What total budget are you planning for?
Angi's national average is $26,940; Houzz's major-remodel median is $55,000.
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Kitchen Scopebook · Complete Kitchen Renovation cost guide
Complete kitchen renovation cost: building a 2026 budget from the scope up
A complete kitchen renovation in 2026 runs $25,000 to $60,000 for a same-layout job with semi-custom cabinets, $45,000 to $90,000 with a layout change and $65,000 to $130,000 or more with wall removal. Houzz's median major remodel is $55,000; Angi's all-project average is $26,940. Cabinets take a third or more, labor a quarter, and region shifts the total by up to a third.
This page is about the money only. The complete renovation service page covers what the job includes, how it is sequenced and how to compare proposals; here the question is how a renovation budget is built, what each tier buys, which lines can be cut without regret and what a sample budget looks like at three price points. The cost table and calculator below give the ranges; the sections explain what sits behind them.
Two cautions apply throughout. Every figure is national, and coastal metros run well above it on labor. And every published average measures a different sample: Angi and HomeAdvisor include small jobs, Houzz asks only about major remodels, Fixr builds tiers from contractor pricing. The kitchen remodel cost guide explains those differences and gives ranges by kitchen size and region; this page uses them to build a budget rather than to argue about them.
| Item | Low | High | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Same-layout renovation, semi-custom cabinets | $25,000 | $60,000 | flat | Roughly 150–250 sq ft kitchen, mid-tier appliances |
| Layout change inside existing walls | $45,000 | $90,000 | flat | Adds plumbing and electrical relocation |
| Renovation with wall removal or expansion | $65,000 | $130,000 | flat | Structural beam, engineering, permits |
| Renovation cost per square foot | $75 | $250 | per sq ft | HomeAdvisor range; finish grade drives the spread |
| Bearing-wall removal with flush beam | $3,000 | $12,000 | flat | Plus engineer's letter and inspection |
| Sink relocation in slab-on-grade house | $3,000 | $8,000 | flat | Saw-cutting and re-pouring concrete |
| Design fees (independent designer) | $1,500 | $8,000 | flat | Often credited by design-build firms |
| Permit fees | $460 | $2,770 | flat | HomeAdvisor national range; set by city or county |
What does the size of the kitchen do to the number?
Size sets the floor. HomeAdvisor's range of $75 to $250 per square foot means a 150-square-foot kitchen runs $11,250 to $37,500 and a 250-square-foot one $18,750 to $62,500, before layout changes; the kitchen remodel cost guide has the full size-by-size table. Houzz's 2026 study found medians of $75,000 vs $46,000 for major remodels of kitchens 250 square feet or larger versus smaller ones, a gap that reflects more linear feet of cabinets, more counter and more flooring rather than a higher finish grade.
Cabinets scale with linear feet, not square feet, which is why a long galley can cost more in cabinets than a square kitchen of the same area. Count the linear feet of base and upper runs separately, because uppers cost less per foot and a kitchen with a window wall and open shelving has fewer of them. Counters scale with the base run plus the island; flooring with the area plus whatever adjoining rooms it must match.
The per-square-foot figure is a sanity check, not a price. Use the cost calculator with your actual square footage and tier, then compare the result with the linear-foot arithmetic. If the two disagree widely, the kitchen is unusually shaped and a bid will reflect it.
What do the economy, standard and premium tiers actually buy?
The calculator's economy tier at 0.65 times the base rate buys stock cabinets, laminate or level-1 granite, vinyl plank flooring and basic appliances: a renovation that replaces everything at the lowest durable grade. The standard tier at the $150 per square foot base buys semi-custom cabinets, quartz or mid-grade granite, tile or engineered wood and mid-tier appliances, which is the scope most published medians describe. The premium tier at 1.6 times buys custom cabinets, quartzite, marble or porcelain, hardwood or large-format tile and pro-style appliances.
The jump from economy to standard is mostly cabinets and counters, and it is the jump most worth making, because semi-custom boxes and quartz or granite are what buyers and appraisers recognise. The jump from standard to premium is mostly custom cabinetry and appliances, and it is the jump most often regretted, because NAR estimates a complete renovation recovers 71% at sale regardless of tier and the premium spend recovers a smaller share.
Fixr's 2026 tiers put the same ladder in dollars: cosmetic $10,000 to $25,000, midrange $25,000 to $60,000 and high-end $60,000 to $130,000, around a $27,000 average. A complete renovation starts at the midrange band, because it replaces cabinets.
How does the budget split between cabinets, labor, counters and the rest?
Use two published splits as brackets. HomeAdvisor puts cabinets near ~30% of the budget and labor around 25%. Fixr puts cabinetry at 40%, flooring 18%, countertops 14%, utilities and fixtures 11% and appliances 6%. On a $55,000 standard renovation, that is roughly $16,000 to $22,000 in cabinets, $8,000 in counters, $6,000 to $10,000 in flooring, $6,000 in plumbing and electrical, and the rest in labor, lighting, paint, permits and disposal.
Labor's share rises with complexity. On a same-layout job the trades are a few days each; on a layout change the plumber, electrician and possibly a framer each return for rough-in and trim, and the inspections between them add days. A proposal whose labor sits far below a quarter of the total on a layout-change job is probably missing a trade. Design fees, $1,500 to $8,000 for an independent designer per the cost table, sit outside these splits and are often credited by design-build firms.
Which add-ons move the total, and which are small?
The big add-ons are the ones that add a trade or an inspection: a layout change at roughly 30 percent, wall removal at 55 percent, a slab sink relocation at $3,000 to $8,000, a bearing-wall beam at $3,000 to $12,000 plus the engineer, a panel upgrade at about $2,800, and a ducted hood with make-up air at $2,500 to $7,000. An island with seating and outlets adds around $6,500, and a prep sink in it another $3,500, more on slab.
The small add-ons are the ones that add a product: soft-close hardware, under-cabinet lighting, a pull-out pantry, a pot filler on an existing wall, a water line for the refrigerator. Each is a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars and each is cheaper now than later. Houzz's 2026 Kitchen Trends Study found 76% of renovators added at least one built-in, with pantry cabinets at 47% leading; those belong in the cabinet order rather than as a later change.
- Large: layout change, wall removal, slab plumbing, panel upgrade, ducted hood, island with utilities
- Medium: appliance package, independent design fee, flooring into adjoining rooms
- Small: hardware, under-cabinet lighting, pull-outs, pot filler, refrigerator water line
How does the timeline change the cost?
HomeAdvisor's 6 to 10 weeks construction estimate is the base, and its guide adds about four weeks of planning, permits and selections, so the whole project runs close to four months from first drawing to final inspection. Each week the kitchen is out of service has a household cost in eating out or a temporary setup, which is real money on a four-month project. Cabinet lead time sits outside the construction window and costs nothing if the order is placed before demolition, and a great deal if the kitchen sits demolished waiting for boxes.
Delays inside the build cost in two ways: trades that return for a second trip bill for it, and a contractor's overhead runs on. Inspection scheduling, a failed rough-in, a counter that is templated late, a backordered appliance that holds up the final: each adds days. A proposal with a realistic duration and a plan for the counter gap is worth more than one with an optimistic date. A single backordered item can stretch the construction window by weeks, so starting later with everything ordered beats starting early and waiting.
What should be cut first when the bids come in high?
Cut in this order. First, the premium-tier items that do not change function: custom instead of semi-custom, quartzite instead of quartz, pro-style instead of mid-tier appliances. Second, scope that was optional: the flooring extension into the dining room, the second island, the wine refrigerator that 17% of Houzz's 2026 renovators added. Third, the layout change, if the triangle works without it; Houzz found 68% of renovators kept the footprint. Do not cut the contingency, the permits, the plywood on the wet bases, the dedicated circuits or the ducted hood.
Refacing is the largest single cut available when the boxes allow it, because it takes the cabinet line from a third of the budget to a fraction of that and keeps the counters. The reface versus replace comparison covers the inspection. Financing is the other lever: NAR found 54% of remodelers used home equity, and a HELOC arranged early is cheaper than the credit cards Houzz found 34% of renovators used.
What do three sample renovation budgets look like?
A $35,000 same-layout renovation of a 160-square-foot kitchen: semi-custom cabinets at the lower end, $14,000; quartz counters, $5,500; vinyl plank flooring, $2,500; mid-tier appliances supplied by the owner, $6,000; plumbing and electrical reconnection with two new circuits, $3,000; lighting, paint and backsplash, $2,500; permits, disposal and contingency held outside, $1,500. This is close to Zonda's minor-remodel scope and the return it reports.
A $65,000 layout-change renovation of a 200-square-foot kitchen: semi-custom cabinets with drawer bases and a pantry pull-out, $22,000; quartz counters with a 7-foot island, $9,000; tile flooring, $5,000; mid-tier appliances with induction range, $9,000; plumbing and electrical including a moved sink over a basement, four new circuits and island receptacles, $9,000; ducted hood, $3,500; lighting, paint, backsplash, $4,000; design fee, $3,500. A slab foundation adds $3,000 to $8,000.
A $110,000 renovation with a bearing wall removed in a 260-square-foot kitchen: custom cabinets, $40,000; quartzite counters and waterfall island, $16,000; hardwood flooring into the adjoining room, $9,000; pro-style appliances, $18,000; engineer, beam and framing, $9,000; full electrical with panel upgrade, $8,000; hood with make-up air, $5,000; design and finish, $5,000. Use the estimate request to have local pros price whichever of the three is closest to your kitchen.
By the numbers
Complete Kitchen Renovation: the numbers
Planning figures from published U.S. sources; every card links to where the number came from.
$75,000 vs $46,000
median major remodel cost for kitchens 250+ sq ft versus smaller kitchens (Houzz)
Houzz's 2026 study found a major remodel of a kitchen 250 square feet or larger carried a $75,000 median, against $46,000 for smaller kitchens. Square footage is one of the first numbers to pin down before comparing any proposal.
Houzz / 2026 U.S. Houzz Kitchen Trends Study (2026)$27,000
average kitchen remodel per Fixr; high-end jobs run $60,000 to $130,000
Fixr's 2026 cost guide puts the average at $27,000 (most pay $15,000 to $45,000), with cosmetic remodels at $10,000 to $25,000, midrange at $25,000 to $60,000 and high-end at $60,000 to $130,000.
Fixr / Kitchen Remodeling Cost Guide (2026)40%
of a typical kitchen budget is cabinetry per Fixr; countertops take 14%
Fixr allocates 40% of a kitchen remodel budget to cabinetry, 18% to flooring, 14% to countertops, 11% to utilities and fixtures and 6% to appliances. Different guides split the pie differently, but cabinets lead every one of them.
Fixr / Kitchen Remodeling Cost Guide (2026)~30%
of a kitchen budget goes to cabinets; labor takes about 25% (HomeAdvisor)
HomeAdvisor's breakdown shows cabinetry consuming close to 30% of the total and labor around 25%. That is why refacing rather than replacing cabinets is the most common way to bring a quote down without shrinking the room.
HomeAdvisor / Kitchen Remodel Cost Guide (2025)Estimate your own complete kitchen renovation budget
The calculator uses the same kitchen remodeling benchmarks as this guide. Set the size and tier, then request a written estimate to check it against a real proposal.
Homeowner polls
What homeowners budgeted for complete kitchen renovation
How will you pay for most of the project?
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Which scope are you leaning toward for your kitchen?
Houzz's 2026 study found 52% of renovators changed the layout but 68% kept the footprint.
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Complete Kitchen Renovation cost questions
What is a realistic 2026 budget for a complete kitchen renovation in a mid-size home?
For a 150 to 200 square foot kitchen with semi-custom cabinets, quartz or granite counters, new flooring and mid-tier appliances, plan $35,000 to $65,000 nationally, with the lower end keeping the layout and the upper end moving a sink or range. Houzz's median major remodel is $55,000. Add 15 to 35 percent on labor in coastal metros, hold 10 to 15 percent contingency outside the contract, and treat appliances as a separate line.
How much of a renovation budget should cabinets take?
Between a third and 40 percent on a standard-tier job, following HomeAdvisor's roughly 30% and Fixr's 40% allocations. On a $55,000 renovation that is $16,000 to $22,000 installed. If the cabinet line is far above that share, the tier has drifted toward custom; if it is far below, the boxes may be stock grade or particleboard on the wet bases. Ask the bid to state the tier and construction so the share can be judged.
Does a complete renovation cost more per square foot in a small kitchen?
Usually, yes. Fixed costs such as permits, design, appliance delivery, disposal and the trades' minimum visits are spread over fewer square feet, and a small kitchen still needs a sink, a range, a dishwasher and a hood. Houzz's 2025 study found major remodels of small kitchens rose 9% to a $35,000 median. The total is lower but the per-square-foot figure lands at the top of HomeAdvisor's $75 to $250 range.
What does a layout change add to a renovation budget?
Roughly 30 percent inside the existing walls, which the site's calculator applies as a 1.3 multiplier, and about 55 percent with a wall removed. In dollars, a moved sink over a basement adds $1,500 to $4,000 in plumbing and electrical, on a slab $3,000 to $8,000 in concrete work on top, and a bearing-wall beam $3,000 to $12,000 plus an engineer's letter. Each moved fixture also adds a rough-in inspection and days to the schedule.
Are appliances included in the renovation cost figures?
Not consistently. Fixr's budget split allocates 6% to appliances, which assumes a modest package; many contractor bids exclude them entirely and note that the owner supplies them. The site's calculator carries a mid-tier package of range, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave at about $8,000 as a separate add-on. Before comparing bids, add the same appliance figure to every bid that excluded them so that the totals describe the same job.
How much should I hold back for hidden conditions in a full renovation?
Ten to fifteen percent of the contract, held outside it, and toward the top of that range in houses built before 1960 or on a slab. Typical draws on it are wiring that must be brought to code once exposed, plumbing replaced to the stack, subfloor damage under the old sink, and framing altered by an earlier remodel. If the contingency is not spent, it stays yours; it is not a budget for upgrades.
Does financing change what a renovation costs?
Yes, through interest and through timing. NAR found 54% of remodelers used home equity loans or lines, which carry lower rates than the credit cards Houzz found 34% of renovators used; carrying a card balance through a four-month project adds a real cost. Arranging a HELOC before signing also keeps the schedule from slipping while the lender processes paperwork, which avoids trade re-scheduling charges.
Other cost guides
Cabinet Refacing & Installation · Cost guideCabinet refacing and installation cost: pricing the boxes, the fronts and everything betweenRefacing a whole kitchen typically costs $4,000 to $13,000, with HomeAdvisor's average at $7,230; replacing the cabinets runs from about $6,000 for stock boxes in a small kitchen to $60,000 or more for custom work.
Countertop Installation · Cost guideCountertop installation cost: pricing the slab, the fabrication and the day of installNew kitchen countertops in 2026 cost roughly $25 to $50 per square foot installed for laminate, $50 to $130 for granite and quartz, and $80 to $200 for quartzite and marble.
Kitchen Island Design & Build · Cost guideKitchen island cost: what each version of an island adds to the budgetA kitchen island in 2026 costs about $3,500 to $8,000 installed as a prep island with no plumbing, $8,000 to $16,000 with a prep sink and dishwasher, and $10,000 to $20,000 or more as a cooktop island with a ducted hood.
Read the full service guide
Service guideComplete Kitchen RenovationA complete kitchen renovation replaces cabinets, counters, flooring, lighting and usually appliances under a single plan, and may relocate plumbing, gas and electrical or remove a wall.
- Service guideCabinet Refacing & Installation
Cabinet refacing replaces doors, drawer fronts and hardware and covers the exposed box faces with matching veneer, leaving the layout unchanged.
- Service guideCountertop Installation
Countertop installation replaces the work surface, sink and often the backsplash on cabinets you keep.
Free planning tools
Free toolKitchen remodel cost calculatorSize, material tier and complexity in, a realistic budget range out.
Free toolKitchen comparisons: the five decisions that move the budgetSide-by-side tables for the decisions that change the price most.
Free toolKitchen remodel quiz: find your scope and check the numbers10 questions that show what you already know and what to check next.
Free toolKitchen remodel polls: see what other homeowners are choosingSee what other planners chose and add your vote.
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