Kitchen remodel cost

Kitchen remodels do not have a price so much as they have two prices, and which one you get depends on a single decision: whether the sink, range and refrigerator stay where they are. Keep the layout and you are buying cabinets, counters and finishes. Move the layout and you are also buying a plumber, an electrician, permits, drywall and a delay.

Where the money goes

On a typical midrange job, cabinetry is 25% to 35% of the total, appliances 15% to 20%, countertops 10% to 15%, labor 15% to 25%, and everything else — flooring, lighting, backsplash, paint, hardware, disposal — makes up the rest. Cabinets are the largest single line, which is why refacing existing boxes instead of replacing them is the most effective way to cut the total without cutting the visible result.

The three tiers contractors actually quote

Cosmetic refresh, $6,000 to $15,000. Paint or reface the existing cabinets, new countertops, new sink and faucet, new hardware, new backsplash. Nothing structural moves. This is the tier where a kitchen can be meaningfully improved for well under the national average.

Midrange remodel, $20,000 to $40,000. New semi-custom cabinets in the existing footprint, quartz or granite counters, new appliances, new flooring, new lighting. Plumbing and gas stay put. This is the band the average figure above describes.

Major remodel, $45,000 to $80,000. Walls move, the layout changes, plumbing and electrical are relocated, and the job needs permits and inspections. Custom cabinetry and high-end appliances usually travel with it. This tier starts around where the midrange tier ends and has no practical ceiling.

Component costs, installed

• Cabinet refacing, existing boxes kept: $4,500 to $12,000
• Stock cabinets: $5,000 to $12,000
• Semi-custom cabinets: $12,000 to $25,000
• Quartz countertops, roughly 40 sq ft: $2,500 to $6,000
• Appliance package — range, refrigerator, dishwasher, hood: $3,000 to $12,000
• Relocating sink plumbing, permit usually required: $1,000 to $3,500

What blows the budget

Three things, in order. Changing the layout after demolition has started, because everything downstream was already ordered. Discovering that the wall you wanted to remove is load bearing, which adds an engineer, a beam and a permit. And appliance upgrades made one at a time during the project, each of which feels small against a five-figure total.

Sequencing and timeline

A layout-preserving midrange remodel typically takes four to eight weeks of on-site work, but cabinet lead times of eight to twelve weeks mean the calendar is usually set by the order date rather than the crew. Ask for the cabinet lead time in writing before you agree to a start date.

Go deeper

Sizing and place

• Kitchen remodel cost by size, and why the cabinet run matters more than the floor area
• Kitchen remodel cost by state, built from Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data

Cabinets and worktops

• Kitchen cabinet cost, the largest line in the budget
• Cabinet refacing cost, and when it is the right call
• Cabinet painting cost, where the preparation is the whole job
• Countertop cost by material
• Kitchen island cost, and the clearances that decide whether one works

Surfaces and fittings

• Kitchen backsplash cost
• Kitchen flooring cost, and what suits a kitchen
• Kitchen sink installation cost
• Appliance installation cost, and what free installation excludes

Bathrooms

• Bathroom remodel cost
• Small bathroom remodel cost
• Master bathroom remodel cost
• Half bathroom addition cost
• Tub to shower conversion cost
• Bathtub installation cost
• Bathroom vanity installation cost
• Bathroom tile cost, where the waterproofing is not the tile
• Bathroom exhaust fan cost, the cheapest thing in the room and the one that decides how long it lasts

Elsewhere in the house

• Laundry room remodel cost

Before you sign

• Kitchen remodel timeline, week by week
• Kitchen remodel return on investment, and why the smaller project returns more
• How to pay for a remodel

Frequently asked questions

How much should I budget for a kitchen remodel?

Work backwards from the cabinets. They are 25% to 35% of the total on nearly every job, so a cabinet quote of $8,000 implies a project somewhere around $25,000 to $32,000 at the same finish level. If the rest of the quote does not land near that, something is either unusually cheap or missing.

Can I remodel a kitchen in stages?

You can, and it costs more in total because each stage brings its own mobilization and some work gets done twice. The exception that works well is doing the cosmetic layer now, meaning paint, hardware and countertops, and the cabinets later.

How long will I be without a kitchen?

Four to eight weeks of on-site work for a midrange remodel that keeps the layout, longer if walls or plumbing move. Set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house with the old refrigerator, a microwave and a kettle. Eating out for two months is a real cost that never appears on a quote.

Do I need a permit?

For electrical, plumbing, gas or structural work, yes in nearly every jurisdiction. Replacing cabinets and countertops in place usually does not require one. Unpermitted kitchen work is a routine finding at sale.

Will a kitchen remodel pay for itself?

A minor remodel is the strongest returning interior project in the country and recovers most of its cost. A midrange full remodel recovers around half, and an upscale one around a third. Do it because you want the kitchen.