How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Austin?
Honest 2026 ranges for Austin, what moves the number, and where the money shows versus where it hides.
By Guello Construction · Austin, TX · Updated October 31, 2026
01Guide
The short answer
In Austin in 2026, a full kitchen remodel by an insured, permitted contractor usually lands between $60,000 and $120,000. That is a kitchen taken to the studs, with new cabinetry, stone counters, lighting, plumbing, and floors, in a typical 180 to 250 square foot Austin kitchen. Move a wall, add an island with plumbing in it, or step up to custom inset cabinetry and stone slabs, and $120,000 to $250,000 is realistic.
A cosmetic refresh sits well below that. New counters, a backsplash, paint, lighting, and hardware with the existing layout kept usually runs $25,000 to $50,000. It is a good option for a kitchen with a layout that already works. It is a poor option for a 1985 galley with a soffit, because you will have spent real money and still be cooking with your back to the room.
| Scope | Typical Austin range | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh | $25,000 to $50,000 | Counters, backsplash, paint, lighting, hardware. Layout stays. |
| Full remodel | $60,000 to $120,000 | To the studs. New cabinets, stone, plumbing, electrical, floors, appliances set. |
| Full remodel with layout change | $90,000 to $160,000 | Wall removal with an engineered beam, relocated sink or range, larger island. |
| High-end custom | $120,000 to $250,000+ | Custom inset cabinetry, slab backsplash, panel-ready appliances, plaster, specialty lighting. |
02Guide
What actually drives the number
Cabinetry is the biggest line on almost every kitchen we build, often a third of the total. Semi-custom cabinets in a painted shaker door are the value play. Custom inset doors in white oak or walnut with furniture-grade interiors are the premium play, and they look it. Stone is next: a quartz counter and a bookmatched quartzite island are not the same purchase, and a full-height slab backsplash can cost as much as the counters it sits behind.
Structure and services are the part people underestimate. Taking out the wall between the kitchen and living room means an engineered beam, often a new post and footing, and an engineer's letter for the permit. Modern appliance loads mean new circuits and sometimes a panel upgrade, which is common in Allandale, Crestview, and Barton Hills houses still running 100-amp service. Moving the sink means moving the drain, and on a slab that means cutting concrete.
Permits through the City of Austin Development Services Department are required for any kitchen that touches plumbing, gas, electrical, or structure. Permitting is a cost of time more than money, but it is why a good estimate includes it and a cheap one does not.
03Guide
Where the money shows, and where it hides
Money shows in cabinet door style and finish, in the island, in the hood, in the counter edge and backsplash, and in lighting. Those are the surfaces you touch and see every day. Money hides in plumbing rough-in, electrical, drywall, subfloor repair, and dust control. You will never see it, and you will regret skipping it within five years.
If the budget is tight, we would rather you buy a slightly simpler door in a great layout than a great door in a layout that still does not work. Layout is the one thing a future refresh cannot fix without starting over.
04Guide
How to get a real number for your house
Ranges are useful for planning. They are not a price. The only honest number for your kitchen comes from someone standing in it, looking at the panel, the plumbing, the framing, and the way you cook. We walk the house, talk through what you want, and come back with a fixed written scope and price. It is free, it takes about an hour, and the person who writes it is the person who builds it.
05Questions
Asked at most walkthroughs
For a refresh with the existing layout, yes, comfortably. For a full remodel to the studs with new cabinetry and stone, $50,000 is below the typical 2026 Austin range for permitted, insured work. If you have a hard $50,000 ceiling, the smart move is a well-planned refresh now and a layout change later, rather than a full remodel done cheaply.
A load-bearing wall removal with an engineered beam, posts, footings where needed, the engineer's letter, and the City of Austin permit typically adds $12,000 to $30,000 to a kitchen project, depending on span and what is in the wall. Non-bearing walls are far less. We can usually tell you which it is at the first walkthrough.
A well-executed kitchen is the single most persuasive room when a house sells, and in Austin's older neighborhoods an opened-up kitchen is often the difference between a dated listing and a fast one. Build it for how you live, though, not for a buyer you have not met.
Six to ten weeks of construction for a full remodel once materials are on hand. Custom cabinetry adds 8 to 12 weeks of lead time before demo, so we order early and tear out only when everything is staged.
Free Estimate
Want a real number for your house?
A walkthrough and a fixed written scope, free. Or call the owner: (630) 827-2735