A kitchen remodel in the Boston area can mean a $29,000 refresh that keeps your cabinet boxes or an $84,000 to $173,000 rebuild with new cabinets, counters and appliances, based on the 2025 Cost vs. Value report. Knowing which one you are planning is the first step to a realistic budget.
Key points
- In the 2025 Cost vs. Value report, a minor midrange kitchen remodel averaged $28,991 in Boston.
- A major midrange remodel with new semi-custom cabinets and an island averaged $84,331; an upscale one $173,271.
- The minor remodel recouped 119.2% of its cost at resale in Boston, the best of any kitchen project in the report.
- Cabinets and countertops are the two choices that move a kitchen budget the most.
Kitchen remodel cost in Boston: the 2025 numbers
Cost vs. Value, published by the Journal of Light Construction, prices the same projects in 119 U.S. markets. All three kitchen projects below are a 200-square-foot kitchen with 30 linear feet of cabinets and counters.
| Project | Job cost | Cost recouped |
|---|---|---|
| Minor remodel, midrange | $28,991 | 119.2% |
| Major remodel, midrange | $84,331 | 40.8% |
| Major remodel, upscale | $173,271 | 27.9% |
Minor or major: what changes
- Minor remodel: the cabinet boxes stay, with new shaker-style doors and drawer fronts, a new range and refrigerator, new laminate counters and new resilient flooring.
- Major midrange remodel: new semi-custom wood cabinets, a 3x5-foot island, new range, vented hood, built-in microwave and dishwasher, laminate counters and resilient flooring.
- Major upscale remodel: custom cabinets, built-in refrigerator, commercial-grade cooktop and hood, wall oven, stone counters and an imported tile backsplash.
Choosing kitchen countertops
Countertops are one of the biggest line items after cabinets, and the report's projects show the range: laminate in the minor and midrange kitchens, stone in the upscale one.
Quartz is popular because it does not need sealing and comes in consistent colors. Natural stone like granite has more variation from slab to slab. Distinctive materials, like the honed glass countertops RFS Builders has worked with, give a kitchen a look of its own. The right choice depends on how you cook, how much upkeep you want and the style of the room.
Questions about this topic
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Boston?
In the 2025 Cost vs. Value report, a minor midrange kitchen remodel averaged $28,991 in Boston, a major midrange remodel $84,331 and a major upscale remodel $173,271.
Which kitchen remodel pays off best at resale?
In Boston, the minor midrange remodel recouped 119.2% of its cost in 2025, far more than the major remodels.
Can we still use the kitchen during the remodel?
With RFS Builders, yes: we set up a temporary kitchen so your daily routine is disrupted as little as possible.
Kitchen Remodeling from RFS Builders
From custom storage and quality countertops to a temporary kitchen that keeps daily life moving, we handle the renovation around the way you cook and live.
Sources
- Cost vs. Value 2025, Boston, MA (with New England and national figures), Journal of Light Construction
- Cost vs. Value 2025: Minor Kitchen Remodel, Midrange, project description, Journal of Light Construction, June 20, 2025
- Cost vs. Value 2025: Major Kitchen Remodel, Midrange, project description, Journal of Light Construction, June 20, 2025