Inside Houzz
A New Survey Suggests How Much a Kitchen Remodel Might Cost You
It’s a good starting point, but the true cost will depend on regional and other factors
Many things in life can be boiled down to one central concern: What’s this going to cost me? When it comes to remodeling a kitchen, the answer isn’t always straightforward. The size of your space, the scope of work involved, your DIY abilities, the quality of materials you choose and even your geographic location all play a part. But if you’re going into it blind, a new study from Houzz, which surveyed more than 1,700 users about their kitchen renovations, can give you a solid jumping-off point and offer ideas on how you might allocate that budget.
Cost of Remodeling a Small Kitchen
The cost of undertaking a major remodel of a kitchen that’s less than 200 square feet averages $25,800, based on the costs reported by survey respondents. For the purposes of this survey, a major remodel includes replacing all the cabinetry and appliances. Diving deeper into your own project, you’ll have to consider that custom cabinets will cost significantly more than prefabricated ones. And new state-of-the-art appliances will cost considerably more than, say, the floor units at a big-box store or those purchased in an online holiday sale.
Remodels that didn’t include replacing the appliances and cabinets were considered minor for the sake of the survey. The average cost of a minor remodel in a less-than-200-square-foot kitchen was $13,700.
The cost of undertaking a major remodel of a kitchen that’s less than 200 square feet averages $25,800, based on the costs reported by survey respondents. For the purposes of this survey, a major remodel includes replacing all the cabinetry and appliances. Diving deeper into your own project, you’ll have to consider that custom cabinets will cost significantly more than prefabricated ones. And new state-of-the-art appliances will cost considerably more than, say, the floor units at a big-box store or those purchased in an online holiday sale.
Remodels that didn’t include replacing the appliances and cabinets were considered minor for the sake of the survey. The average cost of a minor remodel in a less-than-200-square-foot kitchen was $13,700.
Cost of Remodeling a Large Kitchen
The average cost of undertaking a major remodel of a kitchen 200 square feet or more was $42,000, according to the survey. A minor remodel of such a kitchen averaged $22,000.
The average cost of undertaking a major remodel of a kitchen 200 square feet or more was $42,000, according to the survey. A minor remodel of such a kitchen averaged $22,000.
Geographic Differences
Talking budgets gets even more complicated when you factor in location. Materials and labor cost more in cities where demand is high and real estate is expensive, such as San Francisco, where kitchen remodel spending is the highest in the nation, according to a survey of the top 20 metro areas in the U.S.
In San Francisco, homeowners spend $70,000, on average, on a major remodel of a kitchen 200 square feet or more, compared with $31,200 in Riverside, California. (A minor remodel of a large kitchen in these cities averages $35,400 and $22,200, respectively.)
The average major remodel of a kitchen under 200 square feet in New York City was $29,200.
Talking budgets gets even more complicated when you factor in location. Materials and labor cost more in cities where demand is high and real estate is expensive, such as San Francisco, where kitchen remodel spending is the highest in the nation, according to a survey of the top 20 metro areas in the U.S.
In San Francisco, homeowners spend $70,000, on average, on a major remodel of a kitchen 200 square feet or more, compared with $31,200 in Riverside, California. (A minor remodel of a large kitchen in these cities averages $35,400 and $22,200, respectively.)
The average major remodel of a kitchen under 200 square feet in New York City was $29,200.
Where to Splurge and Where to Save
Among the surveyed homeowners, 42 percent are splurging on countertops for their remodels. And many are going for engineered quartz, shown here, which has overtaken granite as the most popular countertop choice, or natural stone such as granite. Other top splurges include appliances and cabinets.
Homeowners are finding ways to save on flooring, backsplashes and light fixtures.
Among the surveyed homeowners, 42 percent are splurging on countertops for their remodels. And many are going for engineered quartz, shown here, which has overtaken granite as the most popular countertop choice, or natural stone such as granite. Other top splurges include appliances and cabinets.
Homeowners are finding ways to save on flooring, backsplashes and light fixtures.
What’s Popular?
If you’re wondering where to put your money in terms of style, colors or for resale value, it can help to look at the most popular selections among other renovating homeowners out there.
Classic colors and finishes are classics for a reason: They have staying power, appeal to more current (and future) homeowners and give individuals the ability to personalize in subtle ways, such as through a quick update in wall paint or accessories. But as the kitchen has become a popular hub for cooking meals, doing homework, organizing schedules and actually sitting down to eat, people tend to gravitate toward colors that create a fresh and invigorating atmosphere. And neutral, cool colors do that well.
This photo captures one of the most popular aesthetics homeowners reported in the survey: stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, wood floors, white Shaker-style cabinets, white backsplash and gray walls.
If you’re wondering where to put your money in terms of style, colors or for resale value, it can help to look at the most popular selections among other renovating homeowners out there.
Classic colors and finishes are classics for a reason: They have staying power, appeal to more current (and future) homeowners and give individuals the ability to personalize in subtle ways, such as through a quick update in wall paint or accessories. But as the kitchen has become a popular hub for cooking meals, doing homework, organizing schedules and actually sitting down to eat, people tend to gravitate toward colors that create a fresh and invigorating atmosphere. And neutral, cool colors do that well.
This photo captures one of the most popular aesthetics homeowners reported in the survey: stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, wood floors, white Shaker-style cabinets, white backsplash and gray walls.
Here, the previous recipe gets tweaked to include the popular white engineered quartz countertops mentioned in the survey, white walls instead of gray and a paneled refrigerator to tone down the steel. The designer amped up what could have been a monochrome space by introducing glamorous brass finishes in the cabinet hardware, faucet, range detailing and light fixture. A rich stain on the wood floor warms the space even more.
Your turn: Share the details of your kitchen remodel project and cost info in the Comments.
See the full survey
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
How to Refresh Your Kitchen on Any Budget
Other Resources on Houzz
Find a kitchen designer
Browse kitchen products
Your turn: Share the details of your kitchen remodel project and cost info in the Comments.
See the full survey
More
Homeowner’s Workbook: How to Remodel Your Kitchen
How to Refresh Your Kitchen on Any Budget
Other Resources on Houzz
Find a kitchen designer
Browse kitchen products
We start with size because your square footage will generally dictate the amount of materials you’ll spend money on, so it’s a good baseline. That isn’t to say a 200-square-foot kitchen in New York City will cost the same to remodel as a 200-square-foot kitchen in Houston. Again, a lot of other factors will be at play.
The following are averages of costs reported by homeowners in the survey, and can give you an idea of how to start budgeting.