Kitchen Remodel Cost Calculator

It depends heavily on scope. A minor kitchen remodel (new cabinets, countertops, and appliances in the same layout) averages $15,000–$40,000. A major mid-range remodel runs $40,000–$80,000, and a luxury custom kitchen can exceed $100,000–$150,000. On a per-square-foot basis, expect roughly $30/sq ft for a cosmetic refresh up to $300+/sq ft for luxury. The national average across all types is around $27,000, and coastal metros run 20–40% higher. Use the calculator above to price your remodel by size, scope, cabinet quality, and countertop.

A cosmetic refresh (paint, hardware, fixtures) can finish in 1–2 weeks. A minor remodel with cabinet and countertop replacement takes 3–6 weeks once materials arrive. A major gut remodel — demolition, rough plumbing and electrical, inspections, and full finish work — typically takes 6–12 weeks. The biggest variable is often the permit and inspection timeline, which alone can add 2–6 weeks depending on your municipality's backlog. Cabinet and countertop lead times (especially custom) also drive the schedule, so order early. Plan for the kitchen to be unusable for several weeks on a major project.

A minor kitchen remodel consistently ranks among the highest-ROI home projects — Remodeling's Cost vs. Value report shows a minor mid-range kitchen recouping roughly 80–85% of its cost at resale in most markets. Major and luxury remodels recoup less (50–70%), because buyers rarely pay dollar-for-dollar for premium upgrades in average-priced neighborhoods. The best ROI strategy is to match your kitchen's quality to your neighborhood's price tier — over-improving a kitchen beyond the surrounding homes is where returns fall off. Cosmetic refreshes can recoup 85–100% since they cost little and lift appeal.

Cabinets are almost always the largest single line item, consuming 30–40% of the budget — in a $30,000 remodel, expect $9,000–$12,000 in cabinets alone. Countertops are the second-largest material cost at 10–15%. But labor across all trades (installation, plumbing, electrical) is collectively the most expensive category, often 30–35% of the total, just spread across several subcontractors so it's less visible as one line. Appliances and any layout changes (moving plumbing or walls) add substantially. Where you can save without hurting the result is choosing stock or semi-custom cabinets over full custom.

Refacing — replacing just the door and drawer fronts and applying veneer to the boxes — costs 40–60% less than full replacement and takes days instead of weeks. It's the right choice when the cabinet boxes are structurally sound and you're happy with the layout. Full replacement is necessary when the boxes are damaged, you want to change the layout or add cabinets, or you want soft-close hardware and modern interior features (pull-outs, drawer inserts) that can't be retrofitted. In this calculator, cabinet quality (stock/semi-custom/custom) prices new cabinets; we have separate refacing and refinishing calculators to compare.

Stock cabinets are pre-built in fixed sizes (usually 3-inch width increments) and finishes, available immediately at the lowest cost — the baseline here. Semi-custom cabinets are built to order in a wider range of sizes and finishes with 4–8 week lead times (about 30% more). Full custom cabinets are built to exact measurements in virtually any wood, finish, and interior configuration, with the longest lead times (8–16 weeks) and highest cost (about 70% more). Since cabinets are 30–40% of the budget, this choice is one of the biggest levers on your total — stock or semi-custom is the value sweet spot for most remodels.

It depends on scope. Purely cosmetic work (paint, hardware, fixture swaps) usually doesn't need one. Work that moves or adds electrical circuits, relocates plumbing, or removes walls (especially load-bearing) almost always requires a permit and inspections. Skipping required permits creates liability at resale — a buyer's inspector or lender may flag unpermitted work, potentially forcing you to open walls for inspection or restore the original condition. Permits are a selectable add-on here (~$1,500). A reputable contractor pulls the permits and schedules inspections; if a contractor suggests skipping them to save money, that's a red flag.

Quartz is widely considered the best balance of performance and cost — engineered stone that's non-porous (no sealing, unlike granite) and resists staining and etching (unlike marble), at a mid-premium price. It's the popular default. Laminate offers the best pure value for budget remodels, with modern options that mimic stone convincingly, especially with a waterfall edge. Granite is durable natural stone with unique patterns but needs periodic sealing, and marble is beautiful but high-maintenance and prone to etching. In the calculator, countertop is priced as an incremental per-square-foot adder over the base — from $0 for laminate to $30/sq ft for marble.

Yes, but plan for it. During a major gut remodel your kitchen is non-functional for 4–8 weeks, so set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere with a microwave, mini-fridge, and electric skillet, and budget for more takeout — $50–$150 a day for a family is typical. Dust is the biggest nuisance; plastic sheeting barriers between the kitchen and living areas reduce but don't eliminate migration through the house. For a cosmetic or minor remodel the disruption is much shorter. Many families find a major remodel more tolerable if they front-load the messiest demolition and dust-generating work into a concentrated stretch.

Get at least three written bids that break out labor, materials, and subcontractor costs separately so you can compare apples to apples. Verify the general contractor's license, liability insurance, and workers' comp in your state, and check references from projects finished in the last 12 months — ask specifically about communication, timeline adherence, and how disputes were handled. Avoid contractors who demand more than 30–40% upfront (10–30% deposit with payments tied to milestones is standard). A detailed, signed contract specifying scope, materials, timeline, and payment schedule is non-negotiable — and build in a 10–20% contingency for the surprises major remodels reliably uncover.