What a Kitchen Remodel Really Costs in the Seattle–Tacoma Area (Late 2026)

The first question almost every homeowner asks us is some version of "what is this going to cost?" It is a fair question, and the honest answer is a range, not a number. Below is what we are seeing on kitchen projects across King and Pierce County right now, what each price tier actually buys, and the handful of decisions that swing the budget more than anything else.

The ranges we quote in 2026

In the Puget Sound market, a midrange kitchen remodel typically runs $45,000 to $90,000. Larger kitchens with custom cabinetry, layout changes, or premium appliances commonly land between $100,000 and $175,000, and showpiece kitchens with slab stone on every surface go higher. Cosmetic refreshes that keep the layout, cabinets, and plumbing where they are can come in under $45,000.

Those numbers include design, permits, demolition, construction, and finishes. They do not include appliances unless we say so in the proposal, because appliance budgets vary wildly from family to family.

What each tier looks like in a real kitchen

Under $45,000: the refresh

Same footprint, same plumbing locations. New counters, a tile backsplash, updated lighting, new hardware, and either painted or refaced cabinet boxes. This is the right move when the layout already works and the kitchen just looks tired.

$45,000 to $90,000: the midrange rebuild

New semi-custom cabinetry, quartz counters, new flooring that ties into the adjacent rooms, recessed and under-cabinet lighting, and usually one meaningful layout improvement, like relocating the sink to a window or adding an island where a peninsula used to be. Most of our kitchens live here.

$100,000 and up: the layout change

This is where walls move. The Okafor kitchen in Renton is a good example: we opened the wall to the old dining room, framed a black-steel picture window toward the backyard trees, and centered everything on a walnut-and-Calacatta island. Structural work, a new window opening, slab stone, and custom walnut cabinetry each add real cost, but the result is a different house, not just a nicer kitchen.

The five decisions that move the number most

1. Moving walls or plumbing. A structural wall removal needs an engineer, a beam, and a permit. Relocating the sink or range means new supply, drain, and venting runs. Each of these can add $8,000 to $25,000 depending on what is behind the drywall.
2. Cabinet construction. Stock, semi-custom, and fully custom cabinetry can differ by a factor of three for the same kitchen. Inset doors, like the muted sage cabinetry in the Harrington kitchen in Puyallup, cost more than overlay doors because of the precision involved.
3. Stone. Quartz counters are the midrange default. Full-height slab backsplashes and waterfall islands, like the book-matched slab in the Nakashima kitchen in Bellevue, multiply the stone budget because you are buying and fabricating far more material.
4. Windows and openings. Enlarging a window toward a view is one of the highest-impact changes we make, and one of the easiest to underestimate. Header framing, exterior siding repair, and the window itself add up.
5. What the walls are hiding. In 1950s through 1980s homes across Milton, Federal Way, and Tacoma, we routinely find undersized electrical panels, galvanized plumbing, and framing that needs correcting. We carry a contingency in every proposal for exactly this reason, and we tell you when we use it.

How we keep the number honest

Every project starts with a free consultation and then a design phase where we model the kitchen in 3D and price it line by line before anything is demolished. You approve a fixed-price contract with finish allowances spelled out, so the number you sign is the number you build to. If you want to see what that process looks like, our kitchen remodeling page walks through it step by step.

A note on timing

Design, selections, and permitting take six to twelve weeks before construction begins, and construction on a midrange kitchen runs another six to ten weeks. Families who start design in the fall are typically cooking in their new kitchen by spring. If that timeline appeals to you, book a consultation and we will walk your kitchen with you.