MSRPGuide

How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost? (2026)

Updated September 2026

A kitchen remodel prices by level — what the job actually includes: $10,000–$25,000 cosmetic (surfaces and refresh) · $25,000–$60,000 mid-range (stock-to-semi-custom cabinets, new counters, same layout) · $60,000–$130,000 high-end (layout changes, custom cabinets, structural). Across levels the headline band runs $15,000–$45,000 (typ $27,000), typically about $27,000 — the one number where two independent live publishers agree, and the one most likely to mislead you, because it blends all three scopes into a single figure.

Advertisement

The three levels: cosmetic, mid-range, high-end

Each level is defined by scope first, priced second — this is the framing the SERP's publishers skip (they quote one blended average or one vendor-scoped band):

Cosmetic / small kitchen — Surfaces and refresh — paint, hardware, counter refresh, lighting. The layout and the boxes stay where they are. Band: $10,000–$25,000 (average about $15,000 for a small kitchen).

Mid-range — Stock-to-semi-custom cabinets, new counters, same layout — the classic remodel, nothing moved structurally. Band: $25,000–$60,000.

High-end — Layout changes, custom cabinets, structural work, premium appliances — walls move, and the price knows it. Band: $60,000–$130,000 (average around $80,000).

Why two published ladders disagree — and why that's honest: Hanley Wood's 2025 study (via NerdWallet) prices minor $28,458 / major midrange $82,793 / upscale $164,104 — design-build scope classes, wider than Fixr's homeowner level table. Both systems are carried with labels throughout this page; neither is averaged into the other. A quote that names its scope class can be compared honestly to one of them.

Get local quotes

A national range is a planning number, not a price. Compare free written quotes from local remodeling pros — same scope, same materials — before you commit.

Match with remodeling pros

Cosmetic-level remodel cost

$10,000–$25,000 — paint, hardware, counter refresh, lighting, maybe a faucet. The surfaces change; the boxes and the layout don't. This is the level where the painting and flooring line items do most of the work — a cosmetic kitchen is largely those two trades plus counters.

Mid-range remodel cost

$25,000–$60,000 — stock or semi-custom cabinets, new countertops, same layout. This is the classic remodel: the room is rebuilt inside its walls. Cabinets and counters are the budget's center of gravity (the countertop table below; cabinet refacing vs replacement is its own decision section).

High-end remodel cost

$60,000–$130,000 (average around $80,000) — layout changes, custom cabinets, structural work, premium appliances. Once walls move, the electrical panel conversation usually starts too: new appliance loads and moved circuits are a real line item at this level, and the permits row below prices the structural tier.

Small kitchen remodel cost

Fixr's live table prices the cosmetic/small class at $10,000–$25,000, averaging about $15,000. The honest cross-check is the square-foot rate: at $75.00–$250.00/sqft, a 100-sq-ft kitchen lands $7,500–$25,000 depending on scope — which is why the level, not the floor plan, decides the bill.

Advertisement

Countertop replacement cost

The anchor tier beneath every level — per square foot installed, Fixr's live materials table verbatim:

MaterialInstalled per sq ft
Laminate$15.00–$60.00
Butcher block$40.00–$100.00
Solid surface$40.00–$100.00
Granite$40.00–$150.00
Soapstone$50.00–$120.00
Quartz$50.00–$200.00
Marble$50.00–$200.00
Quartzite$60.00–$200.00

Quartz ($50.00–$200.00/sqft) is the anchor tier's volume leader — and the one band two publishers confirm independently: Angi's article matches Fixr's table exactly, with a project average of $4,500 ($1,000–$12,000project range). Granite ($40.00–$150.00) is Fixr-only — flagged single-source, no second publisher's standalone granite band was capturable. The table itself is single-source (Fixr, live); edge profile, slab-vs-prefab, and location move every row.

Cabinets: reface or replace?

The mid-range decision in one row set: refacing runs $4,236–$10,235 (average $7,235; $150–$450 per linear foot — Angi, single-source row, flagged) and keeps the boxes. Replacement is what moves a job from cosmetic into mid-range or high-end — the level table above prices it. Hardware adders, recorded verbatim: soft-close sets $20–$50, pulls $5–$60 per piece, crown molding $300–$570. The deciding question is layout: refacing preserves the floor plan, so a wrong layout is the one thing no amount of refacing fixes.

Appliances and permit/design fees

The line items quotes leave last: the dataset records kitchen flooring and island package averages (~$5,000 and ~$5,000) as context inside the level rows — never summed on top of a band. Design fees run $825–$2,475 for an average kitchen; permits $450–$2,500, higher for structural changes (Fixr, live).

What moves the number

  • Level — the #1 driver; the three scope classes above.
  • Size — the $75.00–$250.00/sqft rate × the room; premium metros $200.00–$350.00 (search-served, flagged).
  • Cabinet tier — reface $4,236–$10,235 vs replacement (the level boundary).
  • Countertop material — laminate $15.00–$60.00 to quartz/marble $50.00–$200.00 (the table above).
  • Appliance package — the level rows absorb it; the dataset keeps it as context.
  • Permits/design — $450–$2,500 and $825–$2,475.

The trades a kitchen remodel pulls in: electrical panel capacity for new appliance loads, HVAC/ventilation for hood ducting, painting and flooring for the cosmetic level's surfaces — plus the home projects index and our methodology.

Advertisement

FAQ

How much does a kitchen remodel cost?

By level: cosmetic $10,000–$25,000, mid-range $25,000–$60,000, high-end $60,000–$130,000 (Fixr's live level table). Across levels, the headline band runs $15,000–$45,000, typically about $27,000 — Fixr and NerdWallet's independent averages agree.

What is a cosmetic kitchen remodel?

Surfaces and refresh — paint, hardware, counter refresh, lighting; the layout and the cabinets stay put. It prices at $10,000–$25,000 (average around $15,000 for a small kitchen, per Fixr).

How much is a small kitchen remodel?

Fixr's live table prices the cosmetic/small class at $10,000–$25,000, averaging about $15,000. The per-square-foot rate (~$75–$250) times the room's footage is the honest cross-check.

How much are quartz countertops per square foot?

$50–$200 per square foot installed — Fixr's materials table and Angi's article agree exactly. Project-level, Angi's average is $4,500 (ranging $1,000–$12,000).

Is a kitchen remodel worth it?

Held open: the ROI framing circulating in search snippets (a percentage-of-home-value rule) is not a dataset row, so this page does not claim a number. What the dataset does support: the level you choose decides the price, and the scope definitions above tell you what each level actually buys.

Should I reface or replace my cabinets?

Refacing runs $4,236–$10,235 per project (average $7,235; $150–$450 per linear foot — Angi, single-source) and keeps the boxes. Replacement is the mid-range/high-end scope. The deciding question is layout: if the layout is wrong, refacing preserves the problem.

Next step: compare local quotes

The numbers above come from public cost guides. Getting two or three written quotes for the same scope is the only way to know your local price — free and no obligation.

Match with remodeling pros

Sources

Every figure comes from the kitchen remodel cost dataset (30 products / 201 price points / 17 sources / 22 flags). Access labels: Fixr (live, Jan-27-2026 edition) and NerdWallet (live) anchor the level and headline bands; the two Angi rows come via dated Wayback captures; Home Depot's tiers and the premium-metro rate are search-served — flagged and cited where they render. Single-source rows (granite, the materials table, refacing, the package lines) are labeled at their render sites. The scope-class difference between Fixr's level table and Hanley Wood's study tiers is stated, never averaged.

Estimate only — get local written quotes. Bands are per-source, never averaged: the three levels are scope classes; the two published ladders (level table vs study tiers) are labeled separately; search-served and single-source rows are marked; line items render as context, never summed into a band; ROI claims wait for a sourced facts file. Figures were last checked September 2026. Hub: kitchen remodel costs · calculator: kitchen remodel cost calculator.