Kitchen and bath remodel questions, answered

In Salt Lake City, a midrange minor kitchen remodel averages $27,871 and a midrange major kitchen remodel averages $79,909 in the 2025 Cost vs Value report¹. An upscale major kitchen runs $161,009 in the same report¹.

The minor job keeps the cabinet boxes in a 200 square foot kitchen and adds new fronts, counters, appliances and flooring². The major job puts in all new semi custom cabinets and an island³. These are planning numbers, not quotes. Use the cost guide to rough out your own range.

A midrange bathroom remodel in Salt Lake City averages $27,526, and an upscale one averages $85,433, in the 2025 Cost vs Value report¹. The midrange job replaces every fixture in a 5 by 7 foot bath, with a tile tub surround and a tile floor⁴.

Smaller jobs cost less. Houzz users nationwide reported a $9,000 median for minor bath remodels in 2025 and $25,000 for major ones where the shower was upgraded⁵. Treat all of these as planning numbers, not quotes. See bathroom remodeling for what's involved.

Cabinets, labor, size and how much you move drive most of the price. In a National Kitchen and Bath Association budget split, cabinets and hardware take 29% of the money, installation 17%, appliances and ventilation 14% and countertops 10%⁶.

Size matters too. The Houzz 2026 median for a major remodel was $75,000 for kitchens of 250 square feet or more and $46,000 for smaller ones⁷. Moving walls, plumbing or wiring adds work, and in Salt Lake City those changes need a permit⁸.

A refresh keeps the layout and cabinet boxes, while a full remodel replaces the cabinets and appliances and often changes the layout. In Salt Lake City, a minor kitchen job with new cabinet fronts, counters, appliances and flooring averages $27,871, and a major midrange job with all new cabinets and an island averages $79,909¹.

Houzz counts a remodel as major when at least all cabinets and appliances are replaced. Its 2026 medians were $55,000 for major jobs and $20,000 for minor ones, and 68% of renovators replaced all their cabinets⁷. See kitchen remodeling for more.

In Salt Lake City, a midrange minor kitchen remodel recouped about 110% of its cost at resale, the highest of the kitchen and bath projects in the 2025 Cost vs Value report¹. A midrange major kitchen recouped 50.8%, and a midrange bathroom 58.6%¹.

Nationally, the National Association of Realtors puts cost recovery at 60% for a complete kitchen renovation and 50% for a bathroom renovation, and owners gave a kitchen upgrade a perfect 10 for joy⁹. So it's smart to remodel for how you'll use the room and treat resale as a bonus.

Most people use savings, and some borrow against their home. In the Houzz 2026 study, 84% of 2025 renovators used savings, 34% used credit cards and 13% used a loan secured by their home¹⁰.

A home equity loan pays you a lump sum, and a HELOC lets you draw as you go; if you have a mortgage, either one is a second mortgage¹¹. HELOCs usually have variable rates¹². A cash out refinance swaps your mortgage for a larger one¹³. With a home equity loan or HELOC, the lender can take your home if you don't repay¹⁴. We don't arrange financing, so talk with a lender.

The work phase of a full kitchen remodel usually takes about 6 to 12 weeks, and major structural or custom jobs can take 3 to 8 months from start to finish¹⁵. Small cosmetic jobs can wrap up in a week or two, and permits alone can take a week or two¹⁵.

Planning often takes longer than the work. Houzz users reported an average of 9.5 months planning a kitchen and 5.8 months on construction¹⁰. Ask the remodeler for a written schedule that includes cabinet delivery.

Most bathroom remodels take 2 to 12 weeks, and many take 2 to 4 weeks start to finish¹⁶. Your scope decides where you land in that range: a new vanity and fixtures is a different job than a rebuilt tile shower with moved plumbing.

The planning stretch can be long, too. Houzz users who redid a primary bath reported 8.4 months of planning and 4.8 months of work on average, counting do it yourself jobs¹⁰. Ask the remodeler for a written schedule before work begins.

Stock cabinets usually arrive in 1 to 2 weeks, semi custom cabinets in 4 to 8 weeks, and fully custom cabinets can take 3 to 6 months or longer¹⁵. Countertops add about 2 days to a week after the cabinets are in¹⁵.

Custom is the most common pick: in the Houzz 2026 study, 46% of renovators chose custom cabinets, 33% semi custom and 10% stock⁷. If your timeline is tight, ask the remodeler which cabinet lines fit it. See kitchen cabinets for your options.

You can, but plan on going without a working kitchen for most of the job, which Fixr puts at about 6 to 12 weeks for a full remodel¹⁵. Set up a small temporary kitchen in another room with the refrigerator, a microwave and a coffee maker, and plan simple meals.

Ask the remodeler how they'll close off dust, protect floors and handle days when the water or power is off. In homes built before 1978, renovation firms that disturb paint must be certified for lead safe work¹⁷.

Bring a rough budget, your must haves, and a few photos of kitchens or baths you like. Know the most you want to spend, since 37% of Houzz renovators went over budget in 2025, most often because products or services cost more than expected¹⁰.

Have your timeline, any HOA rules and the year your home was built handy; Utah says homes built before 1978 likely contain lead paint¹⁸. Ask the remodeler for a license number, a written estimate and a written contract, and check the license on Utah's lookup¹⁹. Start with a free estimate.

Yes, if the work will disturb old ceilings, flooring or insulation, have suspect materials tested before demo starts. The EPA says you generally can't tell whether a material has asbestos just by looking, and it names planning a remodel as a reason to have materials checked by an accredited professional²⁰.

Materials named in Utah's asbestos law include sprayed on textured ceilings, vinyl floor tile and sheet vinyl with its backing, duct or furnace insulation and tape, and vermiculite insulation²¹. Ask the remodeler how testing is handled before any tear out.

Usually yes, if the work changes walls or the layout, or installs or alters plumbing, electrical or HVAC; painting, flooring and other cosmetic work don't need one⁸. The city lets owners pull permits for the home they live in as their primary residence, but rentals need a contractor⁸.

Kitchen and bath remodels that don't add plumbing fixtures can qualify for the city's Permit by Inspector track²². On jobs that come through Salt Lake Kitchen Remodel, the remodeler pulls the permits. Other cities run their own permit offices, so rules can differ.

Yes. The Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District issues permits for Magna, Kearns, White City, Emigration Canyon, Copperton, Brighton and unincorporated Salt Lake County. Its list of work that needs a permit includes changing or lowering kitchen cabinets and countertops²³. Adding plumbing fixtures or electrical circuits needs one too, while swapping fixtures, lights and outlets for equivalent ones doesn't²³.

Rules differ by city. Millcreek, which runs its own building department, exempts cabinets, countertops, tiling and similar finish work²⁴. Check with your city before work starts.

Search the company or person on the Utah Division of Professional Licensing's Licensee Lookup and Verification System at secure.utah.gov/llv and confirm the license is active¹⁹. Common classes for remodels include B100 General Contractor and R100 Residential/Small Commercial Contractor²⁵. R101 covers non structural remodel and repair work and can't be held with any other class²⁶.

Utah also requires the license number on bids and contracts²⁷, and licensed contractors must carry general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per incident²⁸.

Only if the whole job is under $7,000, counting labor, materials and every change; above that, the work needs a licensed contractor²⁹. Even under $7,000, work on a plumbing or electrical system must be done by a licensed plumbing or electrical contractor, though a licensed journeyman can swap a faucet, toilet, fixture, outlet or switch²⁹. Gas appliance work needs a certified person²⁹.

A rewrite of the law that starts January 1, 2027 keeps the $7,000 limit³⁰. The Salt Lake kitchen and bath projects in the Cost vs Value report all run over $27,000¹.

If your home was built before 1978, any paid renovation firm that disturbs paint must be certified for lead safe work¹⁷. Utah runs its own EPA authorized program³¹, managed by the Division of Air Quality, which says homes built before 1978 likely contain lead based paint¹⁸.

The rules cover paid contractors. Homeowners working on their own home generally aren't covered³¹. Ask the remodeler about their lead certification and how they'll contain dust before any walls, trim or cabinets come out.

In areas zoned mainly for residential use, yes: Utah law makes one internal accessory dwelling unit a permitted use inside an owner occupied single family home³². The unit must meet building, health and fire codes, and cities may still require a rental permit, ban rentals under 30 days or ban internal units on lots of 6,000 square feet or less³².

Salt Lake City's ADU handbook lists basement conversion as one layout and requires owner occupancy on single family lots³³. A new basement kitchen means plumbing and electrical work, which needs a permit⁸.

Salt Lake Kitchen Remodel is a free referral service that passes Salt Lake area homeowners' kitchen and bathroom remodel requests to one independent remodeler with an active Utah contractor license. It isn't a remodeling company and doesn't do the work.

The remodeler visits your home, plans the project with you, gives the written estimate, signs the contract with you, pulls the permits and does the job. We explain costs, pass your request along and check that the remodeler's license is active on Utah's license lookup¹⁹. See how it works for the full picture.

No. It's free for homeowners, and we never charge you. Remodelers may pay Salt Lake Kitchen Remodel for the requests we pass along, and that's how the service is paid for. The estimate is free, and you're under no obligation to hire anyone.

If you go ahead, you'll sign a written contract directly with the remodeler. Utah's Division of Professional Licensing publishes an optional Residential Construction Agreement that homeowners and contractors can use³⁴. Get started with a free estimate.

One. Your request goes only to us and one independent remodeler with an active Utah contractor license who serves your area. We don't send it to several companies or post it for bids, so you won't get a pile of calls. The remodeler uses it to contact you about your project.

When you get the estimate, look for the license number on it, since Utah law requires the number on bids and contracts²⁷. Our privacy policy explains how your details are handled.

Yes. We only pass requests to a remodeler whose Utah contractor license shows as active on the Division of Professional Licensing's lookup¹⁹, and you can check it yourself any time.

DOPL requires licensed contractors to carry general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per incident and $2,000,000 in total²⁸. Utah also requires general and residential contractors to use licensed plumbers and electricians for that part of the work³⁵. It's still smart to ask for the license number at the first visit.

Yes. Just ask, and we'll tell you the company's name. The remodeler also introduces themselves when they call, so you always know who has your request.

With the name, you can look up the license status yourself on Utah's Licensee Lookup and Verification System¹⁹. You'll also find the license number on the written estimate and contract, since Utah law requires it on bids and contracts²⁷. If you'd rather not go ahead, just tell the remodeler.

We pass requests from homeowners across Salt Lake County and the Davis County towns of Bountiful, Centerville, Farmington, North Salt Lake and Woods Cross. That includes Salt Lake City, Sandy, Draper, Holladay, Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights, South Jordan and Bountiful.

Permit offices differ across the area. Magna, Kearns and unincorporated Salt Lake County go through the Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District²³, while cities like Millcreek run their own building departments²⁴. See all service areas.

They cost about the same, so the choice usually comes down to the look you want. Fixr puts most quartz projects at $2,600 to $4,400³⁶ and most granite projects at $2,500 to $5,000, with a $3,500 national average for each³⁷.

Quartz is the more popular pick. In the Houzz 2026 study, 32% of renovators chose engineered quartz, against 15% for granite and 10% for quartzite⁷. See slabs in person before you decide, and read more on the countertops page.

Reface if your cabinet boxes are solid and you like the layout; replace them if you're changing the layout or the boxes are worn out. Refacing averages about $8,250 nationally, with most people paying $3,000 to $13,500³⁸. Painting costs less, at about $2,500 to $6,500³⁹. New semi custom cabinets run $150 to $650 per linear foot⁴⁰.

Most renovators replace: in the Houzz 2026 study, 68% replaced all their cabinets and 27% did a partial upgrade⁷. See kitchen cabinet options.

A tub to shower conversion averages about $4,000 nationally, with most projects between $1,200 and $10,000 and high end custom showers up to $20,000⁴¹. A prefab unit runs about $2,000 to $3,000 in materials plus about $1,000 in labor⁴¹.

It's a common change. A tub comes out in 26% of bathroom projects, and when it does, 79% of homeowners use the space to enlarge the shower⁵. If it's the home's only tub, think about who will use that bathroom in the years ahead. See bathroom remodeling.

You can, and it means one plan and one remodeler, but it costs more up front and puts two rooms out of use at once. In Salt Lake City, a minor kitchen remodel ($27,871) plus a midrange bath ($27,526) comes to about $55,400 in the 2025 Cost vs Value figures¹.

Houzz users reported 5.8 months of construction for kitchens and 4.8 months for primary baths on average, and 37% of 2025 renovators went over budget¹⁰. If you have only one bathroom, ask the remodeler to price both rooms and stage the work.

Shaker cabinets, quartz counters, tile backsplashes and islands lead the 2026 Houzz kitchen study. Shaker is the leading door style at 58%, ahead of flat panel at 22%, and engineered quartz is the most chosen countertop at 32%⁷.

Tile was the backsplash choice for 72% of renovators, and 58% added or updated an island⁷. In bathrooms, a tub came out in 26% of projects, most often to make room for a bigger shower⁵. Browse design ideas for photos of these styles.

Yes. Salt Lake area water is hard, so it's worth planning for. Salt Lake City's 2025 water quality report lists hardness from about 7 to over 28 grains per gallon, depending on the source⁴². Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District puts its water at about 170 mg/L, or 10 grains per gallon⁴³, and its 2025 report shows an average of 182.4 mg/L⁴⁴.

The USGS calls 121 to 180 mg/L hard and anything over 180 very hard⁴⁵. Ask the remodeler how your faucets, shower glass, dishwasher and water heater will hold up, and whether a softener or filter fits your plan.