The most common question we are asked is what a kitchen costs. The honest answer is that it depends on decisions you have not made yet, so it is more useful to understand what moves the number.
Materials
Cabinetry and countertops usually make up the largest share. The gap between stock cabinets and custom joinery, or between laminate and stone, is wide enough to change the whole budget on its own.
Labour
Labour is the second large share, and it scales with complexity rather than with floor area. A small kitchen that needs walls moved and services rerouted costs more than a large one that keeps its existing layout.
Whether services move
This is the single biggest hinge. Keeping the sink, the run of appliances and the existing electrics roughly where they are keeps a project modest. Moving plumbing, gas or a panel puts it in another bracket entirely.
Project costs
Permits, inspections, equipment rental, waste removal and protecting the rest of the house are real costs that rarely appear in the picture people have in their heads at the start.
The age and condition of the house
Older properties hide things behind their walls. Out-of-level floors, previous work that was never quite right, and wiring that no longer meets code all surface once demolition starts. A contingency is not pessimism, it is planning.
Scope, roughly
A minor remodel keeps the layout and replaces surfaces and fittings. An average remodel changes cabinetry and countertops and may adjust the layout. A major remodel moves walls and services and rebuilds the room. Each step up is a step change in price, not an increment.
DIY or a contractor
Demolition and painting are genuinely accessible. Anything structural, electrical or plumbed is not, and mistakes there are expensive to unpick. If you are hiring, ask for an itemised written quote, check that the contractor is licensed, and speak to people they have worked for.
The only way to get a real number for your kitchen is to have someone look at it. We do that for free and there is no obligation attached to it.
