Investment
Plan with real numbers, not wishful thinking.
Kitchen remodel pricing is not a mystery, but it is not a single number either. The factors below account for most of the difference between one project and another. Understanding them before the first meeting makes every conversation afterward more productive.
Cost drivers
What moves the number.
- 01
Keeping versus changing the layout
A kitchen that stays in its footprint reuses its plumbing, gas and electrical routes. Changing the layout is often the right call, but it brings the infrastructure with it.
- 02
Plumbing and gas relocation
Moving a sink or range a few feet is manageable. Moving it across the room can mean opening floors, ceilings or the unit below in a multi-story building.
- 03
Structural changes
Removing or opening a load-bearing wall requires engineering, a beam, permits and careful sequencing. It is frequently the most transformative change and one of the most involved.
- 04
Cabinet construction and customization
Semi-custom cabinetry offers set sizes and finishes. Custom cabinetry is built to the room, to your storage, and to details like integrated appliances and specialty interiors.
- 05
Appliance level
Professional-grade ranges, column refrigeration and integrated dishwashers cost more themselves and often require upgraded gas, electrical and ventilation.
- 06
Countertop and backsplash material
Engineered quartz, natural stone and full-height slab backsplashes differ in material cost, fabrication complexity and the care they need over time.
- 07
Lighting and electrical changes
New circuits, panel capacity, under-cabinet lighting and layered switching add up, and are far easier to include while walls are open.
- 08
Flooring
Replacing the kitchen floor alone is straightforward. Extending new flooring into adjacent rooms so it reads continuously adds scope beyond the kitchen.
- 09
Permits
Structural, plumbing, electrical and mechanical work in Chicago and its suburbs is permitted and inspected. We manage this, and the time it takes is built into the schedule.
- 10
Condominium or historic-home requirements
Association approvals, insurance requirements, elevator scheduling and landmark review shape both cost and timeline, and need to be understood at the outset.
Investment explorer
See which choices raise or lower complexity.
Choose the characteristics closest to your project. The result describes complexity rather than a price, because an exact number requires seeing the room. It will show you which decisions carry the most weight.
This explorer is educational. It does not produce an estimate, and it cannot account for the conditions of your specific home. An in-home design consultation is required for an exact scope and proposal.
Project categories
Three broad kinds of kitchen project.
Most kitchens fall into one of these categories. They are a way of thinking about scope, not a menu.
Focused kitchen transformation
The footprint stays. Cabinetry, surfaces, lighting and appliances change, and the room reads as new without moving walls or utilities.
- Layout retained, with storage reorganized
- New cabinetry, countertops and backsplash
- Updated lighting on existing circuits where possible
- Appliances replaced in their current positions
Complete kitchen renovation
The room is taken back to the studs. Plumbing, gas and electrical are reworked so the layout serves the way you cook and gather.
- Revised layout with relocated sink, range or refrigeration
- Full plumbing, gas and electrical replanning
- Custom or semi-custom cabinetry throughout
- New flooring, lighting plan and finish package
Structural or highly customized renovation
Walls come down, openings widen, or the kitchen expands into adjacent space. Engineering, permits and specialty fabrication are part of the plan.
- Load-bearing wall removal or new openings
- Kitchen extended into dining, pantry or mudroom areas
- Fully custom cabinetry with specialty interiors
- Engineering, permitting and inspections coordinated by Lakefront
Investment ranges are discussed during the consultation once scope is understood.
Questions
Straight answers about kitchen pricing.
Why don’t you publish a price per square foot?
Because it would be misleading. Two kitchens of identical size can differ enormously depending on whether walls move, what the cabinetry is made of and which appliances are chosen. We would rather explain the drivers honestly and give you a real range once we have seen the room.
When do I receive an actual number?
A preliminary investment range is presented with the concept direction, after the in-home consultation. A fixed proposal follows detailed design and selections.
What is the best way to control cost?
Decide the layout early and hold it. Layout changes late in design ripple through cabinetry, surfaces, lighting and trades. After that, cabinetry construction and appliance level are the two selections with the most leverage.
Do condominium projects cost more?
They often carry additional coordination: association approvals, certificates of insurance, elevator reservations, restricted working hours and protection of common areas. We plan for these from the start so they do not become surprises.
For an exact scope and proposal, we need to see the kitchen.
An in-home design consultation is where a real number begins. We measure the room, look at the systems behind it and talk through what you want it to do.
Schedule an In-Home Consultation