CASE STUDY – Charlotte NC Kitchen Renovation
I picked Charlotte as a representative city where construction costs are in the middle of the range nationally. Other places the costs could vary substantially.
This was the entire prompt pasted into the Budget Game.
“We have a 350sf kitchen in our 1948 home in Charlotte, NC, with a basement below. We want to fully renovate it: new cabinets, counters, appliances, and we’d like to move the sink to a different wall and add an island with a prep sink.”
After a dozen questions, investigation of alternates for cabinets and appliances. This was the output. I took less than 30 minutes. Once you have this kind of budget, you can go back to the same chat, look at all the detail carefully, add photos, ask questions, research finishes and products and make changes as long as you find it useful. You can even set a lower spending limit, and the Budget Game will suggest a scope.
The Budget Game — Budget & Scope Summary
350 SF Kitchen Remodel — 1948 Home, Charlotte, NC
PROJECT 1: KITCHEN REMODEL
350 SF Kitchen — 1948 Home, Charlotte, NC — Full Remodel, Sink Relocation, New Island, New Oak Floor
Section 1 — Summary Budget
Note that this budget is based on very preliminary description of the project and provides only a ROUGH-ORDER-OF-MAGNITUDE number that can serve as the basis for further investigation.
| Section | Sub-item | % | Cost |
| Demolition | 1.8% | $1,790 | |
| Asbestos Testing & Abatement | VAT — PLACEHOLDER, pending actual test result | 5.2% | $5,000 |
| Plumbing | 6.4% | $6,200 | |
| Electrical | incl. confirmed 200A panel upgrade | 12.2% | $11,850 |
| Carpentry/Blocking | 0.6% | $600 | |
| Drywall Patch | PLACEHOLDER, pending photos | 0.6% | $600 |
| Flooring | new oak, to match living/dining | 4.7% | $4,550 |
| Cabinets | Wood-Mode, high-grade base | 49.5% | $48,000 |
| Countertops | quartz | 4.8% | $4,675 |
| Appliances | Viking 30″ gas range + GE fridge/DW/hood | 12.3% | $11,900 |
| Paint | 1.4% | $1,400 | |
| Trim | 0.4% | $350 | |
| Trade Cost Subtotal | $96,915 | ||
| General Conditions | 12% of Trade Subtotal | 12% | $11,630 |
| Contractor Fee | 10% of (Trade + GC) | 10% | $10,855 |
| Contractor Total | $119,400 | ||
| Soft Costs Subtotal | permits, incl. asbestos notification | $1,600 | |
| Total Before Contingency | $121,000 | ||
| Owner’s Contingency | 30% of Total Before Contingency | 30% | $36,300 |
| GRAND TOTAL | $157,300 |
Alternates:
- Deductive Alt — Cabinets: KraftMaid mid-grade instead of Wood-Mode high-grade: –$46,100
Your eye may be drawn to that 30% contingency — it’s a big number. These budgets look like ones based on weeks of detailed work, but this is still a rough estimate. The contingency covers uncertainty in the pricing, cost escalation between now and construction, and — honestly — you changing your mind along the way. I recommend leaving it in for now. For a fuller discussion of contingency, go to the Project Therapy piece, Contingency, Your Best Friend
Section 2 — Detailed Budget
Note that this budget is based on very preliminary description of the project and provides only a ROUGH-ORDER-OF-MAGNITUDE number that can serve as the basis for further investigation.
| Description | Qty/Units | % | Unit Cost | Total Cost |
| DEMOLITION | ||||
| Remove base/wall cabinets | 52 LF | $10/LF | $520 | |
| Remove countertops | 30 LF | $10/LF | $300 | |
| Remove/disconnect appliances | 4 EA | $75/EA | $300 | |
| Cap existing sink & disconnect plumbing | 1 EA | $150/EA | $150 | |
| Debris haul/dumpster | 1 EA | $520/EA | $520 | |
| ASBESTOS TESTING & ABATEMENT | ||||
| Lab testing of VAT — PLACEHOLDER pending actual test | 1 EA | $400/EA | $400 | |
| Licensed VAT abatement removal | 350 SF | $10/SF | $3,500 | |
| Containment/negative air setup | 1 EA | $600/EA | $600 | |
| Subfloor prep after abatement | 1 EA | $500/EA | $500 | |
| PLUMBING | ||||
| Relocate main sink rough-in (new wall) | 1 EA | $1,200/EA | $1,200 | |
| New island sink rough-in + loop vent | 1 EA | $2,200/EA | $2,200 | |
| Dishwasher supply/drain | 1 EA | $350/EA | $350 | |
| Refrigerator ice maker line | 1 EA | $250/EA | $250 | |
| Main sink fixture | 1 EA | $650/EA | $650 | |
| Island bar/prep sink fixture | 1 EA | $450/EA | $450 | |
| Faucets | 2 EA | $300/EA | $600 | |
| Garbage disposals | 2 EA | $250/EA | $500 | |
| ELECTRICAL | ||||
| Panel upgrade, 100A to 200A (confirmed) | 1 EA | $5,200/EA | $5,200 | |
| Range/oven circuit | 1 EA | $450/EA | $450 | |
| Dishwasher circuit | 1 EA | $350/EA | $350 | |
| Disposal circuits | 2 EA | $250/EA | $500 | |
| Microwave/hood circuit | 1 EA | $350/EA | $350 | |
| Refrigerator circuit | 1 EA | $300/EA | $300 | |
| Island receptacle circuits | 2 EA | $200/EA | $400 | |
| GFCI countertop receptacles | 6 EA | $150/EA | $900 | |
| Under-cabinet lighting | 1 EA | $650/EA | $650 | |
| Recessed lighting | 8 EA | $200/EA | $1,600 | |
| Island pendant lighting | 3 EA | $250/EA | $750 | |
| Switches/dimmers | 1 EA | $400/EA | $400 | |
| CARPENTRY | ||||
| Blocking for island/cabinets | 1 EA | $600/EA | $600 | |
| DRYWALL | ||||
| Patch at relocated plumbing/electrical — PLACEHOLDER pending photos | 4 EA | $150/EA | $600 | |
| FLOORING | ||||
| New oak hardwood, site-finished, to match existing living/dining | 350 SF | $13/SF | $4,550 | |
| CABINETS | ||||
| Custom cabinetry, high-grade (Wood-Mode) — base/wall/island | 64 LF | $750/LF | $48,000 | |
| COUNTERTOPS | ||||
| Quartz, perimeter + island | 55 SF | $85/SF | $4,675 | |
| APPLIANCES | ||||
| Range/oven, Viking 30″ gas | 1 EA | $8,500/EA | $8,500 | |
| Refrigerator, GE | 1 EA | $2,200/EA | $2,200 | |
| Dishwasher, GE | 1 EA | $700/EA | $700 | |
| Range hood/microwave, GE | 1 EA | $500/EA | $500 | |
| PAINT | ||||
| Walls, ceiling, trim | 1 EA | $1,400/EA | $1,400 | |
| TRIM | ||||
| Casing repair at patched areas | 1 EA | $350/EA | $350 | |
| TRADE COST SUBTOTAL | $96,915 | |||
| General Conditions | 12% | $11,630 | ||
| Contractor Fee | 10% | $10,855 | ||
| CONTRACTOR TOTAL | $119,400 | |||
| SOFT COSTS | ||||
| Electrical permit | 1 EA | $350/EA | $350 | |
| Plumbing permit | 1 EA | $300/EA | $300 | |
| Building/renovation permit | 1 EA | $600/EA | $600 | |
| Asbestos abatement notification | 1 EA | $350/EA | $350 | |
| SOFT COSTS SUBTOTAL | $1,600 | |||
| TOTAL BEFORE CONTINGENCY | $121,000 | |||
| Owner’s Contingency | 30% | $36,300 | ||
| GRAND TOTAL | $157,300 |
Alternates (fully loaded): Deductive Alt — Cabinets: KraftMaid mid-grade instead of Wood-Mode high-grade: –$46,100
MARKET SPOT-CHECK: A general survey of the Charlotte market places a full kitchen remodel with layout changes and premium finishes in the $150,000–$250,000 range.
SCOPE DOCUMENT
What is being built
- Full renovation of the 350 SF kitchen in a 1948 Charlotte, NC home
- New high-grade custom cabinets (Wood-Mode), quartz countertops
- Main kitchen sink relocated to a new wall
- New island with a bar/prep sink
- New appliances: Viking 30″ gas range, GE refrigerator, GE dishwasher, GE range hood/microwave
- Electrical panel upgraded from 100A to 200A, with new circuits for all appliances, island, and lighting
- New oak hardwood flooring installed in the kitchen, matched to the existing living/dining room hardwood
- Existing vinyl asbestos tile (VAT) removed via licensed abatement
- Alternate project (in place of the kitchen, if preferred): sand and refinish existing hardwood floors in the living room (400 SF) and dining room (300 SF), matching current stain color, done in one pass while the home is unoccupied
What is not included
- Any layout change beyond the sink relocation and island addition (no wall removal)
- Backsplash tile
- Design or space-planning drawings (this tool works in text only)
- Housing costs for the household during construction
- Combining the kitchen project and the floor-refinish alternate into one job — priced as two separate options, per how the project was described
Key assumptions made
- Cabinet run: 64 linear feet total (base, wall, and island), based on the described layout (two full walls plus part of a third, plus an island)
- VAT priced assuming it tests positive for asbestos and requires licensed abatement — a negative test would reduce this cost substantially
- Existing hardwood species assumed to be oak (as stated) for the new kitchen floor match
- Standard non-union residential labor rates
- No structural work involved (no wall removal, no foundation/framing changes)
Unanswered questions still outstanding
- Photos of the existing kitchen have not been provided
- The VAT has not yet actually been lab-tested for asbestos
PLANNING & BUILDING CODE SUMMARY
RESOLVED
- Permits: this project involves plumbing, electrical, and gas work, so building, electrical, and plumbing permits are required — confirmed and priced in as soft costs.
OUTSTANDING — CONFIRM WITH YOUR LOCAL PLANNING OR BUILDING DEPARTMENT
- Asbestos in the existing VAT: unconfirmed by actual lab test. North Carolina requires a certified inspection and a notification to the state’s Asbestos Hazard Management Program before renovation begins, even if the result comes back negative — this affects both cost and how demolition has to be sequenced. Confirm with: https://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/asbestos/demolition.html
- Permits for this project are issued by Mecklenburg County (not the City of Charlotte directly) — confirm exact permit requirements and fees before construction: https://www.meckpermit.com
Now return to The Budget Game