How Much Does a Small Kitchen Remodel Cost?

Ready to update your small kitchen and need an idea of what it will cost? That’s a surprisingly complicated question.

When we talk about remodeling projects, a small kitchen remodel will focus on cosmetic changes rather than structural adjustments. So, for the purpose of this blog, the cost of a small kitchen remodel means making almost no structural changes and does not refer to the size of the space itself.

What’s Involved in a Small Kitchen Remodel?

So, what’s involved in the different levels of kitchen renovation and how much do they cost? Here are some rough breakdowns for the different levels of kitchen renovations:

Lite kitchen remodels: $10,000 to $20,000

• New counters
• New backsplash
• Plumbing fixtures

Small kitchen remodels: $20,000 to $30,000

• New counters
• New backsplash
• Refacing cabinets
• Plumbing fixtures
• Electrical

Medium kitchen remodels: $30,000 to $50,000

• New counters
• New backsplash
• Refacing cabinets
• New flooring

Full kitchen remodels: $50,000+

• New cabinets
• New countertops
• New flooring
• Design changes
• Layout changes

It’s difficult to provide even ballpark figures for the different levels of kitchen remodeling projects because a number of different factors impact your bottom line. The numbers in this article are not quotes for your project. They’re helpful starting points; to get a better idea of what a kitchen renovation might cost, we always recommend talking to our team.

What Contributes to the Price of a Kitchen Remodel?

As we mentioned, there are a lot of different factors that impact the overall cost of your kitchen remodel. Here’s what we see most often.

Materials

A big part of your project budget depends on the materials you choose—this includes your countertop, backsplash, floor, hardware, and more. For example, tile prices can vary widely depending on the size and material you prefer. Prepare to budget more for larger tiles compared to smaller ones. The same goes for countertops and backsplashes.

Moving Walls and Appliances

Moving a sink or stove even just a few feet means changing plumbing and gas lines, which can be an involved process. This is because we often need to open up walls or floors to access and reroute pipes and gas lines to your desired location. We also need to work with a mechanical contractor, which can cost $300 to $500 dollars. If you really want to move your stove, it’s worth the money; mechanical contractors are skilled professionals who know how to move gas lines safely.

Moving a wall or a bulkhead is similar. We need to ensure the wall isn’t load-bearing (in other words, holding the rest of your house up) and that there isn’t anything essential hidden within the bulkhead. You just never know what you’re going to find in a wall, especially in an older home. If we uncover something that needs to be addressed, we’ll communicate exactly what the problem is and how we’re going to fix it so you are in the loop the entire time.

Lead and Asbestos Remediation

Older homes were often built with materials containing asbestos and lead. Lead was a main ingredient in paint until it was banned in 1978. Asbestos was common in flooring and as an insulator; it was banned in 1977, but can often be found in homes built well into the 1980s. Both can cause serious health issues if inhaled, so working with these materials means following strict guidelines for handling and sealing off the workspace to avoid contaminating other areas of the home. Again, these precautions are well worth it.

Older Homes

Working in older homes doesn’t always guarantee a more expensive kitchen renovation project, but it certainly does increase your odds of additional costs. Codes have changed over the years, so renovating an older home may involve updating old ways of doing things, like wiring. There may be layers of materials applied on top of each other (flooring is a good example of this), or decades-old shoddy work causing issues that impact your home today.

If you’re considering renovating your older home, don’t let any of this scare you off. We’ve renovated plenty of old homes since 1985 and can handle pretty much anything we might uncover during the process. We simply want people to be aware of the possibilities, so if there is a surprise waiting in the walls, you won’t be caught off guard.

Plus, unlike individual contractors working on their own, we don’t charge by the hour for your small kitchen renovation; we charge a rate that will stay the same no matter how long the job takes. This is a benefit to you, because if we find something unexpected in the wall, you don’t have to pay extra if we need extra time to fix it.

To Get an Accurate Estimate for Your Kitchen Remodel, Talk to the Home Remodel Pros

Typically, when we speak to people about their kitchen renovation projects, we don’t give them a ballpark cost for their kitchen remodel projects until we’ve looked at their space and asked about what they want to do. That’s because there are so many variables that impact the overall cost.

Instead, we meet with people to understand the scope of their project and give them an estimate that will be far more accurate than a blog.

1. Set Up a Home Visit to Check Out Your Kitchen

We always start by doing an on-site evaluation. During this evaluation, we’ll talk about your goals and what you want to remodel. What products are you interested in? Do you need to move a wall? Let’s talk about all of it.

2. Create a 3-D Design Based on Our Conversation

Once we understand what you want and need, we’ll create a design and preliminary proposal for your review.

3. Meet in the HWC Showroom

Then, we’ll meet with you in one of our showrooms to review the design and proposal and pick out materials. One of our team members will walk you through everything, including your materials options.

4. Finalize the Proposal

Once everything looks good, we’ll finalize the proposal and design and schedule your project!

Want to Get a Quote for Your Small Kitchen Renovation? Give Us a Call

We love helping people in Grand Rapids and West Michigan create their dream kitchens—whether they’re large or small. To get started, all you have to do is fill out our contact form or call us at 616-531-6766. We look forward to hearing from you!