Kitchens that look alike can come with very different price tags. Cabinets are part of the reason. But each level changes more than the cabinets, so the price gap between levels is bigger than the cabinets alone.
You’ll learn:
- What Level 2, Level 3, and custom cabinets mean in our kitchen levels
- Why cabinets are only part of the price gap
- Whether custom cabinets cost more than white shaker
- What layout, countertops, tile, and flooring add
- What one real Mantua kitchen and bathroom project cost
- Why a firm price comes after design
What Do Level 2, Level 3, and Custom Cabinets Mean for a Kitchen Price?
Our kitchen remodeling comes in 3 levels: Foundational, Elevated, and Premier.
Each level has its own cabinets. Foundational uses Level 2 cabinets, Elevated uses Level 3, and Premier uses custom millwork, which means cabinets built for your kitchen.
| Level | Cabinets | Starts at |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational | Level 2 | $60,000 |
| Elevated | Level 3 | $90,000 |
| Premier | Custom millwork | $120,000 |
Those are starting points, not quotes.
Foundational is a facelift: remove and replace with newer fixtures and designs. Elevated adds more function, some minor layout changes, and premium materials. With Premier, we change the complete layout and everything that goes with it.
What Else Besides Cabinets Changes a Kitchen’s Price?
Open concept layouts and moving walls can add to the investment. At Foundational, appliances stay where they are. Elevated allows minor structural changes, like opening a non-load-bearing wall or removing a soffit, and appliances can move. Premier covers a complete layout change and structural work, like moving windows or doors and taking out load-bearing walls.
On one first-floor and kitchen remodel in Mullica Hill, the complete design change drove most of the cost. The kitchen was closed off from the rest of the first floor, and the cost came from removing walls, relocating fixtures and appliances, new flooring, and redoing some windows so the cabinet features would work.
Permits are part of the picture too. In New Jersey, structural, plumbing, and electrical work on an existing home needs a construction permit, and each town sets its own permit fees.
Check with your town’s construction office for its fees.
Do Custom Cabinets Cost More Than Basic White Shaker Cabinets?
They can. Going from basic white Shaker cabinets to custom ones can add to the investment, and how much depends on your design.
The amount of cabinetry matters too. In one primary bathroom we built, the amount of cabinetry, including 3 full-height pantries, was one of the biggest drivers of the cost.
We don’t have one price for going from Level 2 to Level 3 to custom. Each step up comes with the rest of that level, and you can’t really price it without a design.
The starting price at Premier is $60,000 above Foundational, and that difference covers layout, materials, and finishes as well as cabinets.
Check out this piece we wrote about custom and semi-custom cabinets.
How Do Countertops, Tile, and Flooring Change the Number?
Quartz and granite countertops are part of both Foundational and Elevated, as are tile backsplash and undercabinet lighting.
Flooring covers more of the house at each level:
- Foundational covers the kitchen only.
- Elevated can carry flooring into another area.
- Premier adds premium flooring options that match across the same floor of the house.
What Did a Kitchen and Bathroom Remodel in Mantua Cost?
Our kitchen remodel in Mantua, NJ came in at $124,376.18 over 11 weeks. That figure covers the kitchen and a bathroom together, so it is not a kitchen-only price.
The kitchen was dated, with limited counter space, minimal storage, and space wasted by the existing soffit. The homeowner had recently had grandchildren and wanted an inviting space to make lasting memories with them.
We had an engineer look at a load-bearing beam so a column could come out and the space could open up. The kitchen now has a range hood, a built-in pantry instead of a door pantry, a drawer microwave, and the countertop material running up the wall as the backsplash. We also built a custom bench seat integrated with the table for the grandkids.
Why Can’t You Give a Firm Kitchen Price Before Design?
Say you ask for a number before there’s a design. No one can really price a kitchen without a design or a plan in place.
Anything before that is a guess.
We start with a digital scan of your space on an iPad, and once we upload it to our design software, we have your layout within a couple of minutes. Then we propose an investment range for those 2D layouts.
If budget, design direction, and layout look like a good fit, we move into project development, a design step with a small fee. In project development, we pick out your materials, finalize layouts and plans, and meet with our trade partners on site to verify scope.
We meet with you in person for selections, with catalogs, an iPad, and Pinterest photos, and designers at the suppliers we work with help you pick. At the end of it, we deliver the renderings and the final total investment cost. Then you get a fixed-price build agreement with start and completion dates.
The number can move before the build agreement. Almost every project has something added, moved, or relocated between the first conversation and the final build agreement, and project development is where we work through those changes. Change orders during construction can still happen.
Design can also bring a number down.
On that same first-floor and kitchen remodel in Mullica Hill, we first presented $180,000; the homeowners wanted to be closer to $120,000, and through design and planning we ended at $160,000.
What Would Your Kitchen Cost?
The starting points for every level are on our kitchen remodel cost in South Jersey page. A first conversation with us is where you start finding out where your own kitchen lands.
