Most Miami kitchen remodels land between about $45,000 and $85,000 when everything is replaced but the layout stays put. A cosmetic refresh usually comes in around $30,000–45,000, and moving walls or plumbing typically pushes the project to $85,000–130,000. Custom high-end kitchens are priced individually after design. The spread comes from what moves, the cabinetry, and what is found behind the walls.
If you search for kitchen remodel costs in Miami you will find numbers that make no sense together. One national lead site currently puts the “average” Miami kitchen well below what a full remodel costs here. Another estimating database uses a per-square-foot band so wide it barely narrows anything down. A third, built from city permit data, averages every permitted job, from a sink swap to a gut. None of them is wrong, exactly. They are measuring different projects under the same name.
That is the real issue: “kitchen remodel” describes at least four different projects that share a name and nothing else. Here is how they actually price in South Florida.
Kitchen remodel cost in Miami by tier
| Tier | What it includes | Typical South Florida range |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cosmetic refresh | Same layout, new surfaces, possibly new cabinets in the same footprint | About $30,000–45,000 |
| 2. Full remodel, same layout | Gutted to studs, new cabinetry, stone, lighting, flooring | About $45,000–85,000 |
| 3. Layout change and structural | Walls removed, plumbing moved, engineering and slab work | About $85,000–130,000 |
| 4. High-end and luxury | Custom millwork, book-matched stone, integrated appliances | Priced individually after design |
These ranges are cross-checked against the 2025 Cost vs. Value report for the South Atlantic region, which priced a midrange minor kitchen remodel at about $28,600 and a midrange major remodel at about $81,100, and against Miami-specific guidance that puts mid-range work at $30,000–70,000 and major remodels from about $70,000. They are market ranges, not a quote.
Tier 1: Cosmetic refresh, roughly $30,000–45,000
Nothing moves. The layout stays exactly where it is, the plumbing and electrical stay where they are, and you replace what you can see: cabinet doors or new cabinets in the same footprint, countertops, backsplash, sink, faucet, paint, and possibly appliances.
This is the fastest kind of kitchen project, usually three to four weeks once materials are on hand. Permits are where people get caught out. Miami-Dade’s permit exemption guidance treats installing kitchen cabinets as unregulated work, but says the associated plumbing, ventilation and electrical work may still need a permit. Fixture swaps are only exempt in narrow cases, and several of the exemptions are capped at $5,000 of work in any 12-month period. Many cities, including Miami Beach, run their own building departments, and a condo association will want its own approval regardless. Assume you need to check, every time.
Tier 2: Full remodel, same layout, roughly $45,000–85,000
Everything comes out to the studs, but the kitchen stays where it is. New cabinetry throughout, stone counters, new flooring, new lighting including under-cabinet and dedicated circuits, new tile, and appliances properly integrated rather than wedged into a gap.
This is where most Miami kitchen renovations actually land. It is also the tier where the quality of what you cannot see starts to matter: whether the electrical is brought up to current code, whether the ventilation is ducted outside or simply recirculated, and whether the cabinet boxes are plywood or particleboard. Our kitchen remodeling page shows what that scope looks like in practice, and the Sky Lake kitchen and flooring project is a good example of this tier.
Tier 3: Layout change and structural work, roughly $85,000–130,000
The wall comes down. Plumbing moves to a new wall. The island gains a sink, which means running waste and supply through the slab. Sometimes a window is enlarged or a door opening is relocated.
Everything in Tier 2 still applies, plus engineering for any load-bearing modification, a permit package with signed and sealed drawings, structural inspections, and slab work. This is the tier that changes how a home actually functions. On our Hollywood Lake House the kitchen was relocated toward the light and the water, which is exactly this kind of project. It is also where hiring the wrong contractor becomes genuinely expensive rather than merely annoying, and where we do our best work: structural changes, relocated plumbing and stone that has to be fabricated around them. If a wall is involved, read removing a load-bearing wall first.
Tier 4: High-end and luxury, priced after design
Custom millwork rather than catalog cabinetry. Book-matched stone ordered as a single slab batch so the veining runs continuously across a mitered waterfall edge. Integrated appliances with custom panels. Architectural lighting on a control system. Tolerances measured in millimeters, and material lead times measured in months. The number is set by those selections, so we price this tier after design rather than from a range. Our luxury renovation page covers how we run projects at this level.
Where the money goes
Typical line-item ranges from current industry cost data:
- Semi-custom cabinets: $12,000–22,000
- Custom cabinetry: $25,000–40,000
- Quartz countertops, installed: About $75–100 per sq ft
- Premium quartzite or specialty stone: About $115–150 per sq ft
- Porcelain floor tile, installed: About $12–25 per sq ft
- Appliance package, mid-range: $8,000–15,000
- Structural engineer: About $1,900–3,700
- Load-bearing wall removal (national): About $5,000–12,000
Labor in Miami is not cheap either. One Miami cost guide lists general contractors at about $85–110 an hour and plumbers at $95–130, which is why moving a sink costs more than people expect.
What actually moves the number
- Whether anything moves. The single biggest jump in cost is between a kitchen that stays put and one that does not. Relocating plumbing in a slab-on-grade Florida home means cutting concrete.
- Cabinetry. Usually the largest single line item, commonly a quarter to a third of the total, and the spread between entry-level and custom is the widest of anything in the project. See stock vs. semi-custom vs. custom cabinets.
- Countertop material. The jump from standard quartz to quartzite or book-matched marble can double the stone budget. Our guide to quartz, granite and porcelain countertops compares them for this climate.
- What is behind the walls. Aluminum wiring, cast-iron waste lines and polybutylene supply pipe are all common in homes of a certain age here. None of them are disasters; all of them add cost, and all of them are far cheaper to fix while the wall is already open.
- Condo or house. A high-rise adds board approval, insurance certificates, elevator scheduling, restricted working hours and acoustic requirements for flooring. That is real cost, and it is real time. Layout options in towers are covered in Miami condo kitchen layouts.
Is a kitchen remodel worth it at resale?
Partly. In the 2025 Cost vs. Value data for the South Atlantic region, a midrange minor kitchen remodel recovered about 109% of its cost at resale, a midrange major remodel about 50%, and an upscale major remodel about 36%. The lesson is not that big kitchens are a mistake. It is that the upper tiers are for living in, not for flipping. If you are selling within a couple of years, the cosmetic tier is usually the rational choice.
Mistakes that blow kitchen budgets
- Comparing bids with different cabinet allowances as if they were the same job.
- Choosing the stone after the cabinets are ordered and discovering the slab size does not suit the island.
- Ignoring ventilation. A high-output range with a recirculating hood is a poor trade.
- Leaving the electrical panel out of the budget when adding induction, a second oven or more circuits.
- Setting no contingency in an older home. We recommend 10–20%, depending on age and scope.
Why we do not quote over the phone
Because the honest answer to “roughly how much?” before seeing the space is a number that will change, and a number that changes later is worse than no number at all. On a site visit we can see the age of the plumbing, where the joists run, whether the slab has been cut before, what the panel can carry, and where the ventilation goes. Those five things move a kitchen budget more than every finish selection combined.
What you should get from any contractor before signing is a written scope: what is included, what is excluded, what allowances have been set for materials you have not chosen yet, and what happens to the price if something unexpected appears. A number without that document is not a quote. It is a hope.
What to ask a kitchen contractor
- Is the cabinet line, construction and finish named in the bid, or only an allowance?
- Does the price include permit, engineering if needed, and inspections?
- Where does the hood vent to, and is the ducting included?
- Can the existing panel carry the new appliances?
- Who templates and installs the stone, and when?
- How are surprises behind the walls priced and approved?
A real number for your kitchen needs a site visit. You can book one here.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Miami?
A full remodel that keeps the existing layout typically lands around $45,000 to $85,000 in South Florida. Cosmetic refreshes usually run about $30,000 to $45,000, and layout changes with structural or plumbing work roughly $85,000 to $130,000. Custom high-end kitchens are priced after design. Cabinetry, stone, and whether anything moves explain most of the difference.
Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen in Miami-Dade?
Often, yes. Miami-Dade guidance treats cabinet installation itself as unregulated, but plumbing, ventilation and electrical work tied to it may require a permit, and removing a wall always does. Many cities run their own building departments with their own rules, and condo associations require separate approval, so check with the specific jurisdiction before work starts.
How much does it cost to move a kitchen sink to an island?
In a slab-on-grade Florida home it means cutting and patching concrete to run waste and supply lines, plus venting, plumbing labor and a permit. That work belongs in the layout-change tier, and the total depends on the distance to the existing drain and what the slab contains. It cannot be priced responsibly without seeing the slab and plumbing.
What percentage of a kitchen budget goes to cabinets?
Cabinetry is usually the largest single line item, commonly a quarter to a third of the total. Industry cost data puts semi-custom cabinets at roughly $12,000 to $22,000 and custom cabinetry at $25,000 to $40,000 for a typical kitchen, which is why the cabinet decision moves the total more than any other choice.
Does a kitchen remodel increase home value in Miami?
Some of the cost comes back. In 2025 Cost vs. Value data for the South Atlantic region, a midrange minor kitchen remodel recovered about 109% of its cost, a midrange major remodel about 50%, and an upscale major remodel about 36%. Larger kitchens are worth doing for how you live, less so as a pure investment.
