Kitchen Remodel Cost Calculator
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How much will your kitchen remodel cost? Pick your kitchen size, remodel scope, and finishes — get a line-by-line estimate for cabinets, countertops, flooring, appliances and labor, with every step of the math shown. No email required.
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What this calculator estimates
This tool prices a full kitchen remodel from the decisions that actually move the number: your kitchen's size, the scope (refresh through luxury), cabinet grade, countertop and flooring materials, appliance package, whether you're moving plumbing, and your region's labor rates. Every result shows the line-by-line math and a ±25% planning range — because this is a budgeting estimate, not a quote, and real bids move with layout surprises and local labor markets.
How the math works
- Cabinets: linear feet ≈ kitchen sq ft × 0.25 (min 20 lf). Reface is a flat $4,000–$8,000; stock $100–$200/lf; semi-custom $200–$400/lf; custom $400–$800/lf. Midpoints used, then your exact size scales them.
- Countertops: countertop area ≈ kitchen sq ft × 0.5, installed per sq ft — laminate $22, butcher block $70, granite $85, quartz $100, marble $135.
- Flooring: kitchen sq ft × installed rate — vinyl $5.50, laminate $5.50, tile $12, hardwood $18 per sq ft.
- Appliances: basic suite $3,000, mid-range suite $5,500, pro/luxury suite $15,000.
- Plumbing / electrical / fixtures: flat allowance by scope — refresh $1,000, mid-range $3,000, major $6,000, luxury $12,000. Layout change adds $5,000.
- Labor: 25% (refresh) / 30% (mid) / 35% (major) / 40% (luxury) of the material subtotal, multiplied by your region rate (0.85–1.2).
Every figure is an October 2026 US planning estimate. Real quotes vary — that's why results show a ±25% planning range. This is a budgeting estimate, not a quote.
Worked example: 10×10 mid-range kitchen
Here's exactly what the calculator does with a typical 120-sqft kitchen — mid-range scope, semi-custom cabinets, quartz counters, tile floor, mid-range appliance suite, no layout change, South region labor:
| Line item | Math | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinets — semi-custom | 30 lf × $300/lf | $9,000 |
| Countertops — quartz | 60 sq ft × $100/sq ft | $6,000 |
| Flooring — tile | 120 sq ft × $12/sq ft | $1,440 |
| Appliances — mid-range suite | flat | $5,500 |
| Plumbing / electrical / fixtures | mid-range flat | $3,000 |
| Labor | 30% of $24,940 materials × 1.0 (South) | $7,482 |
| Estimated total | $32,422 |
Planning range (±25%): $24,300 – $40,500. Notice cabinets + counters are nearly half the budget — that's where finish choices move the total most. Switching to stock cabinets ($150/lf) and laminate counters ($22/sq ft) drops the same kitchen to roughly $22,000; going custom cabinets and marble pushes it past $50,000. Same footprint, $30,000 swing — finishes are the budget.
Kitchen remodel costs by region: same job, different labor market
Materials cost roughly the same everywhere — labor doesn't. This table takes the worked example above (a 120-sq ft kitchen, mid-range scope) and scales only the labor portion by each region's labor multiplier, exactly as the calculator's ZIP adjustment does. Materials, appliances and fixtures ($24,940) stay fixed. The worked example uses South labor, so the national-equivalent labor is $7,482 ÷ 0.89 = $8,407; other regions scale from that national figure.
| Region | Labor multiplier | Labor cost | Total (pro install) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | ×1.18 | $9,920 | $34,860 |
| Midwest | ×1.01 | $8,491 | $33,431 |
| South | ×0.89 | $7,482 | $32,422 |
| West | ×1.05 | $8,827 | $33,767 |
Regional multipliers are the mean of this site's state labor multipliers (BLS OEWS May 2023, construction laborers — the same data behind the ZIP adjustment). The Northeast–South gap on this job is $2,438, all labor. Enter your ZIP in the calculator for your metro's exact multiplier.
Average kitchen remodel cost by scope (2026)
| Scope | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic refresh | $8,000–$18,000 | Paint, hardware, lighting, maybe new counters — same layout, same cabinets |
| Mid-range full remodel | $25,000–$60,000 | New semi-custom cabinets, quartz/granite counters, tile floor, mid-range appliances |
| Major remodel | $60,000–$130,000 | Layout changes, custom cabinets, pro appliances, new plumbing/electrical |
| Luxury | $100,000–$250,000+ | Custom everything, marble, professional-grade appliances, structural work |
Ranges assume a 100–200 sq ft kitchen with professional installation. Read the full cost guide for the 10×10 worked example and where every dollar goes.
Where the money goes (typical mid-range breakdown)
| Category | Share of budget |
|---|---|
| Cabinets | ~30% |
| Labor | ~20% |
| Appliances | ~15% |
| Countertops | ~10% |
| Plumbing / electrical / fixtures | ~10% |
| Flooring | ~7% |
| Paint, lighting, misc | ~8% |
How to save $10,000 on your kitchen remodel
- Keep the layout. Moving plumbing or walls adds ~$5,000+ and triggers electrical and drywall work. The single biggest cost control is leaving the sink, stove, and walls where they are.
- Reface instead of replacing cabinets. Refacing runs $4,000–$8,000 vs. $5,000–$20,000+ for new boxes — if the boxes are sound and the layout works, it's the cheapest transformation available.
- Choose stock or semi-custom cabinets. The jump from semi-custom ($200–$400/lf) to custom ($400–$800/lf) doubles the biggest line item for mostly cosmetic gains.
- Pick quartz over marble, tile over hardwood. Quartz ($60–$140/sq ft installed) looks premium at half of marble's price; tile ($12/sq ft) undercuts hardwood ($18/sq ft) with better water resistance.
- Keep one appliance. A mid-range suite is $5,500; if the fridge is two years old, keep it and buy the range/dishwasher/microwave package instead.
- Bid in winter, pay in milestones. Contractors discount in slow months, and a milestone payment schedule (never more than 10–15% up front) keeps leverage on your side.
How your region moves the total
The calculator multiplies labor by your region: rural 0.85×, South 1.0×, Midwest 0.95×, Northeast 1.15×, West Coast 1.2×. On the $32,422 worked example above, labor is $7,482 in the South — the same job prices at ~$6,360 in a rural market and ~$8,980 on the West Coast. Materials move less by region (cabinets and appliances are nationally priced), so the regional swing lands almost entirely on the labor line. If a bid's labor share looks wildly different from these multipliers, ask why — it's a fast gouge detector.
Kitchen line items people forget to budget
The big-ticket items get all the attention, but these six smaller lines add up fast. A tile backsplash runs $10–$30 per sq ft installed and is the visual payoff of the whole kitchen — budget it, don't "decide later." Cabinet hardware (knobs and pulls at $2–$10 each) plus soft-close hinges and drawer glides ($3–$8 per door/drawer) transform how a kitchen feels for a few hundred dollars. A new sink and faucet runs $300–$800 installed and usually requires the countertop cutout to match. Range hood ventilation — ducted to the outside beats recirculating for actually removing smoke and grease — adds $400–$1,500 with ductwork. A kitchen island adds cabinet boxes, countertop square footage, and often new electrical for outlets. And under-cabinet lighting (LED strips at $20–$50 per linear foot installed) is the single highest-impact lighting upgrade per dollar (October 2026 planning estimates).
Kitchen remodel cost FAQs
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in 2026?
Most US kitchen remodels land between $15,000 and $75,000. A cosmetic refresh runs $8,000–$18,000, mid-range $25,000–$60,000, major $60,000–$130,000, luxury $100,000+. Punch your size and finishes into the calculator above.
What costs the most in a kitchen remodel?
Cabinets — roughly 30% of a typical budget. Then labor (~20%), appliances (~15%), countertops (~10%), and flooring (~7%). The calculator shows every line item so nothing hides.
Is refacing cabinets cheaper than replacing?
Yes — refacing runs roughly $4,000–$8,000 versus $5,000–$20,000+ for new cabinets. It only works if the boxes are sound and you like the current layout. Our cabinet cost guide compares all four options.
How much do kitchen countertops cost per square foot?
Installed 2026 prices: laminate $15–$30, butcher block $40–$100, granite $50–$120, quartz $60–$140, marble $75–$200 per sq ft. See the countertop cost guide for edge profiles and the full comparison.
How accurate is this calculator?
It's a budgeting estimate built on October 2026 US planning prices — good for budgeting and sanity-checking bids. Results carry a ±25% planning range because quotes move with region, layout changes, and structural surprises. See how we compute costs for the full method.
How long does a kitchen remodel take?
A cosmetic refresh: 1–3 weeks. A mid-range full remodel: 6–10 weeks. A major remodel with layout changes: 3–5 months, plus 4–8 weeks of planning and permitting before demo starts. Custom cabinets are the usual bottleneck — 8–12 week lead times are normal, so order them before demolition, not after.
What's the ROI of a kitchen remodel?
Remodeling's Cost vs. Value data consistently shows major kitchen remodels recouping roughly 40–55% at resale, with minor mid-range remodels doing better (often 60–70%+) because they cost less. Nobody remodels a kitchen for profit — you do it for the decade of use. Spend for your enjoyment, keep finishes mainstream for resale, and don't overbuild past your neighborhood's price ceiling.
Should I move the plumbing in my kitchen remodel?
Only if the layout genuinely doesn't work. Moving a sink or dishwasher means opening walls and floors, rerouting supply and drain lines, and often upgrading electrical — budget $5,000+ for the plumbing move alone, plus the drywall and flooring repair around it. In most kitchens, better cabinet organization and lighting fix the "feel" problem for a fraction of the cost.