Building a new home?

A kitchen budget starts with fair market value.

The kitchen represents 10-20% of the fair market value of a home.

  • Investing less than 10% of the fair market value may result in a kitchen that doesn’t meet expectations.
  • Exceeding 20% makes it more difficult to recoup expenses when you sell your home.
  • 50-65% of the cost should be designated for cabinetry and countertops (or 50% for cabinetry and 15% for countertops)
  • Another 15% can be expected for appliances, flooring and other goods like lighting, plumbing fixtures, etc.
  • The remaining 20-35% includes the costs of labor, design elements, contracting services, etc.

Sample kitchen budgets

For a home worth $100,000

  • Cabinets and countertops (50-65% of total budget) $10,000-13,000
  • Appliances, flooring and other goods (15% of total budget) $3,000
  • Labor, design, contractors, etc. (20-35% of total budget) $4,000-6,000
  • Total Budget $20,000

For a home worth $250,000

  • Cabinets and countertops (50-65% of total budget) $25,000-32,500
  • Appliances, flooring and other goods (15% of total budget) $7,500
  • Labor, design, contractors, etc. (20-35% of total budget) $10,000-17,500
  • Total Budget $50,000

For a home worth $300,000

  • Cabinets and countertops (50-65% of total budget) $30,000-39,000
  • Appliances, flooring and other goods (15% of total budget) $9,000
  • Labor, design, contractors, etc. (20-35% of total budget) $12,000-21,000
  • Total Budget $60,000

For a home worth $400,000

  • Cabinets and countertops (50-65% of total budget) $40,000-52,000
  • Appliances, flooring and other goods (15% of total budget) $12,000
  • Labor, design, contractors, etc. (20-35% of total budget) $16,000-28,000
  • Total Budget $80,000