While we love working on any home remodeling project, we hold a special place in our hearts for kitchen remodels.
The kitchen is so much more than just a place to prepare food. It’s the nourishing hearth of our home where we start our morning and reconvene at dinner time. It’s a focal point for gathering together with family and entertaining friends.
Kitchen renovations can make this vital space more functional and visually appealing. But the cost of a kitchen remodel is often a stumbling block. Many homeowners tell us that, while they know that kitchen remodeling can be expensive, they don’t have a good sense of how much to budget or what drives the overall cost.
We created this kitchen remodel cost guide to help you understand the numbers behind kitchen remodeling projects. We cover the typical cost of different types of remodels, discuss whether a kitchen renovation is worth the investment, and offer tips to optimize your project and budget.
What Does the Average Kitchen Remodel Cost?
In the Ithaca, New York area, most kitchen remodels cost between $65,000 and $200,000.
You’ll notice that we didn’t give you a figure for the average. That’s because the very idea of the average kitchen remodel cost is kind of a misnomer.
There’s no “average” kitchen remodeling project. There are just too many variables involved. Various factors, including the project scope, square footage, choice of materials, and the condition of the existing kitchen (especially in historic homes), make every project distinct.
On top of that, labor costs vary by region, which is why we refer to the Ithaca area when giving price ranges.
We could invent an artificial estimate for what an average kitchen remodel costs, but we don’t think that would provide meaningful information. Instead, we’ll take a closer look at three types of kitchen remodels and what they normally cost in our region.
Level 1 – Kitchen Modernization: $65,000 to $95,000+
Sometimes called a partial kitchen makeover or face-lift, a kitchen modernization works within your existing layout but revamps multiple core components.
For example, this type of remodel might include new cabinetry and paint, new countertops, updated lighting fixtures, and new flooring. But it won’t involve any structural changes like taking out walls.
A level 1 remodel can breathe new life into your kitchen and is a fantastic option if you want a fresh look and enhanced functionality without the extra costs involved in major renovations.
Level 2 – Total Kitchen Makeover: $85,000 to $125,000+
Level 2 is a full kitchen remodel with a significant redesign and upgrades to all or nearly all of the existing components, giving your kitchen an entirely new feel.
This type of project often includes floor plan modifications, such as putting in a kitchen island, that require detailed plumbing and electrical work. Changes to cabinetry, flooring, appliances, and other fixtures and finishings are also part of this kind of major kitchen remodel.
Level 3 – The Ultimate Upscale Kitchen Remodel – $125,000 to $200,000+
A level 3 project takes things to another level with a corresponding increase in the kitchen remodel cost. This is the no-compromise dream kitchen with structural changes, high-end materials, and special details throughout.
What Drives Kitchen Remodel Costs?
The total cost of a kitchen remodel varies widely, but the price is always driven by material and labor costs. These can go up or down based on several factors, including:
- Intensive remodeling: Major kitchen remodels that involve moving plumbing, load-bearing walls, or gas lines will set you back far more than a minor kitchen remodel without these elements.
- Choice of materials: Pricier materials can enhance your kitchen, but their cost adds up quickly. High-end flooring material like porcelain tile is more expensive per square foot, and the same dynamic applies to tile backsplash materials. Granite and marble are fantastic but have a higher price tag than laminate countertops.
- Kitchen size: A larger space tends to require more spending, although you can reduce the budget with materials that have a lower cost per square foot.
- Touching up vs. replacing: The price gets higher when you replace components instead of touching them up. For instance, refinishing cabinets can save money compared to ripping them out and installing brand-new ones.
- Custom installation: Special installation requirements add labor cost, while off-the-shelf items, like stock cabinets, reduce it.
- Fixtures and Finishes: In minor remodels, items like new light fixtures or a fancy kitchen faucet make up a bigger percentage of the project cost.
- New appliances: If you opt for upgraded appliances, especially high-tech appliances, it can push up the final cost of your kitchen remodel.
Is a Kitchen Renovation a Good Investment?
For most homeowners, a kitchen renovation is a good investment, but deciding whether it’s a good investment for you depends on what kind of returns you prioritize. In our experience, a kitchen remodel improves both resale value and lived-in value.
Resale value is easier to quantify. Having a nicer kitchen almost always makes your home more attractive to buyers and increases what you can get when you put it up for sale. In our region, expect this increase in your home’s resale value to be about 52% of the amount you invested in the kitchen upgrade. (See this 2024 Cost Vs Value Report from Remodeling magazine.)
Lived-in value is harder to pin down, but it reflects how much an upgraded kitchen contributes to your quality of life. Since you spend time in your kitchen every single day, it’s worth creating a space that you enjoy and that is custom-designed to suit your needs.
Our Favorite Kitchen Remodel Upgrades
There’s no shortage of ways to refresh a kitchen, and our designs are always tailored to meet our client’s vision. But we do have some favorite upgrades, both big and small, that we think can be worth the cost of a kitchen remodel.
Creating Active Spaces
We love making kitchens feel bigger, brighter, and more dynamic. That can mean an open concept with broad sightlines. We also like a kitchen island where people can gather around or built-in seating that works well for dining or entertaining.
High-End Cabinets and Countertops
While more expensive, custom cabinetry and high-end countertop materials can make a kitchen shine. These may not be necessary for a more limited kitchen remodel, but they are a part of virtually every luxury remodel.
Indoor-Outdoor Connections
Some kitchens benefit tremendously from access to an outdoor space, like a patio or deck. Without expanding the kitchen’s footprint, this makes the space feel bigger and allows for convenient outdoor dining in the summer.
Clever Storage
In many homes, there are empty or underutilized spaces, often due to the original layout or a lack of room for cabinetry in smaller areas. Pull-out drawers and shelves come in various widths, heights, styles, and functionalities, and can be a clever choice to optimize storage and organization. To make the most of every nook and cranny, it’s best to work with a skilled kitchen designer who can tailor solutions to your specific space
Lighting Upgrades
It’s easy to overlook just how important lighting is to a kitchen’s overall look and feel. There are many ways to enhance your lighting, including installing a new window for more natural light. Installing new lighting, such as ceiling or under-cabinet lights, can also help shape a kitchen’s mood.
In-Floor Radiant Heat
It’s rarely the focus of a kitchen remodel, but installing in-floor radiant heat can improve energy efficiency and make your kitchen feel cozier, especially during winter.
Tips to Save Money on Your Kitchen Remodel
Some practical tips can help you save money and manage the cost of a kitchen remodel.
Start by brainstorming and creating lists of what you’re looking for in a renovation. Include grievances with your existing kitchen and ideas for a remodeled one. Go through the lists and identify your top priorities, separating “must-haves” from “nice-to-haves.”
These lists can be helpful to refer to down the line when you have to decide what’s worth the cost. It can also help you determine whether you’re looking at a minor remodel or a complete kitchen renovation.
Although it might feel challenging, we also suggest trying to establish a realistic budget. Think about how much you want to spend and how much you can spend. Having some rough numbers can keep you grounded during the proposal and planning process.
Finally, you want to find a trusted partner to do the work. At the most basic level, you want a licensed general contractor who is bonded and insured. Even more valuable, though, is someone who you know is working with your best interests at heart. The team that handles your kitchen remodel should prioritize your project’s needs, and you should trust them to never inflate the budget with unnecessary components or an unjustified contingency cost.
The Design-Build Model and Cost Control
One way of keeping the cost of your remodel under control is by working with a design-build firm.
With the design-build process, the complete remodel is managed by the same firm under one contract. With the in-house designer and construction team working together from day one, the process is more efficient, and there’s less likelihood of being blindsided by unexpected expenses.
In contrast, the traditional design-bid-build model has an interior designer and a general contractor who work separately. It requires interviewing interior designers, hiring one, developing the plans, and then interviewing general contractors, choosing one, and having them do the work. While homeowners choose who to work with, costly problems and delays often arise from back-and-forth between the residential designer and contractor, especially during a major remodel.
Upscale Remodeling is a design-build firm with longstanding roots in Ithaca. We’ve been remodeling homes for more than 30 years and have managed all types of kitchen renovations, including in our area’s unique historic homes.
Get More Information in Our Guide
Go beyond this kitchen remodel cost guide. For more details on this topic, please see our Kitchen Remodel Pricing Guide. We’d also love to hear about how you’re thinking of upgrading your kitchen and answer any questions you might have about your specific situation. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information or to set up an in-home visit to discuss your project.
