A mid-range Atlanta kitchen runs about $35,000 to $70,000. A refresh of one or two items can start around $3,000, and full renovations with layout changes and custom cabinetry run $70,000 to $100,000 and up.
That is a wide range, and the spread is the whole point of this page. Below is what actually moves the number, so you can see where your project is likely to land before anyone walks through your door.
The short answer, by scope
- Refresh ($3,000 to $10,000). Same layout, one or two updates: new countertops, a new backsplash, new hardware, new lighting, fresh wall paint, or painted cabinets. Appliances stay.
- Bigger refresh ($10,000 to $35,000). Same layout, three or more updates at once: countertops, backsplash, painted cabinets, lighting, hardware, new appliances.
- Mid-range ($35,000 to $70,000). New semi-custom cabinetry, new appliances, improved layout within the existing footprint, upgraded lighting and electrical.
- Full renovation ($70,000 to $100,000+). Walls move, plumbing and electrical relocate, custom cabinetry, premium finishes.
What actually drives your number
- Whether the layout changes. Keeping the sink, range and refrigerator where they are is the single biggest saver on any kitchen. Moving plumbing and gas is where budgets jump.
- Countertops. Usually the biggest single line on our jobs. Quartz and granite run about $50 to $150 per square foot installed in Atlanta, depending on the slab and the edge detail.
- Cabinetry. Painting the cabinets you have costs a fraction of replacing them. Stock, semi-custom and custom are three different projects wearing the same word.
- The age of the house. Atlanta has a lot of homes built before 1980. Once a wall opens, old wiring, cast iron drain lines and subfloor repairs are common, and they are real costs, not padding.
How long your kitchen will take
Most of the anxiety about a kitchen renovation is not the money, it is not knowing how long you will be living without a kitchen. Here is how our projects actually run.
- A refresh takes about a week. We update one or two things: the countertops, the backsplash, the hardware, the lighting, the wall paint, or the cabinets with a fresh coat of paint. Nothing moves, so the crew is in and out fast.
- A bigger refresh takes about one to two weeks. Three or more of those updates at once, still with the same layout.
- A mid-range kitchen takes two weeks and up. New cabinetry, new appliances, better lighting and electrical, improvements inside the existing footprint. Where it lands in that range depends on how much you want done and how quickly selections get made.
- A full kitchen takes up to four to six weeks. Walls move, plumbing and electrical relocate, custom cabinetry goes in. This is the one that needs real planning, and it is the one where our scheduling matters most.
Those are build windows. Before any of them starts, allow time for design, selections and ordering, because cabinetry and countertops are made to order and nothing can begin until they are on their way. We tell you both dates up front: when we start, and when you get your kitchen back.
What pays you back
This is where we think a little differently than most remodelers. We have renovated 80+ homes, most of them ours, and Samantha has sold homes in this market for twenty years. So we tend to look at a kitchen in two parts: what you will enjoy living in, and what an appraiser and a buyer will actually credit you for.
If you are staying ten years, build the kitchen you want. If you are selling within three, there are specific places where money comes back and specific places where it does not, and we will tell you which is which before you spend it. That conversation is part of our Listing Advantage™ process.
How we quote
We do not give a per square foot number over the phone and call it an estimate. We walk the space, build an itemized scope, and give you a fixed written number with the allowances spelled out, so you know exactly what is included and exactly what a change would cost.
Get a QuoteFrequently asked questions
What is the least expensive way to update my kitchen?
A refresh. Painting your cabinets and updating the hardware changes how a kitchen feels for $3,000 to $10,000, and it usually takes about a week. If the layout already works for you, that is often all a kitchen needs.
What part of a kitchen renovation costs the most?
Usually the countertops. Quartz and granite run about $50 to $150 per square foot installed in Atlanta, so the slab you choose moves the total more than almost anything else. The other big jump comes from moving things: relocating the sink, the range or a wall means new plumbing, gas and electrical. Keeping your layout is the best way to protect your budget.
Can you work to a fixed budget?
Yes. Tell us the number first and we will design to it, rather than designing something beautiful and then telling you what it costs.
Should I paint my cabinets or replace them?
If the cabinet boxes are solid and the layout works, painting them gets you most of the visual change for a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the time. If the layout is wrong or the boxes are failing, paint is money spent on a problem you will still have. We will tell you honestly which one you are looking at.
Will a kitchen renovation pay for itself when I sell?
Some of it will and some of it will not, and the difference is where the money goes. Samantha has sold homes in Atlanta for twenty years, so before you spend a dollar we will tell you which updates buyers in your price range actually pay for. That is the heart of our Listing Advantage™ process.
How long will my kitchen be out of service?
About a week for a refresh, one to two weeks for a bigger refresh, two weeks and up for a mid-range kitchen, and up to four to six weeks for a full renovation. You get the start date and the finish date from us before any work begins.
Can I stay in my house during the renovation?
Yes, and most of our clients do. On a refresh you will barely know we were there. On a full renovation you will be without your kitchen for up to four to six weeks, but the rest of your house is yours the whole time.
Do I need to hire a designer first?
No. Design is part of what we do, which is the studio half of our name. We handle layout, selections and the full material package, so you are not managing a designer and a contractor who have never met. If you already have a designer you love, we work with them.