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Kitchen Renovation Cooktop Planning Guide: When to Choose, What to Specify, and How to Avoid the $1,500 Mid-Renovation Mistake

Most kitchen renovation projects make the same mistake: appliances are treated as a "we'll pick those later" decision while cabinetry, countertops, and tile choices dominate early planning. By the time the cooktop discussion happens, electrical rough-in is half-complete, cabinet dimensions are locked, and the homeowner is suddenly choosing from a narrow subset of cooktops that fit constraints already created. This guide flips that sequence. Inside: the 5-phase renovation timeline showing exactly when cooktop decisions need to happen, three kitchen layouts and their matching cooktop sizes, realistic budget allocation breakdown, the ventilation pairing matrix that ensures your hood actually clears smoke, the 8 specifications your contractor needs from you, and the mid-project rescue plan if you're already in the middle of renovation.