The Kitchen Remodel Pricing Guide
What your contractor pays. What you should pay. How to tell the difference.
Get the Kitchen Remodel Pricing Guide · $27PDF download. Instant delivery. 60-day money-back guarantee.
You got a quote. Now what?
Maybe it says $28,000. Maybe $45,000. You have no way to know if that's fair. Your contractor isn't going to show you the wholesale price on your cabinets or tell you what the plumber actually charges per hour. This guide does.
What's inside
10 chapters. Every number sourced. Zero filler.
Cost by Scope
From $10K cosmetic refresh to $130K+ major gut reno. Regional multipliers so you can adjust for your zip code.
Cabinets
Hampton Bay vs. KraftMaid vs. Fabuwood vs. Decora. Real installed prices per linear foot, not MSRP.
Countertops
What the fabricator charges vs. what ends up on your bid. Caesarstone, Silestone, Cambria, granite, laminate per sq ft.
Appliances by Tier
$2,500 budget package to $50K+ pro-grade. Specific models, where to buy, what to skip.
Flooring, Backsplash, Lighting, Paint
Installed costs per sq ft for every common material. What's worth the upgrade, what's not.
Labor Rates by Trade
Plumber, electrician, tile setter, painter. Hourly rates broken out by Midwest, South, Northeast, and West Coast.
Three Complete Sample Bids
$18K cosmetic refresh. $38K mid-range remodel. $68K gut renovation. Every line item spelled out.
How to Read Your Contractor's Bid
10 things that should be separate line items. If they're lumped together, you're probably overpaying.
Negotiation Scripts
Word-for-word scripts for asking about markups, getting line-item breakdowns, and negotiating without burning the relationship.
Timing, Permits, Insurance, Payments
When to start, what permits you actually need, how to verify insurance, and payment schedule templates that protect you.
A taste of what's inside
Real numbers from the guide. This is the kind of data you'll have for every major line item.
KraftMaid Shaker Cabinets, 20 LF
Cabinet markupManufacturer price: $5,000 to $10,000 depending on options.
Your bid says $16,000+? That's over 60% markup. Some markup is normal (your contractor has to make money), but you should know the starting number so you can spot the bids that are way out of line.
Quartz Countertops, Installed
Fabricator vs. bid priceFabricator charges: $40 to $80/sq ft installed, depending on edge profile and cutouts.
Your bid might say $100 to $140/sq ft. On a 40 sq ft kitchen, that's a difference of $2,400 to $2,800. The guide shows you exactly what to ask so you're not paying double.
Plumber Hourly Rates
Regional labor dataMidwest: $75 to $130/hr. Northeast: $100 to $175/hr. If your bid has 40 hours of plumbing at $200/hr, you know something's off. The guide breaks down every trade by region.
The math on this guide
If this guide saves you $50 on one line item, it paid for itself. Most readers find $1,000 to $3,000 in padding they wouldn't have caught otherwise.
The guide costs
$27
Average savings found
$1,000 to $3,000
Frequently asked questions
Is this updated for 2026?
Yes. Every price in this guide reflects 2026 material costs, labor rates, and supply chain conditions. We update it quarterly.
Does it cover my area?
The guide includes regional multipliers for Midwest, South, Northeast, and West Coast. You take the base price and adjust for your region. A $40K kitchen in Ohio might be $52K in New Jersey. The multipliers show you exactly how much.
What format is it?
Searchable PDF. Pull it up on your phone while you're talking to a contractor. Look up any line item in 10 seconds.
What if it doesn't help?
60-day money-back guarantee. If you don't find it useful, email us and you get a full refund. No questions, no hassle.
Who wrote this?
Contractors and cost estimators who work on kitchens every day. No affiliate deals with cabinet companies or countertop brands. No one paid to be included. Just the numbers.
10 chapters. Every line item priced. Every trade's labor rate by region.
Get the Kitchen Remodel Pricing Guide · $27PDF download. Instant delivery. 60-day money-back guarantee.