Kitchen budgets cluster into three bands, and the jump between them is rarely about square footage. It’s about how much you move — cabinets, plumbing, walls — and how far up the finish ladder you climb.
The three ranges
At the entry band you keep the layout and refresh surfaces. In the middle band you replace cabinetry and appliances and upgrade finishes. At the top band you move walls, relocate plumbing, and specify custom millwork and stone.
What moves the number
Relocating the sink or range, taking down a load-bearing wall, and choosing stone over quartz-look laminate are the three decisions that most often push a project from one band into the next. Decide those early and the rest of the budget holds.