Week 9: What Will It Cost To Remodel My Kitchen?

Budgeting for a kitchen remodel is one of the toughest tasks homeowners face.  Want to know how to budget like a pro?  We reveal our time-tested and simple 5-Step Process below.  Also, see how your budget stacks up against Bay Area averages.  It's all in this final installment of our blog series, What You Need to Know About Kitchen Design. We're answering our number 1 most commonly asked question, "What Will It Cost To Remodel My Kitchen?"

Developing an accurate budget for your kitchen remodel is a little bit of work, but will be so worth it when you're standing in your dream kitchen and still have money left in the bank. The proof is in these before and after pictures from one of our recent projects.

Question 1: What Will It Cost To Remodel My Kitchen?

This is, of course, the most common question. Where we work (Lafayette, Orinda, Walnut Creek, Alamo, Pleasant Hill), the average cost of a kitchen remodel is about $45,000. The lower third of kitchen remodels runs about $14,000, and the top third about $82,000. The top 5% comes in at $128,000. All of the totals above are from the Houzz Real Cost Finder, August 2018.

Based on the many kitchens we’ve designed, small and large, those numbers sound right. However, you need to go further to develop a real-world budget for your project. We use a 5-Step Process:

1. Finalize the Space Plan: Only when you know everything that is going in the room and where it is going can you start to budget.

2. Get Contractor Estimates for Labor & Building Materials: Send your finalized space plan out to one or more contractors for bidding.

3. Get Quotes for all Finishes, Furnishings & Fixtures: Quantify each and every item and send them out for quotes.

4. Total It All Up: Add Your Contractor Labor and Building Materials to your Furnishings, Finishes, and Fixtures for a Total Budget.

5. Make Adjustments: Now – with your detailed budget in hand and before you’ve purchased anything – is there time to make adjustments? Would you like to spend less? Identify areas to trim. Do you have a few more dollars for this project? Upgrade in areas that are important to you.

Are You Ready To Tackle Your Biggest, Most Expensive Home Improvement Project?

Most of our kitchen remodel clients are willing but not ready - willing in that they really want a beautiful, new kitchen and not ready because they still have many, many unanswered questions. Does that describe you? If so please get in touch:

Call 925-285-0815 or email jackie@venueathome.com now to schedule a 30-minute phone consultation. Yours FREE when you mention this blog post.

Missed our blog series What You Need to Know About Kitchen Design, the Top 10 Questions homeowners ask us again and again?

Don't panic! Here's the full countdown:

Question 10: When Remodeling My Kitchen, Where Do I Start?

Question 9: I Want To Move (Or Remove) A Wall, Door Or Window. Do I Need An Architect?

Question 8: Who Should I Talk To First—A Designer Or A Contractor?

Question 7: Do I Need A Building Permit?

Question 6: How Much Of My Time Is This Project Going To Absorb?

Question 5: How Do I Choose Cabinets?

Question 4: Is It Okay To Put A Wood Floor In A Kitchen?

Question 3: How Do I Get More Space In My Kitchen Without Adding On?

Question 2: How Long Will It Take To Remodel My Kitchen?

Question 1: What Will It Cost To Remodel My Kitchen?

Jackie Lopey embraced her creativity and passion over 10 years ago when she left her corporate job in San Francisco to become an interior designer. Since then she has worked with over a hundred satisfied clients transforming hundreds of rooms, and Jackie’s reputation now precedes her as one of the top Certified Interior Designers in the East Bay.

She has a keen eye for detail and uniquely intuits her clients wants and needs. If you want a home that is breathtaking and deeply personal, Jackie Lopey and her team at Venue are the experts you need to talk to.