One of the reasons you’ll find such diverse price estimations for kitchen remodels when you search online is that there’s an immense variety of finishes. Costs vary drastically based on the square footage of your Chicago North Shore area kitchen, the quality and availability of each finish, and the surface areas they cover.
Part of the difficulty is that while the cost of labor, basic layout rearrangements, etc. is relatively easy to estimate, major price differences start with even basic materials like cabinet fronts and countertops and continue all the way through end-design finishes like door and drawer pull hardware. Today, we’ll give you some information on how each finishing material selection affects your overall remodeling cost.
Cabinets
There are essentially 3 types of cabinets you can select for your kitchen: stock, semi-custom, and custom. As their names suggest, stock cabinets are ready made and can usually be purchased day-of at hardware stores; semi-custom cabinets are adjusted to a kitchen’s particular dimensions and take several weeks to construct; custom cabinets are made by hand to the buyer’s specific stipulations and take the longest to craft. Costs (and quality) vary immensely based on your cabinet selection.
Countertops
According to Countertop Investigator, butcher block countertops cost $35-200 per square foot, travertine costs $50-100, concrete costs $70-150, stainless steel costs $75-150, granite costs $50-200, quartz costs $100-150, and marble costs $125-250.
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Lighting
With lighting, the best way to estimate your costs is to look at options in-store. There are fairly standard costs for “background lighting” like recessed can lighting and under-cabinet LED lighting, but decorative and ambient lighting costs, such as for pendants and chandeliers, can vary greatly.
Appliances
Improvenet.com cites low-end to upper-end appliance costs, but here again, the best way to get an accurate estimate of your appliance costs is to do some research in-store and online. Appliance selection is one area we especially recommend researching thoroughly by reading customer reviews and talking with friends and neighbors about their experiences with various brands and models.
Tile Backsplash
Tile backsplash is another finish that varies greatly in cost, not only because there’s a wide variety of materials you can select, but also because there’s a wide variety of surface area homeowners opt to cover. For instance, one kitchen may cover only two vertical feet between upper and lower cabinets with tile, whereas others may cover an entire wall.
Home Advisor lists ceramic tile costing an average of $25 per square foot, stone $30, glass $32, and stainless steel $36. Of course, a great deal of customization options exist within each of these categories, further influencing prices.
Hardware
Hardware for your kitchen remodel is another expenditure that can quickly add up. Depending on the degree of hardware customization you select, House Logic says you may spend between 2 and 20 dollars for each knob or pull. For a kitchen with about 30 linear feet of cabinetry, this amounts to approximately $80-800. Hardware, then, is the perfect example of how greatly the prices of finishes affect the overall price of your kitchen remodel. The best way to get an accurate estimate is to contact your contractor and review your material selections with them.
