How to budget for a kitchen renovation

Ask ten homeowners what their kitchen renovation cost and you'll get ten very different answers. That's because a "kitchen renovation" can mean anything from new cabinet doors to moving walls and plumbing. Understanding where the money actually goes is the first step to a budget you can trust.

The big four line items

Cabinetry is almost always the largest single expense — typically 25 to 35 percent of the total. Custom cabinetry costs more than semi-custom, which costs more than stock, but the difference isn't just aesthetics: it's storage efficiency, hardware quality, and how well the boxes survive twenty years of daily use.

Counters come next. Quartz and natural stone dominate mid-to-high-end projects, and fabrication and installation often cost as much as the slab itself. Waterfall edges, mitred corners, and integrated sinks all add fabrication hours.

Labour — demolition, framing, electrical, plumbing, tile, paint — usually lands between 25 and 35 percent of the project. If a quote's labour number looks too good to be true, it usually is.

Appliances round out the big four. Decide early whether you're keeping, replacing, or upgrading — a 36-inch pro range needs different electrical, ventilation, and cabinet dimensions than the stove it replaces.

The contingency you should never skip

Once walls open up, surprises follow: outdated wiring, hidden water damage, plumbing that isn't to code. We recommend holding back 10 to 15 percent of your total budget as a contingency. If nothing goes wrong, it becomes your upgrade fund at the end. If something does, it keeps the project moving without hard conversations.

Where to save, where to spend

• Spend on the things that are hard to change later: layout, cabinetry, plumbing locations, ventilation.
• Save on the things you can swap in an afternoon: hardware, light fixtures, faucets, paint.
• Never cut waterproofing, electrical work, or ventilation — the invisible things are what make a kitchen last.

Get a real number, not a guess

The most reliable way to budget is a written, fixed estimate based on your actual space and selections. That's exactly what our free in-home consultation delivers — a real number you can plan around, within one business day.