How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost in 2026?
National ranges, materials + labor · Pricing data updated · Reviewed annually
A typical kitchen remodel costs $24,000 to $48,000 in 2026 — that's a 120 sq ft kitchen at mid-range finishes with new cabinets, counters, appliances, and flooring installed in the existing layout. Most projects of that description land near $33,500. The full spectrum is much wider: a budget refresh of a small kitchen can come in around $4,000, while a high-end full gut of a large open-plan kitchen can exceed $345,000.
Kitchens differ from every other room in one way that matters for budgeting: the two biggest line items — cabinetry and appliances — are selections, not construction. That's why finish level swings a kitchen budget harder than any other room in the house. The tables below break the national ranges down by size, scope, and finish, and the interactive estimator combines them — then the free kitchen remodel calculator builds a complete materials list from your kitchen's actual dimensions.
The three scopes of a kitchen remodel
Kitchen prices only make sense once you fix the scope, so every range on this page uses one of three:
Refresh
Reface cabinets, new counters / appliances / floor — keep layout
Pull & Replace
New cabinets, counters, appliances, floor — same footprint
Full Gut
Layout change, new everything — walls / plumbing may move
Kitchen remodel cost by size and scope
Mid-range finishes, national averages. Size matters more in kitchens than in bathrooms because cabinet runs, counter square footage, and flooring all scale with the room — but it still isn't linear, since one dishwasher, one range, and one sink serve any size kitchen.
| Size | Refresh | Pull & Replace | Full Gut |
|---|---|---|---|
| SmallGalley or small L (~7×10) · 70 sq ft | $7,000 – $14,000 | $14,000 – $28,000 | $19,500 – $40,500 |
| MediumStandard L-shape (~10×12) · 120 sq ft | $12,000 – $24,000 | $24,000 – $48,000 | $33,500 – $69,500 |
| LargeOpen kitchen w/ island (~10×20) · 200 sq ft | $20,000 – $40,000 | $40,000 – $80,000 | $56,000 – $116,000 |
| X-LargeChef's kitchen (~15×20+) · 300 sq ft | $30,000 – $60,000 | $60,000 – $120,000 | $84,000 – $174,000 |
How finish level changes the price
A 120 sq ft kitchen at each finish tier. In kitchens the tiers mostly describe cabinet construction (stock, semi-custom, custom) and appliance brand class — those two selections drive the spread more than tile or paint ever will.
| Finish level | Refresh | Pull & Replace | Full Gut |
|---|---|---|---|
| BudgetRTA / stock cabinets, laminate counters, basic appliances | $7,000 – $15,500 | $15,500 – $30,000 | $24,000 – $48,000 |
| Mid-rangeSemi-custom cabinets, quartz counters, mid-tier appliances | $12,000 – $24,000 | $24,000 – $48,000 | $33,500 – $69,500 |
| High-endCustom cabinets, premium stone, pro-grade appliances | $19,000 – $38,500 | $39,500 – $78,000 | $72,000 – $138,000 |
Kitchen remodel cost per square foot
The underlying rates behind every range above. Use these to sanity-check a bid, not to price a project — small kitchens run hot against these numbers because the fixed costs don't shrink with the room.
| Scope | Budget | Mid-range | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refresh | $60 – $130 /sq ft | $100 – $200 /sq ft | $160 – $320 /sq ft |
| Pull & Replace | $130 – $250 /sq ft | $200 – $400 /sq ft | $330 – $650 /sq ft |
| Full Gut | $200 – $400 /sq ft | $280 – $580 /sq ft | $600 – $1150 /sq ft |
Estimate your kitchen remodel
Combine size, scope, finish, and region to see your range update live. Each upgrade shows what it adds to your current configuration before you commit to it.
What the popular upgrades actually add
Priced against a typical project — a 120 sq ft pull-and-replace at mid-range finishes. Bigger and higher-end projects see proportionally larger adds.
| Upgrade | What's involved | Adds |
|---|---|---|
| Move walls or plumbing | Relocates gas / drain / supply line, or removes a wall | +$2,500 – $9,500 |
| Add a kitchen island | Adds cabinets + countertop, often electrical & sometimes plumbing | +$2,000 – $8,500 |
| Premium stone countertop | Quartzite, marble, or exotic slab beyond standard quartz/granite | +$1,000 – $6,000 |
| Pro-grade appliance package | Wolf / Sub-Zero / Thermador tier ($15k+ package) | +$2,500 – $14,500 |
| Panel-ready integrated appliances | Cabinet fronts on fridge & dishwasher for seamless look | +$1,000 – $5,000 |
| Open shelving (no upper cabinets) | Replaces wall cabinets with open shelves — small savings | +$-500 – $-2,500 |
Cost by region
The same 120 sq ft pull-and-replace project at mid-range finishes:
| Region | Typical metros | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Lower-cost metro | Midwest, parts of South & Mountain West | $20,500 – $41,000 |
| National average | Most metros | $24,000 – $48,000 |
| High-cost metro | NYC, SF Bay, Boston, LA, Seattle, DC | $30,000 – $60,000 |
How to keep the cost down
Keep the work triangle where it is. Moving the sink, range, or refrigerator wall drags plumbing, gas, and venting with it — roughly $2,500–$9,500 on a typical project before any surprises. If the layout functions, spend the money on what you touch every day instead.
Decide the cabinet strategy first. Cabinets are the biggest line in the budget. If the boxes are plumb and sound, refacing or repainting them converts a full-gut budget into a refresh budget while looking nearly identical in photos. Size the run either way with the kitchen cabinets calculator.
Put the splurge in one horizontal surface. Counters are the surface everyone sees and touches — a quartz or stone counter over budget cabinets reads as a much more expensive kitchen than the reverse. Price slabs and overhang support with the countertop calculator, and keep the backsplash affordable — it's a small area, as the backsplash tile calculator will show you.
Time the appliance purchase, don't upgrade the class. Holiday appliance-package sales routinely take 20–30% off the same mid-tier brands; jumping to a pro-grade package moves the whole budget bracket instead.
What these ranges don't include
National ranges, materials + labor combined. Excludes permits, structural work, mold/asbestos remediation, smart-home electronics, and exotic imported stone slabs. Appliance package costs assume mid-tier or premium brands as labeled; pro-grade ranges (Wolf, Sub-Zero, Thermador) bumped via adjuster.
- Permits and inspections — set by your municipality; varies too widely to bracket nationally.
- Structural work — removing load-bearing walls for an open plan is an engineered change priced separately.
- Mold, asbestos, or water-damage remediation — discovered conditions priced only after opening walls.
- Exotic imported stone and smart-home electronics — too selection-driven for a national range.
Where these numbers come from
Ranges reconcile national published data — Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value report (minor, major, and upscale kitchen categories), HomeAdvisor and Angi medians, and HomeGuide per-square-foot figures — bracketed by roughly ±35% to absorb regional, supply-chain, and contractor-tier variability. Every figure is rounded to the nearest $500 on purpose: a national estimate quoted to the dollar is false precision. The model is reviewed annually; this page was last computed from data updated . For your own project, the only numbers that matter more are written bids from licensed local contractors — get at least three.
Ready to plan the actual project?
The free kitchen remodel calculator goes past ranges: enter your kitchen's real dimensions and it runs the underlying trade calculators — cabinets, countertop, backsplash, flooring, paint, drywall — and merges them into one materials list you can save, share, or hand to a contractor. No signup.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in 2026?
A medium kitchen (about 120 sq ft) remodeled at a mid-range finish level — new cabinets, counters, appliances, and floor in the same layout — runs $24,000 to $48,000 nationally, with most projects landing around $33,500. Ranges include materials and labor. A cosmetic refresh costs far less and a full gut with layout changes far more. Use the kitchen remodel calculator to price your exact configuration.
How much does a small kitchen remodel cost?
A small kitchen (about 70 sq ft, typical galley or apartment kitchen) runs $7,000 to $14,000 for a mid-finish refresh — paint or refaced cabinet fronts, new counters and hardware — or $14,000 to $28,000 for a full pull-and-replace in the same layout. At budget finishes a small pull-and-replace drops to $9,000 to $17,500.
How much does it cost to gut a kitchen down to the studs?
A full gut — demolition to framing, new everything, with layout changes possible — runs $33,500 to $69,500 for a 120 sq ft kitchen at mid-range finishes, and $56,000 to $116,000 at 200 sq ft. Moving the sink, range, or refrigerator wall adds roughly $2,500 to $9,500 on a typical project because plumbing, gas, and venting all move with them.
What is kitchen remodel cost per square foot?
National figures span roughly $60 to $1150 per square foot depending on scope and finish — from a budget refresh to a high-end full gut. A mid-range pull-and-replace typically runs $200 to $400 per square foot. Kitchens are second only to bathrooms in cost per square foot because cabinetry, appliances, and counters pack the most expensive materials in the house into one room.
What share of the budget goes to cabinets?
Cabinetry is the single largest line in most kitchen remodels — industry surveys (NKBA, Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value) consistently put cabinets and hardware around 25–30% of the total, ahead of appliances, counters, and labor for any single trade. That's why the highest-leverage budget decision is cabinet strategy: keeping and refinishing sound boxes, choosing stock or semi-custom over custom, or mixing open shelving. Size the cabinet run with the kitchen cabinets calculator.
Does adding an island cost a lot?
On a typical mid-range project, adding an island (cabinets, counter, and electrical receptacle per NEC 210.52) adds about $2,000 to $8,500. The number climbs quickly if the island gets a prep sink or cooktop — that pulls plumbing or venting into the middle of the floor, which behaves like a small layout change.
Can I remodel a kitchen for under $25,000?
Yes, with scope discipline. A mid-finish refresh of a medium kitchen — refinished or refaced cabinets, new counters, backsplash, and paint — runs $12,000 to $24,000, and budget-finish versions come in lower still. The savings come from keeping three things: the layout, the cabinet boxes, and the appliances that still work.
Why are these ranges so wide?
Because honest national numbers are wide. Labor varies heavily by metro, and two "mid-range" kitchens can differ by tens of thousands based on appliance and cabinet selections alone. We bracket published medians (Remodeling Magazine, HomeAdvisor, Angi, HomeGuide) by roughly ±35%, round to the nearest $500, and review the model annually — last updated 2026-05-29.