A kitchen budget is a scope decision plus eleven priced rows. Cabinets and counters consume about a third of a mid-range job, trades decide whether the job is a replacement or a rebuild, and the reserve is the only row that protects the other ten.
Numbers to plan with
Cabinets and Countertops Take Half the Money and Most of the Calendar
Mid-range cabinets run $600–$900 per linear foot installed, including fillers, end panels, hardware, delivery, and tax; a 10 × 10 ft (3 × 3 m) kitchen carries roughly 20–22 linear feet of cabinetry, so $13,000–$19,000 is the honest range before any custom insert. Stock cabinets land at $300–$500 per linear foot and arrive in 2–3 weeks, semi-custom in 8–12 weeks, full custom in 14–20 weeks. The deposit date, not the demolition date, sets the schedule—which is why cabinets get ordered before the first hammer swing.
Counters are priced on actual surface, and a 180 sq ft kitchen usually carries 40–50 sq ft once the island and perimeter are measured. Quartz runs $75–$150 per sq ft installed, granite $65–$125, porcelain slab $100–$180, and laminate $30–$60. Fabrication and installation are 40–50% of that figure, so a $48-per-sq-ft slab quote becomes about $110 installed. The template happens only after base cabinets are set and level, quartz fabricates in 5–10 business days, and the sink must be on site because the cutout is machined to the actual bowl. A farmhouse sink bought after template costs $400–$900 to re-cut or modify, plus another week.
Rough-In Trades: Replacement Is Cheap, Relocation Is a Different Budget
Electrical is where a simple kitchen quietly becomes a gut job. A fixture swap costs $150–$400, but a new dedicated circuit costs $350–$900, and current code expects dedicated circuits for the dishwasher, disposal, microwave, refrigerator, and at least two GFCI-protected countertop circuits. A full panel means a $2,000–$4,500 upgrade plus a permit and a utility disconnect. If a 100-amp service is feeding an electric range and dryer, assume the upgrade before you price appliances, not after.
Plumbing follows distance and access. A same-cutout sink replacement costs $250–$600; moving it 3–6 ft (0.9–1.8 m) on the same wall runs $1,200–$3,500; crossing a slab runs $3,500–$9,000 because the concrete is cut, the drain re-sloped at 1/4 in per ft, and the patch inspected. Relocating a gas range adds $600–$1,800 plus a permit. An exterior-vented hood runs $700–$2,500 depending on whether the duct exits a wall or roof, and a tight house may need $800–$2,000 of make-up air. Rough-in inspection comes before insulation, and a failure costs $75–$250 plus 2–5 days—so keep the sink within 3 ft of the drain, stack the dishwasher beside the sink cabinet, and leave the range on its existing gas and vent path. Those three rules routinely save $4,000–$9,000.
Allowances Set the Final Price, So Write Them Like Specifications
An allowance is a placeholder with a number attached, and it moves the final price more often than the contract total does. A $4,500 countertop allowance over 45 sq ft works out to $100 per sq ft, which does not cover quartz installed at $110–$150. Choose a $128-per-sq-ft stone and the real cost is $5,760: an $810 overage before tax, billed at cost plus 15–25% or at retail depending on the contract language. On this kitchen, one stone decision can move the price by $1,500 or more.
Appliance allowances fail the same way. A $6,000 package buys a mid-grade range, a counter-depth refrigerator, and a mid-tier dishwasher, but a 36-inch (91 cm) pro-style range alone can run $4,500, and a panel-ready refrigerator can run $6,000–$9,000. A $1,200 lighting allowance covers about six recessed fixtures and two pendants at builder pricing; a linear pendant over an island can eat half of it. Every allowance needs four fields: quantity and unit, brand or tier, the overage rate in writing, and a selection deadline set 10 business days before the order date. The named failure is the late stone decision—cabinets ordered, template unschedulable, 2–3 weeks lost while temporary counters cost $250–$500 and meals out run $500–$900 a month.
Concealed Damage and Owner Changes Are the Two Biggest Leaks
Concealed damage is the first leak, and it is not optional spending. Rotted subfloor around a sink runs $900–$2,800, a cracked cast-iron drain under a slab $2,000–$5,500, knob-and-tube wiring $1,800–$4,500 for two circuits, and a missing header over an opening $3,500–$9,000. The tripwire is a pre-demolition inspection: $400–$900 for a plumber's camera, an electrician's panel review, and a carpenter opening one wall. It will not find everything, but it converts guesses into line items you can price and compare.
Owner changes are the second leak, and they are self-inflicted. A typical mid-range kitchen absorbs 3–6 changes at $500–$2,000 each, or $1,500–$12,000. Freeze finishes for 30 days once cabinets are ordered; changes after rough-in also carry rework, because moving a switched outlet after drywall costs $250–$600 and moving a drain after inspection costs $1,500–$4,000. Long-lead substitution compounds both: a discontinued door style or a 10-week appliance backorder can hold the counter template hostage. Confirm availability at order, record model numbers, and set a drop-dead date 10 days out—if the item is not confirmed, switch to the second choice before demolition.
Sequence, Carrying Costs, and a Ten-Minute Bid Audit
Sequence sets both the calendar and the carrying costs. Design and permits take 3–8 weeks together; cabinet lead time runs 8–16 weeks from deposit; demolition 2–4 days; rough-in 5–8 working days; inspection 1–3 days; insulation and drywall 4–6 days; prime and paint 2–3 days; cabinet install 2–3 days; template plus fabrication 5–15 business days; counters 1 day; backsplash 2–3 days; trim, final electrical, and punch 4–7 days. A mid-range kitchen is typically 9–14 weeks from demolition to usable; a gut remodel runs 14–22 weeks.
Carrying costs belong in the budget rather than a separate mental account. A temporary kitchen—microwave, mini fridge, dish bin—costs $250–$600; meals out run $500–$900 a month; a storage container runs $120–$300 a month. Eight weeks of eating out is $1,000–$1,800 against a $64,000 job, which is real money at tile-selection time. Then audit the bid in ten minutes: count the lines (25–40 is normal), confirm permits, dumpster, final clean, tax, and supervision appear once each, read the exclusions page, and ask who owns the permit, who pays for concealed damage, and what happens when a selection misses its deadline.
- Plausible bid check: cabinet line 20–30% of total, trade rough-in 8–14%, contingency visible at 10–15%, and a written allowance schedule with quantities and overage rates.
Questions that come up on this job
Is $30,000 enough for a kitchen remodel in 2026?
It buys a cosmetic refresh, not a rebuild. $30,000 covers paint, refaced fronts, entry-level quartz or laminate counters, a backsplash, sink and faucet, lighting, and flooring in a 150–200 sq ft kitchen, assuming the cabinet boxes, plumbing, and electrical layout stay. The same money does not cover new semi-custom cabinets plus appliances plus trades; that combination starts near $45,000 in most markets and runs to $90,000 in high-cost metros.
What percentage of a kitchen budget should cabinets be?
Plan 20–30% of the total for cabinets and hardware, installed. In the $64,000 example the cabinet line is 25%, or $16,000 for about 20 linear feet of semi-custom cabinetry. Above 35% usually means custom millwork, and something else—appliances, lighting, or the reserve—is underfunded. Below 15% usually means stock boxes, refacing, or a cabinet allowance that will be exceeded at order.
Do I need a permit to replace kitchen cabinets?
Like-for-like cabinet replacement with no electrical, plumbing, or structural changes often needs no permit, but that is a local call. Moving a wall, adding circuits, relocating a drain or gas line, or installing a new exterior vent almost always requires one. Permit fees commonly run $250–$900 for a kitchen, and plan review can add 1–3 weeks. Call the local building department before signing, and confirm who pulls the permit in the contract.
Should I hire a general contractor or manage the trades myself?
A general contractor typically charges 15–25% on top of construction cost, which is $9,600–$16,000 on the $64,000 example. Managing it yourself can save that fee but costs 10–20 hours a week for 10–14 weeks, and you become the scheduler for cabinet delivery, template, inspection, and five trades. You also own the gaps between warranties. Some lenders and some permit offices require a licensed contractor, so check before deciding.
How much does it cost to move a kitchen sink?
On the same wall and within 3–6 ft (0.9–1.8 m) of the existing drain, plan $1,200–$3,500 including patch and permit. Moving across a slab floor runs $3,500–$9,000 because the concrete is cut, the drain re-sloped at 1/4 in per ft, and the patch inspected. Add $300–$900 if the move also requires a new vent or a relocated dishwasher drain, and add 1–2 weeks to the schedule for rough-in inspection.
Sources & further reading
References behind this guide
These sources support the safety, measurement, or industry conventions used above. Product instructions, approved plans, and local requirements control your project.