Kitchen remodel cost in Chicago, IL
Remodeled kitchen $75–$250/sf; average remodel $14,600–$41,300. A new-from-scratch kitchen around $65,000 ($35,000–$95,000) is a different scope and is not this typical. $35,000 typical is the midpoint of that remodel band, rounded. Labor is often quoted as about 25% of the project.
Labor for Kitchen remodel in Chicago, IL is indexed to the BLS construction-and-extraction occupations mean hourly wage for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN of $40.87 (May 2025), applied to the 25% labor share.
Chicago Department of Buildings (DOB) is the issuing office. The typical permit fee recorded from Chicago Table 14A-12-1204.2 stand-alone fees; 2026 Amended Fee Tables, retrieved 2026-09-01, is $500. Fee model: flat.
The national typical for this job is $150. Materials stay at the national figure while labor is wage-indexed for Chicago, IL.
Room area. 150 to 250 sqft is a common mid-range kitchen.
Typical all-in
$32,750
Job cost plus the recorded local permit fee at this size.
- Low
- $16,125
- Typical
- $32,750
- High
- $54,352
Breakdown
| Labor (allocated) | $8,063 |
|---|---|
| Materials (allocated) | $24,187 |
| Job subtotal | $32,250 |
| Permit | $500 |
| All-in typical | $32,750 |
Labor is adjusted for construction wages in this metro. Materials stay at the national figure. This is an estimate, not a contractor quote.
Permit fee
- Fee model
- Flat fee
- Typical fee
- $500
- Range
- $0 – $602
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-01
- Stand-alone interior alteration ≤2,000 sf in one unit — $500Table 14A-12-1204.2; included as typical. Zoning fee extra, not in DOB tables.
- Plan-based Level 2 minimum — $602Included as high.
- Plumbing fixture replacement (no in-wall piping) — $75Extra if plumbing is in scope; not in totals.
- Electrical on existing circuits — $75Extra; not in totals.
Low $0 = cosmetic exemption. Typical $500 = stand-alone interior ≤2,000 sf. High $602 = plan-based Level 2 floor. Valuation unused.
Cabinets/counters/paint with no plumbing or electrical connections are exempt ($0). A real kitchen with MEP uses stand-alone interior alteration ($250 ≤500 sf or $500 ≤2,000 sf). Gutting walls is plan-based ($602 min).
Chicago Table 14A-12-1204.2 stand-alone fees; 2026 Amended Fee Tables
Citations
- Kitchen Installation Cost [2026 Data] Retrieved Aug 12, 2026. Remodel $75–$250/sf; average remodel $14,600–$41,300; new install ~$65,000 ($35k–$95k); labor ~25%.
- Chicago Table 14A-12-1204.2 stand-alone fees; 2026 Amended Fee Tables Retrieved Aug 31, 2026. Cabinets/counters/paint with no plumbing or electrical connections are exempt ($0). A real kitchen with MEP uses stand-alone interior alteration ($250 ≤500 sf or $500 ≤2,000 sf). Gutting walls is plan-based ($602 min).
- BLS OEWS construction wages — Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN BLS OEWS construction-and-extraction mean hourly wage / national same vintage, applied to laborShare only. Not a city-specific bid survey.