We used HD for a kitchen “facelift" two houses ago. (New counters, including the installation of a bar counter, tile backsplash, appliances, new sink, fixtures, cabinet hardware). We left the cabinets and didn’t move anything around. They did a nice job but it wasn’t as smooth as using a more skilled contractor and there weren’t nearly as many options. When issues arose, it was up to H and I to brain storm solutions. Not ideal. It was a basic, on a tight budget, job for us.
My $.02 is to find a good local contractor through word of mouth. What we found with ours is that he had discounts at a lot of the nicer places so we got better quality materials, more selection, and very personal service, at nearly the same prices as the box stores. We would go pick things out with the store designers , contractor would order and pick them up, and then we’d pay him. The contractor had a cabinet designer that helped with all the layout and visualization. He also had excellent ideas on where to cut costs to stay on budget that wouldn’t impact the overall look of the space. As an example, getting flooring and tile material from Floor and Decor instead of a tile store.