Kitchen remodels have a way of growing. What starts as a conversation about countertops and cabinets can shift pretty quickly into questions about that wall between the kitchen and the dining room and whether the whole space could feel more open.
Or maybe the layout has always felt a bit cramped, and now the idea of expanding the footprint is on the table. These are not cosmetic questions. They are structural ones, and framing sits at the center of all of them.
At BNG Remodel, your reliable home remodeling contractor in Nashville, TN, we have completed kitchen renovations across Nashville and Middle Tennessee since 2012.
That includes everything from surface updates in Franklin and Hendersonville to full gut renovations in East Nashville and Belle Meade where the kitchen came down to the studs and got rebuilt entirely. You know, the structural layer at the start of a project really determines everything that follows.
Why Kitchen Remodels in Nashville So Often Involve Structural Framing
Nashville’s housing stock includes a large number of homes built in the 1950s through the 1970s, a period when kitchens were designed as closed, separate rooms: small, defined, divided from the rest of the living space by full walls.
Homes in Sylvan Park, Antioch, and Bellevue from that era often have kitchen footprints that feel inadequate by current standards, with low ceilings, limited counter runs, and walls that separate the kitchen from dining or living areas in ways that make the space feel cut off from the rest of the home.
It is one of the most common reasons homeowners in these neighborhoods contact us about a kitchen remodel in the first place.
When homeowners in these neighborhoods want a kitchen that lives the way they actually cook and entertain, framing work is almost always part of the path there. Even in newer Nashville construction in areas like Spring Hill or Arrington, kitchen remodels frequently involve some degree of structural change.
Repositioning an island, extending the kitchen footprint into an adjacent pantry space, or adding a window to bring in more natural light all require framing decisions. The structural layer makes those changes possible, and getting it right makes the finished kitchen feel designed rather than improvised.
A few kitchen changes come up more than any others, and each one typically brings framing into the project:
- Removing or relocating the wall between the kitchen and dining room
- Extending the kitchen footprint into an adjacent pantry or closet
- Repositioning an island that needs new support or utility runs
- Adding or enlarging a window opening for more natural light
What Opening Up a Kitchen Floor Plan Actually Requires
Removing a wall between a kitchen and another room is one of the most requested changes on kitchen projects we handle. The process is more involved than it appears from the homeowner’s side, because the outcome depends entirely on whether the wall is load-bearing.
A load-bearing wall carries the weight of the floor, ceiling, or roof structure above it. You cannot simply remove it. It has to be replaced with a structural beam and the appropriate posts to transfer the load safely to the foundation.
Our process starts with a structural assessment before any demolition, and understanding framing in construction makes that assessment possible. We look at the wall’s orientation relative to the floor joists above and below, whether it sits directly above a foundation wall or beam, and what loads it carries from above.
In many mid-20th-century Nashville homes, walls that look like simple partitions from the kitchen side are actually carrying significant structural loads. Getting that assessment right before the demo begins is how we avoid a wall coming down and something shifting above it.
From there, we plan the structural support, pull the required building permit, and manage the inspection process before the walls close back up.
Thinking about opening up your kitchen wall in Nashville? Call us at 615-525-8464, and we will tell you honestly whether it is load-bearing before you commit to a layout.
Cosmetic Kitchen Update vs. Structural Kitchen Remodel
Not every kitchen project touches the frame, and knowing which category yours falls into changes the timeline, the permit process, and the trades involved from the start:
Project Type | What’s Typically Involved | Permit Required |
|---|---|---|
Cosmetic refresh | Cabinet refacing, countertops, paint, fixtures in place | No |
Structural remodel | Wall removal, footprint changes, new window openings | Yes |
How the Framing Phase Sets Up Everything Else in a Kitchen Renovation
A kitchen remodel is one of the most trade-intensive renovation projects a homeowner can take on. Electrical wiring gets routed through the framing for outlets, lighting circuits, and appliance connections.
Framed cavities for the sink, dishwasher, and any relocated appliances are where plumbing rough-in passes through. HVAC ductwork runs through or around the framing depending on the layout. Then comes drywall, tile, cabinetry, countertops, and paint.
Every one of those trades builds on what the framing established.
If the framing is done without accounting for how those systems will route through it, each subsequent trade has to problem-solve around what the previous one left behind. We plan the framing layout with every trade that follows before the first stud goes in.
That means knowing where the cabinet run will land and what backing heights it requires, where the electrical boxes need to be positioned, and how the plumbing will enter and exit the kitchen space. Planning takes more time upfront and saves considerably more time downstream, which is where most budget damage happens on poorly coordinated renovations.
What the Framing Phase Actually Looks Like During a Nashville Kitchen Project
Once permits are filed and the project scope is locked in, the structural framing phase of a kitchen remodel typically moves relatively quickly compared to the finish work that comes after it.
A single wall removal with beam installation may take three to five days, including structural support, permit coordination, and inspection. Framing that involves reconfiguring the kitchen footprint, adding a window opening, or adjusting ceiling height takes additional time and is built into the project schedule accordingly.
During this phase, the kitchen begins to take its actual shape for the first time. Walls come down, space opens up, and the layout that existed only in the design plan starts to become a physical reality. Brittney Reader is on every project throughout this phase, personally overseeing the structural work and coordinating the trades that follow.
Our clients describe this as one of the moments in the renovation where things start to feel real, and it is also the phase where good planning and solid communication make the most visible difference to how the rest of the project runs. Daily photo updates keep every client current on where the project stands, day by day.
How We Coordinate Framing With Other Trades on Kitchen Projects
One of the most practical reasons to hire a full-service contractor for a kitchen remodel is the coordination between framing and the trades that follow it. When a homeowner hires a framing specialist, a separate drywall contractor, a tile installer, and an electrician under separate agreements, the responsibility for coordinating those handoffs lands on the homeowner.
You become the one making sure the framing is ready before the electrician shows up, that the electrician has finished rough-in before the drywall crew starts, and that the tile installer has the correct substrate specs before ordering materials.
At BNG Remodel, we coordinate all of those trades under one contract, which means Brittney Reader is managing the sequence, making sure each phase transitions cleanly into the next, and keeping the project timeline on track.
Kimberly Ortiz-Ramirez, who has used our team for two separate projects, wrote on Google in January 2024: “We’ve used BNG Remodel twice now and will continue to use them in the future! First our floors and now our kitchen. They’ve always made our vision come to life and they care about each project. Brittney sees each project all the way through and always makes sure it is up to our satisfaction.”
Kitchen remodels are exactly the kind of project where single-point-of-contact coordination makes the tangible difference between a project that runs smoothly and one that requires the homeowner to spend their evenings tracking down subcontractors.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kitchen Framing in Nashville
Does every kitchen remodel require framing work?
No. A cosmetic refresh that keeps the existing footprint, like new cabinets, countertops, or paint, generally does not touch the frame. Framing comes into play once the layout, wall placement, or window openings change.
How do I know if the wall between my kitchen and dining room is load-bearing?
You cannot reliably tell by looking at it from the kitchen side. We assess the wall’s orientation to the floor joists, whether it sits above a foundation wall or beam, and what loads are bearing on it from above before recommending anything.
How long does framing take during a kitchen remodel?
A single wall removal with beam installation typically takes three to five days, including structural support, permit coordination, and inspection. A footprint reconfiguration or new window opening adds time, which we build into the project schedule upfront.
Do I need a permit to remove a wall in my Nashville kitchen?
Yes. Any structural change, including wall removal, requires a building permit in Nashville and throughout Davidson County and surrounding Middle Tennessee jurisdictions. We handle the filing and inspection process on every applicable project.
Can BNG Remodel coordinate framing with cabinets, tile, and other kitchen trades?
Yes. We plan the framing layout around the cabinet run, countertop overhang, and appliance rough-in before the frame is set, and we coordinate every trade that follows under one contract.
Ready to talk through your kitchen’s framing scope? If a Nashville kitchen remodel with structural changes is on your list this year, call or text us at (615) 525-8464, visit us at 413 Welshwood Dr, Suite 315, Nashville, TN 37211, or schedule a free quote any day of the week from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM.