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Kitchen Remodeling bid fairness checker.

Most kitchen bids live or die on two lines: cabinets and counters. Everything else is rounding error by comparison. A fair kitchen remodel (combined) runs $28,755 to $35,682 nationally, against about $26,189 in delivery cost. Paste the bid and the checker grades the whole bill, then shows you what each line was measured against.

Independent FatBook v3 cost indexVerified permit/source data where availableReviewed by Leonard "Chuck" Thompson

Is your kitchen remodeling bid fair?

Cost index by David Olson · reviewed by Leonard "Chuck" Thompson · 2026-08-28
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National Average
Within the fair range.
Fair range
Fair range$28,755 to $35,682
Cost to deliver$26,189
Typical market bid$32,090
Your bid$32,090
Implied margin18%
Fair range. Cost to deliver is the break-even, the red line on the gauge, not the price to demand. A fair bid sits in the green band above it: most jobs land at a 15 to 22 percent margin on the bid, roughly 18 to 28 percent over the cost to deliver, leaner or richer by trade and market. Contractors earn that, and they should: nobody works for free, and if the job were easy you would not need one.
Labor$5,357 (16.7%)
Materials$12,840 (40%)
Permit$531 (1.7%)
Overhead$7,461 (23.3%)
Margin$5,901 (18.4%)
Cost to deliver plus a fair margin = $32,090

Built, not guessed.

The checker rebuilds the job from primary data: Craftsman hours at your metro's loaded BLS wage, FRED PPI materials, the verified permit fee, and NAHB overhead. That sum is the cost to deliver. A fair bid sits 8 to 14 percent over it at the lean floor and 24 to 45 percent at the premium ceiling, scaled by your trade and metro. Read the full methodology.

Bid checker questions.

What is a fair price for kitchen remodel (combined)?
In 2026, a fair kitchen remodel (combined) bid runs $28,755 to $35,682 nationally. The cost to deliver sits at $26,189, and an honest margin lands roughly 10 to 36 percent above it depending on the metro.
What does the checker compare my bid against?
Every benchmark is built, not scraped: Craftsman labor hours times BLS metro wages with burden, FRED PPI-adjusted materials, verified city permit fees, and NAHB overhead. The verdict places your number on a ladder from below cost to premium against the fair band for your metro.
Is a bid far below the cost to deliver a good deal?
Usually the opposite. A bid below the cost to deliver means someone is cutting scope, insurance, or quality to get there, and the checker flags it as below cost rather than calling it a bargain.
Why should the contractor make a profit on top of the cost to deliver?
Because nobody works for free. Cost to deliver is the break-even: labor, materials, permits, and overhead with zero profit in it. The 18 to 28 percent most contractors keep over that, a 15 to 22 percent margin on the bid, pays for the license, the insurance, the warranty callback, and the judgment you are actually hiring. If the job were easy, you would not need a contractor at all. Use the floor to spot padding, not to demand free work.
Do cabinet allowances make a bid look cheaper than it is?
That is usually their job. An allowance pushes real cost past signing day. The checker grades what is on the page and flags what a full kitchen scope should include, so a missing line reads as missing, not as savings.

Check it against your city's numbers.

The fair band moves with local wages and permit fees. Your city's page shows the numbers the checker grades against, service by service.

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Cost index built by David Olson, Creator of the Cost Index & Permit Dataset · Methodology reviewed by Leonard "Chuck" Thompson, LC Thompson Construction Co., Owner (retired) · 2026-08-28