Kitchen Remodel Cost in Columbus, Ohio 2026: $32,000–$109,600 by Tier

A gut kitchen remodel in Columbus runs $31,956 to $109,560 for the 10-by-10 kitchen this site's estimator treats as standard: construction only at the low end, a luxury appliance package at the high end. A 12-by-14 kitchen runs $38,784 to $117,948 on the same settings. Layout, appliance grade and what sits behind the walls decide where a project lands.

Reviewed September 2026 by a licensed Ohio general contractor.

Every dollar figure on this page comes out of the kitchen cost estimator that runs on this site, priced against current Columbus labor and subcontractor rates. Each figure is a headline subtotal, with the cabinet-grade range the tool prints underneath it shown in parentheses. Treat all of it as a planning range, not a bid.

What does a kitchen remodel cost in Columbus, Ohio?

For a standard 10-by-10 kitchen taken back to the studs and rebuilt, the construction cost alone is $31,956 in an L or galley layout and $33,516 in a U-shape or peninsula. That figure covers demolition through finish paint, cabinets, a stone counter, the plumbing and electrical subcontractors, and a 20 percent construction contingency. It does not include appliances.

Appliances are priced separately because they are the single widest variable in a kitchen. The estimator adds the appliance package as its own line on top of the construction subtotal, at typical all-in cost for the grade. That line is $3,180 at the economy grade, $7,088 at mid, $20,038 at high and $76,044 at luxury, and it is the same figure whether the kitchen is 10 by 10 or 12 by 14.

Those four grades are whole packages, not single machines, and the estimator prices each as one all-in line because that is how a kitchen's appliances are actually bought. Selecting a grade never changes the construction work underneath it: the cabinets are still hung the same way and the counter is still templated the same way. It is the cleanest decision on the list to defer, and the easiest one to change late.

An L and a galley price identically because the engine counts the same run of cabinet and counter work in both. A peninsula prices as a U with a passthrough, which is why those two share a row. The $1,560 gap between the two rows is the extra corner run, and it holds across every appliance grade. If the layout itself is the open question rather than the budget, the kitchen work triangle and kitchen planning and design guide cover the decision before the money.

What does it cost by kitchen size?

The estimator offers two sizes: a standard 10 by 10 with one counter slab, and a large 12 by 14 with two. The larger kitchen carries 192 in-house man-hours against 148 for the standard, which is 12 working days of crew time against 10. More cabinet run, more counter, more wall to finish.

Going from standard to large costs about $6,800 in an L or galley ($38,784 against $31,956) and about $8,400 in a U or peninsula ($41,904 against $33,516). Two-thirds of that is labor; the rest is the second counter slab and the longer cabinet run.

Most Columbus kitchens in the inner rings sit between the two sizes. A 10-by-12, the size asked about most often here, brackets cleanly: not less than the 10-by-10 figure, not more than the 12-by-14 figure, and closer to the low end because the second counter slab is what drives the jump.

Size is the one input worth measuring rather than guessing. Cabinet run and counter area scale with the perimeter, and the second slab is a step change rather than a gradual one, so a kitchen that is a foot over on two walls can land on the wrong side of it.

Where does the money go?

The estimator builds every figure the same way, in the same order. Labor first, then management, then the cost lines that sit inside the contingency, then the contingency itself, and only then the lines that ride on top of it. The table below is the $31,956 anchor case taken apart line by line.

Two things in that table surprise people. The first is that labor and management together are $15,680, close to half the project, before a single cabinet is hung. A kitchen is a long sequence of trades in a small room, and the schedule is what it costs. The second is the contingency: the 20 percent is applied to the construction bucket, not to the appliance package or to structural work, which are added afterwards at their own cost. A quote that folds a contingency around the appliances is padding the wrong number.

The $2,750 install-material line is a lump, and it is worth knowing what is inside it: demolition supplies and the dumpster, framing lumber, drywall and drywall finish, paint, finish carpentry, and the miscellany a kitchen swallows. It is not a finish allowance. Cabinets, counter, tile, fixtures and appliances are all priced on their own lines, and the finishes a homeowner picks out are the ones that move a budget after the contract is signed.

Cabinets are priced at $3,250 as a representative mid-grade cost. The estimator does not ask who supplies them or what door style they are; it reruns the whole calculation at $2,500 and at $4,000 and prints that spread as the cabinet-grade range under the headline figure. Construction quality inside that band is a real difference, which the dovetail drawer box comparison walks through.

What moves the number?

Whether the sink moves

Relocating the sink puts the plumbing subcontractor on the job for rough-in at $1,500. Leaving it where it is, with sound pipe behind it, drops that line to $500 for finish plumbing only. The $1,000 difference sits inside the contingency, so it reads as about $1,200 on the subtotal. If the drain is old galvanized pipe, the line is not optional. The hidden cost of moving the sink, range or refrigerator covers what triggers it.

What the panel and the circuits look like

Electrical is the line with the widest honest spread. Circuits that can be reused price the electrical subcontractor at $1,500. Isolating the kitchen and running new circuits takes it to $3,500. If the panel also has to be replaced, it is $6,000. Three conditions, one question at intake, a $4,500 swing. Whatever the condition, a kitchen needs at least two dedicated small-appliance branch circuits and GFCI protection at the counter under the electrical code [4], so the electrician is on the job either way.

How old the house is

Columbus grows in rings from downtown, so an address is a decent proxy for an era. Pre-1980 stock in the inner rings brings galvanized drains, lath and plaster, mortar-bed subfloor and the occasional run of knob-and-tube. The estimator asks the build year as context, not as its own dollar line: it flags the assumptions and sets the rough-plumbing default. The cost shows up in the plumbing and electrical conditions above, and in why the contingency exists at all.

Stone or laminate on the counter

A stone slab on a 10-by-10 is $1,950, carrying the stone subcontractor markup. Stock preformed laminate on the same kitchen is $400 and custom-made laminate is $900, both at material cost with no markup. Add a center island to a 10-by-10 in stone and the counter line goes to $4,550; on a 12-by-14 with an island it reaches $7,800. Quartz, solid surface, butcher block and tile are not priced by this tool.

Whether an island goes in

An island is additive in three places at once: extra cabinet boxes, extra counter, and a dedicated circuit in the floor. It is never a substitute for perimeter run. Before committing, check the clearance the island needs against the room, in kitchen island sizing and the NKBA kitchen clearances list, which follow the NKBA planning guidelines [5].

Whether a wall comes out

Taking out a load-bearing wall with a steel beam over a 14-foot span is $14,050 as a standalone line on top of everything else, engineered plans included. Non-structural walls, pony walls and new window openings are options in the tool as well. None of this is inside the contingency; it is priced as its own project and added.

Which appliances go in

The appliance line is the largest single lever on this page: $3,180 to $76,044 for the same kitchen. Induction adds a dedicated circuit where gas adds a gas line, and a hood above 400 CFM triggers makeup air under the mechanical code [3]. Both decisions are made once and paid for permanently, which is the argument in induction versus gas cooktops and kitchen makeup air requirements.

What does not move it

Three things that sound like line items are not. Standard dust protection is included at no charge, so taping the path and zippering the work-area door costs nothing extra. The small-project service fee never triggers on a kitchen: it applies below 8 in-house man-hours, and the engine's own floor for a kitchen gut is 148. And the appliance line is priced at typical all-in cost whether the homeowner buys the appliances or the contractor does.

Six Columbus kitchens, priced end to end

Each of these is a full run of the estimator with every option stated, not an average.

1. 10-by-10 L, mid appliances, stone, sink relocated — $39,044

The canonical case. Construction lands at $31,956 and the mid appliance package adds $7,088 on top. Cabinet-grade range $38,144 to $39,944. This is the figure most Columbus homeowners are picturing when they say "a full kitchen."

2. 10-by-10 galley, no appliance line, stock laminate, sink stays — $28,356

150 man-hours at $85 is $12,750, management runs 8 days at $2,480, plumbing drops to $500 because the sink is not moving, and the counter is $400. That puts the pre-contingency subtotal at $23,630, and the contingency brings it to $28,356. Cabinet-grade range $27,456 to $29,256. This is the floor for a real gut remodel with new cabinets.

3. 10-by-10 U-shape, high appliances, stone plus island, new circuits — $57,514

Electrical goes to $3,500 for isolated circuits, the island takes the counter line to $4,550, and construction after contingency is $37,476. The high appliance package adds $20,038. Cabinet-grade range $56,614 to $58,414.

4. 12-by-14 L, economy appliances, custom laminate, sink relocated — $38,298

195 man-hours is $16,575 of labor, management is 9 days at $2,790, and the custom laminate counter is $900. After contingency the construction is $35,118, and economy appliances add $3,180. Cabinet-grade range $37,398 to $39,198. A large kitchen done plainly costs less than a standard kitchen done richly.

5. 12-by-14 peninsula, luxury appliances, stone plus island, new panel — $124,908

Electrical at $6,000 includes the panel replacement, the counter line is $7,800, and construction after contingency is $48,864. The luxury appliance package is $76,044 — more than the entire construction cost. Cabinet-grade range $124,008 to $125,808.

6. 10-by-10 L, mid appliances, load-bearing wall removed — $53,094

The same kitchen as example 1, opened to the next room. Construction is $31,956, appliances $7,088, and the steel beam over a 14-foot span is $14,050 with engineered plans. Cabinet-grade range $52,194 to $53,994. Opening a wall is roughly the cost of the appliance package twice over.

What is included, and what is not

Every figure above includes the same work, whatever else changes:

• Full in-house labor from demolition through finish paint, on the schedule below
• Standard dust protection: drop cloth on the construction path, zippered door at the work-area entrance, included at no charge
• Management and inspection coordination, billed at the on-site coordination rate
• Cabinets and countertop as their own line items
• Appliances as their own line when a grade is selected, at typical all-in cost, whoever buys them

None of the figures include the following, and a quote that does not say so is worth a question:

• Permit and inspection fees, which are paid to the municipality
• HVAC duct relocation, main-stack rebuild or panel replacement, unless added as a stated condition
• Conditions found on demolition, which are handled as change orders before work continues
• Quartz, solid surface, butcher block, tile or bespoke counters — only stone slab and laminate are priced
• Kitchenettes, single-wall kitchens, cosmetic-only refreshes and non-standard layouts, which need a custom estimate rather than a figure from a tool

How long does a Columbus kitchen remodel take?

Thirteen to fourteen working days for a full gut, which is about three weeks on a calendar once subcontractor days and countertop templating are scheduled in. The crew's own time is 10 working days on a 10-by-10 and 12 on a 12-by-14; the rest is waiting on other people.

The order does not change, because each step depends on the one before it: demolition, framing, plumbing rough, HVAC, electrical rough, fireblocking and insulation, drywall hang, drywall finish, prime and first finish coat, tile, grout, cabinets, flooring, countertops, trim, caulk, finish paint, electrical finish, appliances, clean-up and touch-up. Countertops cannot be templated until the cabinets are set, which is why a counter delay late in the job moves the end date one for one.

On a calendar that reads: demolition day one, framing day two, the electrician day three, the plumber day four with HVAC alongside, insulation as a half day, then drywall hang, drywall finish, sanding and prime across days five to seven. Cabinets and trim fill day eight, countertops day nine, backsplash day ten with grout as a half day, appliances and counter sealing day eleven, and clean-up and touch-up on the last day. The half days are what turn twelve entries into thirteen or fourteen working days.

The long pole is almost never the crew. Cabinets are ordered weeks ahead of demolition, and ordering them late is the most common reason a kitchen sits half-finished. When to order kitchen cabinets covers the lead times to plan against.

Does a kitchen remodel need a permit in Columbus?

Yes, when plumbing, gas or electrical moves, and whenever structure changes. Relocating the sink, adding circuits, replacing the panel, running a gas line, cutting in a window or taking out a load-bearing wall all require a permit from the Columbus Department of Building and Zoning Services [1], with inspections along the way. What those inspections check is set by the Ohio Residential Code [2].

Like-for-like swaps do not: replacing cabinets, counters, flooring, light fixtures or appliances in place is maintenance, not a permitted alteration. Most kitchens in this guide need a permit, because most of them move at least one fixture.

Permit and inspection fees are paid to the municipality and are not in any figure on this page. Jurisdiction matters too: Dublin, Upper Arlington, Hilliard, Westerville, Delaware and Powell each run their own office, and plumbing is handled by the county health district in parts of the region. Kitchen remodel permits in central Ohio has the process end to end.

Permits are also a clean test of a contractor. Pulling them is routine work and the fees are modest against the project, so the reason to skip them is never the homeowner's. Unpermitted kitchen work surfaces at resale, at an insurance claim, or at the next permit application on the same address, and it costs more to unwind than it ever saved.

How do you read a kitchen quote?

A quote worth comparing shows the same lines the table above shows: labor, management, each subcontracted trade, install material, cabinets, counter, contingency, and anything standalone. A single lump sum hides which of those is thin.

Four questions separate a real quote from a number on a page. Is the contingency stated as a percentage and applied to the construction cost only? Are the appliance and structural lines shown separately rather than folded in? Are permit fees named as excluded or included? And is there an allowance for what demolition might find, with a written change-order process attached to it?

Ask how each trade is priced. Self-performed work at a published hourly rate with no separate fee on top behaves differently from subcontracted work carried at cost plus a fee, and a design-build job mixes the two. Invoicing is usually weekly, and the deposit is set per job against special orders and quantity pricing rather than a flat percentage of the total.

Look, too, for what the quote names as excluded. A bid that lists the permit fees, the stack, the panel and the counter material it did not price is telling the truth about its own boundaries. A bid that excludes nothing has either priced everything or thought about none of it, and only one of those is common.

Then compare like with like. Two bids that differ by $15,000 usually differ in scope, not in margin: one of them has the panel in it, or the stack, or a counter material the other one does not. Put both against the same estimator output before deciding which one is high. What a remodel returns at resale is a separate question, answered in kitchen remodel cost versus value.

What to do next

Start with a number for the actual kitchen rather than an average of everyone's. The kitchen cost estimator takes four questions and returns the same subtotal and cabinet-grade range used throughout this guide.

If a target budget already exists, three walkthroughs show what each one buys in Columbus: a $25K kitchen remodel, a $35K kitchen remodel and a $75K kitchen remodel.

If the layout is still open, settle it before pricing finishes: kitchen planning and design for the plan itself, and the clearance and workflow rules that constrain it. If the plan is settled and the decisions left are cabinets, counters and appliances, the figures in this guide are already close enough to build a budget on.