Mid level will average 20-30K for cabinets. A standard mid level kitchen remodel runs 65K, with no structural changes. That’s licensed contractors doing all the work, and all the surfaces getting touched. https://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2019/

Good mid grade lines are Kraftmaid, Diamond, Shiloh, Medallion, DuraSupreme, Dynasty, Merillat Masterpiece, and lots more.

Most RTA is cheap import garbage.

Buying cabinets is one of the most frustrating things I’ve done. Leaving aside the question of whether you’re working with a kitchen designer (which all the pros on here seem to emphasize), my research has found there are a lot of good brands out there, even though you’ll find bad reviews on all of them. Once I had a pretty good idea of our layout, I did a bit of price shopping and ended up purchasing Kraftmaid cabinets through Home Depot during a sale. I’m still working on the final design so I can’t comment on the quality of the cabinets, customer service, etc. But I was being quoted $10-12k more in some other brands for essentially the same layout in Kraftmaid (upgraded to all plywood construction). The quotes that I received that were comparable to the Kraftmaid price were not of plywood construction. I may end up being disappointed in some aspect of the cabinets, but I do feel like I’m getting a fair price. I know I always appreciate actual numbers, so we are looking at about $12-14k for a 17’ x 8’ L shaped run, plus an island. Painted maple, shaker door. This does not include any installation - literally just the cabinets and delivery. Hope that’s helpful. Good luck!

A kitchen redo is more than just cabinets. If you’re not doing anything structural, this is the average distribution of numbers over the last 3 years. If you have issues, like knob and tube wiring, or cast iron pipes, or mold remediation, your allocations may be different. Average hands off remodels in my area are bell curved closer to 50K. Very few below 40K. Very few above 60K, although I do both. The lower cost ones generally have a significant DIY contribution to offset paid labor from contractors.

I agree with GD’s cabinet list. I think Shiloh, Medallion, and Merillat Masterpiece are good values for the dollar. Plywood absolutely is not worth paying extra for. Ask any KD. Most didn’t choose it for their own homes. Put that 20% into finishing off the sides and backs in a more decorative manner.

If you’re interested in a lower budget project (Traditionally kitchen remodels are 15-20% of a home’s value.) then this may be a good thread for you to take a look at. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/white-shaker-battle-ikea-vs-the-rest-of-the-cabinet-world-dsvw-vd~5647040#n=41

Adding two additional thoughts -

Unless you have lived in a lot of different houses before and are super clear on what works for you in a kitchen, I would not renovate before moving in. You need to cook in the kitchen and live in the house for a while before you learn what will work best from a layout standpoint.

If you are leaning toward white cabinetry and have an IKEA nearby, you should consider using ikea boxes and custom doors from Semihandmade, Scherr’s or a similar company. We didn’t go that route because we didn’t want white cabinets and the ikea interior only come in white, but if having that contrast between the inside of the cabinet and the doors (which will be gray) didn’t bother me, we would have went with ikea. Do some searches on here and you’ll find more info.

Agree with MLB418. I used IKEA boxes with custom doors and it saved us about $25k:

https://renov8or.blogspot.com/2019/04/our-kitchen-was-featured-on-sweeten.html

Unfortunately, There is so much junk out there these days. I can not believe how cheap some of these cabinet lines I have seen out there. When I see a cabinet brochure with lots of pictures but little info on the materials themselves, it's a red flag. Quality cabinets brag about their materials Low Quality hide it in fine print.

What I suggest is to see a whole base cabinet put together before investing at the showroom. Try local cabinet stores.

If ordering online. Buy 1 of the smallest base cabinets in the layout. That way you can see how well the process is in shipping and put together the cabinet & inspect it fully. If you do not like the cabinet, oh well, try to return. if cannot return at least you didn't get stuck with a bunch of cabinets you didn't like.

If it works, great order the remaining in confidence.

I agree

"Good mid grade lines are Kraftmaid, Diamond, Shiloh, Medallion, DuraSupreme, Dynasty, Merillat Masterpiece, and lots more.

Most RTA is cheap import garbage."

But one good RTA cabinet is J&K cabinets. I would check them out at a local dealer who has a showroom. When you see the cabinets, you can inspect the quality. An average 10 x10 is around $4,700. My clients are happy with them.

Also, get a quote for custom cabinets.

Avoid foil doors from any cabinet line. They often peel around the edges.

I'm in the middle of a kitchen renovation. I initially went with a local kitchen designer and simple shakers were going to cost me about $30-35G to do the whole kitchen remodel.

My designer and I just couldn't get on the same page so I told her that we were putting the project on hold. We did and I did a ton of research since then. I researched different companies and took about a year to decide. I ended up doing Ikea boxes and Semihandmade door fronts. A kitchen that was going to cost me $30-35G is closer to about $15K(including my appliances). I got a quote from Cliq Studios and the quote for just cabinets was $13,500. I got my boxes and custom doors for $6500. My granite quotes are running about $3G (including tax) for 55 sq ft.

I went to Lowe's to get a quote on two pantries and 4 lower cabinets for additional storage in my dining room. Shenandoah cabinets came back at $6500. I did the same design on Ikea's planner and it came in at $2200. The cabinets are incredibly easy to install yourself too.

Wise advice to wait and live in the space before gutting the kitchen.

The best advice is to do nothing for 6 months to a year so you learn how the kitchen works and what you really need to do, The worst thing you can do is redo the kitchen and then realize it doesn't fit the house or it's a dysfunctional layout.

Agree with Cpartist and others who say live with it a bit. If I'd renovated before moving in, I would probably have retained the original footprint, a narrow galley that in practice didn't work at all for the way DH and I cook - and live. I'd have been stuck with it had I spent the money then.

Yup, ditto renov8or. Redid the layout of my kitchen also after living with it. I think everyone should cook a big meal in a kitchen to find out what they like and don’t like.

We thought about living in the house for a bit prior to remodeling the kitchen, but that’s a tough one.

The kitchen needs updating and we are doing the floors at the same time.

We also plan to start trying to have kids upon moving in, so there’s that...

The current owner of the house is older and his daughter has been designing kitchens for many years. On a whim we were talking to her about it and that’s how we found out she was a designer. She redid the layout and we love it!

So, are box store and local dealers THAT MUCH more than a good RTA or IKEA?

Do you mean she re-did the layout on graph paper . Or she did the existing layout that is in place? On graph paper you can start w that submitted to scherrs for doors w IKEA carcass cabs. That is a good start as they will know where sizes may need tweaks if using IKEA. You are a bit ahead if it's a good solid plan as she obviously knows the space. Usual advice to wait...after some occupancy projects better started....but then there are exceptions.

My experience locally is that custom (yes, custom) was about 25% less expensive than Kraftmaid, etc, and about 25% more than IKEA. Talk around and find out who some custom cabinet makers are in your area. If you do a search for my name, I just posted my kitchen reno. The cabinets were $14,000 for solid birch, no plywood, no fillers. Everything is functional space. Go to more than one cabinet maker, their prices can vary widely. I used someone I had used prior, and I used them again. Ask on this forum if someone in your area has a custom cabinet maker, it is how I found my cabinet maker 9 years ago!