I'm Rusty Green, founder of Compelling Homes and the 2026 dsm Magazine Home Design Professional of the Year. I've been remodeling kitchens here in Des Moines since 2009, and the first question almost everyone asks is the same one: what's this going to cost? Here's the honest 2026 answer. A kitchen remodel that keeps your existing footprint runs about $60,000 to $130,000, depending on your finishes and how much of the layout you change. A refreshed kitchen with new cabinets, counters, and finishes starts around $60,000 to $80,000. A fuller remodel with semi-custom cabinetry, an island, and some layout changes lands around $80,000 to $100,000. A high-end, fully custom kitchen runs about $100,000 to $130,000. Once you start taking down walls, adding a powder room, or opening up the whole main floor, it becomes a larger project, and I break those down further below.
Get the full 2026 Kitchen Pricing Guide (free). Three real scenarios, every popular add-on, and actual project totals from completed Des Moines kitchens. Download the guide →
No kitchen lasts forever. Daily use, frequent spills, and heavy foot traffic take a toll over the years in the form of cracked tiles, dirty grout, banged-up cabinets, and a million other blemishes. Eventually, your once beautiful, brand-new kitchen is subpar at best. It's time for an upgrade. The cost of an average kitchen remodel can vary significantly based on factors like location, materials, and labor.
But, that doesn't have to be your only reason for remodeling your kitchen. Sometimes, you don't have to be staring at scuffed-up floors or chipped cabinet paint to justify wanting a new space:
Remodeling is the answer to your kitchen woes, no matter what the justification is. But before you're ready to commit, there's probably one essential question on your mind: How much is this going to cost?
Let's get into it.
Understanding kitchen remodel costs is crucial for setting realistic expectations and ensuring a smooth process. A kitchen renovation can significantly enhance the functionality and aesthetic appeal of your home, but it's important to know what you're getting into. Several factors can influence the overall cost of your kitchen remodel, including the size of your kitchen, the scope of the remodel, the quality of materials you choose, and labor costs.
The size of your kitchen plays a significant role in determining the cost. Larger kitchens require more materials and labor, which can drive up the price. The scope of the remodel is another critical factor. Are you planning a minor update or a major overhaul? The more extensive the remodel, the higher the cost.
Material quality is another key consideration. High-end materials like custom cabinets, granite countertops, and designer lighting fixtures can significantly increase the cost. However, they also add value and longevity to your kitchen. Labor costs can also vary depending on the complexity of the project and the expertise of the professionals you hire.
By understanding these factors, you can set a realistic budget and make informed decisions about your kitchen renovation. This knowledge will help you prioritize your spending and ensure you get the most value for your investment.
As I mentioned, the cost to remodel your kitchen depends on several factors, including the size and scope of the project and whether you significantly change the layout and placement of various kitchen components. Understanding your kitchen remodel budget is crucial for managing costs effectively. The type and quality of materials you select for the remodel also considerably impact the cost. Beyond that, your remodel cost will match the scale of how big you are dreaming. We don't say that to scare you, we say that to prepare you. Too many times, we hear stories of homeowners who were given an "estimate," only to be told a final number that was way beyond what they were expecting.
Compelling Homes doesn't vibe with that. We pride ourselves on transparency, honesty, and integrity. We're here to build you the space of your dreams—if you can imagine it, we will build it. If you're currently working in a Ford kitchen but have Ferrari dreams, we'll get you there. We'll get you that Ferrari of a kitchen.
Before we get into specific cost figures, there's one big caveat: these prices aren't general. They don't apply to Joe-Schmo who "learned" remodeling from YouTube; these estimates are specific to our high-quality, borderline-obsessive, award-winning kitchen remodeling in Des Moines.
For example, if you choose economy-grade materials and fixtures instead of customized high-end cabinets or imported products, you can lower the overall project price. Other typical kitchen renovation costs include planning, designing, and permitting the kitchen remodeling project, labor, and materials.
Just view our completed kitchen projects, and you'll understand why our prices are the way they are. We're only interested in doing our best work. That means innovative thinking, bespoke designs, and working with homeowners who value jaw-dropping living spaces the way we do.
To help you develop a preliminary budget for your kitchen remodel in Waukee, Johnston, Urbandale, Ankeny, or other of our service areas within the Des Moines area, here is an overview of average costs based on different levels of upgrades.
This project involves updating a functional but dated space and sprucing it up with new energy-efficient appliances for your refrigerator, cooktop, and oven range. Your kitchen layout remains the same, but you get all-new cabinetry and countertops. Additionally, your project can include installing a new mid-priced sink and faucet, tile backsplash, and new resilient flooring. Finish your kitchen remodel with a fresh coat of paint and new trim.
Within this price range, you won't be able to adjust your plan or make significant changes to your electrical and mechanical systems like plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). However, you can create a beautiful space that looks and feels refreshed.
If you want more latitude to make significant improvements and select semi-custom products, you can take things up a level with major mid-range kitchen remodel. At this price range, you can adjust your kitchen layout to be more functional and convenient to meet your family's evolving needs.
Additionally, a major remodel typically includes installing new semi-custom wood cabinets and an island. As with a minor kitchen remodel, your countertops get replaced, and you can install a new double-tub granite sink with a single-lever faucet.
High-end kitchen remodeling is for homeowners who want a kitchen customized to their exact needs and tastes. You know, that luxury white and gold kitchen you've been dreaming about for years? Major upscale remodeling is how you make it real.
To be honest (as we always are), it's fairly difficult and rare to do a $100k "kitchen." Why the quotes? Well, 90% of the time when $100k is being invested into a home, that project includes a powder room, fireplace wall, all-new flooring throughout, and perhaps even reconstructing the stair system to the second floor, for example. It's rarely ever "just a kitchen" within this price range. We call this a main-floor "plus" project (and we love them).
Major upscale remodeling is the most frequent and sought-after service we provide because it allows a complete kitchen redo with a new layout, look, and various customizable finishes, fixtures, and features. You get top-notch, custom wood cabinets featuring built-in sliding shelves and other interior accessories at this price. You can also incorporate higher-end materials for your countertops, tile backsplash, and flooring to create a more aesthetically pleasing and lavish environment. You may also want to add new general and task lighting—such as under-cabinet lights—a high-end under-mount sink with designer faucets, and a water filtration center.
Like I mentioned above, a lot of the bigger numbers people see aren't really "just a kitchen." Once we start moving walls or touching the rooms around the kitchen, it becomes a main-floor "plus" project. Here are the two most common versions and what they run in 2026.
Everything in a full kitchen remodel, plus removing a wall or two to improve the flow and refreshing the powder room. New flooring runs through the kitchen, and we paint all the walls, ceilings, and woodwork in the affected areas. This is the sweet spot for homeowners who love their home's footprint but want the kitchen to connect better to the rooms around it.
The full transformation. We take down walls to create a true open-concept main floor, run new flooring throughout, and often relocate the powder room, rework the fireplace wall, and refinish the stairs. This is the "main floor plus" in its complete form, the kind of project that changes how your entire first floor lives. Browse a few of these in our kitchen before-and-after gallery.
See where your project lands. Our 2026 Kitchen Pricing Guide walks through all three scenarios with real Des Moines project totals and every popular add-on. Download the Pricing Guide →
A kitchen remodel cost breakdown can help you understand where your money is going and make informed decisions about your project. The cost of a kitchen remodel can be divided into several key components, including appliances, cabinets, countertops, flooring, lighting, and labor.
The cost of appliances can vary widely, from less than $100 to $10,000 or more. Energy-efficient, smart appliances can save money in the long run, but they often come with higher upfront costs. On average, purchasing and installing a full complement of kitchen appliances accounts for nearly 15% of the total remodeling budget, with an average price of $9,000. For example, new ovens can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $8,000 or more, new refrigerators range from $1,200 to $10,000, and new dishwashers tend to cost between $500 and $2,200.
Cabinets represent the largest cost when remodeling a kitchen, even more than appliances. Installing new cabinets typically accounts for nearly 15–30% of the overall budget. Custom-made and handcrafted cabinets are the most expensive. The cost of cabinets can range from $15,000 to $35,000 or more, depending on the materials, customization, quantity, and options you choose. If your existing cabinets are in excellent shape, sometimes they can simply be painted, but in most cases we end up replacing cabinets with new ones.
Kitchen countertops are another significant expense, accounting for about 5–10% of the total project cost. Installing new countertops can cost anywhere from $4,200 to $17,780, depending on the type of counters, materials, and the size of your kitchen. Larger kitchens with more countertop space will naturally cost more. Materials like granite, quartz, and marble are on the higher end of the spectrum.
I haven't included a labor cost range because it can vary so widely, but know that labor costs are one of the biggest remodeling costs.
By understanding the cost breakdown of a kitchen remodel, you can make informed decisions about where to save and where to splurge.
As significant of an investment as kitchen remodeling can be, you deserve a remodeler who listens to your every request and delivers a transformation so stunning you won't believe your eyes.
Those are the kind of custom design kitchens we create at Compelling Homes. Because we don't just stop at "good enough," we make your home compelling. Start working with us today.