Home Advice: Hidden Costs of a Full Kitchen Renovation

If you’ve never renovated or remodeled your kitchen, then you can’t be expected to account for every surprise cost that could pop up. Besides the upfront prices of your upgraded cabinets, fixtures, and finishes, there are several hidden costs that you wouldn’t expect.

Fortunately, a knowledgeable and experienced contractor should be able to point out and explain some of those costs. Experience will have taught them how to gauge when extra plumbing or electrical work might be necessary and where asbestos is likely to still reside — especially when renovating kitchens in New York City.

That experience will also give your contractor the insight to expect the unexpected. Construction isn’t perfect, and surprises often come with additional costs. Below are just a few common surprises and their associated hidden costs that your contractor is likely to predict:

1. Plumbing and electrical work

Infrastructure improvements are usually standard considerations when redoing your kitchen. Therefore, you might take several things for granted, especially when changing the layout. For example, if you want to move your stove, then you may also have to reroute the gas lines, which isn’t standard plumbing for most kitchen renovations.

Even if you don’t move the stove, an existing structure, such as an electrical panel, could stand in the way of your proposed new layout. Moving it could trigger the need for a substantial rewiring project. Depending on the scope of the work, plumbing and electrical surprises could cost from as little as $2,500 to more than $25,000. Gulp.

2. Third-party fees

Even skilled and experienced contractors can only do so much, so they often rely on third-party master plumbers and electricians to successfully handle surprises. Their expertise adds to the overall cost of the project, as do fees for permits, filing fees, and certain architectural fees that come with any kitchen renovation project.

The exact costs of third-party work and filing fees depend on your project’s specific requirements, though they typically start at around $7,500. That cost rises as more surprise work becomes necessary, and though it’s rare, some projects can rack up as much as $35,000 or more in third-party fees. Wince.

3. Asbestos removal

Most buildings in NYC have already removed the asbestos in their walls, but contractors still come across it now and then. Experienced ones usually have an inclination where to find it, such as in prewar buildings where the kitchen hasn’t been touched in decades.

New York City building codes (and public safety in general) demand that all work must stop if workers discover asbestos in your kitchen walls. You’ll have to hire a licensed asbestos removal company before your renovation can continue. This could add thousands of dollars to your renovation, depending on how much asbestos is present. Cough.

4. Imposed board requirements

If you live in a condominium or co-op, then speaking with the board should be one of your project’s first steps. The differences between a kitchen renovation in a building and one done in a private home are profound, and the board has to protect itself from any liability of your project causing damage to other units.

For example, boards often require full replacement of plumbing lines rather than just replacing the valves. They also require you use a laticrete water membrane across the kitchen’s entire footprint to prevent spilled water from leaking to the floor below. These additional costs can range between $3,000 and $7,000, depending on your kitchen’s size and layout.

Renovating your kitchen will almost certainly come with costs that you wouldn’t think to consider. Fortunately, working with an all-inclusive team of experts who know how to spot those costs can give you a much better idea of what to expect. Smile.