“How much does a kitchen renovation cost?” is usually the first question homeowners ask, and the honest answer is: it depends more than most people expect. Here’s a real breakdown of what drives the price, so you can figure out roughly where your project lands before you ever get a quote.
It Depends on the Scope
Kitchen renovations generally fall into three tiers, and the price difference between them is significant:
- Cosmetic refresh: new countertops, a backsplash, paint, hardware, maybe refacing (not replacing) cabinets. The lowest-cost option, and the fastest to complete.
- Mid-range remodel: new cabinets, countertops, appliances, flooring, and lighting, generally keeping the existing layout and not moving plumbing or walls. This is where most full kitchen renovations land.
- Full gut and reconfiguration: moving walls, relocating plumbing and electrical, changing the footprint of the kitchen entirely. The most expensive tier, and the one that requires the most permitting.
Exact numbers vary by project, by finish level, and by what we find once we open up the walls, but expect a meaningful jump in cost at each tier above the last.
What Actually Drives the Price Up
A few specific decisions move the number more than anything else:
- Moving plumbing or gas lines. Relocating a sink or stove even a few feet means new plumbing or gas runs, which adds cost fast.
- Removing or moving walls. If a wall is load-bearing, it needs an engineered header and permitted structural work, not just demolition.
- Custom cabinetry vs. stock or semi-custom. Cabinets are usually the single biggest line item in a kitchen budget.
- High-end appliances and countertop material. Quartz vs. laminate, a professional-grade range vs. a standard one, this range is enormous.
- What’s behind the walls. Older Central Florida homes sometimes have outdated wiring, plumbing, or hidden water damage that isn’t visible until demo starts. It’s common, and it’s why a firm number before opening the walls is always an estimate, not a guarantee.
Permits Aren’t Optional in Florida
Most structural, electrical, and plumbing work on a kitchen renovation requires a permit from your county or city. Skipping this isn’t just a legal risk, it can cause real problems later when you go to sell the home, since unpermitted work often has to be disclosed and can hold up a sale. We handle permitting as part of every renovation, so it’s never something you have to navigate yourself.
How Long Does It Actually Take?
Timeline follows the same three tiers as cost:
- A cosmetic refresh can often be done in a couple of weeks.
- A mid-range remodel that keeps the existing layout typically runs six to ten weeks.
- A full gut and reconfiguration, especially with permitting and inspections involved, often runs three months or more.
Whatever the timeline, you should get a real schedule before work starts.
Get an Actual Number for Your Kitchen
Online calculators and national averages are a reasonable starting point, but they can’t account for your home’s specific layout, what’s behind your walls, or the finish level you actually want. The only way to get a real number is a walkthrough. We’ll look at your space, talk through what you want, and give you a straight answer, not a lowball number that grows once the work starts.
Ready to Talk Through Your Kitchen?
Bring your own plans or figure it out with us. We’ll give you a real number and a real timeline.