How much does a kitchen remodel cost?
Kitchens are the most expensive room per square foot in most homes: cabinetry, appliances, plumbing and electrical all land in one space. Use the estimator to get a range for your own kitchen, then read what actually moves the number.
New cabinetry, tile, fixtures and finishes; layout largely unchanged.
What you are paying for
Cabinetry and joinery are usually the single largest line — stock, semi-custom and fully bespoke can differ by three or four times for the same footprint.
Appliances, worktops and tile sit next. Moving plumbing or gas, or taking out a wall, pushes a remodel toward gut-renovation pricing because trades and permits enter the picture.
A designer's fee is typically a modest share of the total but is where most of the savings come from: fewer change orders, fewer wrong orders, and a layout that works before anything is installed.
Ways the number changes
Keeping the existing layout is the biggest single saving available on a kitchen.
Semi-custom cabinetry with a small run of bespoke pieces usually reads as fully custom for a fraction of the cost.
Regional labour rates matter: the same kitchen can differ by 30–40% between a low-cost state and a coastal metro.
Common questions
- Is a designer worth it on a kitchen?
- On a remodel with new cabinetry, most homeowners find the design fee is offset by avoided mistakes — layout changes on paper cost nothing, layout changes on site cost a great deal.
- How long does a kitchen remodel take?
- Design and procurement usually runs longer than the build. Cabinetry lead times of 8–14 weeks are common, so plan the order before demolition rather than after.
Get real numbers from real studios
An estimate narrows the field. A studio that has done this exact job in your area gives you a price.