Miami Kitchen Remodel: What to Expect and How Much to Spend
Imagine a kitchen that’s not just a space for cooking, but a sanctuary of style and function. A place where culinary dreams come true and family memories are made. If you’re dreaming of transforming your Miami kitchen into such a haven, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about kitchen remodeling in Miami, from understanding costs to exploring design trends. Get ready to embark on a journey of inspiration and transformation.
How much should you budget for your kitchen remodel? Here’s how to make a rough prediction of kitchen remodeling costs in Miami. The main variables are:
- Size of your kitchen, typically determined by square footage, and other factors like the number of linear feet of cabinets and countertops you need.
- Finish level — from budget to luxury, of all the materials, fixtures and finishes for your renovation.
- Scope — Are you just replacing fixtures and finishes? Are you changing the floor plan, including moving walls and utilities? Are you adding a new kitchen, or moving your kitchen to a different part of the house?
- Services — Do you just need construction work? Do you need professional design or architecture services?
The cost of a kitchen remodel in Miami can vary significantly based on factors like scope of work, material selection, labor costs, and unexpected issues. For a medium-sized kitchen renovation without major layout changes, starting costs can range from $24,000 for a budget-friendly option to $75,000 for a high-end remodel. However, it’s essential to obtain quotes from local contractors for a more accurate estimate tailored to your specific needs and preferences.
Transparent Pricing for Your Miami Kitchen Remodel
At Sweeten, we believe in providing complete transparency when it comes to pricing. Our cost estimates include all materials, labor, overhead, and a standard general contractor’s margin, ensuring you have a clear understanding of the total cost before you begin.
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Size: How dimensions affect your kitchen remodeling costs in Miami
While a larger kitchen generally means higher costs, the specific fixtures and finishes play a significant role. Assess your needs, lifestyle, and existing space to plan a Miami kitchen remodel that meets your requirements and fits within your budget.
Extra Small Kitchens
Extra small kitchens, often referred to as “kitchenettes,” are typically less than 60 square feet and best suited for simple food preparation. These tiny spaces usually feature mini appliances and limited cabinetry. Common appliances include under-counter or narrow refrigerators (like the GE Profile 24-inch Built-in Refrigerator) and small stoves or cooktops (such as the Frigidaire Gallery 18-inch Electric Cooktop).
Small Kitchens
Small kitchens, typically ranging from 60 to 90 square feet, often have a narrow galley or efficient corner layout. These kitchens are ideal for one cook and usually include a narrow upright refrigerator (like the Samsung 18-inch French Door Refrigerator), a four-burner range (such as the KitchenAid 30-inch Gas Range), and a microwave.
Medium Kitchens
Medium kitchens, measuring between 90 and 120 square feet, frequently have an L-shaped or U-shaped layout and may feature an island or peninsula. These kitchens are comfortable for 1-2 cooks and typically include an upright refrigerator (like the LG 24-inch French Door Refrigerator), a four-burner range (such as the GE Profile 30-inch Gas Range), a dishwasher, and a microwave.
Large Kitchens
Large kitchens, usually 120 to 200 square feet, offer ample cabinet space or a pantry and often include an island or peninsula. These spacious kitchens are comfortable for 2 cooks and guests and typically include a wide upright refrigerator (like the Sub-Zero 36-inch French Door Refrigerator), a six-burner range or cooktop with a separate oven (such as the Wolf 36-inch Gas Range), a dishwasher, a microwave, and possibly a wine refrigerator.
Extra Large Kitchens
Extra large kitchens, exceeding 200 square feet, are generously sized and often feature a pantry or larder. These kitchens are ideal for cooking with family or friends and typically include a wide upright refrigerator (like the Viking 36-inch French Door Refrigerator), a six-burner range or cooktop, multiple ovens (such as the Thermador Professional 30-inch Double Oven), multiple dishwashers, a microwave, and a wine refrigerator.
Note, estimates don’t typically include appliances because appliance costs vary from budget to mid-grade to high-end/luxury. Most GCs are happy to provide an allowance or cost for a specific model upon request. There is a wide range of kitchen appliance packages available based on your budget, whether it’s under $5,000, $5,000-$10,000, or $10,000+.
Finish level: How kitchen design affects remodeling costs in Miami
Finish level refers to the general quality and price level of fixtures, materials, and finishes. These include countertop materials, cabinetry materials and fabrication, flooring choices, and the brands and models of sinks, faucets, and appliances you choose. The higher the finish level, the faster your costs will increase.
- Budget finish: Budget materials are generally off-the-shelf items from “big box” stores or IKEA. This includes Ikea cabinets, Wilsonart solid surface countertops, Pergo laminate floors, various tiles under $10 / square foot, fixtures by Delta and American Standard.
- Mid-grade finish: Mid-grade materials balance cost efficiency with material quality. This includes cabinets by Diamond or Kemper, Caesarstone countertops, Daltile floors, tiles by TileBar and Ann Sacks, fixtures by Brizo, Hansgrohe, or Kohler.
- High-end finish: High-end takes quality and craftsmanship above standard, and introduces custom work. This includes custom cabinets, countertops by Cambria and Neolith, floors by Porcelanosa, tiles by Cle Tile and Artistic Tile, fixtures by Graff, Kallista, or Rohl.
- Luxury finish: Luxury means the sky’s the limit, where customization, craftsmanship and materials truly go above and beyond. Think brands like La Cornue, Meneghini, or Vinotemp.
Scope: Rip-and-replace vs. gut kitchen renovation in Miami
Project scope refers to the amount and type of work that needs to be done, and can have implications on which professionals you’ll need to hire. We divide scope into the following broad categories (when a contractor prepares an estimate for your renovation, it will be much more detailed, and will include costs of the exact fixtures and finishes):
Full renovation (also called “rip-and-replace”)
A full renovation means that you’re replacing all old fixtures and finishes with new ones, while leaving everything in its original place. So, effectively, the layout is the same before and after the renovation (hence, the nickname “rip-and-replace”). This is the more straightforward way to reimagine your space, and can often be done with just a licensed general contractor partner.
Gut renovation
For a gut renovation, you’ll be dropping walls, moving gas lines, re-routing plumbing lines and rewiring electrical — generally stripping the room to the studs and subfloor (or, even removing these!) in order to change up the layout of the space. This kind of transformational project will require professional design and architectural services, permitting, and licensed general contractors, which ensures the work is done safely and to code.
Services: Kitchen remodeling services, and how they affect costs in Miami
The two main services to consider for your kitchen renovation are build service and design service. Depending on your needs, you have some options for what types of firms to hire. Sweeten brings homeowners an exceptional renovation experience by personally matching trusted general contractors to your project, while offering expert guidance and support—at no cost to you. Renovate to live, Sweeten to thrive!
Build Service with a General Contractor
Build service typically includes demolition and construction services, carried out by your general contractor. While some general contractors are considered build-only firms and don’t offer full professional design, the level of service within this category can vary significantly.
Some build-only firms strictly work with finished plans from a professional designer, while others are more involved in the design process. They may collaborate with you to realize your vision, offer creative suggestions for materials and fixtures, or even provide rough visualizations for spatial layout.
Factors like a firm’s service level, experience, size, and overhead can influence their pricing competitiveness. We recommend meeting with several firms to determine the best fit for your needs and budget.
Design Service with an Architect or Interior Designer
Design service can be divided into creative design and technical design. For creative design, often optional, you’ll work with an architect or interior designer to reimagine your space. This added service typically costs between 10-20% of your construction budget, depending on the level of service included in your design package. However, some firms may charge a flat fee based on the project’s scope and duration.
Technical design expertise is necessary for projects like gut renovations that require permits. An architect or structural engineer ensures the project adheres to safety and building codes.
Full-Service Design-Build Firms
If you need both design and build services, you can hire a professional designer or architect and a general contractor separately. Alternatively, consider a design-build firm—a general contractor with dedicated professional design services under one roof. This approach offers continuity, seamless coordination, and can potentially help keep your project on budget.
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FAQs About Kitchen Renovation
The final cost of a kitchen remodel will depend on the size of your kitchen, the type of cabinets, appliance budget, and if any electrical or plumbing will be moving. Based on national averages, for a typical, medium-sized space (120 sqft), a full, rip-and-replace kitchen remodel in Miami will range from $24,000 to $106,000 and up, depending on finishes. This estimate includes all materials, labor, overhead, and a standard general contractor margin.
A major gut kitchen remodel would add an additional 15-25% to the total cost of materials and labor for the same square footage.
Demolition signifies the start of a renovation and is one of the quickest parts of the process to complete. Typically, demolition costs are tied to the square footage of what is being removed. Generally, demolition costs start at $27 per square foot in Miami, but can be more depending on what needs to be removed.
The cost of labor goes towards the renovation crew, behind-the-scenes administrative employees, and subcontractors. Generally, the cost of labor is dependent on a project’s complexity, size, and location. In Miami, the labor portion of a remodeling project usually adds up to around 25-35% of the total project cost, give or take.
Generally, labor will make up a larger portion of total cost for a project with budget-grade materials, and a lower portion of the total for high-end materials, however, the addition of any highly specialized labor (beyond standard) will cost more.
Permit requirements vary between states and local municipalities, so be sure to check your local requirements. Often, permits are needed if any plumbing, electrical, or mechanical elements will be moved, or if load-bearing walls are being moved or coming down. If you need a permit for your renovation, the costs can be calculated as a flat rate for specific scopes of work or as a percentage of the cost of the project. In some areas remodeling permit costs might be as high as 10%, but it’s usually less.
Cabinet costs will vary widely depending on the cabinet type, material type, and the linear square footage that will be installed. The price range can be wide on cabinets, ranging from $185 per linear foot for stock cabinetry going up to $600 per linear foot for custom cabinetry with decorative elements, such as designer glass fronts. Double those figures per linear foot if you’re planning for both upper and lower cabinets, though lower cabinets are deeper and usually slightly more expensive than uppers.
These quotes include local installation costs for Miami.
The cost of a countertop will depend on the square footage needed, the cost to install, and the type of material chosen. On the lower end, counters can start at $38 per square foot for laminate, formica, or tile, to as high as $552+ per square foot for high-end continuous, natural stone.
These quotes include local installation costs for Miami.
The cost considerations for a kitchen island or peninsula include the type of cabinetry, countertop material, and any amenities to be installed, such as a sink or appliance. In total, adding a new island in Miami, using budget-grade materials will start at about $7,500. This figure includes local installation labor for Miami
Appliances can make up a substantial part of the renovation budget, if you are planning to replace them. “To maximize a limited budget, consider an appliance package,” explains Albert Fouerti, founder and CEO of Appliances Connection. “Sticking to a single brand might net you the most savings based on manufacturers’ rebates.”
Typically, appliance packages align into three levels – budget appliance packages which cost $5,000 and under, mid-grade packages range between $5,000-$10,000, and high-end/luxury packages that can cost $10,000 and up. An appliance package typically includes a refrigerator, range, microwave oven, and dishwasher, but could include more appliances depending on your specific renovation. Costs can be controlled by choosing finishes and features within your budget and typical use case.
The cost of a backsplash will depend on the square footage needed, the type of material chosen, and the prep and installation labor. Kitchen backsplash costs range from about $38 per square foot for a budget tile option, up to $552 per square foot for a high-end slab option, such as marble. These figures include installation labor costs for Miami.
When renovating your kitchen, you’ll also need to choose hardware like cabinet pulls that can run as low as a few dollars a piece (though, you can also spend a lot more on higher-end items), and lighting fixtures that can be had for $78 for basic flush mounts (with installation labor), or run up to hundreds or thousands of dollars for decorative chandeliers or multiple statement pendants and under-cabinet lighting.
In Miami, the cost for a full, rip-and-replace remodel of a small kitchen can range from $20,500-$71,000 and up, depending on finish level of the materials used. A major gut renovation for a kitchen of the same size would add an additional 15-25% to the total cost of materials and labor.
Your general contractor can give you an idea of possible issues that may arise during a renovation in Miami, based on the age and type of home they’re working on. However, a contractor cannot price out every possible issue, especially after walls are broken into. Plumbing and electrical may need to be updated, or lead/asbestos may need to be removed. Major projects often involve permit costs. Change orders after a contract has been signed can also add to the overall cost.
To protect yourself from unseen costs, set aside a 10-15% contingency budget for a non-gut renovation. If you are planning a gut remodel, set aside 15-20% for issues that come up along the way. Having a monetary cushion will keep your remodeling project on track. If you don’t end up needing it, you can use the extra funds to pay down loans or furnish your beautiful new space.
Common kitchen layouts in Miami include galley, L-shaped, U-shaped, island, and peninsula kitchens. Galley kitchens are highly-efficient layouts and usually on the smaller end for kitchen size because there is limited floor space; that said, they focus their efficiency on cabinets and countertop space, which are bigger ticket items for pricing. In the medium to large size range, you might have an L-shaped kitchen or a U-shaped kitchen. Many open layout kitchens feature an island or peninsula.
In all of these cases, your big-ticket items like cabinets, countertops and appliances will swing your overall costs higher or lower depending on the overall size or volume and finish level. If you don’t need a lot of cabinet space, consider limiting upper cabinets or incorporating some open-shelving in your kitchen design to reduce costs.
