Kitchen remodeling guide

Kitchen remodeling: costs, scope and planning

Published by Clear House · Updated October 13, 2026

Short answer

A midrange minor kitchen remodel averaged $28,458 in the U.S. in 2025, and a midrange major remodel averaged $82,793, according to the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report. The difference is mostly scope: keeping cabinet boxes versus replacing everything.

Decide what stays and what goes before getting quotes. Clear House lets you plan the remodel and request a quote from one local pro where one covers your ZIP code.

Key points

Cabinets and counters are usually the largest line items.
Moving plumbing, gas or walls raises cost and usually needs permits.
Appliance choices can swing the budget by thousands.

Is there a Clear House pro for kitchen remodeling near you?

Enter your ZIP code to check live. Anyone in the U.S. can plan a project and see a ballpark, even where no pro is available yet.

Or start planning now

What affects the cost of a kitchen remodel

Keeping, refacing or replacing cabinets.
Countertop material and length.
Appliances.
Layout changes that move plumbing, gas, electrical or walls.
Flooring, backsplash and lighting.
Permits and inspections.

Published cost benchmarks

These are average costs for specific, defined projects from an independent annual report. Use them to sanity-check a budget, not as a price for your home.

2025 average kitchen remodel costs
Project (defined scope)	South Atlantic region	U.S. average
Minor kitchen remodel — midrange	$28,567	$28,458
Major kitchen remodel — midrange	$81,076	$82,793

Average job cost from the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report (Zonda / JLC). Each figure is for one defined project scope, not your home. Your price depends on size, materials, access, damage found and the contractor.

Minor kitchen remodel — midrange: A dated 200 sq ft kitchen: keep the cabinet boxes, replace fronts and hardware, appliances, laminate counters, sink, faucet and flooring.
Major kitchen remodel — midrange: Update a 200 sq ft kitchen with new semi-custom cabinets including an island, new counters, appliances, sink, lighting and flooring.

How to plan it

Write down what bothers you about the current kitchen and what must stay.
Set a budget range and a contingency for surprises behind walls.
Decide early whether the layout changes.
Pick cabinets and counters early; they set the schedule.
Plan where you will cook while the kitchen is out of service.

Questions to ask a contractor

Can I see your license or registration, if my state requires one for this work, and a current certificate of insurance?
Who pulls the permit, and is the permit fee included in the price?
What exactly is included and excluded in this quote, line by line?
What warranty do you give on labor, and whose warranty covers the materials?
What is the payment schedule, and how much is due before work starts?
Which parts of the work do you subcontract?
How are changes during the project priced?

How Clear House helps with a kitchen remodel

Clear House is a planning app and marketplace. It does not do the work itself. You choose the project, answer a few short questions and add a photo if you have one. Clear House then shows a planning ballpark so you have a starting budget before anyone visits your home.

Photo previews are not offered for this kind of project yet, so the planning steps focus on scope and budget.

When you are ready, Clear House checks whether a reviewed independent pro covers your ZIP code and this trade. If one does, you send your project to that one pro, who can review it and send a quote in the app. You are not obligated to accept a quote, and your request is not sent to a crowd of contractors. If no pro covers your area yet, you can join the waitlist and Clear House emails you when one is available.

Common questions

What is the difference between a minor and major kitchen remodel?

In the Cost vs. Value Report, a minor remodel keeps the cabinet boxes and replaces fronts, counters, appliances and flooring. A major remodel replaces cabinets and adds an island.

Can I update just my countertops or cabinets?

Yes. See the countertops and cabinets guides for smaller projects.

Ready to plan?

Free to plan. See a ballpark before anyone visits. Your project goes to one pro at a time, only where a pro covers your area.

Start a project

Sources

Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, 2025 Cost vs. Value Report — South Atlantic region and national averages — Published 2025. Costs are averages for a defined project scope, not quotes.
2025 Cost vs. Value Report — Methodology — Explains how job costs (Verisk XactRemodel data) and resale values were estimated.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission — How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam — Advice on licenses, insurance, written estimates, contracts and down payments.

Clear House is a marketplace, not a contractor. Costs on this page are published averages or planning ranges, not quotes, and your price will differ. Always confirm licensing, insurance and permits with the pro you hire.