Kitchen remodel cost without appliances: where the money goes
What a kitchen remodel costs if you keep your appliances, how the budget splits between cabinets, countertop and labor, and basic vs mid vs premium.
A mid-range kitchen remodel, with new cabinets, a quartz countertop, a new sink and backsplash, typically costs $12,000 in 2026, with most jobs between $9,350 – $15,600. That is without appliances and without new flooring. Stock cabinets and a laminate countertop bring it down to about $6,950; custom cabinetry and premium stone push it toward $17,300. Figures are before sales tax.
We price kitchens without appliances on purpose. A fridge, range and dishwasher can cost anything from a few hundred dollars to more than the cabinets, and many people keep the ones they have. Mixing them into one total makes kitchen prices impossible to compare.
The kitchen we priced
Every figure is for the same job, so the tiers are directly comparable:
- an L-shaped kitchen with about 15 linear feet of base cabinets and matching wall cabinets, in a room of roughly 110 sq ft
- the same layout: sink, range and appliances stay where they are
- tear-out of the old cabinets, countertop, sink and backsplash, with debris hauled away
- new supply and drain connections for the sink and dishwasher, with wall chases cut and patched
- four duplex outlets over the counter and for appliances, plus two light points including an under-cabinet feed
- cabinets assembled, leveled and installed; countertop templated and fitted with the sink cut-out
- sink, faucet and dishwasher connected; range, oven and hood hooked up by an electrician
- backsplash tile, and walls and ceiling painted
Change the cabinet length in the calculator on Kitchen remodel to see your own figure.
Where the money goes
The work and the trades are the same in all three tiers. What changes is what you buy.
Cabinets: the biggest line
Cabinets are the single largest item in almost every kitchen budget, and the one that moves most between tiers. Flat-pack or stock cabinets are made in standard sizes and are the cheapest way to get new boxes and doors. Mid-range lines add soft-close hinges and drawers, sturdier boxes and more finishes. Custom or high-end cabinets are built to your exact dimensions, which matters in an awkward room, and cost accordingly.
Installation labor is similar across the tiers: the same number of boxes has to be assembled, leveled and fixed to the wall.
Countertop
Laminate is the budget choice and is cut and fitted quickly. Engineered quartz, our mid-range choice, is durable and low-maintenance but has to be templated after the cabinets are in and fabricated off site, which adds a wait between cabinet installation and the finished kitchen. Premium stone costs more per foot and is heavier to handle.
Sink, faucet and backsplash
A stainless sink and basic mixer, a composite or undermount sink with a better faucet, or a premium sink with a pull-out mixer: the difference is real but modest compared with cabinets. The same goes for backsplash tile, where the area is small; designer tile adds more to the price per square foot than to the total.
Labor: plumbing, electrical, installation
This is where the budget does not shrink much when you go basic. Removing the old kitchen, running new supply and drain stubs, adding outlets and lighting, installing the cabinets, fitting the countertop and connecting everything takes the same hours whatever you buy. That is why the gap between the tiers comes almost entirely from materials, not from the work.
Our figures are built the same way for every project: the hours each task takes, multiplied by local trade rates, plus materials, then checked against market prices and real quotes. Plumbing and electrical changes usually need a local permit, and that work should be done by licensed professionals where the law requires it.
Basic vs mid vs premium at a glance
| Tier | Cabinets | Countertop | Sink | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Flat-pack or stock | Laminate | Stainless with mixer | $6,950 |
| Mid-range | Soft-close mid-range | Engineered quartz | Composite or undermount | $12,000 |
| Premium | Custom or high-end | Premium stone | Premium with pull-out mixer | $17,300 |
What is not in the figure
- Appliances. Budget them separately, and check whether new ones fit the cabinet openings before you order.
- Flooring. If the old floor does not run under the new cabinets, or you want a new one anyway, see Flooring installation.
- Moving things. Relocating the sink, range or a wall means new plumbing, gas or electrical runs, and possibly structural work.
- Sales tax and permit fees, which vary by state and city.
- Surprises. Old wiring, water damage behind the sink or out-of-level walls show up once the cabinets come off.
How to save without regretting it
- Keep the layout. It is the single biggest saving available, because it avoids moving plumbing, gas and circuits.
- Spend on boxes and hardware, save on doors. Sturdy boxes and good drawer runners are what wear out; doors can be changed later.
- Pick the countertop early. Choosing the slab before the cabinets go in avoids delays between installation and templating.
- Get comparable quotes. Ask each contractor to price the same cabinet line and countertop, so you are comparing labor and markup, not materials.
When the quotes come in, run them through our "Is my quote fair?" tool. It compares your price with what homeowners in your area typically pay for the same job and tells you whether it looks low, typical or high.