Kitchen Remodel Cost Calculator

How to use the kitchen remodel cost calculator

1. Measure the kitchen floor. Length × width of the room, or the floor area if the kitchen opens into another space. Count only the part you are remodeling.
2. Choose the scope. This drives the price per square foot more than anything else. The three tiers are described below.
3. Add structural items. Taking out a wall, adding an island or moving the range to a new gas connection are priced as separate lines. A load-bearing wall automatically adds a structural engineer.
4. Set a contingency. 10% is the default. Older houses, where opening walls tends to turn up old wiring or plumbing, deserve more.
5. Optionally enter your home’s value to see the common 15–20% budgeting rule beside your estimate.

Kitchen remodel cost per square foot, by scope

The per-square-foot ranges and the 120 sq ft column are HomeGuide’s. Angi, using 2026 project data, reports an average of $26,990, with most projects between $14,592 and $41,619 and a per-square-foot range of $75 to $250. It sorts projects into minor ($10,000 to $20,000), major ($20,000 to $65,000) and complete ($65,000 to $130,000 or more). A 150 sq ft full remodel here comes to $22,500 to $37,500, which sits inside both pictures.

Small kitchens cost more per square foot than big ones, because a range, a sink and a run of cabinets cost about the same whatever the room size, and design fees and permits do not shrink. Angi points this out directly. If your kitchen is under 100 sq ft, read the upper half of the range.

Where a kitchen remodel budget goes

HomeGuide splits a typical budget roughly like this: cabinets and shelving 25%, installation and labor 15%, appliances 15%, countertops and backsplash 10%, flooring 7%, then lighting, painting and drywall, a designer, and the sink and faucet at about 5% each, doors and windows 4%, plumbing 3% and permits and extras 1%. The calculator applies that split to your estimate, so a $30,000 kitchen shows about $7,500 for cabinets.

Treat the split as a planning tool, not a rule. Angi notes that cabinets alone can reach 30% to 40% of the budget, and that labor is often about 25% of the bill. The useful part is seeing which choices are worth agonizing over. A change from stock to custom cabinets moves the total far more than a change of faucet. Angi gives stock cabinets at $100 to $300 per linear foot and custom at $500 to $1,200.

Ways to keep the total down are the same in both guides: keep the footprint, because moving plumbing, gas and wiring is expensive; reface or paint sound cabinets instead of replacing them; and do the easy parts yourself. HomeGuide puts a largely DIY kitchen at $50 to $175 per square foot. The tile calculator handles a backsplash or tile floor, the flooring calculator counts boxes of vinyl plank, and the paint calculator covers the walls.

How the estimate compares with other sources

The tier prices are HomeGuide’s per-square-foot ranges, and the headline is their midpoint plus the contingency you set. Whole-kitchen figures from other sources read on Oct 27, 2026: HomeGuide $15,000 to $50,000, Angi a $26,990 average ($14,592 to $41,619), Fixr about $27,000 ($15,000 to $45,000), and $28,458 for a midrange minor kitchen remodel in the 2025 Cost vs Value report, which is still the latest edition as of October 2026.

The default 12 × 12 ft full remodel on the same layout comes out at a $28,800 midpoint before contingency, in line with those averages. These are national figures and prices vary by region.

Walls, islands and gas lines

• Opening up a wall. HomeGuide puts a non-load-bearing wall at $500 to $2,000 and a load-bearing wall at $4,000 to $15,000. A bearing wall needs a new beam, and a structural engineer to size it; HomeGuide prices the engineer at $1,900 to $3,700 or more, or 1% to 5% of the project budget. The calculator adds that engineer line automatically with a load-bearing wall. Expect a permit too.
• An island. $3,000 to $5,000 installed for a typical island. A sink, dishwasher or cooktop in it means new plumbing, venting or a dedicated circuit, which pushes it higher.
• Moving the range. Angi prices relocating a gas line at $375 to $750. Keeping gas appliances where they are avoids the cost entirely.
• Permits. HomeGuide gives $500 to $1,500 and notes that most contractor bids already include them; Angi’s range is $460 to $2,770 because a big remodel can need separate electrical, plumbing and building permits. Switch the permit line on only if your bid leaves them out.

The high-end tier already assumes some layout changes, so adding a wall on top of it can count the same work twice. Use the add-ons mainly with the basic and full tiers.

How much should you spend?

A common starting point, attributed by HomeGuide to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, is 15% to 20% of the home’s value. For a $400,000 house that is $60,000 to $80,000. At HomeGuide’s rates that pays for a high-end remodel of about 170 to 320 sq ft, or a full same-layout remodel of about 240 to 530 sq ft; Angi would call it a major-to-complete remodel. A typical 150 sq ft kitchen comes in under it even at the high-end rate ($37,500 to $52,500). If your estimate is far above that, you may be overbuilding for the neighborhood. If it is far below, a cosmetic refresh may be all the house needs.

Both guides recommend a cushion for surprises, at least 5% in HomeGuide’s advice and at least 10% in Angi’s, and they suggest collecting three or more written bids that list cabinets, counters, appliances and labor separately. The breakdown here is laid out the same way so you can compare it line by line. A remodel typically takes six to nine weeks, longer when permits, custom cabinets or structural work are involved.

Sources & assumptions

How this calculator gets its numbers. Full method: our methodology.

• Prices per square foot of kitchen floor are national estimates that vary by region, from HomeGuide (December 2025): $60–$150 for a basic or partial renovation, $150–$250 for a full remodel that keeps the layout, $250–$350 for a high-end remodel with layout changes. They include labor and materials.
• Add-ons are HomeGuide figures (island $3,000–$5,000; non-load-bearing wall $500–$2,000; load-bearing wall $4,000–$15,000; structural engineer $1,900–$3,700, added automatically with a load-bearing wall; permits $500–$1,500) and Angi’s gas-line relocation ($375–$750). The high-end tier already assumes some layout change, so adding walls on top of it may double count.
• Contingency defaults to 10% (Angi recommends a cushion of at least 10%; HomeGuide at least 5%) and is applied to every line above it.
• The budget split uses HomeGuide’s typical shares and is applied to the estimate before contingency. The home-value check uses the NKBA rule of thumb cited by HomeGuide: 15–20% of the home’s value.

Sources

1. Fixr, How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost? [2026 Data]. Updated Jan 27, 2026: about $27,000 typical, most pay $15,000–$45,000.
2. Zonda, 2025 Cost vs. Value Report (latest edition as of Oct 2026). Minor kitchen remodel (midrange): $28,458 national job cost.
3. HomeGuide, How much does a kitchen remodel cost?. $15,000–$50,000 average; per sq ft by scope ($60–$150, $150–$250, $250–$350); size table (e.g. 10×12 ft full remodel $18,000–$30,000); budget split (cabinets 25%, labor 15%, appliances 15% …); island, wall removal, engineer and permit costs; NKBA 15–20% of home value; DIY $50–$175 per sq ft.
4. Angi, How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost? [2026 Data]. Updated Sep 4, 2026: $26,990 average, $14,592–$41,619 typical; $75–$250 per sq ft; minor $10,000–$20,000, major $20,000–$65,000, complete $65,000–$130,000+; gas line $375–$750; permits $460–$2,770; labor about 25%; keep at least a 10% cushion.

Last reviewed October 27, 2026. Installed prices vary by region, contractor and job conditions; a written local bid wins.