How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Virginia?

The short answer: it depends on what moves

A kitchen remodel in Virginia is priced job by job, and the range is wide. Virginia's Board for Contractors warns homeowners that "Adding a room or updating a kitchen can cost more than a new car," and that most people spend less time choosing a contractor than choosing a car.^[1] The useful number is a written bid for your kitchen, and you get a good one by knowing what drives it.

The biggest question is whether anything behind the walls or under the floor moves. A kitchen that keeps its layout, with new cabinets, counters, flooring and paint, is a very different job from one where the sink moves to an island, a wall comes out, or the range switches fuel.

What sets the price

Scope and layout. Keeping the sink, range, refrigerator and dishwasher where they are avoids most new plumbing, wiring and venting. Moving them is where trade labour, permits and inspections pile up.

Cabinets. The board uses cabinets as its example of why bids differ: when one bid assumes prefabricated cabinets in standard sizes and another assumes custom-made ones, it says "the prices will not be comparable."^[1] Ask every bidder to price the same cabinet line, or to show the cabinet allowance as its own line.

Counters, floors and finishes. Laminate, solid surface, quartz and natural stone sit at very different prices, and stone and quartz are usually measured and cut by a fabricator after the base cabinets are set. Flooring, backsplash tile and lighting add their own lines.

Licensed trade work. Under the Code of Virginia, the Board for Contractors must require a master tradesman licence as a condition of licensing electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors.^[5] Ask each bidder which electrical, plumbing and ventilation work is in the price, and which licensed contractor will do it.

The licence class the job needs. For a single contract, the value decides which licence class the contractor needs: Class C covers jobs over $1,000 but under $30,000, Class B covers $30,000 up to but not including $150,000, and Class A covers $150,000 or more.^[5] The class printed on a contractor's DPOR record tells you the size of job it is licensed to take.

Permits and fees

The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code decides which parts of a kitchen remodel need a permit. Under Section 108.1, a permit is required before removing or adding any wall or partition, or altering the water supply and distribution system, sanitary drainage, vents, electric wiring, mechanical systems or fuel supply systems.^[2] The code's list of exempt ordinary repairs includes:^[2]

• Installing or replacing cabinets or trim
• Installing or replacing floor finishes
• Painting or wallpapering
• Replacing plumbing fixtures without altering the water supply, drainage or vent systems

So a cabinet-and-counter refresh may need no permit at all, while a layout change usually needs a building permit plus trade permits. Fees are set locally. In Montgomery County, when we checked on October 26, 2026, residential alterations, renovations and repairs were $0.22 per square foot with a $45 minimum, and electrical, plumbing and mechanical trade permits were each $0.03 per square foot with a $45 minimum.^[3] The county adds a Virginia State Levy of 2% of each fee and a technology fee of 2% with a $10 minimum, and a re-inspection was $50.^[3] The county's schedule notes that permit fees are based on Gross Building Area unless the schedule says otherwise,^[3] so ask your building department how it measures an alteration. A failed inspection that needs a return visit costs time as well as the re-inspection fee.

Older houses cost more to open up

The age of the house matters. EPA estimates that about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still have some lead-based paint.^[4] Under its Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to perform work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 must be certified and their employees trained in lead-safe work practices.^[4] Containment and cleanup add time to demolition. Older homes also often turn up undersized wiring, old supply pipes or water damage once cabinets come off the wall, and those discoveries can push a remodel past the first quote.

What to ask for in a written bid

The Board for Contractors advises getting at least three written bids on identical plans and specifications, so you can compare both the prices and the contractors.^[1] It also warns that a bid far below the others probably means the contractor made a mistake or left out work the others included.^[1]

Ask each contractor to spell out:

• Every material, with its quality, quantity, weight, colour, size or brand name where it applies, which the board says the contract should specify^[1]
• Which allowances are included (for cabinets, counters, tile or fixtures) and what happens if your choice costs more
• Which trade work is included and who holds each permit
• How hidden conditions such as rot or old wiring are priced if they are found
• Demolition, disposal and cleanup
• The payment schedule

On payment, the board says "a good rule of thumb is an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less," and that for custom-made or special-order items a reasonable deposit could reach 30% of the total contract value.^[1] Read more on how much deposit a contractor can ask for.

When to call a licensed pro

A kitchen remodel that touches plumbing, wiring, gas or walls is a job for a licensed contractor with licensed trades. Before you sign, check the contractor's licence and its class. For what the job involves stage by stage, read what happens during a kitchen remodel, and if a project is already over its number, see why kitchen remodels go over budget. You can also browse kitchen remodeling businesses, look up remodeling contractors in Blacksburg, or read every remodeling answer.

To get real numbers for your kitchen, describe the project once and licensed local contractors will quote it.