would love some reasonable figures too

To be clear, I am not asking what you spent just the % for the various categories.

Mine was 40% cabinets, 20 percent counters (granite) 20 percent tile floor and backsplash, and 20 percent appliances. We're getting ready to do another kitchen in out new house we'll see how the costs compare. And sorry but my budget has labor in each category. We didn't do any electrical moves, and plumbing was just to put in a new cheap sink. We didn't change our layout at all.

I don't think it's particularly helpful to look at it like this - everyone's is going to be different. We spent a ton on labor since we had to go down to studs and do all new electrical, plumbing, etc. Also being in the Bay Area meant all of the labor is pricy! It really depends on what you want to prioritize to spend money on, and more important is the total price. We spent a little extra on cabs because we wanted fully custom sizing for our small kitchen, but hardwood floors were comparatively inexpensive, we bought a cheap sink/faucet, etc. Appliances we spent money on the cooktop but everything else was not the cheapest available but definitely more moderately priced. You really just have to go price everything out and figure out where you want to spend your money - it's an annoying process. People kept asking what our budget was, and I had no idea how to answer because I needed a complete kitchen! Getting prelim budgets from contractors was very helpful because they were able to give us a range of price points, and some flat out told us what the total was going to cost because they didn't want to waste their time if we had different expectations.

That's a tough question to answer and will differ depending on each person's situation. All you can do is establish - this is my total budget. This is what I can afford and then work out the numbers and layout to fit what you can afford.

We had what I thought was a decent budget and labor blew out the entire budget. I had to go deep into savings to do anything outside of labor.

I think you need to establish a total budget including 15% overage for surprises and then work backwards from that. Make a list of what you need and with your budget, I'm sure the folks here will be able to help you hone in on everything.

Given the fact that labor and materials vary so widely nationwide, not counting the COL difference, it is basically impossible to give you a ballpark figure or percentage unless I happen to be your neighbor.

For example, we did an addition that was 12x12 which involved slabwork, electrical, plumbing, roofing, framing, drywall, HVAC, plus new cabs, counters, appliances, etc and our new addition cost us roughly 35K, BUT, we did all the plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing, framing and drywall ourselves.

The only things we hired out was the slab addition, the cabs and counters and the masonry (brickwork).

If we lived in a more expensive part of the country, we would be paying 2-3 times that much at BEST, even if we did most of the work ourselves.

If anything, this board has taught me that location matters. Slightly second on the list is if you are willing and able to do at least some of it alone.

You need to figure out what your own budget is first. If you've got a limited budget, then you have to work within that and decide what are the priorities. If you are handy and can do any of the work yourself, that will save you a lot. (Maybe even just doing the demo of the old kitchen, if you aren't comfortable with hanging and/or assembling new cabinets.) Once you figure out what you can spend, you can assign what percentage of your budget goes for what. Maybe go to one of the big box stores, with your measurements, look at what they've got and see if they'll give you an approximate estimate of cabinets, installation and counters. You don't have to purchase through them, but it will give you an idea of what you can get in your price range.

We wanted to spend $15K, were willing to go up to $20K, and ended up at $22K. You really do need to figure out how much you have to spend. Of our total, $12K was for custom cabinets, including demo and installation, $6K for countertops (a huge splurge, but dh fell in love with soapstone), 2K for labor (fixing walls, plumbing, electrical), and the rest on new range, lighting, furniture, paint, etc. This was a total demo down to the walls. We had previously purchased a new refrigerator so that was not included in the total.

These are our percentages for material. As others have said, labor is going to be all over the place so its rather meaningless:

cabinets 44%

appliances 27%

tile 7%

countertop 15%

lights 4%

sinks/faucets 3%

Thanks all. This kind of info is very helpful. I plan to call a contractor and get some rough estimates for the install and demo.

Of our budget (small condo kitchen, basically one 13' wall plus a two-sided 10' island, we spend 1/3 on cabinets ($15,000), 1/3 on appliances ($15,000, of which much was the built-in Thermador fridge), about 1/8 on quartz countertops ($6,000) and the rest (about $10,000) on miscellaneous - door and cabinet hardware, stainless steel to-kicks, cabinet inserts (Hafele condiment pull-out for example), and labor, which included paneling the built-in fridge and the dishwasher (the fridge was a bear - almost an all-day project for our contractor).

While the kitchen is not finished quite yet..it almost is. Very hard to break down the costs since we have a general remodel going on..so plumbing, electrical, flooring, etc-I wouldn't know how to separate the kitchen costs from all the others.

We definitely spent the most on cabinets. That was a separate quote for custom cabinetry, installation, etc. We did get a discount because the cabinet guy is our [GC] old time friend and partner. He's very high end and we wouldn't be able to afford him if a) no discount b) the kitchen would be bigger. We have a small kitchen.

Together with that-I must say that his craftsmanship impressed us in the best way possible. The accuracy, the timeline-everything was top-notch.

We couldn't get all the details we wanted, but overall, it pleases me to see our cabinets. A lot))

Then, countertops and backsplash. Again, luckily we have smallish kitchen.

We definitely saved on appliances. We tried to get good brands with great reviews, but on sale, open box ones..won something on E Bay)) stuff like that. We also plan to use the fridge and microwave we have now. We spent time on hunting down the appliances though, that's true. But we spent time on everything. Getting the materials was no picnic..

Back to appliances and why we decided to save on them- we're not amazing cooks, we cook simple, and the kitchen is small as I said, so even if I wanted I couldn't go to town with appliances.

I also know from my experience even the best appliances get old at some point. You can't anticipate huge life expectancy there. Cabinets, on the other hand, are much more expensive to change, and should be sturdy and well-made. Cabinets are the hardest to change, out of all kitchen-related stuff.

Then sink and faucet.

Then hardware.

I'm not sure how helpful I was.

Our kitchen/dining room remodel is not complete (13'X28' space), but here are the current rough figures (some are to be done):

New windows/door: $3,700.00 (includes reinforcing front of house due to structural deficiencies)

New insulation/sheet rock/paint: $3,000.00

New cabinets: $3,000.00 (self installed)

Counters (budgeted): $1,500.00

New appliances: $3,200.00

Flooring (budgeted): $1,800.00

Trim work: $400.00

Electrical work: $400.00 (mostly self installed)

Permits and inspections: $400.00

Lighting: $400.00

We planned on a $10,000.00 remodel. It is currently at $17,800.00. I have not included items we have bought out of hand over the last couple of years (hardware, faucets, sink, cabinet inserts, Steffes heater, ceiling light fixture -- add $3,000.00 for these.) Anything we got for selling old items has been deducted from the prices listed for new.

We did not anticipate almost $7,000.00 extra to fix structural problems hidden under the siding when replacing the broken picture window. This necessitated the repair of the walls and studs up to 20' ceiling due to the structural repairs and electrical fixes we needed once the wall was opened up. Then both the stove and the fridge died during construction, so we needed to get new ones (I guess they got mad at us for paying too much attention to the rest of the room).

The "overages" came out of the cabinet budget. We ended up buying them during a national sale from a big box store, getting extra 11% rebate off during a weekly promotion, and did not order any bells or whistles.

Oh, by the way, we are now being assessed and extra $500.00 a year in taxes due to partial improvements. This will go up to $1,000.00 when completed by next year. Sigh...

I think the only way that the percentages will work for your estimate is if the kitchens are roughly the same size and were complete gut jobs and everything was purchased retail. The bigger the kitchen, probably the more cabinets used. Appliances for an average sized kitchen may be the same cost as for a larger kitchen. For example, our kitchen didn't require hardly any new cabinets so my percentages are far different than those posted so far. We bought all new appliances and that was our biggest expense. We used recycled/reclaimed materials and did all the labor ourselves. Total expense was about $17,000.

Appliances 50%

flooring 15%

plumbing (sinks and faucets plus hooking up) 5%; electrical 2%

building materials and paint 20%

lighting 5%

countertop 3%

A shoestring budget is prisoner to labor costs as the highest % of your budget. The only realistic way to be able to stretch the budget to buying above builder grade oak, laminate, and vinyl, is to bring DIY skills to the table. Otherwise, you just spent 30K on putting in the 2016 version of the 1990 kitchen that you want to replace.

Or, if you have no time or inclination for DIY, wait to do the remodel until you can better afford higher quality materials. Just the cabinets alone for a middle of the road 60K remodel will average 15-25K installed.

Sophie, you keep throwing out these big #s. What about the homeowner with a 150k, 200k, 300k home? Putting a "middle of the road" 60k kitchen doesn't make sense for every single person. And do you have proof that all builder grade and Chinese crap fails so quickly? I didn't think so. Fancy stuff breaks too. That's why the Mercedes dealership has a service center too. And it's not just for oil changes. You go around telling everyone to either fork over the big bucks or get cheap Chinese... There is a middle class you know.. And not everyone fits in your realm.

MrsShayne, I agree with you. It is very easy to overbuild a house or a neighborhood. Most people living in $200,000 1300sq ft houses realize that their kitchen will not look anything like the high end ones on Houzz, but then their house does not, either. A $10,000 SubZero refrig would be a ridiculous waste of money.

But this doesn't mean their kitchen must be junk. They may well use RTA cabinets and unless they allow their children to use them as an indoor jungle gym, they'll be fine. There are attractive laminate countertops. Inexpensive subway tile can look great. They can find moderate appliances that have a more updated look.

Throwing money at interior design is easy; being creative and making the best of what on has, is talent. No, the shelter mags will not come calling, but then truly, how many of us live in such houses? So much of what we see Is "kitchen porn".

One gets as good a quality as ones budget allows. We can do no more and not be shamed for such.

I spent $10000 on our last kitchen 6 years ago. It had a good size, and a great layout to begin with, so the money went into the custom cabinets(ended up being cheaper than big box store cabs), granite and flooring. We did stainless steel appliances super on sale, the nicest we could afford. We just listed the house and it sold in 24 hours. The biggest selling point was the nice "high end" kitchen. You don't have to spend a fortune to have a nice kitchen. Figure out your budget, leave some room for problems and shop around until you can make it all work.

For my location, I have to agree with Sophie's point. When I started considering a remodel 2 years ago, I thought $30K was a good budget. Now I'm planning $60K! I have an old house, and the biggest problem is the layout, so I figured low-end materials would be fine. When I started getting estimates, the labor costs are so high here that even the cheapest materials still mean at least $45-50K. For me, it's not worth it to spend that kind of money for materials that aren't what I want, so I'm saving to upgrade to better quality (still not quartzite and subzero for sure!).

I'm in a high COL area, where high labor costs also mean high real estate appreciation, although the neighborhood isn't high-end. So I do have equity to cover the costs, though I'm not expecting much ROI when I sell.

I agree Anglophilia that there are nice options available (ex- RTA) that don't cost an arm and a leg. And each person has his or her own budget, and just because a budget may be lower, doesn't mean a nice and well done space can't be achieved.

OP - You should also look at your home value and surroundings to help determine what is appropriate to spend. Of course, you can spend whatever you want. But without knowing your home value and surroundings, I wouldn't just urge someone to spend 60k for middle of the road.

and for my location, I have to disagree with Sophie's point...

I'm in a cookie cutter neighborhood and I know what the homes will bring. As mush as I would loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee a 60k kitchen remodel, I know without a doubt, I would never get that money back (okay maybe 30 years later, but by that time the space would be outdated again)... There are too many variables to lay down costs. We would need to know the OPs home value and surroundings to help offer better advice, especially if we are going to throw #s out.

Sophie knows her stuff and offers lots of great advice most of the time. I just always see her throwing out the cheap Chinese and cheaper option crap and I can't help but think, some people - that is their only option.

44% Construction Costs Including Labor, Demo, Cabinet Install and Materials

17% Cabinets

14% Appliances

7% Counters

8% Doors and Windows

= 90%

Everything else, lighting, etc are expenses of about 1% of budget

I am in a high cost of living area (NYC) and think that maybe 1% of people that would purchase my house would notice anything other than the superficial look of the cabinet (and that is probably true i most areas). Anyone in NYC/LI area have recommendations for cabinet stores. It seems like a common thread that cabinet costs are 30-40% of the total spend (not including labor). I need to get an idea of labor expense to see if my budget number makes sense. I didn't want to throw a number out and obtain less comments here as a result of lower or higher budget kitchen folks potentially not responding. I would love to complete the remodel for the lower end ranges but i just dont see it as possible in my area. By the way, i will probably have one wall with just lowers (maybe a full height pantry) about 10 ft long and the other wall somewhere between 16 to 18 ft of cabinets.

Mrsshyne

I agree with you. Sorry Sophy but I don't consider a $60,000 kitchen "middle of the road", at least not in my kneck of the woods.

Not 60K worth of cabinets. 60K worth of a professionally designed and executed whole project costs. Demolition, flooring, plumbing, electrical, painting, cabinets, counters, and supervision by someone licensed, insured, and who can make things happen in the order they need to happen and keep an eye on quality.

Just because you don't care for being below average doesn't mean that you are in Lake Woebegone.