The kitchen is where many new-home budgets quietly grow. It is the room people care most about, it is full of separately priced products, and most builder contracts handle it through allowances, which are easy to outspend.
The NAHB 2024 Cost of Constructing a Home survey does not price "the kitchen" as one line, but it does price the products that make one up across the whole house. Cabinets and countertops alone averaged $19,056, or 4.5% of construction cost, and appliances averaged $7,499.[1] This guide uses those figures as a benchmark, explains what moves them, and shows how to keep allowances from turning into surprise bills.
Key takeaways
- NAHB 2024 averages: cabinets and countertops $19,056, appliances $7,499, plumbing fixtures $7,922 and lighting $5,392 for the whole house.
- These lines cover every room, so cabinets include bathroom vanities and fixtures include every bathroom.
- Most builders price kitchens with allowances; read what each allowance covers and what happens if you go over.
- Lock in kitchen choices before construction starts to avoid change-order fees and delays.
What the NAHB survey says kitchen items cost
Here are the NAHB 2024 lines that hold most kitchen spending. They are averages for the whole house in the survey, which had an average finished area of 2,647 square feet and an average construction cost of $428,215.[1]
| NAHB line item (whole house) | Average cost | Share of construction cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinets, countertops | $19,056 | 4.5% |
| Plumbing fixtures | $7,922 | 1.9% |
| Appliances | $7,499 | 1.8% |
| Lighting | $5,392 | 1.3% |
| Flooring (all rooms) | $15,388 | 3.6% |
| All interior finishes | $103,391 | 24.1% |
Two cautions. First, these are national averages from builders who answered the survey, not a price list. Second, the cabinet line includes bathroom vanities, laundry cabinets and any built-ins, and the fixtures line includes every sink, faucet, toilet, tub and shower in the house. So the kitchen's share of each line will be smaller than the total. Use them to sense-check a quote, not to set one.
Interior finishes are the biggest of the eight NAHB stages at 24.1% of construction cost, and the kitchen is a large part of that stage. That is why it is the first place to look when a quote comes in over budget.
What drives the cost of a new kitchen
Cabinets
Cabinets are usually the largest single kitchen cost. Price depends on construction (stock, semi-custom or custom), box material, door style and finish, and the number of linear feet. Tall pantry cabinets, extra drawers, inserts and organizers all add up. A simpler layout with fewer corners and standard sizes costs less.
Countertops
Counters are priced mainly by area and material, plus the edge profile, sink and cooktop cut-outs and backsplash. An island adds a lot of counter area. Ask whether the quote includes the template, delivery and installation.
Appliances
Builders often include a standard appliance package. Professional-style ranges, built-in refrigerators, double ovens and extra ventilation can multiply the cost, and some need bigger electrical or gas service or special cabinets.
Plumbing fixtures and lighting
Sinks, faucets, disposals, pot fillers and filtered-water taps are fixtures; pendant lights, under-cabinet lighting and extra recessed lights are lighting. Each upgrade is small on its own, but the kitchen has many of them.
Layout and rough-ins
Moving the sink to an island or adding a second sink means extra plumbing runs and venting. An island cooktop needs ventilation and power in the floor. These are decided at rough-in, long before you pick finishes, so settle the layout early.
How builder allowances work
An allowance is a dollar amount in the contract for something you have not chosen yet, such as "cabinets: $X" or "appliances: $Y". When you make your selections, the builder compares the real price to the allowance. If you spend less you may get a credit; if you spend more you pay the difference, often with the builder's markup added.
Allowances are where many budget overruns start. Before you sign, ask:
- Is each allowance realistic for the kind of kitchen you want? Ask to see what it buys at their supplier.
- Does the allowance include installation, delivery and tax, or only the product? A $10,000 cabinet allowance that excludes installation is a much smaller allowance.
- Is there a markup on overages, and how much?
- Do you get a credit if you spend less?
- Can you use your own supplier, and what happens to the warranty if you do?
- What are the selection deadlines?
Turn allowances into fixed prices where you can
If you choose your cabinets, counters and appliances before signing, many builders will write them in as fixed items instead of allowances. That removes the biggest source of kitchen surprises.
Ways to get more kitchen for the money
- Keep the plumbing wall. A sink on an exterior wall or back-to-back with another wet room keeps runs short.
- Use standard cabinet sizes and spend on the cabinets people see and touch most, like the island and the drawers by the range.
- Mix counter materials. Put the expensive material on the island and a more affordable one on the perimeter.
- Prioritize the infrastructure. Electrical circuits, a vented hood, blocking for future shelves and outlets in the island are cheap during construction and expensive later. Finishes can be upgraded later; walls are hard to open.
- Check appliance fit early. Pick appliances before cabinets are ordered so the openings fit, rather than paying to modify cabinets later.
- Compare the builder's upgrade price with outside quotes for big-ticket items.
Plan how the kitchen will work before you price it
A kitchen that works well is not necessarily an expensive one. Before you get into door styles and counter samples, sketch how you will use the room, because the layout fixes most of the cost long before finishes are chosen.
- Count the cooks. One cook needs a compact work triangle between sink, range and refrigerator. Two cooks need space to pass and perhaps a second prep sink, which adds plumbing.
- Decide on storage. A walk-in pantry can replace several expensive wall cabinets with simple shelving, but it takes floor area that is also priced by the square foot.
- Think about the island. An island with no sink or cooktop is mostly cabinets and counter. Add plumbing, power or ventilation and it becomes one of the most expensive pieces of the house.
- Plan for outlets and lighting. Code sets the minimums for counter outlets; extra circuits for small appliances and good task lighting are cheap to add on the plans and awkward to add later.
- Leave room for appliance doors and walkways. Ask your designer to check clearances around the island and the dishwasher before the cabinet order goes in.
Bring this plan to every builder you are comparing so that each one prices the same kitchen. Our guide to comparing builder bids explains how to line quotes up item by item.
Why kitchen decisions affect the schedule
Cabinets and counters are on the critical path. Counters cannot be templated until cabinets are installed, and plumbing fixtures and appliances cannot go in until counters are set. A late cabinet choice or a back-ordered appliance can push back the whole finish stage. NAHB data shows custom homes built by a hired contractor already took an average of 11.7 months from permit to completion in 2025.[2] Do not add to it with late selections.
Changing your mind after something is ordered usually means a change order: a fee, a price difference and often a restocking charge. Our guide to change orders and cost overruns explains how to avoid them, and how long it takes to build a house explains why delays cost money.
Putting your kitchen into the calculator
The calculator's Interior Finishes stage has separate lines for cabinets and countertops, appliances, plumbing fixtures and lighting. Once you have quotes or allowance figures, switch those lines from "national average" to a lump sum and enter your numbers. Everything else stays at the NAHB average until you replace it. Add a contingency for upgrades you might choose during selections, and compare the result with the benchmarks above to see whether your kitchen is driving the budget. If it is, go back to the layout first, because moving a sink or shrinking an island saves more than swapping a faucet.
If you are trimming costs, our guide to the cheapest ways to build a house covers whole-house savings, and interior finishes costs covers flooring, drywall, paint and trim.
Plug your house size, land price and quotes into the free calculator. It uses the same NAHB 2024 averages as this guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much do cabinets cost in a new house?
In the NAHB 2024 survey, cabinets and countertops for the whole house averaged $19,056, or 4.5% of construction cost. That includes bathroom vanities and other built-ins, not only the kitchen.
What is a kitchen allowance?
It is a dollar amount in your building contract for kitchen items you have not chosen yet. If your choices cost more, you usually pay the difference, often with the builder’s markup.
Are appliances included when you build a house?
Often, but not always. NAHB’s 2024 survey included appliances at an average of $7,499. Check whether your builder includes a package and what brands and models it covers.
When should I choose my kitchen finishes?
Before construction starts if you can. Layout decisions affect plumbing and electrical rough-in, and late selections can delay the finish stage and trigger change-order fees.
Sources
- NAHB: Cost of Constructing a Home 2024 Verified
- NAHB Eye on Housing: Single-Family Home Construction Time Declines in 2025 Verified (third-party copy)
Figures last checked October 18, 2026. National averages are a planning guide, not a quote. See our editorial policy and data sources.
