How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost in 2026? (Chicago Prices)

A kitchen remodel in Chicago and the northwest suburbs runs $11,900 to $55,000 in 2026. A cosmetic refresh lands around $11,900 to $16,900, a full mid-range remodel with new cabinets and counters runs $19,900 to $29,900, and a high-end kitchen with custom cabinetry and a layout change starts at $29,900 and can pass $55,000.

Those are the numbers we actually quote across Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Mount Prospect and the rest of northwest Cook County. National averages are wide enough to be useless when you are trying to budget a real project on a real street, so this guide uses local pricing and explains what moves the number.

Kitchen remodel cost in Chicago and NW Cook County, by scope

Cosmetic refresh: $11,900 to $16,900

Timeline: 5 to 10 days. Financing from $299 a month.

Nothing moves. The footprint, the plumbing and the electrical stay exactly where they are, and the money goes into what you see and touch:

• Cabinet refacing or refinishing, new doors and hardware

• New countertops in quartz or granite

• Tile backsplash

• Updated lighting and fixtures

• Paint and finish work

This is the right call when the layout already works and the kitchen simply looks tired. It is also the fastest way to get a house ready to list.

Mid-range remodel: $19,900 to $29,900

Timeline: 2 to 4 weeks. Financing from $499 a month. This is what most homeowners actually book.

Everything comes out and goes back in new:

• New semi-custom cabinetry, not refaced

• Quartz or granite counters with a full-height or standard backsplash

• New flooring through the kitchen

• New sink, faucet, disposal and appliance hookups

• Recessed and pendant lighting on new circuits

• Minor plumbing and electrical moves within the existing footprint

A kitchen at this level in a 1970s or 1980s northwest suburban split-level or ranch, which is most of the housing stock in Schaumburg, Palatine and Rolling Meadows, usually lands in the middle of this band.

High-end remodel: $29,900 to $55,000 and up

Timeline: 3 to 8 weeks. Financing from $899 a month.

This is where the layout changes:

• Custom cabinetry built to the room, including tall pantry and built-ins

• Removing a wall to open the kitchen to the dining or family room

• Relocating plumbing, gas or the range hood vent

• Waterfall island, premium stone, professional-grade appliances

• Structural work with permits and inspections

Opening a wall is the single biggest jump in a kitchen budget. If the wall is load-bearing you are adding a beam, and that brings engineering, permitting and framing into the job.

Quick reference table

What a 10x10 kitchen costs

A 10x10 kitchen is the industry's standard measuring stick: roughly 20 linear feet of cabinets. In Chicago and northwest Cook County a 10x10 lands at $19,900 to $29,900 for a full mid-range remodel, or $11,900 to $16,900 if you are refacing rather than replacing the cabinets.

Be careful with 10x10 quotes you find online. Many of them price cabinets only and quietly leave out demolition, counters, tile, flooring, electrical, plumbing, permits and labor. A cabinet-only number is not a remodel number.

What actually moves the price

Cabinets

Usually 30 to 40 percent of the whole job. Stock, semi-custom and custom are three different price worlds, and the jump from semi-custom to custom is larger than most homeowners expect.

Whether the layout changes

Keeping the sink, range and refrigerator where they are keeps the number down. Every fixture you relocate means opening walls or floors for plumbing and electrical.

The age of the house

Older northwest suburban homes frequently need electrical brought up to current code once walls are open, and a kitchen on a 1970s panel often needs new circuits for modern appliances. This is the most common source of surprise cost, which is why we open walls before finalizing numbers rather than after.

Permits

A cosmetic refresh usually does not need one. Anything touching structure, plumbing lines or electrical service does, and each village runs its own process. Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Palatine and Hoffman Estates all publish their own residential alteration requirements, and review times differ between them.

Countertops

Laminate to quartz to natural stone spans a wide range. Quartz is where most of our clients land: it holds up to real cooking and does not need sealing.

How to keep the number down without gutting the result

• Keep the plumbing where it is. Moving a sink to an island is one of the more expensive decisions available to you.

• Reface instead of replace when the cabinet boxes are solid. Plenty of older suburban kitchens have better boxes than doors.

• Spend on the counters, save on the backsplash. Counters get touched every day. Tile is decorative.

• Buy appliances yourself during a holiday sale and have them delivered for install week.

• Get the number in writing, itemized. A single lump sum hides where the money is going and makes it impossible to trade one line against another.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Chicago?

Between $11,900 and $55,000 depending on scope. A cosmetic refresh is $11,900 to $16,900, a full mid-range remodel is $19,900 to $29,900, and a high-end kitchen with a layout change starts at $29,900.

Is $30,000 enough for a kitchen remodel?

Yes. $30,000 covers a complete mid-range remodel in this market: new cabinets, new counters, new flooring, new lighting and professional installation, provided the layout stays where it is.

Is $10,000 enough for a kitchen remodel?

It is enough for a partial refresh, not a full remodel. At $10,000 you are looking at painting or refinishing existing cabinets, new hardware, a new backsplash and updated lighting. Our lowest full package starts at $11,900.

What is the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel?

Cabinetry, at roughly 30 to 40 percent of the total. After that it is any work that moves plumbing or removes a wall.

How long does a kitchen remodel take?

5 to 10 days for a cosmetic refresh, 2 to 4 weeks for a mid-range remodel, and 3 to 8 weeks for a high-end project with structural changes.

Can you finance a kitchen remodel?

Yes. We offer 0% for 12 months on approved credit with a soft credit check that does not affect your score, with monthly payments starting at $299 for a cosmetic refresh.

Get a real number for your kitchen

Every range on this page is a range because we have not seen your kitchen yet. We come out, measure, look at what is behind the walls where we can, and send an itemized written estimate within 5 business days. No charge, no obligation.

Pana Pro Builders is a family-run general contractor licensed by the City of Chicago (TGC142642), working out of Hoffman Estates and serving Chicago plus Schaumburg, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Mount Prospect, Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Rolling Meadows, Inverness and Barrington.

See our kitchen remodeling packages, browse completed kitchens, or book a free in-home consultation.