How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost in Saint Louis in 2026?

Every week someone walks into our Saint Charles showroom and asks the same thing: "What does a kitchen remodel actually cost?" Most of the articles online give you a useless answer. "Anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000." Thanks.

Here is what we actually see on the 400+ kitchens we have delivered across the Saint Louis metro. Real numbers, real line items, what changes the total.

The short answer for 2026

In Saint Louis, a kitchen remodel with new solid wood cabinets, quartz counters, LVP flooring, a tile backsplash, and professional install runs:

• Small galley (10x12 kitchen): $22,000 to $32,000
• Standard (12x14 with island): $30,000 to $48,000
• Upscale remodel (large open concept): $48,000 to $75,000
• Luxury (300+ sqft with appliance upgrades): $75,000 to $125,000+

These are all-in numbers including materials, delivery, and install. Homeowners who do their own install knock $6,000 to $12,000 off the bottom end.

The line-item breakdown

Take a middle-of-the-road Chesterfield kitchen remodel. 12x14 with a 6-foot island. Typical for a 1990s build.

Line item	Low	Typical	High
Cabinets (solid wood, plywood box)	$8,500	$12,500	$18,000
Countertops (quartz)	$3,200	$4,800	$7,500
Flooring (LVP, 240 sqft)	$860	$1,400	$2,800
Backsplash tile + labor	$900	$1,600	$3,200
Sink + faucet	$400	$650	$1,400
Cabinet install labor	$2,500	$3,800	$5,500
Counter template + install	$800	$1,200	$1,800
Demo + haul away	$600	$1,100	$2,000
Electrical (outlets, island run)	$400	$900	$2,200
Plumbing (new line, disposal)	$300	$700	$1,500
Paint + drywall repair	$500	$900	$1,800
Total	$18,960	$29,550	$47,700

Those numbers are for a homeowner who hires a contractor. If you DIY the install (which plenty of Saint Louis contractors do on their own houses), knock $7,000 off the middle column.

What changes the cost the most

1. Cabinet count, not cabinet style

Our Shaker and Bevel lines are the same price. What drives cabinet cost is how many linear feet you have, how many drawers vs. doors, and how many specialty cabinets (pantries, corner units, appliance panels). A small galley might only have 12 linear feet of cabinets. A big open kitchen can push 30+.

Rule of thumb in 2026: solid wood cabinets with plywood box and soft close run about $450 to $850 per linear foot from an independent dealer. Big-box builder-grade is cheaper ($250-$400/LF) but you pay later in wear. High-end custom shops run $1,200-$2,500/LF.

2. Countertop material

Our customers' countertop picks, in order:

1. Quartz (MSI Q series) — $55-$85/sqft installed, makes up 72% of our kitchens
2. Quartzite (Taj Mahal, White Macaubas) — $90-$135/sqft, 14% of kitchens
3. Granite — $45-$75/sqft, 8%
4. Marble — $75-$150/sqft, 4% (most people use marble for baths instead)
5. Butcher block — $30-$50/sqft, 2% (usually on islands only)

When you order a full kitchen from us, we sell MSI countertops to you at our dealer cost. No markup. Typical cabinet customer saves $800-$2,200 on their counters that way.

3. Who installs

A fair contractor in the Saint Louis metro will charge $3,500 to $6,000 to install a standard kitchen (cabinets only, not counters or flooring). Add $1,200-$2,000 for counter template + install. LVP flooring install runs $2-$3/sqft.

Contractors in Saint Charles, O'Fallon, and outer Wentzville tend to be 10-20% cheaper than contractors serving Clayton, Ladue, and Town & Country. Not because they do worse work. Because overhead is lower. Ask for referrals.

4. Appliances

We do not sell appliances but they are part of almost every remodel. Budget ranges:

• Budget (GE, Frigidaire basics): $3,500-$5,500 for the suite
• Mid (Bosch, KitchenAid): $6,500-$11,000
• Upscale (Thermador, Viking, Sub-Zero): $15,000-$35,000+

If you are buying new appliances, schedule them to land a week before cabinet delivery. Nothing eats a timeline faster than waiting on a paneled fridge that did not ship.

5. Electrical and plumbing surprises

Every 1970s-1990s kitchen in the Saint Louis metro has at least one electrical or plumbing thing the contractor did not budget for. Islands often need a new circuit run. Disposals require a dedicated GFCI outlet by code. If you are adding a range hood that vents outside, add $600-$1,500 for duct work.

Budget 10% of your total as a buffer for these kinds of surprises. Homes in Saint Louis city proper (pre-1950) often need more.

How to save money without cheaping out

Three moves that actually work:

1. Keep the footprint the same. Moving plumbing or gas lines adds $2,500-$8,000 easy. Reusing the existing layout keeps you in budget.
2. Buy cabinets direct from a dealer, not through your contractor. We sell to homeowners and contractors at the same price. When a contractor marks cabinets up 20-35%, you pay for nothing. Buy the cabinets from us, hire the contractor for labor only.
3. Pair your kitchen order with counters and flooring. We sell MSI quartz, quartzite, LVP, and tile at our dealer cost when you buy cabinets. That single move saves most Saint Louis customers $1,500-$4,000.

How to waste money

Three mistakes we see every month:

1. Custom cabinets when semi-custom would do. Unless your kitchen is wildly non-standard, stock sizes from a good dealer look identical and cost half.
2. Painting low-quality cabinets. If the box or doors are MDF or particle board, paint will not save them. They will swell, chip, and delaminate in 5 years.
3. Cheap counters on nice cabinets. Laminate counters on a $15,000 cabinet run is like putting retreads on a Lexus. Spend the money on the counters or wait until you can.

The 24-hour quote

We sell cabinets to homeowners and Saint Louis contractors at the same dealer price. No subcontractor markups, no hidden fees. Our full kitchen quote typically comes back within 24 hours of your measurements.

Start your free quote →

Or call us at (314) 441-5620 and we will walk through the numbers on the phone in 10 minutes.

Frequently asked

Q: Does the $22K-$75K range include appliances? No. Appliances are separate. Budget $4,000-$12,000 on top of our numbers for mid-range brands.

Q: What is a realistic Saint Louis timeline? Cabinet manufacturing and delivery: 2-4 weeks from payment. Install: 7-14 business days. Counters: template after cabinet install, fabrication 7-10 days. Total: 6-9 weeks for a typical project.

Q: Can I finance a kitchen remodel? Yes. We accept Shop Pay Installments for the cabinet portion (4 interest-free payments, or longer financing terms). Many Saint Louis credit unions (First Community, Together Credit Union, West Community) offer home improvement loans at reasonable rates.

Q: Do you charge extra for assembly or delivery? No. Every kitchen order in the Saint Louis metro is hand delivered and preassembled at our Saint Charles shop. No flat-pack, no freight, no tips required.

Q: Do I need to be home for delivery? Yes. We need a signature and a walkthrough. Appointments run about 30 minutes.