Kitchen Renovation Cost In Canada | Comparing Options
How much will a typical kitchen like this cost? We compared all renovation options for you.
Major and minor renovations costs
When a kitchen becomes outdated, it’s only a matter of time when you start thinking of a renovation. Overall, there are major and minor transformations that could be done in the kitchen. Major ones include remodeling, wall demolition, floor change, replacement of the entire kitchen, including cabinets, appliances, counters, and backsplash.
Major upgrades can cost more than $70,000 and are a topic for a separate article. Whereas minor changes include refacing or repainting cabinets, changing the hardware or a few pieces of furniture, etc. In this article, we will take a closer look at the benefits, drawbacks of minor changes and typical kitchen renovation costs in Canada. The pricing below reflects a typical renovation of an average-sized kitchen. Prices in bold demonstrate how much exactly the shown above kitchen would cost.
Scroll down for the summary.
Cabinets
Cabinetry and hardware usually constitute around 28-30% of the total renovation cost. On average, it takes $8,700 for this part of the kitchen. Options for cabinetry include repainting, refacing with wood veneers or laminate, refinishing with vinyl film, and replacing.
- Repainting is a widely spread option that is cheap and easy to perform. However, there are a few drawbacks, such as time extensions, not-as-pleasant smell, possible visible brush strokes, pattern/color limitations. It will take approximately $900 and up to $1,500 to remove the existing finish layer. The kitchen in the picture has 18 flat doors, an island, and a few side panels. A high-quality painting work (with no brush strokes) will cost between $4,800 and $5,900, depending on the surface conditions and a paint choice. Even if we take the lowest estimates, those kitchen cabinets would be $5,700.
- Refacing is another quick and affordable option for kitchen renovation. A ¼” plywood reinforces your original cabinet, and then a laminate or veneer panel adheres as an exterior finish. An important note: you won’t be able to reface cabinets if the structure of cabinets is weak or too old. In North America, refacing ranges from $4,200 to $9,000. For the shown medium-sized kitchen, it will be $4,900-$5,900 depending on the veneer choice. Those figures were confirmed by two quotes that we received for the picture. We were quoted $5,200 and $5,600.
- Refinishing with the architectural film is similar to the previous option, but is more flexible because there is a possibility to cover surfaces that are curved, round, and have complicated ledges. The average cost of refinishing with Nelcos is $2,500-3,500. Refinishing the kitchen above will cost $2,900. Note that the price might vary between $2,800 and $3,200 depending on what vinyl texture (marble, wood, fabric, etc.) you would choose.
- Replacing cabinets with new ones is the last option to consider when planning a minor kitchen renovation. This choice is justified if the existing cabinets are in a bad state and can’t be fixed. You can buy ones from IKEA or go high-end and order custom-made ones. The price for the IKEA cabinets starts from $110 for the plain wall cabinet with a door, a base cabinet will cost starting from $190. Anything nonplain white starts from $250. If we are talking about kitchen renovation costs in Canada, The Home Depot kitchen wall cabinets start from $141 and a base cabinet – from $240. The cost will add up depending on the need. There are too many options to choose from, so we’ll skill all the tedious details. Refacing normally is 50% of the replacing price, so an updated kitchen above (excluding countertops) will cost $9,800 – $11,800.
Countertops
Replacing. The average price for fabrication and installation is $75 per sq. foot both for quartz and granite countertops. The countertops in the picture (including the island) are about 37 sq. ft. So it will cost $2,775. For marble countertops, it will be over $5,700. There is also a stylish option for concrete countertops:
- A DIY concrete countertop. If you’re ready to spend a few days building a mold, mixing concrete, putting and leveling it, then waiting for it to dry, it’s your option then.
- You can hire someone to do the concrete countertop for you, however, the price will increase due to the skills put into this work, and will cost up to $135 per square foot.
Backsplash
This part of a kitchen upgrade is way more complicated. A new backsplash takes time and research. It should be fire-resistant and easy to clean and sanitize. So you can choose from the next options:
- Replacing tiles. Go the traditional way and change the tile to a modern one. You can even perform this by yourself if you have enough experience. If not, there are plenty of handymen you can hire for the job. This kind of job will cost you $800-$1,000 for the labour, plus add the cost of the tile itself – $20 per sq. foot. Our kitchen will cost around $1,400.
- Painting. For the budget-friendly decision, repaint the existing one if you you confident in your DIY skills. But take into consideration, that’s not a reliable or lasting option. The cost will only include a paint itself and a primer.
- Changing to glass. If you’d like something custom, select a solid glass backsplash. It meets all the requirements for the purpose but is more design-friendly because you can put any paint or wallpaper, or film underneath, as well as, put a design on the glass itself. Yes, it can be more expensive than tile but it’s low-maintenance and trendy. The average cost of a glass backsplash is $30-$50 per square foot, but it also depends on the thickness, strengths, and type of glass. Our kitchen backsplash will be $1,300-1,400.
- Refinishing. If a backsplash has a few tiles only, it makes sense to apply vinyl right away. If there are multiple seams, installers usually adhere a panel and then wrap it with vinyl. On average, Nelcos backsplash refinishing costs between $700 and $1,200. The kitchen in the picture will cost $1,000.
Appliances
First, what comes to mind when you think of outdated appliances is buying anew. However, there are a few options to consider before that.
- Painting appliances can be tricky and complicated, but it’s possible. If you have a really tight budget but still want to do something with an old fridge, for example, you can paint it with chalk paint or make it look anew with stainless steel paint. The price for a painted typical refrigerator is $500.
- More of a long-lasting option is wrapping with the interior film. If your fridge still works and you’re satisfied with it, wrap it with film and enjoy it. The price for refinishing a fridge from our kitchen will be from $400 to $600. The price depends on the conditions of gaskets and other details. So in terms of price, there is no difference. However, vinyl film offers extreme durability and a texture choice.
Summing it up
Minor kitchen upgrades don’t always imply serious budget considerations. You can revamp only one part of the kitchen at a time. As our “investigation” shows, vinyl refinishing makes it even easier. The kitchen in the picture was actually refinished by us – you can check the process and the results in our blog. Overall, vinyl seems as the ultimate solution in terms of pricing and versatility. Fabric, marble, wood, stone, or anything else is possible without compromising on aesthetic appeal or quality. Browse other advantages of the vinyl film, besides the price, in our blog, too.
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