What a kitchen remodel costs, by tier
Every kitchen we quote lands in one of three tiers, and the tier is decided by scope, not by square footage. A small kitchen with a wall coming down costs more than a large kitchen getting new doors and counters. The ranges below assume a 150 to 250 square foot kitchen, mid-range materials and current labor rates in the states we serve.
| Tier | Typical cost | What it buys | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refresh | $18,000 to $32,000 | Same layout. Cabinets refaced or repainted, new quartz counters, backsplash, sink, faucet, lighting, floors. | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Full remodel | $38,000 to $68,000 | New semi-custom cabinets and everything around them, wiring and plumbing brought to code, new floors and paint. | 5 to 7 weeks |
| Layout change | $70,000 to $120,000+ | Everything in Full remodel plus a wall removed with an engineered beam, an island, relocated plumbing and gas, custom cabinetry. | 8 to 11 weeks |
Most homeowners we work with choose the Full remodel tier. The Refresh tier is the right answer more often than people expect, and the section on cabinets explains why. Each tier has its own page with what is included, week by week: kitchen remodeling, cabinet refacing and load-bearing wall removal.
Where the money goes
Across our last hundred Full remodel kitchens, the budget split the same way almost every time. Cabinets took about a third. The crew's labor took a little more than a quarter. Countertops, the thing most people agonize over, took about one dollar in eight.
This matters when you are deciding where to save. Trading a $90 per square foot quartz for a $60 one changes a typical kitchen by about $900. Keeping solid cabinet boxes instead of replacing them changes it by ten to fifteen thousand. Six tests tell you in ten minutes whether your boxes are worth keeping.
What it costs where you live
Labor is the second largest line in every kitchen, and labor rates change by state more than material prices do. These are the median Full remodel totals from our own projects in the states where we hold a license, for the same 150 to 250 square foot scope. Pick your state page for the local numbers, permits and crews.
| State | Median Full remodel | Versus our national median | Typical permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $58,400 | +11% | $650 to $1,200 |
| Connecticut | $55,900 | +6% | $500 to $1,000 |
| New York | $61,200 | +16% | $800 to $2,000 |
| New Jersey | $57,300 | +9% | $600 to $1,400 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,100 | −5% | $400 to $900 |
| Florida | $49,600 | −6% | $300 to $800 |
| Georgia | $47,200 | −10% | $250 to $700 |
| North Carolina | $46,800 | −11% | $250 to $700 |
Where these numbers come fromOur own signed contracts, not a national survey. National surveys such as the Houzz & Home study put the median kitchen spend lower because they include partial updates and homeowner-supplied labor. Our figures are for a licensed contractor doing the whole job.
The six things that move the price
- Cabinet boxes. Solid plywood boxes can be refaced. Particleboard, swollen or water-stained boxes cannot. This one decision is the difference between the Refresh and Full remodel tiers.
- Layout. Moving a sink, a range or a wall means plumbing, gas, electrical and often a structural beam and an engineer. Keeping the layout keeps you out of the top tier.
- Age of the house. Older homes bring cloth-wrapped wiring, steel pipes, plaster walls and sometimes lead paint, which brings the EPA lead-safe rules with it. Each has a known fix and a known price; the contingency exists for them. Remodeling an older-house kitchen.
- Cabinet grade. Stock, semi-custom and custom can differ by a factor of three for the same kitchen. Semi-custom lines like KraftMaid, Wellborn and Fabuwood with plywood boxes are the sweet spot for most homes. Cabinet installation, explained.
- Countertop material. Laminate, quartz, granite, quartzite and marble, in roughly that order of cost. Quartz brands such as Cambria, Silestone and Caesarstone are the default because they never need sealing. The full comparison.
- Who does the work. A licensed general contractor with one crew costs more than a handyman and less than a design-build firm with a showroom, and is the only one of the three who pulls the permit under their own license. How the three compare, line by line.
Why budgets break, in our last hundred kitchens
National surveys say roughly four in ten remodels go over budget. We track the reason on every kitchen we finish, because the reason tells you what to fix in the contract, not in the kitchen. Percentages are of the projects that went over their original number.
Want the number for your kitchen, not the average one?
Eight quick answers about your kitchen. A licensed supervisor visits, then sends three prices in writing within 24 hours.
What a cheap quote usually leaves out
When a quote comes in fifteen thousand below the others, it is almost never because the contractor found a cheaper way to build a kitchen. It is because something is missing. These are the six lines we see left out most often, in order.
- Demolition, disposal and the dumpster
- Permits and inspections, or the quote asks you to pull the permit yourself
- Bringing wiring and plumbing up to code, which the inspector will require anyway
- A contingency for what is behind the walls
- Dust barriers, floor protection and daily cleanup
- Appliance installation, sometimes even the sink and faucet
How to keep the number from moving
Four in ten homeowners go over budget on a remodel, and about half of them say the cause was costs they did not expect. Almost all of those are avoidable before the contract is signed.
Ask for a fixed price with a declared contingency
A fixed price means the contractor owns the estimate. A declared contingency, usually ten to fifteen percent, means the money for hidden problems is set aside in advance, spent only with your written approval, and refunded if it is not needed. That combination is the difference between a surprise and a plan.
Make every selection before demolition
Changing a tile after the wall is open costs more than the tile. Pick cabinets, counters, tile, fixtures and lighting while the kitchen is still standing, then lock the order. Our design step exists so that nothing gets chosen under pressure.
Say no to change orders you did not start
A change order you asked for is fine. A change order for something that should have been in the scope is the contractor's mistake, not your bill. The two kinds of change order, and how to tell them apart.
Is it worth it at resale?
A mid-range kitchen remodel returns roughly two thirds of its cost when the house sells, and a high-end one returns less than half, according to the Cost vs. Value report the remodeling industry uses as its benchmark. That is the average, and it is the wrong question for most families. The right question is how many years you will cook in it. Ten years of a kitchen you like is worth more than the fraction you recoup. If you are selling within two years, the scope that sells a house is a different, smaller project.
Questions we get about kitchen cost
Why did three contractors give me three different numbers?
Because they priced three different scopes. One included demolition and permits, one did not; one priced plywood boxes, one priced particleboard. Ask each for the same itemized list and the numbers get close fast.
Can I supply my own cabinets or countertops?
Yes. You save the markup and take on the risk: if a box arrives damaged or the wrong size, the delay is yours. We tell you what to check on delivery and install what you bring.
Is the estimate really the final price?
With us, yes. The contract shows a fixed price and a declared contingency. Anything found behind the walls is photographed, priced separately and approved by you in writing before work continues.
How much should I set aside for surprises?
Ten to fifteen percent of the contract. In our last hundred kitchens, four in ten needed wiring work and one in four had water damage under the sink. The contingency covers it, and the unused part comes back to you.
