When thinking about a kitchen renovation most homeowners know two things: how much they want to spend and what they want their new kitchen to look like. What is often hard to figure out is how to make those two things line up. By looking at each element of the kitchen renovation as a percentage of the total budget, you can better understand how much you should be spending on each.
A mid-level to a higher-end kitchen remodel in our area typically costs $60-$100K including appliances and all the other elements listed below. The percentages listed are the average amount that is usually allocated for each element.
CABINETS & HARDWARE 42%
CABINET INSTALLATION 5%
APPLIANCES 18%
COUNTERTOPS 10%
FLOORING 7%
PLUMBING FIXTURES 3%
TILE BACKSPLASH 3%
PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL 7%
DEMO AND CONSTRUCTION 5%
The demo and construction percentage include demolition and disposal of all fixtures in the kitchen, the dumpster, ducting a new hood for ventilation and sheetrock patch and repair. Construction costs will go up significantly if installing new windows, new doors, tearing down walls, installing new support beams, moving, plumbing, installing new room crown, base or case moldings or other decorative details in the room.
If you really want to be safe with your budget, plan on putting away a contingency amount of 5%-10% of the project for unexpected costs that will come up. The most common ways to go over-budget are: spending more than planned on selections (hardware, plumbing fixtures, stone, or backsplash tile), adding a lot of extra lighting, USB ports and dimmer switches, plumbing or HVAC ducts behind walls that need to be moved, extra support beams that are needed, or by having carpenters, plumbers and electricians do extra work “while they’re there”.
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To stay within your budget, plan ahead, make selections early and find out actual costs ahead of time. Any changes and additions you make to the project will always cost more money and possibly delay your project, so try to minimize them as much as possible with good planning. Select all elements, including appliances, flooring, tile, hardware, plumbing fixtures and countertop stone early in the design process. Ask what everything costs, and have it in writing before finalizing any selection or extra you want. Do not assume that the “little” thing you are asking a contractor to do is free or that tile selection is within the allowance unless it is in writing. This will typically slow down the process, and maybe even the construction schedule, but it will allow you to make good decisions and minimize surprise extra costs.
The professional designers at TrueLeaf kitchens can help you plan ahead and make good decisions so that you get a kitchen that is within your budget while truly transforming the way you live. Visit our web site at www.trueleafkitchens.com or our showroom at 134 S. Finley Ave. in downtown Basking Ridge, NJ. To schedule your complimentary consultation with one of our experienced designers to help you get started call 908-766-2006.