You can picture the new kitchen, but the first estimates seem to describe different projects. One keeps the cabinets, another replaces everything, and a third moves the sink and opens up a wall.
So a full kitchen remodel in the same layout is $30,000 to $60,000 in PRG Home Improvement’s Anne Arundel and Howard County, Maryland guide. The appliances themselves are extra unless included in the quote.
I will compare a refresh with a full replacement, explain the allowances and hidden work, and show what homeowners spent. Start with the room you want to change before choosing a budget from a national headline.
Three Different Kitchen Projects
PRG publishes these local project ranges, checked October 24, 2026. Its tiers describe different work, rather than three prices for the same kitchen:
The refresh keeps the cabinet boxes and updates their finish or fronts. New cabinets, flooring and electrical upgrades are outside that lower tier, along with buying new appliances.
The same-layout replacement includes demolition and disposal, drywall repair, cabinets at the stated allowance, counters, backsplash, sink, faucet, disposal and kitchen flooring.
It also includes electrical work within the scope, appliance hookups, permit application and inspections. It excludes moving the sink, range, gas line or walls, plus flooring continued into adjoining rooms.
PRG’s higher tier adds structural design and beam work, utility relocation and custom cabinets. It still excludes an exterior addition and new appliances unless they are quoted. Avoid adding a beam charge again when it is already included.
Why Another Remodeler’s Budget Can Be Higher
Neil Kelly’s Bend, Oregon kitchen page gives $85,000 to $215,000 for its “Replace” tier: new cabinets, countertops and appliances in the existing footprint, with minor plumbing and electrical updates where needed.
That is a different provider, market and package from the Maryland example. In particular, Neil Kelly names appliances in that tier, while PRG excludes their purchase unless it is written into the quote.
I would keep those examples separate. A low figure that leaves major purchases to you cannot be compared directly with a broader design-and-construction package.
Read the Allowances Before Comparing Totals
PRG warns that a low cabinet allowance can leave the real cabinet price until a selection meeting after you sign.
Attach a cabinet plan and product schedule to the proposal. Our kitchen cabinet replacement guide explains the cabinet order, installation and alternatives to buying all-new boxes.
For surfaces, agree on the selected material, edges, openings and backsplash. The countertop replacement guide covers those details when you need to check that portion of the project.
Choose appliance models before the cabinet openings are final. Use the dishwasher replacement guide for the machine and connection work, and confirm whether the remodeler already includes fitting it.
Have the quote identify design work, materials, labor, taxes, permits, disposal and owner-supplied purchases. Then compare the same plans and selections, with a clear explanation of what happens when you exceed an allowance.
Leave Room for What the Walls Hide
PRG recommends a 10% to 15% contingency for unexpected conditions. Its examples include hidden damage and electrical work that only becomes clear as the kitchen is opened up.
Using the $45,000 example discussed by PRG, a 10% reserve is $45,000 x 0.10 = $4,500. The amount to have available becomes $45,000 + $4,500 = $49,500.
PRG describes a change-order process: you see the cost and approve unexpected work before it proceeds. Ask whether the quoted budget already includes a contingency.
Ask where flooring will stop and how the new work meets adjoining rooms. A removed wall can affect more than the kitchen, including floor patches, ceiling repairs, paint and utility routes.
What Homeowners Spent
These US accounts show different amounts of owner labor and work outside the original kitchen. They retain their dates and scope, so a smaller DIY bill does not become a current contractor offer.
- A southeastern Wisconsin owner reported about $20,000 in an April 8, 2023 Garage Journal post, describing a remodel about six years earlier. The owner did much of the work; walls, lighting, quartz and appliances were included.
- A DC Urban Moms homeowner posting from “MoCo” on December 19, 2020 at 00:13 reported less than $40,000 for the previous year’s kitchen. It included wall removal, a relocated stove, new appliances and floors.
- A homeowner in Chevy Chase, DC described around $150,000 on November 1, 2021 at 18:25. Removing a wall also meant patching and refinishing the first floor; the project added island plumbing and premium appliances.
The Maryland-area poster also found a waste pipe during wall removal. That is the kind of discovery a tidy cabinet-and-countertop budget can miss, even when the finished room is not getting larger.
Where I Would Start With a Limited Budget
If the layout works, price keeping it before planning utility moves. PRG’s lower tier also shows a way to update finishes while keeping the cabinet boxes, provided they are worth retaining.
If storage or circulation is the problem, settle that in the design before buying surfaces. Spending on a finish you later remove will not help the final kitchen work better.
Plan how you will cook and wash dishes during the work, and ask when the sink will be usable again. Keep the construction schedule separate from the time needed for design, ordering and approvals.
Before signing, make sure one person is responsible for coordinating the trades and finishing the small remaining jobs. You need to know who to contact when a delivery, inspection or final adjustment holds things up.
Kitchen Remodel Budget Questions
How much should I budget for a full kitchen remodel?
PRG’s Maryland same-layout range is $30,000 to $60,000, with appliances extra unless quoted. Its layout-change tier is $65,000 to $100,000. Your plan and inclusions determine which is relevant.
Can I remodel without replacing the cabinets?
PRG’s refresh tier keeps the cabinet boxes and updates finishes, counters, backsplash, sink, lighting and paint. It excludes a new cabinet layout and kitchen flooring.
Are appliances included in a kitchen remodel price?
Check the package. PRG excludes buying them unless quoted, while Neil Kelly’s Bend replacement tier names new appliances among its inclusions. Hookups and appliance purchases are different costs.
How much should I keep for surprises?
PRG recommends a 10% to 15% contingency. At 10%, its $45,000 example needs a $4,500 reserve, so $45,000 + $4,500 = $49,500 available, provided the reserve is not already included.
Where These Prices Come From
- PRG Home Improvement, Maryland kitchen remodel prices, tiers, inclusions, exclusions and contingency guidance; checked October 24, 2026.
- Neil Kelly, Bend kitchen remodeling, Replace budget tier; checked October 24, 2026.
- The Garage Journal Wisconsin owner account dated April 8, 2023, and DC Urban Moms accounts dated December 19, 2020 and November 1, 2021, linked above; checked October 24, 2026.
I hope this helps you put a useful budget around the kitchen you want. If you have a question about your remodel quote, email me at costcheckr@gmail.com.
