Refresh, full remodel or layout change: which kitchen remodel do you need?

Planning ranges (updated October 2026), not quotes; your written estimate itemises the scope. More on the kitchen remodeling page.

A refresh keeps the kitchen where it is and replaces what you see and touch: refaced or new stock cabinets, quartz or granite counters, a new backsplash, often new hardware and lighting fixtures. It suits a kitchen whose layout works and whose cabinet boxes are sound, and it is the quickest of the three.

Our planning range is $15,000 – $30,000. Most of the variation comes from whether the cabinets are refaced or replaced, the counter material and the size of the kitchen.

A full remodel replaces the cabinetry, counters, flooring, lighting and appliances but keeps the sink, range and walls roughly where they are. Choose it when everything is tired at once, or when new appliances need new circuits and the old cabinets won't take them.

Our planning range is $30,000 – $70,000, and the typical time is about 6–10 weeks for a full remodel once permits are issued and materials are in. Ordering lead times for cabinets and appliances often decide the start date, so selections come early.

Change the layout when the problem is the shape of the room: a wall between the kitchen and the living area, a sink that faces a wall, a range with no counter beside it, or no room for an island. Removing a load-bearing wall needs a structural beam sized by an engineer; moving the sink or range moves plumbing, gas or electrical lines.

Our planning range is $60,000 – $100,000+. Structural and plumbing work add time to the schedule and require permits and inspections.

• About $30,000 is where our refresh range ends and the full-remodel range begins: a strong refresh, or a modest full remodel in a smaller kitchen.
• About $50,000 sits inside the full-remodel range: new cabinetry, counters, flooring, lighting and appliances in the same footprint.
• About $70,000 is the top of the full-remodel range and overlaps the start of a layout change ($60,000 – $100,000+), where a wall comes out or plumbing moves.

Work that touches wiring, plumbing, gas lines or walls goes through your city or county building department. Since July 1, 2026, a single-family owner can ask for an exemption for work valued under $7,500, but not for any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical or gas work, and not in a flood hazard area, so it covers only a small, cosmetic job. When the contract is over $5,000, the permit office also needs a copy of the recorded Notice of Commencement before the first inspection.

• Cabinets: refacing costs less than replacing; stock lines cost less than semi-custom or custom.
• Counters: the material and the amount of counter, plus edge details and cut-outs.
• Appliances: a new range, hood or wall oven can need new circuits or gas work.
• Layout: moving the sink, range or a wall adds plumbing, electrical and structural work.
• Flooring: whether the new floor runs under the cabinets or into adjoining rooms.
• Lighting and electrical: recessed and under-cabinet lighting and new outlets to code.
• The house itself: older wiring, plumbing or subfloor found during demolition.

1. Design and selections: layout, cabinets, counters, appliances and lighting chosen and ordered.
2. Permit: filed once the scope touches wiring, plumbing or gas.
3. Demolition and protection of the rest of the house.
4. Rough-in: electrical, plumbing and any gas or ventilation changes, then inspections.
5. Drywall and flooring, then cabinets.
6. Counter template and installation, backsplash, fixtures and appliances.
7. Final inspection and walkthrough.

1. List what bothers you: finishes, storage, appliances, or the layout itself.
2. If the layout works, compare a refresh and a full remodel; if it doesn't, price the layout change first.
3. Pick appliances and cabinets early; they drive both the price and the start date.
4. Book a site visit for a written, itemised estimate.