Kitchen Remodel Costs to Consider
You may be planning for a major kitchen renovation, including new appliances, plumbing, countertops or cabinets. Instead, you may be aiming to spruce up the space with a smaller budget. A kitchen renovation is rarely cheap, but there are ways to save. Here’s what you need to know.
How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost?
Based on online estimates, home improvement resource company HomeAdvisor’s reported national averages for renovation costs and expert insights, here’s how the cost of a major kitchen remodel breaks down:
- Labor: 15% to 25%
- Cabinets: 29%
- Appliances and ventilation: 14%
- Countertops: 10%
- Lighting: 5%
- Floors: 7%
- Fixtures and plumbing: 4%
- Additional finishes and budget cushion: 15% to 20%
According to HomeAdvisor, the national average for a kitchen renovation is $25,291, with a low-end remodel starting around $4,000 and a high-end project reaching $60,000 or more. The disparities between cost estimates are due to the range of options for renovations and the scale of projects. Many kitchen remodels are smaller projects – think countertop replacement rather than taking out the walls and floors.

Load Error
Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that where you live, the condition of your kitchen, the materials you would like to use and the scale of the overall renovation determine your bottom line. Especially if you’re planning to gut your entire kitchen, estimates for the project will likely be higher than nationally reported medians and averages.
When you’re considering a kitchen overhaul, how much should you spend? “A really good rule of thumb for a kitchen project is that it should cost anywhere from 5% to 15% of the home’s value,” says Dan DiClerico, home expert and smart home strategist for HomeAdvisor.
How much you’ll spend on your kitchen renovation also depends on how much cash you’ve set aside or the amount of the home improvement-related loan you’ve obtained.
Full-Scale Remodel
A full-scale kitchen renovation will likely see a high price tag because you’re gutting the entire space, you’re upgrading to more luxurious materials or both.
For a complete remodel of the entire room, you can expect to address all or most of the following features:
- Countertops.
- Cabinets.
- Backsplash.
- Sink and plumbing fixtures.
- Lighting.
- Flooring.
- Appliances.
- Walls and wall color.
- Windows.
- Interior and exterior doors.
- Smart tech.
With a major project like this, you will want to hire a general contractor to oversee the work. If you hire a contractor to manage the entire project, he or she will likely have licensed specialists on staff or on call. Alternately, you can hire a contractor that only oversees the main construction work, then hire additional professionals as needed. Expect the labor costs to be on the higher end of the cost spectrum as a result, but a contractor’s expertise will help reduce the chances that costly errors arise – like putting in the drywall before the plumber and electrician have completed their work.
Labor costs can rise if you incorporate the work of a designer, who would plan a cohesive look for