Last year we remodeled our kitchen. It was something we’d wanted to do for several years, and since my husband is a handy guy, we knew we’d be DIY-ing the project. But before we started the work our first task was to save the money we needed. However, when tried to figure out exactly what our savings goal should be, we found the lack of solid, realistic figures to be incredibly frustrating.
We’d look up “How much does a kitchen remodel cost?” and the answer would be “between $30-$300 per square foot.” Or we’d find articles that outlined how a family re-did their entire kitchen for a crazy low sum like $2000. And I get it – the cost of each person’s remodel will vary drastically depending on the type of remodel, the quality of the finishings, and geographical location. However, when planning for our own remodel it would have been helpful to see another DIY-er’s actual budget to give us some frame of reference for our own.
So that’s what I’m doing today. I’m sharing our final, actual remodel budget for our kitchen DIY project so other people considering this project can start to take steps toward making their dreams a reality. Because before you do any demo, you need to have a budget.
DIY Kitchen Remodel Budget
Before launching into the actual figures, I think it’s important to give you some important information about our project. First, our kitchen isn’t large. It’s 11 ft x 11 ft so that gives you an idea of the size in comparison to yours. Second, it wasn’t important to us to do this remodel for as little money as possible. I wanted nice, good-quality products that would last a long time (God knows I am not interested in going through another kitchen remodel in the foreseeable future), so while we certainly could have done the whole kitchen for considerably less money, that wasn’t our priority. And now, on to the numbers:
Cabinets & supplies – total $7,750
Our cabinets came to $7400 total. This included cabinets and shipping. We chose ready-to-assemble cabinets through EasyKitchenCabinets.com; they are still good quality but cheaper than traditional cabinets because they are shipped flat and you put them together yourself. We opted for plywood cabinets as opposed to cheaper, less durable MDF or particleboard options. Our purchase also included things that added to the total cost like a floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinet, soft-close drawers and doors, and upgrades such as pull-out shelves and lazy susans in the bottom corner cabinets.
The additional $300 for this line item covered things like cabinet screws, plywood for under the cabinets, shims, trim, matching cabinet paint, a touch-up kit, a hardware template, and hardware (door and drawer pulls).
Countertops & backsplash – total $4,800
We opted for quartz countertops, which ended up running $4,400 for 68 square feet. That was a mid-grade quartz (not the cheapest option available) and included installation and an undermount sink. We (read: my husband) also considered solid surface countertops, which have really good performance and aesthetics and are considerably less expensive. This would be an easy way to trim costs if you needed.
The remaining costs included our tile backsplash, adhesive, and grout. We could have gone way more expensive because there are tons of amazing and gorgeous options. But at this point in the project we were nearing the top of our budget…plus it was the only option we both agreed on. So…subway tile, it is!
Flooring – $2,000
We actually did our whole house, which is why the cost for flooring is so high. I had a really hard time with this one. I didn’t want tile (I wanted all the flooring in our house to run throughout), didn’t want hardwoods (too easy to scratch), and found the engineered hardwoods to be too high for our budget. So we opted for a low-end vinyl plank that wasn’t even waterproof – simply because I didn’t love the look of any of the waterproof ones nearly as much. If you’ve got kids who spill a lot or pets that have accidents this probably isn’t a good choice for you, but after a year of use I still think they look great. I don’t expect them to last forever, but at this point they still look amazing and I wouldn’t be surprised if we got 10 years out of them. So at this point I’m still really happy with my choice.
Lighting & electrical – $150
We went for recessed lighting. We already had them (just had to reconfigure them a bit) so most of this budget went toward switches, electrical boxes, a USB outlet for phones & devices, and ceiling repair. If you’re buying lighting, expect to budget more for this. And you will probably need to hire someone to install it for you – and to install or move any electrical outlets you’re adding – so this budgeted amount will likely need to be adjusted.
Window – $600
We replaced our old garden window and also moved it over a few inches. The window itself was about $400. My husband installed it so we saved on labor, but the remaining budget was spent on siding, indoor & outdoor trim, insulation, spray foam, screws, casing, and window flashing tape.
Walls – $100
We tiled all visible parts of our walls so it wasn’t important that they were aesthetically perfect, but when the old cabinets were removed there were places that needed to be repaired or replaced. We spent about $100 on drywall, drywall screws, drop cloths, paint, joint compound, and sandpaper.
Miscellaneous – $1,600
The remainder of our budget went to miscellaneous expenses – faucet, soap dispenser, cleaning products, random supplies that we forgot to log in specific line items, drill bits, saw blades, and tools – both small and large.
Grand Total – $17,000
When we started out our project, we hoped to spend about $14,000. Our final numbers ended at $17,000 – which wasn’t a complete surprise, because we’d expected for “surprises” to increase our budget by 20%-30%. This is one of the most important part of budgeting for a kitchen, because there will always be unexpected expenses. It’s better to budget too much and come in under than to be way over budget and scrambling to find money to complete your project.
Extra Expenses to Consider in a Kitchen Remodel
As you’re working through your draft budget for your kitchen remodel, here are some extra things to consider. We didn’t budget for appliances because we already had a nice suite of appliances so there was no need to replace them. You may also need to hire a plumber to install your sink or connect the water line to your fridge, and if you are installing a gas stove you’ll need to hire that out. You can expect to spend some money on tools and you may also want to budget to spend more money than usual on convenience foods, paper products, and takeout. And trust me – you’ll also want to buy some cute new decor, dishes, or other kitchen accessories to finish off your gorgeous new kitchen – so don’t forget to budget for that!
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Read more of Kristina’s contributions to allmomdoes here.
