based on what holds up in a working kitchen, not on our margin.
Do you work with my architect or interior designer?
Yes. If you already have drawings, we review them, tell you what works and what won’t build for the price assumed, then build to spec. If you don’t, our in-house design-build covers it end to end. On a Media borough home this matters more than usual, because a drawing made without knowing what’s behind a 1908 plaster wall can be expensive to correct mid-project.
My Media home has knob-and-tube wiring. Can you replace it?
Yes. The visible work — panel replacement, the wiring runs we can identify on the walk, the new circuits the kitchen needs — gets scoped and priced directly on the proposal. For hidden knob-and-tube buried inside walls or attic chases we can’t see until demolition, the proposal notes that hidden infrastructure may surface; if it does, we walk you through scope and cost before any change order. Many pre-1940 Media homes still run on a 1960s 100-amp panel that has to come out for a modern kitchen anyway.
What does Media Borough permitting cost for a kitchen project?
Permit fees through Media Borough typically run 1–2% of contract value. On a $90,000 kitchen, expect roughly $900–$1,800. We pull every required permit, schedule the inspections around the production schedule, manage any HARB submittals if the project touches anything visible from the street, and show the permit cost as a transparent line item on the proposal — it’s never buried in markup or sprung on you mid-project.
Do I need to hire my own designer?
No separate designer needed — we’re design-build, so the team that designs your Media kitchen is the team that builds it; nothing gets drawn that we can’t build for the price quoted (and we collaborate cleanly if you already have an architect).
How will you communicate with me during construction?
During construction you get one point of contact who answers calls and texts, weekly progress updates, and a heads-up before anything becomes a problem, plus the live JobTread portal showing schedule, budget, and invoices. On a 100-year-old borough home, that communication is the difference between a manageable project and a stressful one.
Can I see Media kitchen projects you’ve completed?
Yes — see our Media wine-crate island kitchen remodel and the full project portfolio.
Do you also remodel bathrooms in Media?
Yes — Media bathroom remodeling — same fixed-price model, same Media Borough permitting, same in-house crews. See everything we do in Media.
Sources & References
- Media Borough
- The Tile Shop
- Avalon Flooring
- Gerhard’s Appliances
- Pennsylvania Attorney General HIC Verification
- National Kitchen & Bath Association
Kitchen remodeling nearby: Chadds Ford, Newtown Square, Broomall. Or see all Media remodeling services.
Schedule a Free Consultation
Ready to Start Planning Your Media Kitchen Remodel?
Remodeling a kitchen is a big, personal decision — you should feel good about who you hand it to. The easiest first step is a free 15-minute call with Alex, the owner, to get real numbers for your Media kitchen and an honest read on whether we’re a fit.
Or call us: 610-431-7150 · PA HIC #PA202519