Tag: remodel budget

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Cabinet Refacing vs Replacing: What Each Actually Costs

Cabinet refacing costs $4,000 to $12,000 for a typical 20 linear foot kitchen. Replacing costs $8,000 to $25,000 installed. Refacing runs about 40 to 60 percent of replacement and takes 3 to 5 days instead of 2 to 3 weeks. It only makes sense when the cabinet boxes are structurally sound and the existing layout works.

Refacing is the most oversold and most undersold service in the kitchen business at the same time. Oversold, because it gets pitched on kitchens where the boxes are already failing. Undersold, because homeowners with perfectly good plywood boxes tear out a functional kitchen to change a door color.

Side by side

Refacing Replacing
Typical cost, 20 foot kitchen $4,000 to $12,000 $8,000 to $25,000
Time on site 3 to 5 days 2 to 3 weeks
Kitchen usable during work Mostly yes No
Layout changes None possible Anything possible
New drawer boxes and glides Optional, adds cost Included
Interior storage upgrades Limited Full
Expected service life 10 to 15 years 20 to 30 years

The five minute test that decides it

Open the cabinet under your sink and look at the bottom panel and the back corners.

Refacing is the right call when all of these are true:

  • The boxes are plywood, or particleboard with no swelling, sagging or water damage
  • The face frames are solid and square, with no cracks at the joints
  • The layout works for how you actually cook
  • The doors are the problem, not the storage
  • You are staying in the home 10 years or less

Replacing is the right call when any of these are true:

  • Any box shows swelling, delamination or a sagging shelf
  • You want to move the sink, the range, or any wall
  • The kitchen has no drawer bank, only door bases with a single fixed shelf
  • Cabinet heights leave a soffit gap you want closed
  • The boxes are 1980s builder grade particleboard, which is most of what we see in homes from that era

The second list is not a preference list. Refacing a failing box means paying to put a new face on something that will be replaced within a few years.

What refacing actually includes

A real refacing job replaces the doors and drawer fronts, applies matching veneer or laminate to the exposed face frames and end panels, and installs new hinges and hardware. Anything less is a door swap, which is a different and cheaper product.

Price drivers are the door material and the number of openings, not the square footage of the kitchen. Rigid thermofoil is the entry point, wood veneer is the middle, and solid wood doors on refaced frames sit at the top and start to approach the cost of new cabinets. That last point is the one to watch: once a refacing quote passes roughly 60 percent of a replacement quote, replacement usually wins on value, because you get new boxes, new glides and the freedom to change the layout.

What replacing buys that refacing cannot

Storage, mostly. A modern base cabinet with three drawers holds more usable volume than a door base with one shelf, and you can reach all of it. Soft close glides, full extension, drawer dividers and a properly sized trash pull out are quality of life items you use every day.

The other thing replacing buys is the layout. If the dishwasher is on the wrong side of the sink, or the range has no landing space, no door color fixes that.

The Maryland factor

Refacing labor in Montgomery County runs above national averages, which narrows the gap between the two options relative to what national cost calculators show. On older homes in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Kensington we also find face frames that are not square, which adds scribing time to a refacing job and occasionally makes it uneconomical.

If the layout is coming out anyway, the demolition and rebuild is contractor work rather than showroom work. Our sister company handles that side and can put a labor number against your layout while we price the cabinetry.

Frequently asked questions

Is cabinet refacing cheaper than replacing?

Yes, typically 40 to 60 percent of replacement cost. A refacing job that lands above 60 percent of a replacement quote is usually not worth it, because replacement includes new boxes, new drawer glides and the ability to change the layout.

How long does cabinet refacing take?

Three to five days on site for a typical kitchen, compared with two to three weeks for a full replacement. The kitchen stays mostly usable during a refacing job.

Can you reface particleboard cabinets?

Only if the particleboard is dry, square and undamaged. Any swelling at the sink base, sagging shelves or delamination means the box is failing and refacing will not stop it.

Does refacing include new drawer boxes?

Not by default. Most refacing quotes cover doors, drawer fronts, veneer on the frames and new hinges. New drawer boxes and soft close glides are an upgrade, and worth pricing, because old center mount glides are usually the part people dislike most.

Does refacing add home value?

It improves presentation for a sale at a fraction of replacement cost, which is why it is popular before listing. For a long term stay, the storage and layout gains from replacement matter more than the finish.

Not sure which side your kitchen falls on? Send us a photo of the inside of your sink base, or bring one to the showroom, and we will tell you straight. Call (301) 939-0009 or book a showroom visit.

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Small Kitchen Remodel Cost: What $15,000 to $40,000 Actually Buys

A small kitchen remodel, meaning under about 100 square feet, costs $15,000 to $40,000 in 2026. A cosmetic update with refacing and new counters runs $8,000 to $18,000. Small kitchens do not cost proportionally less than large ones, because plumbing, electrical, appliances and installation setup are close to fixed regardless of the room size.

This is the number that most surprises condo owners and rowhouse buyers. A 70 square foot galley is a third the size of a 200 square foot kitchen and costs well over a third as much. Understanding why prevents a bad budget conversation later.

Where the money goes in a small kitchen

Line item 70 sq ft galley Share
Cabinetry, 12 to 15 linear feet $4,500 to $9,000 30%
Labor and installation $4,000 to $7,000 25%
Appliances $3,000 to $7,000 18%
Countertops, 25 to 30 sq ft $1,800 to $3,500 12%
Plumbing and electrical $1,500 to $3,000 8%
Flooring and backsplash $1,200 to $2,500 7%

Compare that to a full size kitchen and the pattern is clear: appliances, plumbing and electrical barely shrink. A dishwasher costs what it costs. A code compliant circuit for a range is the same circuit. The permit is the same permit.

The four decisions that control a small kitchen budget

Keep the plumbing where it is. This is the highest leverage decision in any kitchen and it matters more in a small one, where relocating a sink can mean the only viable layout is gone.

Choose full height cabinets over a soffit. Going to the ceiling adds cabinet cost but converts dead space into real storage, which is the actual problem in a small kitchen. In condos with 8 foot ceilings this is usually the single best value upgrade.

Be careful with appliance sizes. A 30 inch range in a galley with 36 inches of landing space is a daily annoyance. Counter depth refrigerators and 24 inch dishwashers exist for exactly these rooms and often cost less than the standard versions.

Spend on drawers, not on doors. In a small kitchen, reaching the back of a base cabinet is the difference between using that storage and not using it. Drawer banks cost more per cabinet and pay for themselves in usable volume.

What makes a small kitchen cost more than expected

  • Appliance clearances that force a nonstandard cabinet width, which means a filler or a custom size
  • Older buildings with no dedicated circuits, where bringing the kitchen to code means new runs to the panel
  • Condo buildings with work hour restrictions, elevator reservations and insurance requirements, which extend the schedule
  • A single wall of cabinets meaning the whole kitchen sits on one plumbing wall, so any surprise there stops everything

Condo and co-op work in Bethesda, Silver Spring and downtown Rockville regularly involves the last two. Building rules can add a week before a single cabinet arrives.

Where a small kitchen should not economize

The counter run is short, so the per square foot premium for a better surface costs less in absolute dollars than it would in a large kitchen. The same is true of hardware and the faucet. In a small room every surface is within arm’s reach and gets judged constantly, so the finishes you touch are worth the upgrade.

If your project stays cosmetic, our cabinet refacing versus replacing breakdown is the right next read. If the walls are coming out, our sister company can price the structural and trade work alongside our cabinet quote.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a small kitchen remodel cost?

A small kitchen under 100 square feet typically costs $15,000 to $40,000 for a full remodel and $8,000 to $18,000 for a cosmetic update with refacing, new countertops and hardware.

Why does a small kitchen cost almost as much as a big one?

Because appliances, plumbing, electrical, permits and installation setup are close to fixed costs. Only cabinetry, countertops and flooring scale with size, and those are roughly half the budget.

Can you remodel a small kitchen for $10,000?

Yes, as a cosmetic project. Expect refacing or paint, new countertops, a new faucet, hardware and lighting, with the layout, boxes and appliances staying put.

What is the best layout for a small kitchen?

The one that keeps the plumbing where it is. Beyond that, a single wall or galley with full height cabinets and drawer bases generally outperforms attempts to add an island that eats the clearance you need.

How long does a small kitchen remodel take?

Four to eight weeks on site for a full remodel, plus cabinet lead time before that. Condo buildings with restricted work hours run longer. Our week by week remodel timeline covers the sequence.

Small kitchens reward planning more than big ones. Bring your dimensions and a photo, and we will lay out two or three configurations against real cabinet sizes. Call (301) 939-0009 or book a showroom visit.

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How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost? A Showroom and Contractor Breakdown

A kitchen remodel costs $25,000 to $180,000. The single biggest cost driver is whether you replace the cabinet boxes: keeping them holds most projects between $25,000 and $45,000, while replacing them puts you at $55,000 or more. The second driver is whether you move plumbing, which typically adds $2,500 to $6,000 plus permit time.

Not sure which tier your kitchen falls into? A walkthrough settles it faster than any calculator, because the answer depends on your cabinet boxes and your plumbing. H&C Construction can scope it and estimate the work.

That range is uselessly wide until you know which tier you are in. This article exists to place you in one, quickly, using the two questions that actually determine the answer.

The two questions that set your budget

Question one: do the cabinet boxes stay or go?

Everything follows from this.

If boxes stay, you are doing a refresh. New doors and drawer fronts, new countertops, new backsplash, hardware, paint, possibly lighting. The plumbing stays. The layout stays. Most of these land between $25,000 and $45,000.

If boxes go, you are doing a renovation. Countertops must come off, the backsplash comes off, flooring usually comes up because the old floor stops at the old cabinet footprint, and electrical typically gets updated to current code. Most of these land between $55,000 and $95,000.

There is no meaningful middle. Once the boxes leave, the connected work follows automatically.

Question two: does anything that carries water or weight move?

Nothing moves: you stay in the range above.

Sink, range, or dishwasher relocates: add $2,500 to $6,000 for plumbing and electrical rough-in, more in slab-on-grade homes where concrete must be cut.

A wall comes out: add $8,000 to $20,000 for engineering, beam, temporary shoring, and permit review. This is the most commonly underestimated line in kitchen remodeling.

Cost by kitchen size

Cost does not scale linearly with square footage, because the expensive elements cluster in the work zone. A galley kitchen and an open kitchen of the same area can differ by 30 percent based on linear feet of cabinetry.

Kitchen size Linear feet of cabinets Refresh Full renovation
Small, under 100 sq ft 10 to 15 $18,000 to $30,000 $38,000 to $58,000
Medium, 100 to 200 sq ft 15 to 25 $25,000 to $45,000 $55,000 to $95,000
Large, 200 to 300 sq ft 25 to 35 $40,000 to $65,000 $85,000 to $140,000
Very large, 300+ sq ft 35+ $60,000+ $120,000 to $180,000+

Measure linear feet, not area. Cabinets are quoted by the box, and boxes sit along walls.

What each tier actually buys

$25,000 to $45,000: the honest refresh

You keep the layout and the boxes. You get new doors, new counters, new backsplash, new hardware, paint, and usually new lighting. Done well, this reads as a new kitchen to anyone who did not live in the old one.

This tier works when the boxes are plywood, the layout functions, and you are not fighting the kitchen daily. It is a poor investment when the layout is the problem, because you will spend $35,000 and still have a kitchen that does not work.

$55,000 to $95,000: the standard full renovation

New semi-custom cabinets, quartz or granite counters, new flooring throughout the kitchen, new appliances, updated electrical, new fixtures and lighting. Layout can change modestly within the existing plumbing footprint.

This is where most Montgomery County kitchens land, and it is where cabinet selection matters most. The spread between an entry semi-custom line and a premium one on the same layout can be $8,000 or more, which is why we recommend seeing the boxes before you decide. Our cabinet comparison guide covers how the lines differ.

$100,000 to $180,000 and up: custom and structural

Custom cabinetry built to your dimensions, premium stone with slab matching, relocated plumbing and gas, removed walls, new windows, professional appliance packages, and often new flooring extending beyond the kitchen for continuity.

At this tier the design phase itself takes months, and the cost of a mistake is high enough that showroom-level material verification stops being optional.

Cost per square foot, and why it misleads

Kitchen remodel cost in the DC metro runs roughly $150 to $350 per square foot, and higher for custom work. That number is useful for a first sanity check and dangerous for planning, because two kitchens with identical square footage can differ by 40 percent based on linear feet of cabinetry, appliance package, and whether plumbing moves.

Use per square foot to test whether a quote is plausible. Use linear feet and a line-item breakdown to actually budget.

Where the money goes

Roughly 52 percent of a full kitchen renovation is cabinets plus labor. Countertops, appliances, and flooring together account for another 30 percent. The remaining 18 percent covers plumbing, electrical, lighting, tile, permits, and contingency. For the detailed line-item table, see our Maryland kitchen renovation cost breakdown.

Getting a number you can trust

A quote that arrives without a site visit is a guess. A quote that arrives without specified material lines is a placeholder. The estimates that hold are the ones where somebody measured the room, opened a wall panel or looked at the electrical panel, and priced named products rather than allowances.

We build estimates against specified products because we stock them. When the quote says a particular cabinet line in a particular finish, that is a real price, not an allowance that gets revised upward after demolition.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a kitchen remodel cost in 2026?

A kitchen remodel costs $25,000 to $180,000 in 2026. Cosmetic refreshes that keep cabinet boxes run $25,000 to $45,000. Full renovations with new cabinets run $55,000 to $95,000. Custom and structural projects run $100,000 to $180,000 or more.

What is a realistic budget for a small kitchen remodel?

A small kitchen under 100 square feet typically costs $18,000 to $30,000 for a refresh and $38,000 to $58,000 for a full renovation with new cabinets. Small kitchens cost less in materials but carry similar fixed costs for plumbing, electrical, and permits.

Why are kitchen remodel quotes so different from each other?

Quotes differ because of scope assumptions and allowances. One quote may assume the layout stays and use generic material allowances, while another prices named cabinet lines and includes electrical updates. Compare quotes only when the specified products and the scope of trades match.

Does a kitchen remodel add value to a home in Maryland?

Kitchen remodels in the DC metro typically recover 60 to 75 percent of cost at resale, with mid-range projects recovering more of their cost than high-end ones. Kitchens that correct a bad layout tend to affect saleability more than kitchens that simply update finishes.

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Want your number instead of a range? Bring dimensions and photos to our Derwood showroom. Call (301) 939-0009 or book a visit.