Kitchen renovation cost in London, Ontario: plan the right level of change

How much should you plan for a kitchen renovation?

You might be tired of preparing dinner on a crowded counter, or wishing the room felt welcoming when people come over. The useful budgeting question is not simply how much a new kitchen costs. It is what needs to change for your kitchen to work better—and what does not.

These are Task Elite's planning bands for the service scopes below. All amounts are in Canadian dollars. They start a discussion; they are not packages in which every possible item is included.

Kitchen refresh: $15,000–$28,000

A focused update generally keeps a workable layout and defines selected cabinetry, countertop, backsplash and finish changes. It does not automatically include replacing every cabinet or appliance. The existing construction and your proposed finishes still need assessment.

Full kitchen renovation: $30,000–$65,000

A more comprehensive scope can bring cabinetry, layout, lighting, flooring and appliance placement into one plan. What is removed, retained, supplied and installed must be written down. Moving services or changing an opening is not automatically included because a proposal says “full renovation.”

Custom or higher-specification kitchen: $70,000+

Custom cabinetry, distinctive materials or more involved changes need an individually developed scope. This is an open-ended planning category, not a ceiling or a promise of a particular specification.

For the full offer, see kitchen renovations and refreshes in London, Ontario.

What changes the kitchen renovation cost?

Compare the decisions behind the photographs. Two kitchens can look similar in an inspiration folder while requiring different work.

• Layout and services. Keeping the sink and appliances in their existing positions is different from relocating connections or opening the room into another space. Ask what investigation and trade work each change requires.
• Cabinetry. Establish which cabinets stay, which are replaced, the storage arrangement, hardware and finish. A cabinetry allowance and a fully specified order are not the same thing.
• Countertops and backsplash. Confirm material, measured area, edges, cut-outs, removal and installation responsibilities.
• Appliances and lighting. Identify what you own, what you are purchasing and what must be connected. Product selection belongs in the planning conversation, not at the end of installation.
• Preparation and finishing. Clarify the surfaces behind the finishes, patching, painting, trim and how the work meets neighbouring rooms.

Separate essential improvements from optional upgrades before requesting a final proposal. That gives you something more useful to adjust than an unexplained total.

The cabinet finish is one decision. What needs to fit inside it is another.

Can you reduce the scope without losing what matters?

Start with a keep/change list. Perhaps circulation works but storage is frustrating. Perhaps cabinets are suitable to retain but the counter and lighting are not. A sensible refresh is not a lesser version of someone else's renovation; it is a defined answer to your priorities.

Retaining cabinets needs a condition and suitability check. Age alone is not the decision. Discuss the boxes, doors, hardware, how they are secured, signs of damage and compatibility with the proposed work. Photographs can start the conversation but cannot establish every hidden condition.

Ask: what would we gain by changing this—and what extra work would that decision create?

Our kitchen refresh versus full renovation guide helps you work through that choice without assuming the larger project is the right one.

Build a budget around the whole decision

Your contractor's proposal and your total household budget may cover different things. Ask what sits inside the quoted scope and what you need to arrange separately: appliances, design work, delivery, disposal, temporary meals, finishing outside the room and applicable taxes.

Write down selections that are still allowances and discuss how unexpected work would be priced and approved. An allowance for an unselected product is not the same as money reserved for an unforeseen issue. Keep those conversations separate.

London's building-permit guidance lists projects needing approval and common exceptions. Confirm requirements for your proposed work with the City rather than assuming the word “refresh” settles it. Check the City's pre-application guidance.

Electrical notifications are separate from municipal building permits. Ask the engaged electrical contractor to clarify the applicable process. Read ESA's explanation.

What to send before asking for a kitchen quote

You do not need every finish chosen. Send your location, ordinary photographs, what is not working, what you want to retain and the planning band you would like to discuss. Add appliance details and any known leak, previous alteration or access issue.

Then ask for clarity on the agreed scope, exclusions, open selections or allowances, expected household interruptions and how proposed changes will be authorized. For side-by-side proposals, use our renovation quote comparison guide.

Questions homeowners ask about kitchen budgets

Is $15,000 a complete new kitchen?

Not automatically. It is the lower end of Task Elite's refresh planning band. The work, products and existing conditions must fit the agreed scope; it is not an all-inclusive replacement promise.

Can I get a final quote from photos?

Photos explain the starting point. Measurements, site checks and confirmed selections may still be needed before a written project price can be established.

Should I choose every finish before contacting Task Elite?

No. Start with your priorities and what you are comfortable investing. Distinguish things you have decided from things you would like help comparing.

Sources and the basis of this guide

Prices and offered scope come from Task Elite's kitchen service page and are approved planning guidance. They are not a survey or completed-project dataset. The City and ESA links address approvals, not endorsement of Task Elite or validation of its prices. Your written proposal confirms inclusions, exclusions, allowances, selections and applicable taxes. For a home outside London, confirm requirements with its municipality.

The images are coordinated design concepts for planning inspiration.