Kitchen Remodeler in Whittier, CA

Craftsman and Spanish Revival kitchens near Uptown Whittier

Streets around Greenleaf Avenue and Whittier College hold Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Revival houses and early cottages. Their kitchens were small service rooms, often reworked once or twice since, with plaster walls, raised wood floors and a breakfast nook or butler’s pantry that owners want to keep.

Settling, and the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, left many of these houses a little out of true. That affects cabinets more than anything: fillers and scribe strips hide uneven walls, and countertops need templating after the boxes are set. Old fir or oak floors may be worth keeping in the rest of the house.

Not every Whittier house is pre-war. Hillside neighborhoods such as Friendly Hills filled in during the 1950s and 1960s with larger ranch homes on view lots, and their kitchens have more in common with mid-century tracts elsewhere. In the older houses, knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized supply lines and plaster over wood lath are common behind the cabinets, so opening a wall often turns into permitted electrical or plumbing work. Raised wood floors over a crawl space flex more than slabs, which favors smaller tile formats or wood over large porcelain.

Planning a showroom day from the Puente Hills side

1. 1

   Measure at several heights

   In an older Whittier home, measure each wall at the floor, the counter line and the ceiling; the numbers often differ.

2. 2

   Photograph details you want to keep

   Original trim, a built-in hutch or a tile nook help the showroom team suggest compatible doors and finishes.

3. 3

   Make the drive

   The 605 to the 5 through downtown, or the 60 west, then the 170 north to Sherman Way.

4. 4

   Order once the walls are checked

   Final sizes are confirmed against the real room before ordering; delivery and any installation are scheduled to your Whittier address.

Whittier permits, historic districts and lead-safe work

The City of Whittier issues building permits here, not LADBS or the county. Like-for-like cabinet and counter replacement is usually cosmetic, but new circuits, moved plumbing or a removed wall require a permit and licensed trades, verified through CSLB. Whittier also has locally designated historic districts, so if the project changes a window or the exterior, ask the city about review first.

Most of these homes predate 1978, which brings in the EPA’s RRP lead-safe rules for disturbing old paint. We have no Whittier projects to display; this page is limited to what is true for every address in the city.

Greenleaf Avenue, the Greenway Trail and the Puente Hills

Whittier incorporated in 1898. Uptown centers on Greenleaf Avenue and Philadelphia Street, a nod to the Quaker founders, with Whittier College a few blocks away. The Whittier Greenway Trail follows a former rail line across the city, Whittier Boulevard runs west to Pio Pico State Historic Park near the San Gabriel River, and the Puente Hills Habitat Preserve protects the open hillsides to the north, including Turnbull Canyon.

The city runs its own water utility for part of town, Southern California Edison supplies electricity and SoCalGas the gas, and the 605 and the 5 are the usual freeway links west toward the 710 and downtown.

Kitchen remodeling work that fits older Whittier houses

Homeowners in South Whittier and Hacienda Heights use the same showroom, and the older-home remodeling guide goes deeper on plaster and wiring surprises.