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Independent Cost Data

Kitchen Remodeling bid and true cost calculators.

Independent FatBook v3 cost indexVerified permit/source data where availableReviewed by Leonard "Chuck" Thompson
2026-07-10 Calculator Baseline

Start with the 2026-07-10 national kitchen remodeling benchmark of $29,075, then choose your metro and service to compare a contractor quote against local range, lowest realistic price, and margin data.

Updated Jul 2026. Sources: BLS OEWS, FRED PPI, Craftsman labor-hour references, city permit data where available, and FatBook v3 cost-index methodology.

$29,075
Average
$26,055 to $32,328
Typical Range
$26,055
Lowest realistic price
18.4%
Margin
How this number is calculated

The kitchen remodeling figure is built from parts, never scraped: published labor hours, this metro’s wages with burden, current material prices, permit data where available, and overhead a working shop actually carries. Cost index version: 2026-07-10. Updated Jul 2026.

Sources: BLS, NKBA, Remodeling Magazine, Craftsman
Reference URLs: BLS OEWS · FRED PPI
Reviewed by: Leonard "Chuck" Thompson
Read methodology →
Estimate Scope

What the kitchen remodeling benchmark includes.

Included in the benchmark
  • Kitchen Remodel (Combined) as the headline cost-index scope
  • labor-hour assumptions, regional wage inputs, materials, overhead, and permit data where available
  • low, average, high, lowest realistic price, margin, and savings benchmarks from the FatBook cost index
Not included automatically
  • hidden damage, change orders, emergency service premiums, or unusual site access conditions
  • contractor financing approval, warranties, provider recommendations, or guaranteed final quotes
  • permit rulings for a specific address unless the city permit panel lists verified local data
Scope methodology →
Bid Fairness Checker

Is your kitchen remodeling bid fair?

Cost index by David Olson · reviewed by Leonard "Chuck" Thompson · 2026-07-10

Start from cabinets and counters. The calculator builds the rest of the budget around them.

Want a shareable link? Use the standalone Bid Fairness Checker.

$
Type the number off the estimate, or drag the bar. The gauge below shows where it lands.
Or
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Drag and drop or click here. PDF or CSV, we extract the line items.
Or paste it
Analyzed estimates are stored anonymized (names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails stripped) to improve the benchmark. No account, no tracking.
National Average
Within the fair range.
Fair range
Fair range$26,055 to $32,328
Cost to deliver$23,731
Typical market bid$29,075
Your bid$29,075
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, roughly 8 to 45 percent over depending on trade and market, with most landing between 18 and 28. Most contractors earn a margin in that band, and they should: nobody works for free, and if the job were easy you would not need one.
Embed These Tools

Put these on your site.

Free and always current, no API key needed. Each widget credits TheFatBook with a link back. Copy the snippet for any tool below.

Kitchen Remodeling Bid Fairness Checker
<iframe src="https://thefatbook.com/kitchen-remodeling/embed/bid-checker/" title="Kitchen Remodeling Bid Fairness Checker" id="fb-embed-kitchen-remodeling-bid-checker" width="100%" height="560" loading="lazy" style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:10px;max-width:600px"></iframe> <p style="font-size:12px;color:#555;margin:6px 0 0">Powered by <a href="https://thefatbook.com/kitchen-remodeling/bid-checker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kitchen Remodeling Bid Fairness Checker by TheFatBook</a></p> <script>window.addEventListener('message',function(e){if(e.data&&e.data.type==='fb-resize'&&e.data.calc==='bid-checker'){var f=document.getElementById('fb-embed-kitchen-remodeling-bid-checker');if(f)f.style.height=e.data.height+'px';}});</script>
Kitchen Remodeling True Cost Calculator
<iframe src="https://thefatbook.com/kitchen-remodeling/embed/true-cost/" title="Kitchen Remodeling True Cost Calculator" id="fb-embed-kitchen-remodeling-true-cost" width="100%" height="640" loading="lazy" style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:10px;max-width:600px"></iframe> <p style="font-size:12px;color:#555;margin:6px 0 0">Powered by <a href="https://thefatbook.com/kitchen-remodeling/calculators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kitchen Remodeling True Cost Calculator by TheFatBook</a></p> <script>window.addEventListener('message',function(e){if(e.data&&e.data.type==='fb-resize'&&e.data.calc==='true-cost'){var f=document.getElementById('fb-embed-kitchen-remodeling-true-cost');if(f)f.style.height=e.data.height+'px';}});</script>
Cabinet & countertop calculator
<iframe src="https://thefatbook.com/kitchen-remodeling/embed/cabinet-calculator/" title="Cabinet &amp; countertop calculator" id="fb-embed-kitchen-remodeling-cabinet-calculator" width="100%" height="600" loading="lazy" style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:10px;max-width:600px"></iframe> <p style="font-size:12px;color:#555;margin:6px 0 0">Powered by <a href="https://thefatbook.com/kitchen-remodeling/cabinet-calculator/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cabinet &amp; countertop calculator by TheFatBook</a></p> <script>window.addEventListener('message',function(e){if(e.data&&e.data.type==='fb-resize'&&e.data.calc==='cabinet-calculator'){var f=document.getElementById('fb-embed-kitchen-remodeling-cabinet-calculator');if(f)f.style.height=e.data.height+'px';}});</script>
Kitchen Remodeling Financing Calculator
<iframe src="https://thefatbook.com/kitchen-remodeling/embed/financing/" title="Kitchen Remodeling Financing Calculator" id="fb-embed-kitchen-remodeling-financing" width="100%" height="560" loading="lazy" style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:10px;max-width:600px"></iframe> <p style="font-size:12px;color:#555;margin:6px 0 0">Powered by <a href="https://thefatbook.com/kitchen-remodeling/calculators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kitchen Remodeling Financing Calculator by TheFatBook</a></p> <script>window.addEventListener('message',function(e){if(e.data&&e.data.type==='fb-resize'&&e.data.calc==='financing'){var f=document.getElementById('fb-embed-kitchen-remodeling-financing');if(f)f.style.height=e.data.height+'px';}});</script>
Kitchen Remodeling Estimate Checker
<iframe src="https://thefatbook.com/kitchen-remodeling/embed/upload/" title="Kitchen Remodeling Estimate Checker" id="fb-embed-kitchen-remodeling-upload" width="100%" height="600" loading="lazy" style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:10px;max-width:600px"></iframe> <p style="font-size:12px;color:#555;margin:6px 0 0">Powered by <a href="https://thefatbook.com/kitchen-remodeling/calculators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kitchen Remodeling Estimate Checker by TheFatBook</a></p> <script>window.addEventListener('message',function(e){if(e.data&&e.data.type==='fb-resize'&&e.data.calc==='upload'){var f=document.getElementById('fb-embed-kitchen-remodeling-upload');if(f)f.style.height=e.data.height+'px';}});</script>
Specialty tool
Cabinet & countertop calculator
Estimate cabinet linear feet, countertop sqft, DIY material range, and what an installer charges in your metro.
Open cabinet calculator →
Calculator FAQ

Using the kitchen remodeling calculator.

How does the kitchen remodeling cost calculator work?+
It prices the job from the ground up: Craftsman labor hours times the BLS wage for your metro, plus PPI-adjusted materials, the verified permit fee where we have it, and a per-trade overhead benchmark. That gives a cost to deliver, and the fair range sits above it. Pick your city and service and it sizes the number to your market.
Is it free, and do I have to enter my contact information?+
Free, and no. There are no lead forms and no signup. The calculator runs in your browser on published cost data, so you get the number without handing over your email or phone.
How accurate are the estimates?+
They are modeled from federal wage data, a licensed cost book, current material price indices, and real city permit fees, not survey self-reports or scraped quotes. Treat the result as a fair market benchmark to check a bid against, not a binding quote. Your home's specifics and a contractor's scope still move the final number.
Can I check a contractor's bid with it?+
Yes. Paste the quote into the bid checker and it grades the number against the local range, the lowest realistic price, and the typical contractor margin. A margin between 18 and 28 percent is normal and earned, with a fair ceiling of 24 to 45 depending on the trade, so the checker flags a bid that runs well past that and gives you something concrete to negotiate with before you sign.
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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) · 2026-07-10