Planning

Nashville kitchen remodel guide: what goes into the project

Updated May 2026 · 7 min read

"Kitchen remodel" covers a wide range of projects — from a finish refresh to a full gut with structural changes. Below is a practical guide to the three real project tiers, what actually drives complexity, and the line items most contractor quotes leave out. Every project is different; we provide written, line-item estimates after a consultation rather than upfront pricing.

White kitchen with brass fixtures, marble countertops, and glass cabinets at 4016 Murphy Rd, Sylvan Park

The three real project tiers

1. Cosmetic refresh

Existing layout stays. Existing cabinet boxes stay (we paint or reface). New countertops, new backsplash, new sink and faucet, new appliances, new lighting, new floor. This is the right call when the layout works and the cabinets are sound — you're updating finishes, not rebuilding.

2. Full remodel, same footprint

Cabinets out, cabinets in. New layout possible within existing walls. Real custom or semi-custom cabinetry, stone countertops, new appliance package, plumbing and electrical updated to current code, lighting redesigned. This is the most common Nashville-area remodel, and it's where most homeowners land.

3. Gut + structural

Walls come down, layout changes, possibly an addition or bump-out. Structural engineering. New windows. Often coordinated with primary bath or whole-home work. The right call when the existing layout fundamentally doesn't work or you're opening the kitchen to the rest of the house.

What actually drives complexity

Cabinetry

The single biggest line in any kitchen remodel. Stock cabinets from a big box are the entry point; semi-custom is where most remodels land; custom built locally gives you the ability to fit non-standard wall lengths without filler strips, plus better drawer hardware and dovetail joinery. The choice drives a meaningful portion of the project total.

Countertops

Quartz is the most popular choice in Nashville for its durability and consistency. Granite remains a good value. Natural marble is the show-stopper but stains and etches over time. Waterfall ends, matched backsplash slabs, and exotic stone push complexity (and cost) significantly higher.

Appliances

Builder-grade, mid-range, or professional — three very different worlds. We typically recommend you don't pour the bulk of your budget into appliances unless cooking is genuinely the point of the project; a great kitchen with mid-range appliances cooks better than a mediocre kitchen with professional ones.

Plumbing & electrical

Code requires GFCI outlets at every counter, dedicated circuits for major appliances, and updated plumbing rough-ins for any sink or appliance moves. If you're moving the sink or adding an island with water, expect walls to open up.

Tile, paint, flooring

Backsplash, floor (if replacing), painting, and trim. Smaller line items individually but they add up.

The line items most quotes leave out

Beware of any kitchen estimate that doesn't include line items for these. They aren't optional — they're just hidden in the change-order pile when you ask later.

Demolition & haul-off. Nashville disposal fees aren't free.
Permits. Required in Davidson, Williamson and Rutherford counties for any plumbing/electrical/structural changes.
Drywall repair. Always more than you think.
Trim & paint touch-up. Door casing, baseboard, ceiling repair where the cabinets used to attach.
Subfloor repair. Often discovered after demo. Build a contingency for it even if the quote doesn't mention it.
Final clean. Construction clean is not the same as a residential clean.

An honest written estimate has line items for the unsexy work. If yours doesn't, it isn't a real number.

What drives the project length

A standard remodel runs roughly 6–10 weeks once demo begins. Larger projects with structural changes, custom cabinetry, or long appliance lead times can run 10–16 weeks. The biggest schedule risks: late material selections (cabinets and tile especially), backordered fixtures, and inspector availability.

How to think about your project

Two practical rules of thumb:

Know what tier you're in. Be honest with yourself about whether you're refreshing or rebuilding. A refresh and a full remodel are very different conversations.
Build in contingency. Old houses surprise you. Newer houses surprise you less, but they still surprise you. A 10% contingency is normal.

The estimate you should worry about isn't the highest one. It's the suspiciously low one. A bid that's materially below the others almost always means missing line items, and those gaps come back as change orders.

Get a real number for your kitchen

If you're in Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro or anywhere in Middle Tennessee and you want a kitchen estimate that includes the unsexy line items, give us a call. We'll walk the space, talk through what you're trying to fix, and put a real, written number on it.