Kitchen Renovation Estimator: Build a Line-Item Budget (2026)
A single total is useless when you're comparing bids. This estimator builds your kitchen number line by line, so you can see exactly which item a contractor priced differently.
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The reason two kitchen bids can be $19,000 apart on the same room is almost never greed — it's that they assumed different things. One priced semi-custom plywood boxes, the other priced stock particleboard. One included the range hood vent run, the other didn't. A line-item estimator fixes that by forcing every assumption into the open before you talk to anyone.
2026 Line-Item Rates You Can Estimate With
- Stock cabinets: $120–$190 per linear foot installed
- Semi-custom cabinets: $210–$330 per linear foot installed
- Custom cabinets: $400–$750 per linear foot installed
- Quartz countertops: $75–$120 per square foot installed
- Granite: $65–$140 per square foot installed
- Appliance package (mid-tier, four pieces): $4,800–$7,500
- LVP flooring: $9–$14 per square foot installed
- Tile backsplash: $22–$38 per square foot installed
- Electrical and lighting rewire: $1,600–$3,400
- Plumbing rough-in and fixtures: $1,900–$4,200
How to Estimate Your Kitchen in Six Steps
- Measure the run of base and wall cabinets in linear feet — count them separately if uppers differ.
- Measure countertop square footage: run length × 2.1 ft depth, plus the island.
- Measure floor square footage wall to wall, including under appliances.
- Apply the rates above to each quantity.
- Add 8–15% contingency — 15% on any house built before 1985.
- Multiply the subtotal by your regional cost index.
Estimate = (cabinet LF × rate) + (counter sq ft × rate) + appliances + (floor sq ft × rate) + trades + permits, all × regional index × (1 + contingency)
Skip the spreadsheet — the estimator runs every line item for you.
Open the Kitchen Renovation EstimatorUsing Your Estimate to Read a Bid
When a bid arrives, don't compare totals. Compare your line to their line. If your cabinets estimate is $16,000 and theirs is $27,000, ask what construction and door style they quoted. Nine times out of ten the answer explains the gap, and you can decide whether the upgrade is worth it instead of assuming someone is overcharging.
Where Estimates Go Wrong
- Forgetting demolition and disposal — $900–$2,200 on a full kitchen.
- Estimating cabinets by cabinet count instead of linear feet.
- Leaving out the toe-kick, crown, filler strips and hardware — often $1,200+.
- Ignoring the appliance delivery and install line.
- Zero contingency, which is how a $40,000 kitchen becomes a $47,000 kitchen.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate is a kitchen renovation estimator?
Within roughly 10–15% of real bids when your measurements are right and you've set the correct finish tier. It replaces guesswork, not a site visit.
Should I estimate before or after choosing cabinets?
Before. Estimating first tells you which cabinet tier your budget can actually carry, which saves a lot of disappointment in the showroom.
How much contingency should a kitchen budget include?
Ten percent on newer homes, fifteen on anything with original plumbing or electrical.
Written by Javed Niamat
Javed Niamat is a home renovation cost analyst and the founder of RenoCalc Hub. He tracks US remodeling labor rates, material pricing and contractor bids across all 50 states, and builds the free calculators behind every guide on this site.
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