The short answer
A mid-range kitchen remodel runs $27,000 to $35,000 nationally in 2026, with most projects landing between $15,000 and $75,000. Per square foot, expect $250 to $500 depending on materials and how much labor the layout demands. Luxury renovations in expensive metros pass $150,000.
Where the money actually goes
Two line items dominate almost every kitchen budget:
- Cabinetry is typically the largest single cost. Stock, semi-custom, and custom can differ by a factor of three.
- Labor is the next largest, especially when the layout moves plumbing or electrical.
Countertops, appliances, lighting, and flooring fill out the rest. The numbers that wreck budgets are usually the ones a cheap bid leaves out: moving a gas line, upgrading an undersized panel, or correcting an out-of-level floor before cabinets go in.
How to read a kitchen bid
If one bid is far below the others, it is almost never because that contractor is more efficient. It is because the scope is thinner. Ask every bidder the same questions: Are permits included? Is electrical or plumbing relocation in the price? Who handles disposal and protection? A real bid prices the whole job before demo, not in change orders after.
What we do differently
We scope the entire kitchen, structural and permit work included, before demolition. The number you sign is the number you pay, short of changes you request in writing. Get a tailored range from our cost estimator, then book a fixed-price walkthrough.