Kitchen remodeling National average cost

How much does it cost to remodel a kitchen?​

Kitchens are an incredibly popular remodeling choice for homeowners. In fact, the National Association of Homebuilders has said that kitchen remodels accounted for 78% of projects last year, making it the second most popular home renovation.

Kitchen remodels don’t have to be massive to make an impact. Smaller remodels tend to have a greater return on investment because they often have mass appeal and are more functional than those based on aesthetics. More expensive projects tend to cost more due to the emphasis on style and aesthetics. When you’re planning a remodel, it’s important to consider resale value. Not everyone wants a vintage kitchen with an avocado-green refrigerator, but everyone does want a kitchen that’s laid out well and has functioning electricity and plumbing.

A kitchen remodel can take many forms, but for a 200 square foot kitchen with 30 linear feet of stock cabinets, no structural or layout changes, new appliances, and a 30 square foot granite countertop (plus 20% for unplanned expenses) you can plan for costs from $8,000-$25,000.

Cost factors

There are a lot of factors that go into the cost of a remodel, which will be explained in more detail in this guide, but the first part to consider is your budget. While you may not be able to stick to your budget completely, it’s important to understand what things are going to cost before you make any definitive plans.

Materials will be a huge factor in the cost of the remodel. Marble flooring, for example, is much more expensive than laminate. Custom cabinetry can cost triple what stock cabinets cost. With that in mind, you may choose to refinish or repair the cabinets you currently have rather than replacing them entirely.

How to budget

With so many options and decisions for a kitchen remodel, you have to create a budget and stick to it as much as possible. Before writing out a budget, there are a few questions you should ask yourself:

  • What do I want in a kitchen?
  • What can I afford?
  • How will I use the kitchen (cooking, entertaining, studying, working, etc.)?
  • How long can I go without a kitchen?
  • Are we planning to sell in the near future?