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Calcimator

Kitchen Remodel Cost Calculator

Budget from scope: cosmetic, mid-range, and upscale.

About this calculator

This calculator assembles a kitchen remodel budget component by component, pricing each major line item separately, then combining them the way a contractor's estimate would. Cabinets are priced per linear foot across three tiers — stock at $150/LF, semi-custom at $300/LF, custom at $600/LF — while countertops scale per square foot across laminate, quartz, granite, and marble ($25 to $120/SF). Flooring is priced per square foot of the kitchen floor (vinyl, tile, or hardwood), and the appliance package is a flat budget/mid-range/premium figure ($2k/$5k/$12k) rather than itemized per appliance. Plumbing fixtures and electrical work are entered directly as dollar figures since they vary too much by home to model generically.

All of that sums to a materials subtotal, and labor is layered on top at a flat 38% of materials — a reasonable midpoint for kitchen work, which typically runs 35-40% labor because of the specialized cabinet installation, countertop templating, and coordinated trades involved. A contingency percentage (default 10%) is then applied to the materials-plus-labor subtotal, not just materials, which matters if you're trying to reconcile this total against a quote that scopes contingency differently. Keep in mind this is a component-based estimate, not a quote: it doesn't account for structural changes (moving walls, relocating plumbing/gas lines), permit fees, demolition and disposal, or regional labor rate variation, all of which can shift real bids by 15% or more in either direction. Use it to compare scope trade-offs — like stepping down a countertop tier to fund a bathroom upgrade — rather than as a final number to hand a contractor.

Inputs

%

Results

Total project cost ($)

$33,851.00

≈ 17 gaming PCs

Materials subtotal ($)$22,300.00
Labor cost ($)$8,474.00
Cabinet cost ($)$7,500.00
Countertop cost ($)$2,800.00
Flooring cost ($)$1,500.00
Appliance package ($)$5,000.00
Plumbing & electrical ($)$5,500.00
Contingency ($)$3,077.00
Cost per sq ft ($)$226.00
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter cabinet linear feet and select cabinet tier (stock, semi-custom, or custom).
  2. Enter countertop square footage and select material (laminate, quartz, granite, or marble).
  3. Enter kitchen floor square footage and set appliance budget.
  4. Review total cost with line items for cabinets, countertops, appliances, plumbing, and labor.
  5. Adjust material selections to explore trade-offs between cost and quality.

How the result changes with Cabinet linear feet

Cabinet linear feetTotal project cost ($)
13$28,387.00
19$31,119.00
38$39,772.00
63$51,157.00

What each input means

Cabinet linear feet
Total linear feet of wall cabinets to install or replace.
Cabinet tier (0-2)
0 = Stock ($150/LF), 1 = Semi-custom ($300/LF), 2 = Custom ($600/LF).
Countertop sq ft
Square footage of counter surface area.
Countertop material (0-3)
0 = Laminate ($25/SF), 1 = Quartz ($70/SF), 2 = Granite ($85/SF), 3 = Marble ($120/SF).
Kitchen floor sq ft
Total square footage of kitchen floor area.
Flooring type (0-2)
0 = Vinyl ($4/SF), 1 = Tile ($10/SF), 2 = Hardwood ($14/SF).
Appliance tier (0-2)
0 = Budget ($2k), 1 = Mid-range ($5k), 2 = Premium ($12k).
Plumbing fixtures ($)
Cost for sink, faucet, garbage disposal, and plumbing work.
Electrical work ($)
Wiring upgrades, outlets, under-cabinet lighting, etc.
Contingency %
Buffer for unexpected costs (industry standard 10-15%).

What each result means

Total project cost ($)
All-in estimated cost including labor and contingency.
Materials subtotal ($)
Total cost of all materials before labor.
Labor cost ($)
Estimated labor at ~38% of materials.
Cabinet cost ($)
Cost based on linear feet and cabinet tier.
Countertop cost ($)
Cost based on square footage and material choice.
Flooring cost ($)
Cost based on kitchen floor area and material.
Appliance package ($)
Appliance package cost by tier.
Plumbing & electrical ($)
Combined plumbing and electrical costs.
Contingency ($)
Buffer amount based on contingency percentage.
Cost per sq ft ($)
Total cost divided by kitchen floor area.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Cabinet linear feet = 25, Cabinet tier (0-2) = 1, Countertop sq ft = 40, Countertop material (0-3) = 1 = 10 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Total project cost
    Total project cost = subtotalBeforeContingency + contingency
    33851 = $33,851
  3. Calculate Materials subtotal
    Materials subtotal = cabinetCost + countertopCost + flooringCost + applianceCost + plumbingFixture...
    22300 = $22,300
  4. Calculate Labor cost
    Labor cost = materialSubtotal * 0.38
    8474 = $8,474

Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is labor calculated as 38% of materials instead of asked as a direct input?

The calculator applies a flat 38% multiplier to the materials subtotal (cabinets + countertops + flooring + appliances + plumbing + electrical) rather than asking you to estimate labor separately, since kitchen labor typically runs 35-40% of materials regionally. That means any change to a material selection — like upgrading from laminate to marble countertops — automatically scales the labor estimate proportionally, which mirrors how contractor bids usually work but won't capture labor-rate differences between low-cost and high-cost markets.

Does the contingency percentage apply to the whole project or just materials?

It's applied to materials-plus-labor combined (subtotalBeforeContingency), not to materials alone. At the default 10%, a $30,000 materials-and-labor subtotal adds $3,000 in contingency for a $33,000 total. If you're comparing this number to a contractor's quote, check whether their contingency line is scoped the same way — a materials-only contingency will look smaller for the same percentage.

Why is the appliance package a single flat number instead of itemized by appliance?

The three tiers ($2,000 budget / $5,000 mid-range / $12,000 premium) represent a full package — range, refrigerator, dishwasher, and hood — priced as one bundle rather than broken into individual line items. This keeps the input simple, but it means the calculator can't model buying a premium range while keeping a budget refrigerator; you'd need to pick the tier that best represents your overall appliance spend.

How much does moving from stock to custom cabinets change the total?

Cabinet cost is linear feet times a per-tier rate: $150/LF for stock, $300/LF for semi-custom, $600/LF for custom. At the default 25 linear feet, that's a jump from $3,750 (stock) to $15,000 (custom) in cabinet cost alone, before labor and contingency are applied on top — so cabinet tier is usually the single biggest lever in this calculator's total.

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