Where the numbers come from
The kitchen figures and the midrange and upscale bathroom figures are national average job costs from the Remodeling/JLC Cost vs Value 2025 report. Each one describes a specific, defined project. The minor midrange kitchen, for example, is a 200 sq ft kitchen with refaced cabinets, laminate counters and new appliances. The midrange bath is a full gut of a 5 × 7 ft bathroom. The low/high spread around each average is an editorial estimate of regional variation, and the “local cost level” setting shifts the whole range up or down.
The “typical homeowner” bathroom option uses a 2026 cost-guide range instead ($6,456–$24,715 nationally). It covers everything from a cosmetic refresh to a full remodel, so it is a better starting point if you’re keeping the tub and layout.
Worked example: a midrange major kitchen
The calculator’s defaults are a major midrange kitchen at the national average cost level with a 10% contingency.
| Line item | Share | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinets & hardware | 29% | $24,010 |
| Installation labor | 17% | $14,075 |
| Appliances & ventilation | 14% | $11,591 |
| Countertops | 10% | $8,279 |
| Flooring | 7% | $5,796 |
| Lighting | 5% | $4,140 |
| Walls & ceilings | 5% | $4,140 |
| Design fees | 4% | $3,312 |
| Faucets & plumbing | 4% | $3,312 |
| Doors & windows | 4% | $3,312 |
| Other | 1% | $828 |
| Base (Cost vs Value) | 100% | $82,793 |
| Contingency | +10% | $8,279 |
| Typical total | $91,072 |
The full range is $70,000–$95,000 before contingency and $77,000–$104,500 with it. The line items are computed to the cent and add up exactly to the totals.
The percentage splits are editorial estimates based on commonly cited cost-guide breakdowns. Real projects differ: choosing stock cabinets and keeping your appliances shifts money toward labor and counters.
What moves a remodel budget
- Layout changes. Moving a sink, range or toilet means new supply, drain and vent lines, and often new electrical circuits. Keeping fixtures where they are is the biggest single way to control cost.
- Cabinet grade. Cabinets are the largest share of a kitchen budget, so the jump from stock to semi-custom to custom matters more than almost any other choice.
- Room size. Cost vs Value figures are for specific room sizes. A kitchen much larger than 200 sq ft needs more cabinets, counter and flooring.
- The age of the house. Opening walls in an older home can uncover undersized wiring, galvanized pipe or rot. This is what the contingency reserve is for.
- Where you live. Labor rates vary widely between rural areas and big coastal metros. The local cost level applies a multiplier from 0.85 to 1.4.
Using your own budget
If you already have a number in mind, enter it as your own budget. The calculator then splits that amount using the same percentages and adds your contingency on top. The local cost level is not applied, because your number is already local. This is a quick way to see whether, say, $40,000 leaves a realistic amount for cabinets — about $11,600 at a 29% share.
Contingency: how much is enough?
The default 10% is a reasonable minimum for a newer home with a straightforward scope. Use 15–20% for older homes or for projects that open exterior walls or move plumbing. The bathroom line-item split doesn’t include its own contingency, so this reserve is your only cushion.
Planning the details
Measure the room with the square footage calculator, then price individual pieces with the flooring calculator, tile calculator and paint calculator. Comparing those numbers with the line items here shows quickly whether a contractor’s bid is in the right range.
How this calculator works
- Base budget = Cost vs Value low/typical/high for the chosen scope × local cost factor, or your own budget if you enter one.
- Each line item = base budget × its percentage share, computed in whole cents with largest-remainder rounding so the items add up exactly to the base.
- Contingency = base budget × contingency %. Total = sum of line items + contingency.
Assumptions and limitations
- Kitchen and midrange/upscale bathroom figures are national average job costs from the Remodeling/JLC Cost vs Value 2025 report for specific project definitions; the low/high spreads around them are editorial estimates.
- The "typical homeowner" bathroom range is from a 2026 national cost guide.
- The local cost level multiplies the national figures; it is not applied to a budget you enter yourself.
- Line-item percentage splits are editorial estimates based on commonly cited breakdowns (each set adds to 100%); they are not from a single primary survey.
- The contingency reserve is added on top of the base budget.
- Excludes structural changes, moving walls or plumbing stacks, asbestos/lead abatement, and temporary living costs unless your own budget includes them.
These results are planning estimates, not quotes. Local prices, site conditions and building codes vary, so get written estimates from licensed contractors before you commit to a budget.
Try your own numbers. Every price and assumption above is editable in the estimator.
Back to the remodel budget estimatorFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between a minor and a major kitchen remodel?
How much contingency should I add to a remodel budget?
What usually costs the most in a kitchen remodel?
Sources and data
- Remodeling/JLC Cost vs Value 2025 (as cited by NerdWallet) — kitchen remodel cost
- JLC Cost vs Value 2025
- This Old House (2026) — bathroom remodel cost
- Angi (2026) — how much does bathroom remodel cost
Prices are US national ranges reviewed October 2026 (data version 2026.10). A few values are editorial estimates where no single published source exists; the Cost Index marks each one. Read our methodology and editorial policy.