Kitchen remodel cost in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City remodel costs at a glance

The most detailed local numbers come from the Cost vs Value report. Its job costs come from Verisk estimating data, and its resale values come from a survey of more than 6,000 Realtors¹.

Each project is a set recipe:

• Minor kitchen: a 200 square foot kitchen with 30 linear feet of cabinets. The boxes stay, with new shaker style fronts, laminate counters, a range, refrigerator, sink, flooring and paint³.
• Major kitchen, midrange: the same size with all new semi custom cabinets, a 3 by 5 foot island, laminate counters, new appliances, lighting and flooring⁴.
• Major kitchen, upscale: custom cabinets, stone counters, a built in refrigerator, a commercial grade cooktop and a wall oven⁵.
• Bathroom, midrange: a 5 by 7 foot bath with every fixture replaced and ceramic tile on the tub surround and floor⁶.
• Bathroom, upscale: a 35 square foot bath expanded to 100 square feet, with fixtures moved, a frameless glass shower, a soaking tub, two sinks and heated floors⁷.

Compared with the national averages in the same report, Salt Lake kitchens price a little lower (about 2% to 3.5% under) and Salt Lake bathrooms a little higher (about 5% over)².

Refresh, full remodel, new layout or custom

Most kitchen projects fall into one of four levels. These are the planning ranges the estimator uses, built from Salt Lake figures where they exist and national studies where they don't. See kitchen remodeling for what each level involves.

• Refresh, about $10,000 to $30,000. The layout and cabinet boxes stay. Cabinets get painted or refaced, with new counters, backsplash, sink and faucet. Fixr's cosmetic tier starts at $10,000⁸, the Houzz minor remodel median is $20,000⁹, and the Salt Lake minor kitchen recipe is $27,871².
• Full remodel, about $35,000 to $80,000. All new cabinets, counters, appliances, lighting and flooring in the same layout. The Houzz major remodel median is $55,000⁹, and the Salt Lake midrange major recipe is $79,909².
• New layout, about $60,000 to $120,000. A full remodel plus moving the sink or range, taking out a wall or adding an island. No study prices a layout change on its own, so this range is a planning estimate. Over half of renovating homeowners (52%) change their layout, and the Houzz major remodel median for kitchens of 250 square feet or more is $75,000⁹.
• Custom, about $120,000 and up. Custom cabinets, stone, built in or professional style appliances and high end finishes. The top 10% of major remodels spend about $120,000 in smaller kitchens and $150,000 in larger ones⁹, and the Salt Lake upscale recipe is $161,009².

Where the money goes

The National Kitchen & Bath Association's budget guide, reprinted in 2019, gives a rough split. Use it for the shape of a budget, not exact shares¹⁰.

On a $55,000 full remodel, that's about $16,000 for cabinets and hardware and $5,500 for countertops¹⁰.

What moves the price

• Layout. Keeping the sink, range and refrigerator where they are keeps you in the full remodel range.
• Cabinet grade. Cabinets are the biggest line in the budget¹⁰, so stock, semi custom or custom makes a big difference.
• A cushion. In a Houzz survey of 2025 projects, 37% of homeowners went over budget, most often because products or services cost more than expected¹¹.

Permits and older homes

In Salt Lake City, moving or removing walls and adding or changing plumbing, electrical or HVAC work usually need a permit, while painting, flooring and other cosmetic work don't¹². Homes built before 1978 likely contain lead based paint, and Utah runs its own program that sets lead safe work rules for paid renovation¹³. Firms that disturb paint in those homes must be certified¹⁴. Ask the remodeler which permits your project needs, what they'll check behind the walls, and whether lead safe steps are in the estimate.

Cabinet and countertop options

These are national figures from Fixr, not Salt Lake quotes. Salt Lake kitchen pricing runs close to national averages², so they're a fair guide.

The Cost vs Value kitchens have 30 linear feet of cabinets⁴. At semi custom prices, that's roughly $4,500 to $19,500 for the cabinets alone¹⁷.

Quartz is the most chosen countertop in the Houzz study (32%), ahead of granite (15%)⁹. Read more about countertops and kitchen cabinets.

Bathroom remodel costs in Salt Lake

Salt Lake bathrooms run a bit above the national average: $27,526 for a midrange remodel and $85,433 for an upscale one². The estimator uses three levels:

• Refresh, about $5,000 to $16,000. New vanity, toilet, faucets, lighting and paint, maybe a tub to shower swap. The Houzz minor bath median is $9,000²¹, and a tub to shower conversion averages about $4,000²².
• Full remodel, about $18,000 to $45,000. The shower or tub rebuilt with tile, plus a new vanity, toilet and floor. The Houzz major bath median is $25,000, with $18,000 for baths under 100 square feet and $30,000 for larger ones²¹.
• Spa bath, about $45,000 to $90,000. A bigger primary bath with a custom shower, freestanding tub and double vanity. The top 10% of major bath remodels reach about $70,000²¹, and the Salt Lake upscale recipe is $85,433².

A tub comes out in 26% of bath projects, usually to make room for a bigger shower²¹. See bathroom remodeling for more.

How long a remodel takes

Planning often takes longer than building. Houzz users report about 9.5 months of planning and 5.8 months of work for kitchens, and 8.4 and 4.8 months for primary baths, including do it yourself projects¹¹.

• Cabinets set the pace. Stock usually arrives in 1 to 2 weeks, semi custom in 4 to 8 weeks, and custom in 3 to 6 months or more²³.
• Kitchen work. About 6 to 12 weeks for a full remodel, a week or two for a cosmetic refresh, and 3 to 8 months start to finish for structural or custom jobs²³.
• Bathrooms. Most take 2 to 12 weeks, and many finish in 2 to 4²⁴.

How homeowners pay for a remodel

Most people use more than one source. In the Houzz survey of 2025 projects, 84% used savings, 34% credit cards and 13% a loan secured by their home¹¹. A National Association of Realtors survey found 54% used a home equity loan or line of credit, 29% savings and 10% credit cards²⁵. The surveys asked different questions, so read them as a range.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes the main options:

• Home equity loan: one lump sum²⁶, usually with a fixed interest rate²⁷.
• HELOC: a line of credit against your home that you draw from as needed, usually with a variable rate²⁸.
• Cash out refinance: a new, larger mortgage that pays off the old one, with the rest paid to you in cash²⁷.
• Personal loan: a set amount paid back in fixed amounts²⁹. A personal line of credit is based on your credit, not your home³⁰.

Will a remodel pay off when you sell?

Usually not in full. Of the five projects in the Salt Lake table, only the minor kitchen earned back more than it cost (109.8%). The others recouped 38.7% to 58.6%².

Nationally, Realtors estimate a complete kitchen renovation recovers about 60% of its cost and a bathroom renovation about 50%²⁵. But homeowners rank these projects among their happiest, with Joy Scores of 9.7 to 10 out of 10 for kitchens and 9.8 for baths²⁵.

The honest takeaway: remodel because you'll use the space, not for the sale.

From a planning range to a real number

The estimator and these figures are planning ranges. They can't see your walls, your plumbing or the finishes you'll pick. The real number is the written estimate the remodeler gives you after an in home visit.

When you're ready, get a free estimate. We pass your request to one independent remodeler with an active Utah contractor license who serves your area.