The short answer
"How much does a kitchen remodel cost?" has no single answer because the phrase covers three very different projects. Painting the cabinets and replacing the countertops is a remodel. So is tearing the room to the studs and moving the sink to a new island. The second can cost ten times the first in the same house.
Three decisions set most of the price: what you do with the cabinets, whether the layout changes, and which appliances you buy. Size matters less than people expect, because appliances, the sink, electrical work, and permits cost about the same in a small kitchen as in a large one. The calculator above prices each decision separately so you can see what each is worth.
How the calculator works
The estimate is the sum of the items you select, built in four steps.
- Quantities from floor area. Cabinets are estimated at 0.17 linear feet per square foot of floor, countertops at 0.25 square feet, and backsplash at 0.2 square feet. A 150 square foot kitchen therefore gets about 26 linear feet of cabinets, 38 square feet of countertop, and 30 square feet of backsplash. Flooring and paint use the floor area directly.
- Unit costs. Each option has a low, typical, and high installed cost, per unit or as a flat amount. The table in the next section lists every figure.
- Local cost level. Labor-driven lines are multiplied by 0.9 in lower-cost areas and 1.2 in high-cost metros. Appliances and permit fees are not adjusted.
- Overhead and contingency. If a general contractor manages the job, 10% to 20% is added for overhead and profit. Your contingency percentage is then applied to the whole amount.
The formula is: total = (sum of quantity × unit cost × local factor) × (1 + contractor markup) × (1 + contingency).
Cost assumptions
These are the installed-cost figures behind the calculator, at the national baseline. They are planning ranges compiled from published 2026 remodeling cost guides and supplier pricing, not quotes.
| Item | Unit | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinets: paint or refinish | Linear ft | $60 | $100 | $150 |
| Cabinets: reface | Linear ft | $150 | $250 | $400 |
| Cabinets: new stock or semi-custom | Linear ft | $250 | $450 | $700 |
| Cabinets: new custom | Linear ft | $600 | $900 | $1,400 |
| Countertops: laminate | Sq ft | $30 | $45 | $65 |
| Countertops: quartz or granite | Sq ft | $70 | $100 | $150 |
| Countertops: premium stone | Sq ft | $120 | $180 | $280 |
| Appliances: mid-range package | Flat | $4,000 | $7,000 | $10,000 |
| Appliances: premium package | Flat | $12,000 | $20,000 | $35,000 |
| Flooring: luxury vinyl plank | Sq ft | $5 | $8 | $12 |
| Flooring: hardwood | Sq ft | $10 | $15 | $22 |
| Flooring: porcelain tile | Sq ft | $12 | $18 | $28 |
| Tile backsplash | Sq ft | $25 | $40 | $70 |
| Sink, faucet, and disposal | Flat | $800 | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| New fixtures and outlets | Flat | $1,500 | $3,000 | $5,500 |
| New circuits and recessed lighting | Flat | $4,000 | $7,000 | $12,000 |
| Move the sink or range | Flat | $2,000 | $4,500 | $8,000 |
| Remove a wall and move fixtures | Flat | $5,000 | $11,000 | $22,000 |
| Drywall repair and paint | Sq ft of floor | $6 | $10 | $16 |
| Demolition and disposal | Flat | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,500 |
| Permits and inspections | Flat | $300 | $800 | $2,000 |
Three levels of remodel, priced
Here is the same 150 square foot kitchen at three scopes, at the national baseline with a 10% contingency.
| Scope | What changes | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic refresh | Painted cabinets, quartz countertops, vinyl plank floor, backsplash, sink, and paint. Existing appliances stay. No contractor markup or permit. | $8,100 | $12,900 | $20,600 |
| Mid-range remodel | New semi-custom cabinets, quartz countertops, mid-range appliances, new floor, lighting, and backsplash in the same layout. General contractor. | $23,000 | $42,300 | $71,000 |
| Upscale remodel | Custom cabinets, premium stone, premium appliances, hardwood, new circuits, and a wall removed with fixtures relocated. General contractor. | $55,700 | $97,300 | $173,600 |
Size changes the mid-range figure less than scope does. The same mid-range selections come to about $29,400 for a 70 square foot kitchen, $34,200 for a 10 × 10, $50,300 for 200 square feet, and $58,400 for 250.
Where the money goes
- Cabinets, 25% to 40%. The largest line in almost every remodel that replaces them. Stock cabinets come in fixed sizes, semi-custom lines adjust sizes and finishes, and custom cabinets are built for the room. Painting or refacing sound cabinet boxes costs a fraction of replacement and is the biggest single saving available.
- Appliances, 10% to 20%. A standard range, refrigerator, dishwasher, and microwave from one mid-range line is predictable. Built-in refrigeration, a professional-style range, and panel-ready dishwashers can triple the figure.
- Countertops, 8% to 15%. Priced by the square foot, installed, with extra charges for cutouts, edge profiles, and seams. Quartz and mid-grade granite are close in price. Marble and quartzite cost more and need more care.
- Labor and trades. Installation is built into each line above, but plumbers and electricians bill separately for anything that moves. Labor is a larger share of the job in high-cost metros.
- Contractor overhead and profit, 10% to 20%. This pays for scheduling the trades, pulling permits, supervising the site, insurance, and the warranty on the work.
Why layout changes cost so much
Keeping the sink, range, and refrigerator where they are means the plumbing, gas, vent, and electrical lines stay in the walls untouched. Moving the sink to an island means cutting the floor for a new drain and vent. Moving a gas range means a new gas line and usually a new exhaust duct. Removing a wall can mean a structural beam, an engineer's letter, rerouted ducts and wiring, and new flooring to patch the gap.
Each of these also triggers permits and inspections, and once walls are open the work generally has to meet the current code. In an older house that can mean additional dedicated circuits and ground-fault and arc-fault protection that the old kitchen did not have. The calculator's two layout options cover these costs as flat allowances with wide ranges, because the real number depends on what is inside your walls.
Costs people forget
- Living without a kitchen. Weeks of takeout, a temporary setup with a microwave and a utility sink, or both.
- Hidden conditions. Water damage under the sink, outdated wiring, or an uneven subfloor found after demolition. This is what the contingency is for. Use 10% for a newer home with no layout change and 15% to 20% for an older home or a gut renovation.
- Lead paint and asbestos. In homes built before 1978, contractors disturbing painted surfaces must follow the EPA's lead-safe work rules, and old flooring or wall materials may need testing before removal.
- Adjacent rooms. New flooring that stops at the kitchen doorway, or paint that makes the next room look tired.
- Design fees. A kitchen designer or architect may charge a flat fee, an hourly rate, or a percentage of the project.
- Sales tax and delivery on appliances and materials, if your quotes exclude them.
How much should you spend?
A widely used rule of thumb puts a kitchen remodel at 5% to 15% of the home's value. Enter your home value in the calculator to see where your budget falls. The reasoning is about resale. A buyer will pay more for a house with an updated kitchen, but only up to what similar houses nearby sell for.
National resale data shows the same pattern. In Zonda's 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, a minor midrange kitchen remodel costing $28,458 added $32,141 to resale value, about 113% of its cost. A major midrange remodel costing $82,793 added $42,130, about 51%. An upscale remodel costing $164,104 added $58,561, about 36%. The more you spend past a clean, functional, current-looking kitchen, the more you are paying for your own enjoyment rather than for value. That is a fine reason to remodel, provided it is a deliberate one. The renovation ROI calculator compares these returns across 28 project types.
Ways to lower the cost
- Keep the layout. It avoids the most expensive trades and usually the longest delays.
- Keep the cabinet boxes. If they are solid wood or plywood and the layout works, paint or reface them and replace the hardware.
- Buy one appliance tier down. The step from mid-range to premium is larger than any other single upgrade.
- Mix countertop materials. Use the premium stone on the island and a less expensive surface on the perimeter.
- Do the demolition and painting yourself if your contractor agrees and you have the time.
- Order everything before work starts. A crew waiting on a backordered sink costs money every day.
- Get three itemized bids. A single lump-sum number cannot be compared with anything.
Timeline and permits
A cosmetic refresh takes one to three weeks. A mid-range remodel in the same layout usually takes six to ten weeks of construction. A gut renovation with layout changes often runs three to five months. Cabinet lead times come first: a few weeks for stock, and up to three months for custom.
Permits are generally required for new or relocated electrical circuits, plumbing, gas lines, and any structural change, and often not required for painting, countertops, or cabinets replaced in the same positions. Your local building department sets the rules. Unpermitted work can surface during a future sale, so keep the closed permit with your records. Our renovation planning guide covers sequencing, and the guide to finding the right contractors covers vetting bids.
Keep the paperwork
A kitchen remodel is a capital improvement. Its cost is added to the basis of your home, which can reduce the taxable gain when you sell. On a home that has appreciated past the exclusion limit, $60,000 of documented improvements can be worth $9,000 or more in tax. The capital gains on home sale calculator shows the effect. Keep the contract, every paid invoice, the permit, appliance model and serial numbers, warranty documents, and before and after photos.
What the estimate leaves out
The calculator does not price additions or bump-outs, structural engineering, window or exterior door changes, asbestos or lead abatement, design fees, sales tax, financing costs, or the cost of living elsewhere during the work. Cabinet and countertop quantities are estimated from floor area, so a kitchen with an unusually long cabinet run or a large island will differ. Treat the result as a range to test contractor bids against.
Cost assumptions last reviewed November 2026.