Free · no signup · Updated July 2026
Kitchen Renovation Cost Estimator
A kitchen renovation costs $10,000–$130,000 in 2026, and where you land inside that span is decided almost entirely by scope. A minor/cosmetic refresh runs $10,000–$20,000; a midrange remodel $25,000–$50,000 (about $150–$250 per sq ft, the range most homeowners end up in); a major renovation $65,000–$130,000; upscale/luxury $70,000–$250,000. Cabinets are typically 30–40% of the budget.
2026 national range
$10,000–$130,000/ total project, minor through major scope
By remodel scope, installed (materials + labor). National average estimate for 2026 (~$150–$250 per sq ft).
- Minor / cosmetic refresh$10,000–$20,000
- Midrange (good materials, no structural)$25,000–$50,000
- Major (structural, custom cabinetry)$65,000–$130,000
- Upscale / luxury$70,000–$250,000
Educational calculators — always consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions.
Your kitchen
Scope determines labor percentage, demo costs, and permit requirements.
New cabinets, countertops, and appliances. Existing layout maintained. Budget $25,000–$50,000.
Average kitchen is 120–200 sq ft. Open-concept may be 200–350 sq ft.
Keeping or painting existing cabinets saves $5,000–$40,000.
Full replacement with standard-size cabinets. Most cost-effective new cabinet option.
Quartz and granite are most popular for resale value.
Most popular choice ($60–$120/sq ft). Non-porous, low-maintenance, consistent color.
Keeping existing flooring saves $500–$3,000+.
Most durable for kitchens. Waterproof; cold underfoot. $8–$15/sq ft installed.
Layout changes require permits and can involve moving plumbing and electrical.
No permits required for layout-only projects. Keeps plumbing and electrical costs low.
Select all that apply to your project.
Total renovation cost
$12,506 – $32,702
Mid-Range Remodel — 150 sq ft kitchen
Mid-range remodel returns 55–65% nationally. Best if your kitchen is 10+ years old.
Cost breakdown
Where Your Money Goes
Contingency reminder
Kitchen renovations run 10–20% over budget on average. Build in a contingency buffer before committing.
Estimates reflect national averages for educational purposes only. Costs vary significantly by region. Always get 3+ quotes from licensed contractors before committing.
Your Saved Scenarios
No saved scenarios yet
What you'll need
- Renovation scope — refresh, mid-range, major, or gut
- Kitchen size in square feet
- Cabinet plan — keep, paint, reface, or replace
- Countertop and flooring material choices
What you'll get
- Total renovation cost — Low-to-high estimated range
- Cost per square foot — For your scope and finishes
- Itemized breakdown — Cabinets, counters, flooring, labor & more
- ROI notes — What recoups value at resale
How it works
Select renovation scope
Choose from cosmetic refresh, mid-range remodel, or full gut renovation.
Enter kitchen size
Small (<100 sq ft), medium (100–200 sq ft), or large (200+ sq ft) affects all line items.
Customize line items
Toggle cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring, and lighting to match your plan.
"Kitchen remodel," "kitchen renovation," and "kitchen makeover" all name the same project, and "estimator" and "calculator" are the same tool by two names — this page covers minor refresh through gut renovation either way. If you've already decided to keep your cabinet boxes, the Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing Cost Calculator prices that alone; if you're replacing the boxes without touching the rest of the kitchen, the Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost Calculator is the narrower tool for that piece.
All estimates include labor, permits, and demolition. Add 10–20% contingency for unexpected costs.
Kitchen remodel cost by size
Scope sets the rate; size sets the total. Published per-square-foot rates run $60–$150 for small / partial, $150–$250 for average / full, and $250–$350 for high-end or large. Multiply by your floor area for the total.
| Kitchen size | Small / partial | Average / full | High-end or large |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8′ × 8′ (64 sq ft) | $3,840–$9,600 | $9,600–$16,000 | $16,000–$22,400 |
| 8′ × 10′ (80 sq ft) | $4,800–$12,000 | $12,000–$20,000 | $20,000–$28,000 |
| 10′ × 10′ (100 sq ft) | $6,000–$15,000 | $15,000–$25,000 | $25,000–$35,000 |
| 10′ × 12′ (120 sq ft) | $7,200–$18,000 | $18,000–$30,000 | $30,000–$42,000 |
| 12′ × 12′ (144 sq ft) | $8,640–$21,600 | $21,600–$36,000 | $36,000–$50,400 |
| 15′ × 15′ (225 sq ft) | $13,500–$33,750 | $33,750–$56,250 | $56,250–$78,750 |
| 20′ × 20′ (400 sq ft) | $24,000–$60,000 | $60,000–$100,000 | $100,000–$140,000 |
- Small / partial. Refacing cabinets, paint, new counters or flooring, some DIY. Layout unchanged.
- Average / full. All new appliances, floors, counters, lighting and semi-custom cabinets. Layout unchanged.
- High-end or large. Structural layout changes, moved plumbing or gas, custom cabinetry, luxury finishes.
Two things this table will not tell you. First, cost does not scale cleanly with area — a galley kitchen and an open-plan kitchen of the same square footage differ because the cabinet run, not the floor, is what you are really buying. Second, the tiers above assume the layout stays put; the moment plumbing, gas or a wall moves, you are in the high-end column regardless of size. A gut-and-remodel also carries $500–$2,500 of demolition before any of it starts.
Kitchen renovation cost by budget
"What can I actually get for $25,000?" is a different question from "what does a mid-range remodel cost," because the scope table above answers in a whole-project range while a fixed budget has to be spent on specific choices. The four rows below run one representative set of choices — the same scope, size, and material picks a homeowner at that budget level tends to land on — through this page's own calculator, so the number and the choices behind it are the same thing.
| Budget tier | Calculator estimate |
|---|---|
| $15,000 | $8,682–$21,324 Minor refresh, 100 sq ft, layout unchanged, granite counters, painted cabinets, hardwood floor, plus new plumbing fixtures and electrical/lighting |
| $25,000 | $13,394–$36,601 Mid-range remodel, 100 sq ft, layout unchanged, quartz counters, refaced cabinets, tile floor, plus backsplash, plumbing, electrical, lighting and sink |
| $50,000 | $27,676–$72,325 Mid-range remodel, 100 sq ft, a minor layout change, granite counters, refaced cabinets, hardwood floor, plus appliances, electrical, lighting and sink |
| $75,000+ | $76,377–$196,837 Gut renovation, 250 sq ft, complete layout change, marble counters, custom cabinets, hardwood floor, every add-on included |
Each row is this page's own calculator, run once per tier with the inputs in the caption — change any one input (a pricier counter, a bigger kitchen, a layout change) and the total moves, which is why the $75,000+ row is a floor rather than a ceiling. Run your own combination with the calculator above rather than interpolating between rows.
Kitchen renovation cost by size, from the calculator
Holding the same mid-range choices constant — quartz counters, stock cabinets, tile floor, layout unchanged — and changing only the footprint shows what size alone does to the total, run through this page's own calculator at each size:
| Kitchen size | Sq ft | Calculator estimate (mid-range) |
|---|---|---|
| 8×8 | 64 | $7,164–$19,437 |
| 10×10 | 100 | $8,560–$22,470 |
| 10×12 | 120 | $10,005–$26,162 |
| 12×15 | 180 | $15,007–$39,242 |
| 10×20 | 200 | $16,674–$43,603 |
Mid-range scope, quartz counters, stock cabinets, tile floor, layout unchanged, no add-ons — the only variable across rows is square footage. The 8×8 and 10×10 rows both cost more per square foot than the three larger rows because the calculator floors the cabinet run at 70% of a 10×10 kitchen's cabinet cost rather than shrinking it further for a smaller room — a real cabinet run has a minimum length regardless of how tight the kitchen is — while countertops and flooring keep scaling down with the room. That fixed-ish cabinet cost is a bigger share of a smaller total, which is why the two smallest rows sit above the rest on a per-square-foot basis even though every row uses the identical per-unit rates. Price your own footprint, material and add-ons together with the Cabinet Installation Cost Calculator or the calculator above.
What a layout change costs, run through the calculator
Every other table on this page holds layout at whatever the scenario needs. This one holds a mid-range, 150 sq ft kitchen — quartz counters, stock cabinets, tile floor, no add-ons — fixed, and changes only the layout input, so the layout line item's real weight is isolated from everything else that also moves the total:
| Layout | What changes | Calculator estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Keep layout | Plumbing, gas, and cabinet footprint stay exactly where they are | $12,506–$32,702 |
| Minor change | One or two fixtures relocate; walls stay put | $16,518–$43,402 |
| Complete change | Plumbing, gas, and at least one wall move | $25,881–$66,139 |
Same 150 sq ft mid-range scenario at every row — quartz counters, stock cabinets, tile floor, no add-ons — with only the layout input changed. Going from a kept layout to a complete one that moves plumbing and a wall roughly doubles this scenario's total, from $12,506–$32,702 to $25,881–$66,139, before a single cabinet, counter, or appliance choice changes. That is why the "keep the footprint" advice elsewhere on this page is the single biggest lever in the whole project, not just a rule of thumb.
What each add-on costs on its own
The calculator above toggles six add-ons independently of scope, size, and material. Holding a 150 sq ft mid-range kitchen fixed — quartz counters, stock cabinets, tile floor, layout unchanged — here is what switching each one on, alone, adds to the total:
| Add-on | Covers | Adds to total |
|---|---|---|
| Appliances | Range, hood, dishwasher, and refrigerator as a package | +$3,343–$10,700 |
| Backsplash | Tile backsplash, wall to underside of upper cabinets | +$1,070–$4,012 |
| Plumbing | Supply and drain lines moved or replaced (not a new sink itself) | +$1,500–$4,000 |
| Electrical | New circuits and outlets to current code | +$2,000–$6,000 |
| Lighting | Recessed and under-cabinet fixtures | +$800–$3,000 |
| Sink | The sink and faucet unit itself | +$400–$1,800 |
Each row is the same 150 sq ft mid-range scenario run twice through this page's own calculator — once with that add-on off, once with it on — with the difference shown. Appliances is the most expensive single add-on and sink the cheapest, because sink prices the fixture and faucet only, not the supply and drain work plumbing prices separately. Turn on more than one at a time in the calculator above and, at this scenario's size, the totals stack exactly to the sum of the rows here — labor, demo, and permit costs are fixed percentages of the material subtotal, so they scale linearly with whichever add-ons you switch on. That stops holding only in a scenario small enough to hit the calculator's $200/$500 permit floor, where the permit line stays flat instead of shrinking further.
Countertop material cost, run through the calculator
Same 150 sq ft mid-range kitchen — stock cabinets, tile floor, layout unchanged — priced once per countertop material this calculator supports, so you can see the whole-project effect of the material choice alone:
| Countertop | Per sq ft | Calculator estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Laminate | $10–$25 | $8,894–$25,078 |
| Butcher block | $40–$70 | $11,302–$28,689 |
| Granite | $50–$100 | $12,104–$31,097 |
| Quartz | $55–$120 | $12,506–$32,702 |
| Marble | $75–$150 | $14,111–$35,109 |
Same 150 sq ft mid-range scenario at every row — stock cabinets, tile floor, layout unchanged — with only the countertop material changed, run through this page's own calculator. The per-sq-ft column is the material rate alone; the estimate column is what that rate does to the whole project once labor, demo, and permits — all percentages of the material subtotal — are added on top. Swapping laminate for marble moves the low end by about $5,200 and the high end by about $10,000, on a counter area of only 60 sq ft (40% of this scenario's 150 sq ft floor) — countertops are a smaller line item than cabinets, but the spread between the cheapest and priciest material is still real money.
Cabinet choice cost, run through the calculator
Same 150 sq ft mid-range kitchen — quartz counters, tile floor, layout unchanged — priced once per cabinet choice this calculator supports. This is the whole-project total for each choice, not the per-linear-foot rate the cabinet bullet above and the cost-breakdown table further down both cite from the separate Kitchen Cabinet Installation Cost Calculator:
| Cabinet choice | Calculator estimate |
|---|---|
| Paint existing boxes | $7,824–$17,989 |
| Reface existing boxes | $11,168–$26,014 |
| New stock cabinets | $12,506–$32,702 |
| New custom cabinets | $25,881–$66,139 |
Painting the existing boxes rather than replacing them is the single cheapest way to change a kitchen's look this calculator prices, and custom cabinets alone more than triple the low end versus paint — a bigger swing, on this fixed scenario, than any countertop or flooring choice above. That is consistent with the "Cabinets" line in the where-the-money-goes table further down this page, which puts cabinets at 30–40% of a typical budget: the biggest line item is also the one with the widest choice of price points.
A worked example: combining the four tables above
Each table above changes one input and holds the rest at a modest baseline, which is useful for isolating what one choice is worth but doesn't show what happens when several ambitious choices stack. Take a mid-range, 150 sq ft kitchen with custom cabinets, quartz counters, hardwood floor, a complete layout change, new appliances, and new electrical — every one of those is the priciest or near-priciest option in its own table above. Run through this page's own calculator, that combination comes to $45,201–$117,280: well past any single row in the budget-tier table further up, and a reminder that the tables above price one variable at a time precisely so a reader can see which of their own choices is doing the most work, rather than guessing at how five decisions compound. Run your own combination with the calculator above instead of adding these tables' rows together by hand — the labor, demo, and permit percentages apply to the combined material subtotal, not to each line item separately, so a manual sum undercounts the true total once more than one big-ticket choice is turned on at once.
Cost breakdown by tier: budget, mid-range, high-end
The scope table above sets the project total; tier is what you actually buy inside that scope. The two line items that move the most money — cabinets and countertops — are priced below at the grade that typically defines each tier.
| Tier | Cabinets (installed) | Countertop (installed) |
|---|---|---|
| Budget minor / cosmetic refresh | $100–$400 / linear ft | $50–$65 / sq ft |
| Mid-range good materials, no structural | $150–$700 / linear ft | $65–$90 / sq ft |
| High-end major / upscale, often structural | $500–$1,200 / linear ft | $90–$200 / sq ft |
See the scope table above for full project totals by tier — this table isolates the two line items that drive most of the difference between them.
At the industry's standard 20-linear-foot (10×10) comparison layout, that per-linear-foot spread alone is the difference between a stock and a custom cabinet run — before counting the countertop, appliances, or any structural work. Price your own cabinet run with the Cabinet Installation Cost Calculator or your countertop separately with the Quartz Worktop Calculator.
Where a kitchen remodel budget goes
A kitchen remodel is really a dozen trades stacked together. Knowing the typical share of the budget helps you spot where a quote is padded — or where it's quietly cutting corners.
| Line item | Share of budget |
|---|---|
| Cabinets | 30–40% |
| Labor & installation | 15–20% |
| Countertops | 10–15% |
| Appliances | 10–15% |
| Flooring | 7–10% |
| Lighting & electrical | 5% |
| Plumbing | 4% |
| Paint, trim & design fees | 5–8% |
What moves a kitchen remodel price up or down
- Layout changes. Keeping the plumbing and gas where they are is the single biggest saver. Moving a sink or range can add $1,000–$5,000+.
- Cabinets. Stock ($100–$300/linear ft) vs. semi-custom ($200–$650) vs. custom ($500–$1,500+) is the widest swing in the whole project.
- Countertops. Laminate ($10–$25/sq ft) vs. quartz/granite ($50–$120) vs. marble ($75–$150) — this calculator's own per-square-foot rates; a mid-size kitchen counter area is roughly 40–55 sq ft.
- Structural & permits. Removing a wall, upgrading the panel, or bringing old wiring to code adds cost and permit time.
- Finish level & region. High-end appliances and metro labor can double a mid-range budget.
Will you get the money back? (ROI)
A minor mid-range remodel (refacing, new counters, hardware, paint) recoups roughly 70–85% at resale — one of the best returns in home improvement. A major/upscale remodel returns less, about 40–55%, because you rarely recover custom, high-end choices. Rule of thumb: keep the total under 10–15% of your home's value unless it's your forever home.
How long it takes
- Cosmetic refresh: 1–2 weeks (paint, hardware, fixtures).
- Mid-range remodel: 3–6 weeks (new cabinets, counters, flooring).
- Full gut: 8–16 weeks (layout changes, structural, permits).
Order cabinets early — a 4–8 week lead time is the most common cause of a stalled kitchen. Build in a 10–20% contingency; old houses always hide surprises.
6 ways to cut the cost without cutting quality
- Keep the footprint. Don't move plumbing or gas — biggest single saving.
- Reface, don't replace. If the cabinet boxes are solid, refacing costs a fraction of new.
- Mix tiers. Splurge on the island/counter, use stock cabinets on the perimeter.
- Quartz over exotic stone. Near-identical look, lower price and maintenance.
- Buy appliances in shoulder season (Black Friday, spring) and reuse what still works.
- DIY the demo and paint — the two safest tasks to self-perform.
Cabinet & appliance brands, and warranties
Cabinets: IKEA and stock lines (Hampton Bay, Diamond NOW) anchor the budget end; KraftMaid and Thomasville sit mid-range; custom shops and Wood-Mode run premium. Appliances: Whirlpool/GE for value, KitchenAid/Bosch mid-range, Sub-Zero/Wolf/Miele at the top.
Warranty: quality cabinets carry a limited lifetime warranty on the box; appliances 1–2 years (extendable). Ask your contractor for a written workmanship warranty (typically 1–2 years) separate from the manufacturer coverage, and keep all registrations.
Questions to ask — and red flags
Ask every contractor:
- Is the quote itemized by trade, with cabinet/counter brands and model numbers?
- Who pulls the permits, and is that cost included?
- What's the payment schedule, and what's the allowance for unforeseen issues?
- Are you licensed and insured? Can I see recent kitchen references?
Red flags:
- A large deposit (>30%) demanded upfront.
- A vague, non-itemized lump-sum bid.
- No written change-order process.
- Pressure to skip permits "to save money."
Paying for it
Common options: cash/savings (no interest, best), a HELOC or home-equity loan (lower rates, uses your equity), a cash-out refinance (if rates favor it), or a personal/home-improvement loan (fast, higher rate). A $30,000 remodel on a HELOC is often ~$300–$400/month. Get the full scope quoted before choosing — financing a moving target is how budgets blow up.
Comparing this to a different project?
If your next project is adding livable space rather than remodeling a room you already use, that's a different calculator — see the Basement Finishing Cost Calculator for turning an unfinished basement into finished square footage.
How this estimator is built
Every range on this page — scope, size, budget tier, layout, add-ons, cabinet and countertop grade — is computed by the same engine behind the calculator above, seeded from a national installed-cost baseline of $10,000–$130,000 across four documented remodel scopes. That baseline is a synthesis of three published industry cost surveys, not a single guess:
- Angi — How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost? (2026) (retrieved 2026-07-13)
- HomeGuide — Kitchen Remodel Cost (2026) (retrieved 2026-07-13)
- Forbes Home — How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost? (retrieved 2026-07-13)
Every dollar figure in the tables above is this dataset's own "variants" multiplied by the inputs you choose — cabinet and countertop grade figures come from this site's cabinet dataset and countertop dataset respectively, each sourced independently. Nothing on this page is typed by hand and left unreconciled with its source dataset. Last verified 2026-07-13.
About this calculator
How much does an average kitchen renovation cost in 2026?
A midrange kitchen renovation — good materials, no structural changes — costs $25,000–$50,000. A minor cosmetic refresh (paint, hardware, appliances) runs $10,000–$20,000. A major renovation with structural work and custom cabinetry runs $65,000–$130,000, and an upscale or luxury kitchen runs $70,000–$250,000.
What is the biggest expense in a kitchen renovation?
Cabinets are typically the largest expense at 30–40% of total cost. Labor is second at 20–35% depending on project complexity. Countertops run 10–15%; appliances 10–20%; flooring 5–10%. The remaining goes to plumbing, electrical, permits, and demolition.
How long does a kitchen renovation take?
A minor kitchen refresh takes 1–3 weeks. A mid-range remodel with new cabinets and countertops takes 4–8 weeks. A major renovation takes 8–16 weeks. A gut renovation with structural changes takes 12–24 weeks. Delays from custom cabinet lead times (6–12 weeks) and countertop fabrication (2–3 weeks) are common.
Should I change my kitchen layout during a renovation?
Only if the current layout genuinely doesn't work. Layout changes add $3,000–$25,000 depending on scope because they involve moving plumbing, electrical, and potentially walls. The 'work triangle' (sink-refrigerator-stove) optimization is valuable; moving the sink across the room usually isn't worth the cost unless pipes are already exposed.
What kitchen renovations add the most home value?
Minor kitchen remodels return 70–80% of cost — the best ROI in kitchen renovations. New countertops and a backsplash are high-visibility, high-return upgrades. New appliances appeal strongly to buyers. A full custom kitchen rarely returns more than 50% because buyers' tastes vary.
Can I save money by doing parts of the kitchen renovation myself?
Yes — painting cabinets (DIY saves $2,000–$5,000), installing a backsplash ($500–$1,000 savings), painting walls, and doing demolition yourself (save $500–$1,500) are realistic DIY opportunities. Plumbing, electrical, and structural work require licensed contractors in most jurisdictions and should not be DIY'd.
What is the cost per square foot for a kitchen remodel?
Most full kitchen remodels run about $150–$250 per square foot installed, and $250–$350 per square foot for a large or high-end renovation (HomeGuide, 2026). A minor cosmetic refresh can be as low as $75 per square foot. Cabinets, which are typically 30–40% of the budget, are the biggest driver of where you land in that range.
Is a kitchen remodel worth it for resale?
For a modest remodel, usually yes. Remodeling magazine's 2024 Cost vs. Value Report found a minor midrange kitchen remodel recouped about 96% of its cost at resale nationally, while a major upscale kitchen recouped only about 38%. The takeaway: refacing, new counters, hardware, and paint pay back far better than a high-end gut renovation, whose custom choices rarely transfer to a buyer's taste.
Is a 'kitchen remodel cost calculator' the same as a kitchen renovation cost estimator?
Yes. Kitchen remodel, kitchen renovation, and kitchen makeover all describe the same project, and 'calculator' and 'estimator' are used interchangeably for the same tool. This page estimates the same $10,000–$130,000 span — minor cosmetic refresh through a major structural remodel — no matter which term brought you here. Upscale and luxury gut renovations run above that band, at $70,000–$250,000+, and are broken out separately in the scope table.
What does a 10×10 kitchen remodel cost?
10×10 (100 sq ft) is the industry's standard reference kitchen size for comparing quotes and cabinet pricing, and it's the middle row of the by-size table above — find the "10′ × 10′" row there for the current published range across small/partial, average/full, and high-end scope, using the same per-square-foot rates as every other size on that table. A 10×10 footprint is common but not universal — the table also covers 8×8 up to 20×20, or run your own dimensions in the calculator.
Methodology & sources
The cost figures on this page are generated from a single, sourced cost-data file (By remodel scope, installed (materials + labor). National average estimate for 2026 (~$150–$250 per sq ft).). The headline band covers minor refreshes through major structural remodels, which is where most projects land. Upscale/luxury work with custom cabinetry and structural changes runs above it, at $70,000–$250,000+ — see the upscale row in the scope table. Cabinets are typically 30–40% of the budget. Last verified July 2026.
- Angi — How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost? (2026) — retrieved 2026-07-13
- HomeGuide — Kitchen Remodel Cost (2026) — retrieved 2026-07-13
- Forbes Home — How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost? — retrieved 2026-07-13
Want to try different numbers?
Back to the calculator ↑Read next
Home Renovation Costs 2026
What renovating actually costs — whole-house tiers and per-square-foot bands, a room-by-room table with a calculator for every line, what drives the number (labor, materials, permits, your metro), contingency norms, and how people pay for it.
Kitchen Remodel Costs
Where every dollar of a kitchen goes — cabinets 29%, labor 17%, appliances 14% — plus what really separates a minor from a major remodel, the four places budgets break, save-vs-splurge guidance, and how much your metro actually changes the number.
Reading a Contractor's Quote
The anatomy of an estimate — line items, allowances, exclusions, change orders and payment schedules — an eight-step method for normalizing three bids, FTC-grounded red flags, and a free printable vetting checklist.
Kitchen remodel costs near you
Kitchen Renovation Cost Estimator is built and maintained by the RealCostIQ editorial team. Cost ranges and rates are checked against published industry data and contractor quotes, and revised when the underlying figures move. Read our data methodology or more about who builds this. Every calculation runs in your browser — no account, and none of your inputs are stored.
Cost ranges and rates here are checked against contractor quotes and published industry data. If a number still looks off, email Support@RealCostIQ.com and we'll review and fix it.