How much does a kitchen renovation cost? For most homes in Richmond and Metro Vancouver, the answer falls somewhere between $15,000 for a light refresh and $80,000 or more for a fully custom kitchen. Where your kitchen lands depends on three things: whether the layout stays the same, the cabinetry you choose and how much of the room is being replaced. This guide breaks down the average kitchen renovation cost, what it costs to redo a kitchen at each level and how to get an estimate you can trust.
Still choosing a look? Our kitchen renovation ideas guide pairs well with this one. Westcove Renovation has designed and built kitchens across Richmond since 2016. To see how we plan and build them, visit our Richmond kitchen renovations page. Planning in central Richmond? See our Quilchena kitchen and home renovation page.
These are general market ranges for Richmond and Metro Vancouver, not quotes. Your own kitchen may land higher or lower:
Keeping the sink, range and fridge where they are is the single best way to control the price. The plumbing, gas and electrical stay put, so the budget goes into the parts you see and touch every day: cabinet fronts or new boxes, quartz counters, a new backsplash, better lighting and new hardware. Many homeowners are surprised how different the room feels after a same-layout update.
A kitchen redesign costs more because more trades are involved. Moving a sink or range means new plumbing, venting or gas lines. Opening a wall to the living area can need a beam and an engineer, and usually a permit. Our guide to renovation permits in Richmond explains when approval is needed, and the City of Richmond building permit page lists the current requirements. Gas and electrical work is permitted through Technical Safety BC. The payoff is a kitchen that works the way your family actually lives, with an island, better flow and more natural light.
In most full kitchen renovations, the budget is spread roughly like this:
For a closer look at cabinet and surface choices, read our kitchen cabinets and countertops guide.
Most full kitchen renovations take about 6 to 10 weeks of construction once materials are ordered. Custom cabinetry lead times are set before demolition, so the kitchen is not out of service longer than it needs to be. Our kitchen remodeling planning guide walks through the early decisions that keep the schedule steady.
For whole-home projects, our Richmond renovation cost guide covers the bigger picture.
Condo kitchens are usually smaller, so the total is often lower, but strata rules add steps: written approval, set working hours, elevator bookings and limits on moving plumbing in concrete buildings. In a house there is more freedom to move walls and services, which is where most kitchen redesign cost comes from. Either way, a clear scope keeps the price predictable.
Asking how much does a kitchen renovation cost is really asking what you want the room to do. For most families the kitchen is the most-used room in the house, so it is where a renovation is felt every day. A well-planned kitchen adds storage, light and room to gather, and it is one of the first rooms buyers look at. The best value comes from a layout that fits how you live and finishes that will still look right in ten years.
In Richmond and Metro Vancouver, a same-layout refresh is roughly $15,000 to $35,000, a full kitchen remodel roughly $40,000 to $80,000, and a custom or redesigned kitchen $80,000 and up. These are general market ranges, not quotes.
Keeping the layout is the most affordable way to redo a kitchen, usually in the refresh range of roughly $15,000 to $35,000, because plumbing, gas and electrical stay where they are.
Cabinetry is usually the largest single cost, followed by counters, labour and appliances. Moving walls or services also adds significantly to the total.
A same-layout update often does not. Moving walls, plumbing, gas or electrical usually does. Check the City of Richmond permit page or our Richmond renovation permit guide.
The most accurate kitchen renovation estimate comes from a walkthrough of your actual kitchen. Browse finished work in the Westcove renovation portfolio, then request a kitchen renovation estimate and we will price the scope with you, line by line.
