Cost guides
Kitchen remodel cost in 2026: what a kitchen really costs in the Denver metro
A kitchen remodel costs about $28,500 for a minor update and $82,800 for a major one. Here's where the money goes, and what Denver kitchens add on top.
A kitchen remodel costs about $28,458 for a minor midrange update and $82,793 for a major midrange remodel, according to the 2025 Cost vs Value Report. Homeowners' median spend is $20,000 for a minor job and $55,000 for a major one (Houzz, 2026). Most remodels run $75 to $250 a square foot (Angi).
I'm Zack, a licensed contractor with 15 years on the tools across the west Denver metro. I run kitchen jobs myself, start to finish, and here's what the numbers below actually buy, and what they quietly leave out.
Minor remodel, midrange (national, 2025)
$28,458
200 sq ft kitchen, layout kept, cabinet fronts replaced (Cost vs Value)
Major remodel, midrange (national, 2025)
$82,793
New semi-custom cabinets and a 3x5 island (Cost vs Value)
Major remodel, upscale (national, 2025)
$164,104
Custom cabinets, stone counters, high-end appliances (Cost vs Value)
Minor remodel, midrange (Denver, 2024)
$25,898
Denver last appears in the 2024 report (Cost vs Value)
Major remodel, midrange (Denver, 2024)
$79,702
Same project, Denver prices (Cost vs Value)
Median homeowner spend, minor / major
$20,000 / $55,000
What people actually paid (Houzz 2026 Kitchen Trends Study)
Typical range, all kitchen jobs
$14,591 – $41,617
Average $26,990 from 13,100 projects (Angi, 2026)
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minor remodel, midrange (national, 2025) | $28,458 | 200 sq ft kitchen, layout kept, cabinet fronts replaced (Cost vs Value) |
| Major remodel, midrange (national, 2025) | $82,793 | New semi-custom cabinets and a 3x5 island (Cost vs Value) |
| Major remodel, upscale (national, 2025) | $164,104 | Custom cabinets, stone counters, high-end appliances (Cost vs Value) |
| Minor remodel, midrange (Denver, 2024) | $25,898 | Denver last appears in the 2024 report (Cost vs Value) |
| Major remodel, midrange (Denver, 2024) | $79,702 | Same project, Denver prices (Cost vs Value) |
| Median homeowner spend, minor / major | $20,000 / $55,000 | What people actually paid (Houzz 2026 Kitchen Trends Study) |
| Typical range, all kitchen jobs | $14,591 – $41,617 | Average $26,990 from 13,100 projects (Angi, 2026) |
Sources: Cost vs Value 2025, Cost vs Value 2024, Denver, Houzz 2026, Angi.
On this page
- Cost by scope: refresh, replacement or renovation
- Where the money goes
- How much a kitchen remodel costs in Denver
- Colorado costs the national guides skip
- Small kitchen remodel cost
- 10x10 and 12x12 kitchens
- How long a kitchen remodel takes
- What a kitchen remodel estimate should include
- How to keep it on budget
- Is it worth it at resale?
- What I see on west-metro kitchen jobs
- FAQ
Kitchen remodel cost by scope: refresh, replacement or renovation
Scope sets the price more than anything else. A refresh keeps the cabinet boxes and the layout and runs $10,000 to $20,000. A replacement swaps the cabinets and counters in the same footprint, roughly $20,000 to $65,000. A full renovation moves walls or plumbing and starts around $65,000 (Angi).
Nobody calls me asking for "a $20,000 kitchen." They ask for "a new kitchen," usually after a weekend saving photos of 11-foot islands, a faucet over the stove and a window onto a lake, in a house whose kitchen window looks onto the neighbor's recycling bins. The price depends entirely on which of the three kitchens above they actually mean.
The renovation is the one that sneaks up on people. Moving the sink four feet sounds like a small favor to ask. To the plumbing it's a relocation package, with a moving truck.
Where the money goes in a kitchen remodel
Cabinets are the biggest single cost. The long-standing NKBA rule of thumb puts them at 29% of the budget, installation at 17%, appliances at 14% and countertops at 10% (Forbes Home). Angi now puts cabinets at 40% or more (Angi).
Cabinets, stock
$100 – $300 per linear ft
Ships when ordered (Angi)
Cabinets, semi-custom
$200 – $650 per linear ft
Sizes and finishes adjustable (Angi)
Cabinets, custom
$500 – $1,200 per linear ft
6–8 weeks to build (Angi)
Painting existing cabinets
$2,500 – $6,500
The budget alternative to new boxes (Fixr)
Countertops, laminate
$15 – $60 per sq ft
Installed (Fixr)
Countertops, granite
$40 – $150 per sq ft
Installed (Fixr)
Countertops, quartz
$50 – $200 per sq ft
Installed (Fixr)
Backsplash
$500 – $1,500
$15–$40 per sq ft installed (Fixr)
Lighting
About $1,350
Average for a remodel (Fixr)
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinets, stock | $100 – $300 per linear ft | Ships when ordered (Angi) |
| Cabinets, semi-custom | $200 – $650 per linear ft | Sizes and finishes adjustable (Angi) |
| Cabinets, custom | $500 – $1,200 per linear ft | 6–8 weeks to build (Angi) |
| Painting existing cabinets | $2,500 – $6,500 | The budget alternative to new boxes (Fixr) |
| Countertops, laminate | $15 – $60 per sq ft | Installed (Fixr) |
| Countertops, granite | $40 – $150 per sq ft | Installed (Fixr) |
| Countertops, quartz | $50 – $200 per sq ft | Installed (Fixr) |
| Backsplash | $500 – $1,500 | $15–$40 per sq ft installed (Fixr) |
| Lighting | About $1,350 | Average for a remodel (Fixr) |
Sources: Angi cabinet guide, Fixr.
That's why my first question on any kitchen is whether the cabinet boxes are worth keeping. If they're plywood and square, new doors, paint and a rehang get you most of a new kitchen for a fraction of the price. If they're particleboard that's been soaking up dishwasher steam since the Carter administration, they go. My own line on cabinets is the one on my Thumbtack page: buy once, cry once.
How much is a kitchen remodel in Denver?
A kitchen remodel in Denver costs about the same as the national average, sometimes a little less. The 2024 Cost vs Value Report put Denver's minor midrange remodel at $25,898 and its major midrange at $79,702 (Cost vs Value). Angi puts a Denver kitchen renovation at $15,400 to $42,900 (Angi).
Minor remodel, midrange (2024)
$25,898 vs $27,492
Denver vs national (Cost vs Value)
Major remodel, midrange (2024)
$79,702
Denver (Cost vs Value)
Carpenter, median hourly (May 2025)
$31.21 vs $29.12
Denver metro vs national (BLS)
Electricians and plumbers
About level
Denver metro median pay matches national (BLS)
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minor remodel, midrange (2024) | $25,898 vs $27,492 | Denver vs national (Cost vs Value) |
| Major remodel, midrange (2024) | $79,702 | Denver (Cost vs Value) |
| Carpenter, median hourly (May 2025) | $31.21 vs $29.12 | Denver metro vs national (BLS) |
| Electricians and plumbers | About level | Denver metro median pay matches national (BLS) |
Sources: Cost vs Value 2024, Denver, BLS wages, Denver metro.
Labor here costs a little more, not a lot more. The carpenter's extra $2.09 an hour is real. It buys about a quarter of a breakfast burrito, and it isn't what makes a Denver kitchen expensive.
What makes a west-metro kitchen different is its age. Lakewood's median home was built in 1977 and Wheat Ridge's in 1965, against 1980 nationally (Census Reporter, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge). So the typical Lakewood house went up the same year the first Star Wars came out, and its kitchen has been guarding its secrets ever since.
The Colorado costs national guides skip: permits, asbestos and lead
Three Colorado rules change a kitchen budget, and none of the big national cost guides mention them. Permits vary by city, older homes trigger a state asbestos inspection before demolition, and pre-1978 homes fall under federal lead-safe rules. Each adds cost and days, so they belong in the estimate, not in a surprise phone call.
Denver permits
No permit for like-for-like cabinets, counters, flooring and fixtures. Moved plumbing, new circuits or wall changes need one. A $50,000 job’s permit and plan review come to about $630 on the city’s fee table. (Denver, fees)
Lakewood permits
“Other than very minor cosmetic work, all construction requires a building permit.” Plumbing, electrical and mechanical go on the same permit. (Lakewood)
Asbestos
Disturbing more than 32 sq ft of drywall, flooring or ceiling, or 50 linear ft of pipe, needs a Colorado-certified inspection first. Removal above that needs 10 business days’ notice to the state. Homes built after 12 October 1988 can be exempt. (CDPHE)
Lead paint
Homes built before 1978 need an EPA-certified firm for any job disturbing more than 6 sq ft of paint per room. Colorado requires the lead pamphlet seven days before work. (EPA, CDPHE)
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Denver permits | No permit for like-for-like cabinets, counters, flooring and fixtures. Moved plumbing, new circuits or wall changes need one. A $50,000 job’s permit and plan review come to about $630 on the city’s fee table. (Denver, fees) |
| Lakewood permits | “Other than very minor cosmetic work, all construction requires a building permit.” Plumbing, electrical and mechanical go on the same permit. (Lakewood) |
| Asbestos | Disturbing more than 32 sq ft of drywall, flooring or ceiling, or 50 linear ft of pipe, needs a Colorado-certified inspection first. Removal above that needs 10 business days’ notice to the state. Homes built after 12 October 1988 can be exempt. (CDPHE) |
| Lead paint | Homes built before 1978 need an EPA-certified firm for any job disturbing more than 6 sq ft of paint per room. Colorado requires the lead pamphlet seven days before work. (EPA, CDPHE) |
A kitchen tear-out blows past 32 square feet before lunch. So in a 1977 house the asbestos test isn't optional homework, it's step one. That kitchen spent the whole disco era quietly collecting things the state now has paperwork for.
Mikaela Firnhaber, who supervises residential plan review for Denver, told The Denver Post that an interior remodel with no footprint change often clears review in about two days. She also said the code can't promise you won't find surprises.
Small kitchen remodel cost
A small kitchen remodel costs about $10,500 to $15,000 for a 70 to 100 square foot kitchen (Angi). The 2026 Houzz study puts the median major remodel of a smaller kitchen at $46,000 and a larger one at $75,000 (Houzz).
Small doesn't mean cheap in proportion, though. A galley kitchen still needs a sink, a range, a fridge and a dishwasher, and those cost the same whether the room is huge or the size of a coat closet with ambitions.
How much should a 10x10 or 12x12 kitchen remodel cost?
A 10x10 kitchen remodel costs about $15,000 on average, with most landing between $10,000 and $25,000 (Fixr). A 12x12 kitchen is 144 square feet, which puts it at roughly $11,250 to $37,500 at Angi's $75 to $250 a square foot (Angi).
75 sq ft
$5,600 – $17,500
A small galley
100 sq ft (10x10)
$7,500 – $25,000
Fixr average for a 10x10: $15,000
150 sq ft (about 12x12)
$11,250 – $37,500
A 12x12 is 144 sq ft
200 sq ft
$15,000 – $50,000
The Cost vs Value test kitchen
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 75 sq ft | $5,600 – $17,500 | A small galley |
| 100 sq ft (10x10) | $7,500 – $25,000 | Fixr average for a 10x10: $15,000 |
| 150 sq ft (about 12x12) | $11,250 – $37,500 | A 12x12 is 144 sq ft |
| 200 sq ft | $15,000 – $50,000 | The Cost vs Value test kitchen |
The range is wide because size is the second question. The first is still refresh, replacement or renovation. Measure the room, then pick the scope (everyone measures twice, and everyone writes down "about ten" both times), and the number gets a lot less mysterious.
How long does a kitchen remodel take?
A minor kitchen update takes one to two weeks of work. A full remodel takes eight to 12 weeks of construction, after two weeks to three months of planning and up to four weeks for permits (Angi). Custom cabinets alone can take six to eight weeks to build.
Time costs money too, just not on the invoice. A Portland contractor worked out that a family of four eating out once a day through a seven-week remodel spends about $3,000 (LaMont Bros). Week one, takeout feels like a vacation. By week three you're rinsing a spatula in the bathroom sink, and somebody in the house has started calling the toaster oven "the stove."
The cheapest week on any kitchen job is the one nobody spends waiting. So order the cabinets before demolition, not after.
What a kitchen remodel estimate should include
A good kitchen remodel estimate lists every line: demolition and haul-away, cabinets, countertops, backsplash, plumbing, electrical, flooring, appliances and installation, permits, and the allowance for each finish. If a bid is one number on one line, you can't compare it with anything. You also can't tell what got left out.
Bids for the same kitchen really do swing that wildly. One homeowner posted three bids for the same scope and the same materials. The low one was $38,000 and the high one $67,000 (the middle bid came in at $51,000) (r/HomeImprovement).
The gap is usually the general contractor's fee, which runs 10% to 20% of the job (Angi), plus whatever each sub adds on top. That's a $29,000 spread for identical cabinets, or roughly the price of one entire minor remodel, just for picking the wrong envelope.
A bid with one number on it isn't a price. It's an opening offer wearing a tie. Ask every bidder to break theirs out. Mine comes with no drive-time charge, and materials go on the bill at what I paid for them.
How to keep a kitchen remodel on budget
Set aside 10% to 20% of the budget for surprises (Angi), and pick every finish before work starts. In 2025, 37% of renovating homeowners went over budget. Most did it on purpose: 35% upgraded materials and 31% grew the scope mid-project (Houzz).
Pete Gersdorf, who owns Aim Kitchen and Bath, told Houzz that redoing the next room too is "probably the No. 1 place" budgets get blown. It starts with "while you're here, could you just look at the hallway," and it ends with the hallway on the invoice.
Keep the layout and you skip the biggest swing costs: moved plumbing, moved gas and new circuits. Keep sound cabinet boxes and paint them, and you trade a new-cabinet line that can reach $28,000 (Angi) for a paint job that tops out around $6,500 (Fixr). Think of the contingency as money you'll be thrilled to find in your coat pocket in week nine.
Is a kitchen remodel worth the money?
At resale, a minor kitchen remodel pays back far more than a major one. Nationally a minor midrange remodel recouped 113% of its cost in 2025, against 51% for a major midrange and 36% for upscale (Cost vs Value). Denver recouped less on every kitchen project in 2024.
Minor remodel, midrange
113% (Denver 82.4%)
National 2025, Denver 2024
Major remodel, midrange
51% (Denver 39.6%)
National 2025, Denver 2024
Major remodel, upscale
36% (Denver 29.9%)
National 2025, Denver 2024
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minor remodel, midrange | 113% (Denver 82.4%) | National 2025, Denver 2024 |
| Major remodel, midrange | 51% (Denver 39.6%) | National 2025, Denver 2024 |
| Major remodel, upscale | 36% (Denver 29.9%) | National 2025, Denver 2024 |
Source: Cost vs Value 2025, Cost vs Value 2024, Denver.
So if you're selling within a couple of years, refresh it and stop. If you're staying, remodel the kitchen you'll cook in for the next 20 years, because nobody at your closing is going to compliment the drawer slides.
What I see on west-metro kitchen jobs
Most houses in Lakewood, Arvada and Wheat Ridge were built before 1980, so on a west-metro kitchen the wiring and plumbing behind the cabinets belong in the first estimate, not in week two.
Opening a wall in a 1970s house is like opening the junk drawer at your parents' place. You know there's something in there. You just don't know whether it's a rubber band or a splice somebody twisted together with electrical tape and optimism in 1974.
Because I'm licensed and do the carpentry, plumbing and electrical myself, one person carries the whole sequence. Counters wait on cabinets, backsplash waits on counters, and nobody's waiting on a sub who's booked until Thursday. In my experience Thursday is a state of mind.
A customer named Amanda put it better than I can. After a bathroom remodel she wrote, "He was upfront about pricing, stayed within budget," and called the four other estimates she got "outrageous." Kitchens get the same rule: the quote is the price, and you see it before I start.
Kitchen remodel cost FAQ
What is a realistic budget for a kitchen remodel?
For a minor update that keeps the layout and the cabinet boxes, plan on about $20,000 to $28,500. For a major remodel with new cabinets and an island, plan on $55,000 to $83,000. Add 10% to 20% on top for surprises, and more if your house was built before 1980.
Can I remodel a kitchen for $10,000?
Yes, in a small kitchen, if you keep the layout, the cabinet boxes and most of the appliances. At typical prices, $10,000 can cover painted cabinets, a laminate counter, a backsplash, a new sink and faucet, and lighting. It won't cover moved plumbing, new cabinets or stone counters.
What is the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel?
Cabinets. They take about 29% of a typical kitchen budget by the long-standing NKBA rule of thumb, and Angi puts them at 40% or more today. Installation labor comes second at around 17% to 25%, then appliances at about 14% and countertops at about 10%.
Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen?
It depends on the city. Denver doesn't require one for like-for-like cabinets, counters, flooring and fixtures, but does for moved plumbing, new circuits or wall changes. Lakewood requires a permit for everything but very minor cosmetic work. Check your city before work starts.
How long does a kitchen remodel take?
A cosmetic refresh takes one to two weeks of work. A full remodel takes eight to 12 weeks of construction, plus two weeks to three months of planning and up to four weeks for permits. Custom cabinets can take six to eight weeks to build, so order them early.
Get a number for your own kitchen
The fastest way past the national averages is a real estimate for your kitchen. My kitchen remodeling page covers what I take on, from a cabinet refresh to a full renovation with the permits. Or send me your kitchen's photos for a free estimate, and I'll tell you which of the three kitchens you're actually buying.