Kitchen Remodeling Costs at a Glance

• Average total cost: $8,000-$25,000
• Average cost per square foot: $150
• Price range per square foot: $100-$250
• Upscale remodel cost: $50,000-$75,000+
• Cost for small kitchen: $7,000-$17,500
• Cost for 10x10 kitchen: $10,000-$20,000
• Cost for 12x12 kitchen: $14,000-$36,000

Take a brief moment to think about all of the time your family spends in the kitchen. It’s often one of the first rooms guests see, and their first impressions will be based on its look and feel. On top of that, it’s where you prepare your meals and spend valuable family time. You want a kitchen that will stand out for all the right reasons. Renovating your kitchen and making it the centerpiece of your home can greatly improve your quality of life and the overall feel of your home.

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Maybe you’re looking for a way to boost the value of your home before you put it on the market. Remodeling your kitchen is one of the best ways to do this. While the return on investment may make it worth the hassle, kitchen renovations tend to have a high upfront cost. Here’s what to expect in terms of price.

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What Goes Into a Kitchen Remodel?

Before going all-in on a kitchen remodel, you and your family should decide what exactly you’re hoping to get out of it. Some homeowners are looking for more space, while others want to upgrade their outdated appliances. These decisions will help you plan out your budget, the appliances you need and the amount of labor required. Failing to establish what you want the final product to be — more often than not — leads to unexpected expenses that can blow up your budget.

You may be humbled once you realize exactly how much goes into remodeling your kitchen. It’s not as easy as you’d think to add an island, remove a wall, redo the countertops or install a new fridge. Your kitchen is full of appliances and parts that work together to keep the whole operation running smoothly. Changing out just one of these parts may require renovations in the rest of your kitchen.

Here are some aspects of your kitchen to consider when planning your kitchen remodel budget:

• Countertops, sinks and backsplash
• Lighting and electrical work
• Flooring
• Appliances
• Cabinets
• Plumbing
• Painting
• Demolition and removal

Average Kitchen Remodel Cost

So what exactly should you expect to pay for your kitchen remodeling project?

According to Fixr, it costs between $8,000 and $25,000 to remodel your kitchen, on average. The cost depends on what exactly you’re changing about your kitchen and the quality of the new materials. A laminate countertop costs less than a granite or quartz countertop, for instance. A larger or more upscale remodel could cost more in the range of $50,000 to $75,000 or more.

Some aspects of the kitchen remodeling process are simple enough to accomplish yourself. Doing this can help you shave hundreds or thousands off the total costs. However, it’s important to note that some of these tasks can be difficult and professional help may be required.

If you’re planning to sell your house within the next five years, HGTV recommends that you only spend as much on a remodel as you would be able to earn back after selling the house. If you’re renovating your forever home, the sky’s the limit.

Demolition

If you want to completely renovate your kitchen, the demolition process will be a crucial step in the process. Many homeowners choose to handle the demolition themselves, a strategy that has its pros and cons. By choosing to do the demolition yourself, you can potentially save money. You can also get a nice workout while destroying stuff, which is always fun.

There are some cons that you will have to consider if you decide to do the demolition yourself. Demolishing your kitchen yourself can be dangerous. Load-bearing walls could become unstable and collapse, or electrical components could shock you. Demolition will also require significant manual labor. Lastly, you will be responsible for cleaning up the mess and debris, which will require a significant amount of time and effort on your end.

Kitchen Remodel Cost Estimator

You can get a rough estimate of how high your kitchen remodel cost will be if you know the length of your cabinets, countertop size and kitchen square footage.

It costs about $100 to $250 per square foot to remodel your kitchen, or $150 per square foot on average. Typically, the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel is new cabinetry, which can cost between $60 and $200 per linear foot for stock cabinets. Keep in mind that various other factors will be critical in your calculations, like labor costs and the cost of new appliances.

Kitchen Remodeling by Size

It may seem obvious, but the biggest factor when it comes to calculating the price of your kitchen remodel is the size of your kitchen. The bigger the kitchen, the more expensive it will be to renovate just based on the cost of materials alone. This is why knowing the size of your kitchen is important.

Small Kitchen Remodel Cost

Just because your kitchen is small doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful and functional. On average, a homeowner could spend anywhere from $7,000 to $17,500 to renovate a small, 70-square-foot kitchen. Because there is less space to fill, you will be able to invest your money into quality cabinets, appliances, lighting and other features. A small kitchen deserves just as much love as a big kitchen!

10x10 Kitchen Remodel Cost

A 10x10 kitchen is a medium-sized kitchen. These kitchens typically allow you to broaden the scope of your kitchen renovation project. You could potentially add an island to the middle of the kitchen. You could also add larger appliances. The cost is $15,000 on average, or anywhere from $10,000 to $25,000

12x12 Kitchen Remodel Cost

A 12x12 kitchen is typically regarded as the standard size kitchen. This size gives you free rein to go for basically any type of renovation that you would like. Remodeling a kitchen of this size would cost between $14,000 and $36,000, based on square footage.

Kitchen Renovation by Type

We’ve mentioned several important factors to think about when calculating the estimated price of your kitchen remodel project. How much more could there possibly be? A lot, it turns out. This is why remodeling your kitchen requires intense planning beforehand.

The most important part will be determining what exactly you want to change about your kitchen. Some homeowners choose to skip out on new appliances and go for new cabinets and countertops. Others want the opposite. Some want to take the plunge and make big structural changes to their space.

Here’s a brief overview of how each type of renovation will impact the total price of your kitchen remodel:

Cabinets

New cabinets will take up a large portion of your budget. In fact, cabinetry usually makes up about one-third of your remodeling budget. Stock cabinets come straight from warehouses and are the cheapest option. Cabinets that are custom or semi-custom usually add greater value to your home because they are crafted to fit your space. Also, you can have the cabinets designed with the added functionality for your personal cooking needs.

If you’re not interested in spending thousands of dollars replacing your cabinets, refacing your cabinets is a cheaper option that serves a similar purpose. Refacing can help improve your kitchen’s overall appearance. If your cabinets are damaged or have noticeable wear and tear, however, refacing them may not be enough to improve the look.

Countertops

Countertops are often the next biggest cost after cabinets. The main thing that will influence the price of countertop replacement will be the size of your countertops. The other most important factor will be the material you're using.

The most durable countertops are made from stone, quartz and granite. Each material comes with its own set of pros and cons. For a less expensive solution, you can go with a laminate. However, this type of material usually requires more maintenance and tends to look old faster than higher quality materials.

Appliances

Some homeowners opt to keep their kitchen appliances if they are operating smoothly and will fit the aesthetic of the rest of the kitchen. But your appliances also have a lifespan; at some point, you will need to replace them.

Most kitchens require refrigerators and other appliances that are specific dimensions. You want to be sure you’re getting an appliance that will actually fit into your new kitchen. Picking out new appliances should be a considerable portion of the planning process.

Investing in kitchen appliances can actually help save you money in the long run. The older your kitchen appliances get, the more likely they are to need repairs and maintenance work. On top of that, newer equipment means you will always have up-to-date technology. New kitchen appliances are designed with energy efficiency in mind. The upfront cost may be high, but these appliances may save you money on your energy bills.

Flooring

The cost of your flooring, again, depends on what you want. Replacing a few cracked tiles will cost a lot less than doing a complete overhaul of your existing flooring.

If you’re planning on replacing your flooring altogether, the price will be based on the square footage and the flooring material you choose. Often, vinyl is one of the most affordable options. If you want to increase your home’s value, consider hardwood, laminate, cork or ceramic tile.

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Plumbing

Nine times out of 10, you should be able to complete an entire kitchen remodel project without needing plumbing services. Even if you upgrade your kitchen appliances, sinks and faucets, you should be able to use your existing plumbing. Whether or not you need a plumber will depend on how far you’re going with your remodel project.

If you plan on moving things around — like changing the position of your dishwasher, refrigerator, and sink, for instance — you will need plumbing services. This is important: Do not try to complete plumbing work yourself. It can be next to impossible to properly complete plumbing changes without proper training, equipment and experience.

Electrical

It’s a general rule of thumb that if you are remodeling your kitchen, you’ll also need electrical rewiring. With so many different parts and appliances moving around, you will likely need to move wires around as well.

Even if you are trying to do your kitchen remodel yourself, you should always call an electrician to help with rewiring. Without the right training and experience, you might mess something up, or even hurt yourself. Most contractors will agree that electrical rewiring is the most difficult part of the process, so let a professional handle it.

Lighting

The lighting and the electrical portions of your project typically go hand in hand. In fact, when you hire an electrician to help you with rewiring, you can also have them help you out with lighting.

Many homeowners opt to keep their current lighting, especially if there are no issues or the lighting isn’t too dated. A recent trend is lighting hidden beneath cabinets. This helps light countertops and can be a nice touch to your kitchen.

Painting

If you are remodeling your kitchen, you will almost certainly want a fresh coat of paint. This is a great way to spruce up the room at a minimal cost. Compared to countertops, cabinets and appliances, painting will take up a small part of the budget. On top of that, painting is one of the easiest DIY projects you can do. A few cans of paint and brushes make a significant impact on your space at a low cost.

DIY Kitchen Remodel

In the age of YouTube DIY videos, it’s easy to feel like you can tackle any project by yourself. And while this may be true if you consider yourself handy, a kitchen remodel can be very difficult and strenuous. When planning out the remodel, it may be in your best interest to try and pinpoint which parts of the project you can accomplish yourself and which need to be done by a professional.

Doing so can help save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars in labor costs. The most important part of this process is being honest with yourself. Know your limits. If you don’t think you can handle certain parts of the project, don’t be afraid to seek professional assistance. While it may be more expensive, professionals will ensure the job is done right and in a timely manner.

Other Factors to Consider

... There’s more? Yep. In order to get the best kitchen renovation possible, there are dozens of things you need to consider.

Kitchen Designers

If you know you need a kitchen renovation but don’t know where to begin, you may want to hire an interior designer or kitchen planner if it fits in your budget. Their job is to ensure you’re getting the most out of your space. Some general contractors can also help with the design process.

Permits

This is a huge part of the renovation process that, unfortunately, many homeowners overlook. Not having the proper permits can lead to hefty fines and even eviction in extreme cases. Most cities and counties require you to get a permit before starting a large home renovation project.

All you need to do is contact a local official who will sign off on your project if it passes inspection. In most cases, unless you’re adding actual space to your home, the local official will pass the renovation. Doing this before you begin your project can save you from a lot of stress later on.

Home Value Boost

Perhaps the No. 1 reason homeowners choose to renovate their kitchen is for the increase in home value. Kitchen renovations can add a huge value boost to your home, helping you see an increase in your investment. According to data from Remodeling, a major kitchen renovation project has a return-on-investment of 54%. For a smaller remodel, the ROI can be even higher. No matter the extent of the renovation, a fresh kitchen can help potential buyers envision themselves in the home as-is, which may make them more likely to buy.

Is It Worth It?

If your kitchen and the appliances in it are dated, it may be worth it to upgrade your kitchen in order to boost the appeal and comfort of your home. If you’re considering putting your home on the market soon, a remodel can boost the value of your home. There are numerous benefits to kitchen remodels; consider all of them before making your decision.

Being prepared with a home repair plan from HomeServe is a great way to avoid dealing with costly repairs. When you have a plan in place and a covered issue arises, simply call the 24/7 repair hotline and a local contractor will be sent to your home. See what plans from HomeServe are available in your neighborhood.