FIG·01How much should a kitchen remodel cost? HomeAdvisor puts the average at $26,990, with most homeowners spending $14,592 to $41,619, or $75 to $250 per square foot. The same source shows both ends: minor updates start at $3,500, and a gut remodel that moves plumbing and gas runs $65,000 to $130,000 or more. CabinetIQ, citing HomeAdvisor, puts an entry-level kitchen at $25,093, or $150 per square foot.
Your number turns on one decision more than any other: whether the sink and range stay where they are. This guide gives you the ranges by scope, the line items inside them, and the budgets most people ask about, so you can price your own kitchen before you call anyone.
Kitchen Remodel Cost by Scope
Scope is the first number to settle, because two kitchens of the same size can differ by $100,000 depending on how much of the room changes.
Refresh and Minor Remodels
A refresh changes surfaces, not the room. HomeAdvisor prices cabinet refinishing at $1,900 to $4,500 and refacing at $4,270 to $10,200, and says minor updates start at $3,500. Add new counters, a sink, some appliances and flooring in the same layout and you are in its minor remodel band of $10,000 to $20,000.
Where Most Homeowners Land
Across every scope, HomeAdvisor's typical spend is $14,592 to $41,619, averaging $26,990. That measures what homeowners actually pay, not a tier: a $16,000 refresh and a $40,000 remodel both sit inside it. HomeAdvisor's $20,000 to $65,000 band for major remodels is a separate figure, and its top end sits well above the average range. Kauffman Kitchens puts a new kitchen at $35,000 to $45,000 and notes that removing the existing features costs $2,000 to $3,000 on its own.
Major Remodels
Custom cabinets, a commercial-style range, a coffee station, a seating island, new flooring and upscale hardware put a major remodel at $20,000 to $65,000 (HomeAdvisor). Where you land inside that band depends mostly on the cabinet line, the largest single item in the budget.
Layout-Changing Remodels
Gutting the kitchen and moving plumbing, electrical or walls runs $65,000 to $130,000 or more, and ultra-high-end choices push past $130,000 (HomeAdvisor). The visible work matches a major remodel. The invisible work is new supply and drain runs, gas lines and circuits.
A Line-Item Budget for Three Kitchen Scopes
Quotes hide the shape of the spending. CabinetIQ publishes installation costs in three bands, $5,000 to $15,000, $15,000 to $30,000 and $30,000 and up, which map closely onto a refresh, a layout-kept remodel and a layout-changed remodel.
Cabinet installation runs from $1,200 to $3,200 in the lowest band and $6,500 to $8,500 in the highest. Countertops run from $900 to $1,100 up to $5,100 to $7,100, and flooring from $700 to $1,700 up to $2,900 to $3,900 (CabinetIQ).
These are installation figures. Materials, appliances and layout work sit on top, which is why a finished kitchen lands well above the sum of the install lines. If you want to compare cabinet lines before you price installation, our cabinet design software compared covers the options.
Homewyse builds basic mid-range work on in-stock products into its example estimate, and adds 13% to 22% to the total if a general contractor supervises. Read the assumptions before you read the total.
What Moves the Kitchen Remodel Total Most
Kitchen Size
HomeAdvisor's size table runs from $5,600 to $17,500 for 75 square feet up to $15,000 to $50,000 for 200 square feet, at $75 to $250 per square foot.
Size is the second biggest lever after scope, and the spread within one size is material and labour quality, not just floor area. A 100 square foot kitchen can cost $7,500 or $25,000 depending on what goes into it.
Cabinets
Cabinets are nearly 30% of a kitchen budget, the single largest line (HomeAdvisor). Every other decision, from counters to lighting, is smaller, and reusing or refacing them is the largest saving available.
Labor and Supervision
A general contractor adds 13% to 22% on top of trade prices (Homewyse). On a $27,000 job that is roughly $3,500 to $5,900, and it buys scheduling, supervision and one point of responsibility.
Where You Live
CabinetIQ notes a significant kitchen renovation can cost as much as $20,000 less in the South than in California. HomeAdvisor's regional figures show the same spread:
| U.S. region | Average cost range |
|---|---|
| Northwest | $25,600 to $61,100 |
| Rocky Mountains | $12,700 to $39,600 |
| Southwest | $12,350 to $33,950 |
| Mountain Prairie | $6,000 to $37,400 |
| Midwest | $10,300 to $34,300 |
| Southeast | $12,000 to $32,200 |
| Mideast | $13,600 to $37,650 |
| Northeast | $10,800 to $40,400 |
HomeAdvisor also says most homeowners remodel every 10 to 15 years, so the scope usually includes bringing older wiring and plumbing up to current needs.
What Is the Most Expensive Part of Redoing a Kitchen?
Cabinets, because they are the largest single line in a kitchen budget. Custom or panel-ready doors add to it, which is why the cabinet line decides where you land in the $20,000 to $65,000 band.
Labor and installation come next, then appliances: installation alone is $100 to $900 per appliance before the appliance itself (CabinetIQ). Countertops and flooring follow.
Layout changes add the invisible costs. Moving gas lines and electrical is listed by HomeAdvisor as a separate cost factor, and it is the item most often missing from a first quote.
How Can You Save Money on a Kitchen Remodel?
Three moves cut the most, and CabinetIQ lists all three.
- Keep the layout. An existing layout you already like avoids new supply and drain runs, gas lines and circuits, the items HomeAdvisor prices separately from the visible work.
- Reface or refinish instead of replacing. HomeAdvisor prices refinishing at $1,900 to $4,500 and refacing at $4,270 to $10,200, against the cost of a full cabinet run.
- Reuse what works. CabinetIQ suggests reusing cabinets, countertops and appliances where possible. A working range or fridge kept out of the quote is money you do not spend.
CabinetIQ also suggests doing some of the work yourself, which suits demolition and painting far better than gas or electrical work.
Keeping the Plumbing in Place vs Moving It
What Staying Put Saves
A refresh keeps the sink, range and fridge where they are and changes doors, counters, flooring and paint. HomeAdvisor starts minor updates at $3,500, and most of these jobs land at $10,000 to $20,000. A layout-kept remodel replaces cabinets and appliances in the same footprints, which is the $20,000 to $65,000 band.
What Moving It Adds
Moving the sink or range means new supply and drain runs, gas lines and circuits, the items HomeAdvisor lists separately from the visible work.
The drawn plan shows the constraint. A 12 by 10 ft kitchen with a 3 ft aisle leaves little room to shift a sink without losing the aisle or shrinking the island. Our guide to a kitchen refresh without moving plumbing walks the same decision through in 3D.
Can You Remodel a Kitchen for $10,000, $20,000 or $50,000?
Each budget buys a different scope. The table shows which HomeAdvisor band it falls into and what that band buys.
| Budget | Scope it buys | Source band |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | Refresh: paint, hardware, faucet, refinished or refaced doors | HomeAdvisor refinishing $1,900 to $4,500, refacing $4,270 to $10,200 |
| $20,000 | Minor remodel: counters, sink, some appliances, flooring | HomeAdvisor $10,000 to $20,000 |
| $50,000 | Major remodel with custom cabinets and an island, plumbing in place | HomeAdvisor $20,000 to $65,000 |
The $10,000 line is the tight one: it buys surfaces and a refinished or refaced cabinet run, not new cabinets. Anything that moves the sink or range jumps to the gut band of $65,000 and up.
How Kitchen Style Changes the Budget
Style comes up in every remodel conversation, and it changes the cabinet line, which is the biggest line you have. A painted shaker door and a freestanding range typically cost less than handleless full-height units and panel-ready appliances, and a slab backsplash uses fewer pieces than a mosaic. Settle the look before you price the cabinets. Our L-shaped vs U-shaped kitchen test in 3D and kitchen island size and clearance rules both assume the style is decided first.
Price Your Own Scope Before You Call a Contractor
1. Measure and model the room
Measure the kitchen and model it at true size, including the window over the sink and the door swing. If you only have a sketch or a scanned plan, floor plan software turns it into a measured drawing first.
2. Test the scope in 3D
Draw the layout as it is now, copy it, then try one change at a time: a wider aisle, a different cabinet run, a smaller island. Our guide to how to design a kitchen layout in 3D covers the sequence from measurement to finished room.
3. Price the lines
Count what you are actually buying: cabinets, countertops, flooring, sink, faucet, appliances and labour. Compare each against CabinetIQ's three bands. Our plan a kitchen remodel in 3D, step by step guide keeps the scope and the budget on the same page.
4. Check the quote against the ranges
Divide the total by your square footage and compare it with $75 to $250 per square foot (HomeAdvisor). Run the checklist below before you sign anything.
See the Kitchen Before You Pay for It
ArchiMaster 3D is Windows desktop software for home design. It runs on Windows 11, 10, 8 or 7, 64-bit, and it is not available for Mac, iPad or in a browser. The Kitchen & Bath edition lets you model the existing room at true scale, place cabinets from a library of 200+ kitchen and bath cabinets, and render the result on your own PC, offline, with the project file on your own drive. There is a one-time licence, no subscription, and the 10-day free trial comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. ArchiMaster 3D pricing is on the pricing page.
- Is $50,000 enough for a kitchen remodel?
- Yes, if the layout stays. HomeAdvisor's major remodel band runs $20,000 to $65,000, which covers custom cabinets, an island, new flooring and upgraded appliances. The same $50,000 will not cover a gut that moves plumbing and gas, where the range starts at $65,000.
- Is $20,000 enough for a kitchen remodel?
- Yes. HomeAdvisor puts minor remodels at $10,000 to $20,000, which buys new counters, a sink, some appliances and flooring in the existing layout. It rarely covers a full run of premium cabinets, and it does not stretch to moving the plumbing.
- Can I remodel my kitchen for $10,000?
- Yes, as a refresh. Cabinet refinishing runs $1,900 to $4,500 and refacing $4,270 to $10,200 (HomeAdvisor), leaving room for paint, hardware and a new faucet, and for keeping the appliances that still work. New cabinets, counters and appliances together usually push past $10,000.
- What is the most expensive part of redoing a kitchen?
- Cabinets. They are nearly 30% of a typical kitchen budget (HomeAdvisor), more than any other line, and custom or panel-ready doors push the figure higher. Labour and installation come next, and moving the plumbing or gas lines adds costs that a first quote often leaves out.
- How much does a kitchen remodel cost per square foot?
- HomeAdvisor puts it at $75 to $250 per square foot, including materials, appliances and labour. A 100 square foot kitchen therefore lands at $7,500 to $25,000. CabinetIQ, citing HomeAdvisor, puts an entry-level remodel at $150 per square foot, in the middle of that range.
- Are kitchen renovations expensive?
- Yes, kitchens are among the most expensive rooms to renovate. HomeAdvisor puts the average at $26,990, with most homeowners spending $14,592 to $41,619. A refresh under $10,000 is possible, but moving plumbing or gas pushes a project to $65,000 or more. Our cost to remodel a bathroom runs the same maths in a smaller room.
Plan it in 3D before you build: walls, furniture and finishes to scale, then walk through it.
Try it free for 10 days- Who
- Written by Ahmed El Alaoui, editorial direction & marketing analytics at Richdale AI, the company behind ArchiMaster 3D.
- How
- Drafted with AI assistance from the ArchiMaster 3D Kitchen & Bath feature set and checked claim by claim against the product fact sheet on Nov 9, 2026. Photographs are stock illustrations, not renders from the software.
- Why
- Help homeowners get a kitchen or bathroom layout right to the inch before they order cabinets or hire a contractor.
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