Kitchen remodeling in Houston
A minor midrange kitchen remodel in Houston cost $28,3001 in the 2025 Cost vs. Value report, close to the $28,4582 national figure. The local factor is permits: the city needs a separate trade permit for every plumbing, electrical and mechanical change, each pulled by a licensed contractor registered with Houston.
Calls are recorded. One independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the Houston area answers.
Updated October 12, 2026
What a kitchen costs in Houston
Cost vs. Value's 2025 Houston page prices three standard kitchen jobs next to its national averages.
| Measure | Houston | U.S. average |
|---|---|---|
| Minor kitchen remodel, midrange, job cost | $28,3001 | $28,4582 |
| Major kitchen remodel, midrange, job cost | $81,5211 | $82,7932 |
| Major kitchen remodel, upscale, job cost | $157,7271 | $164,1042 |
Houston's refresh is priced almost exactly at the national figure, while both major jobs come in under it, the upscale one by the widest margin.
How much comes back at resale
Cost vs. Value also estimates the share of a minor kitchen's cost that returns in resale value.
Gas or electric
How Harris County homes are heated shows how many already have utility gas at the house:
When the kitchens were built
Census year-built counts for the city and for Harris County:
| Measure | City of Houston | Harris County |
|---|---|---|
| Homes built 1970–1979 | 18%5 | 17%5 |
| Homes built 1970–1999 | 41%5 | 43%5 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 30%5 | 36%5 |
The county's biggest building decades ran from the 1970s through the 1990s, so many Houston kitchens are galley or U-shaped rooms from that era, sized for fewer appliances and lighter circuits than today's.
Home values beside kitchen costs
Matching the kitchen to the house keeps a remodel in proportion.
What kitchen trades earn in Houston
Carpenters and cabinetmakers build the room; electricians, plumbers and HVAC mechanics hook it up. BLS medians for the Houston metro:
| Measure | Houston metro | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Carpenters, median hourly wage | $23.88/hr7 | $29.12/hr7 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters, median hourly wage | $18.87/hr7 | $22.44/hr7 |
| Electricians, median hourly wage | $28.45/hr7 | $30.38/hr7 |
| Plumbers, median hourly wage | $29.47/hr7 | $30.67/hr7 |
| Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics, median hourly wage | $28.34/hr7 | $29.33/hr7 |
Every kitchen trade here earns below the national median, cabinetmakers and carpenters by the widest margin, which helps explain why the bigger kitchen jobs price under the national averages.
Weather a Houston kitchen sees
Normals and humidity readings from Bush Intercontinental:
| Measure | Bush Intercontinental |
|---|---|
| Days a year with a high of 90°F or more | 111 days8 |
| Days a year with a high of 100°F or more | 7 days8 |
| July afternoon relative humidity | 57%9 |
With that many hot days, a range hood that dumps cooking heat and moisture outdoors does real work, and so does an air conditioner sized for the open plan you're creating.
What's in the water
Houston's Main System hardness, from the 2025 water quality report:
| Measure | Houston Main System |
|---|---|
| Water hardness, yearly average | 136 mg/L10 |
| Water hardness, highest result | 229 mg/L10 |
The USGS classes water at 121 to 180 mg/L of hardness as hard.11 Hard water builds scale in dishwashers, ice makers and instant-hot taps, so ask whether a filter or softener loop belongs in the plan.
Permits
The Houston Permitting Center handles kitchens inside the city. Swapping cabinets and countertops or retiling needs no permit, but taking out a wall or reworking the layout calls for a building permit with plan review, and new circuits, gas lines or plumbing each need a trade permit pulled by the right licensed contractor once the building permit is in hand. The building permit can be bought by the owner or the contractor and is always issued to the owner. Applications go through the city's iPermits system online. Unincorporated areas fall under Harris County instead.
- Houston's residential remodel permit covers the remodel or conversion of an existing house or an addition, requires plan review, and stays valid for six months.12
- Plans for a Houston residential remodel must show the existing floor plan with the affected area, which walls are load-bearing, and the materials, with more detail on ceiling joists, headers and beams if a bearing wall comes out.12
- The Houston Permitting Center lists painting, wallpapering, tiling, carpeting, and repairing or replacing cabinets and countertops among residential work that needs no permit.13
- Houston issues trade permits only after the building permit, to a master electrician licensed by TDLR, an air conditioning contractor with a TDLR Class A or B license, or a master plumber licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, each registered with the city.13
- A Houston building permit can be bought by the owner, an agent or a contractor, and it is issued to the owner no matter who applied or paid; the city doesn't license or register general contractors.13
- To apply in Houston, you fill out the building permit application in an iPermits account online, pay the plan review fee, and upload plans when the city emails an invitation; the city lists processing at 1 to 15 business days.12
- In unincorporated Harris County, a home in the mapped flood hazard area needs a residential permit application and a floodplain development permit for any work, and owners planning substantial improvements may have to bring the house up to current standards.14
Checked October 12, 2026
Before you hire
Texas doesn't license general contractors, so ask for the license numbers of the plumber, electrician and HVAC contractor on your job and check them with TDLR or the State Board of Plumbing Examiners.
Talk to a pro who handles kitchen remodels in Houston
Calls are recorded. You'll be connected to one independent company that handles kitchen remodels in your area. We never call or text you. Privacy Policy ·Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
Kitchens in Houston ranches
18%5 of homes in the city were built in the 1970s, when ranches often put a galley kitchen beside a den. Opening that wall usually means a beam and plan review. Plans for a Houston residential remodel must show the existing floor plan with the affected area, which walls are load-bearing, and the materials, with more detail on ceiling joists, headers and beams if a bearing wall comes out.12
On a slab, the sink can't move far without trenching the floor for a new drain. Expansive clay soils swell when they take on water and shrink as they dry, and those cycles can crack foundations and walls, jam doors and tilt floors.15 Before laying a long run of tile or stone, ask whether the floor is level and whether cracks in the slab have been checked.
47%5 of the city's homes predate 1980. For homes built before 1978, the EPA advises hiring contractors who use only lead-safe certified renovators.16 The EPA notes that painted window sashes and frames in homes built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint, which opening and closing the window can release as dust, and that a kitchen remodel may be a good time to replace old windows.16
Ranges, hoods and gas
42%4 of occupied homes in Harris County heat with utility gas. The EPA says a stove hood with a fan vented to the outdoors greatly reduces exposure to pollutants during cooking, and advises installing and using exhaust fans over gas stoves and ranges.17 The EPA suggests turning the range hood on whenever you cook, leaving it on for 10 to 20 minutes afterward, and cooking on the back burners when you can.18
In Houston, all electrical, mechanical and plumbing work on a home needs a permit.13 That covers moving a gas line or adding a circuit for an induction cooktop.
Remodeling and your appraisal
Texas limits how much a homestead's appraised value can rise in a year to 10 percent over the prior year's value, but the market value of new improvements is added on top of that limit; repairs and ordinary maintenance don't count as new improvements.19 So work that adds value, such as a full new kitchen, may be added on top of the cap, while repairing what's there isn't. Ask the Harris Central Appraisal District how your project will be treated.
Planning for every age
More than one in four adults 65 and older fall each year.20 The National Institute on Aging suggests keeping frequently used pots, pans and utensils where they are easy to reach, and preparing food while seated to prevent fatigue or loss of balance.21
A one-story slab ranch has no stairs between the kitchen and the bedrooms, which makes it a good house to stay in. Mention reach, lighting and wider aisles on the call. NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential trains remodelers in home modifications for aging in place.22
What happens when you call
Calling the number on this page puts you through, on a recorded line, to one independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the Houston area. Layout, appliances, schedule and price are between you and them.
The company pays us for the call. You don't, and we never follow up by phone or text. How we make money
After you're connected
Before you sign or pay a deposit, look the company and its trades up yourself. On a Texas residential construction job, the original contractor must give the owner a written disclosure statement before the owner signs the contract.23 TDLR's License Data Search lists active licenses only and can be searched by license type, license number, name or business name, city, county or ZIP code.24 The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners' public license search looks up plumbers by name, by name and license type, by license number, or by city or county.25 Check a Texas license
Questions people ask
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Houston?
Houston's 2025 Cost vs. Value page lists $28,3001 for a minor midrange refresh, $81,5211 for a major midrange remodel and $157,7271 for a major upscale one. Moving the sink across a slab, new gas lines and cabinet grade decide where yours falls.
Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen in Houston?
Not for cabinets, counters or tile alone. The Houston Permitting Center lists painting, wallpapering, tiling, carpeting, and repairing or replacing cabinets and countertops among residential work that needs no permit.13 Walls and layout changes need a building permit. Houston issues trade permits only after the building permit, to a master electrician licensed by TDLR, an air conditioning contractor with a TDLR Class A or B license, or a master plumber licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, each registered with the city.13
Will a kitchen remodel raise my property taxes?
It can. Texas limits how much a homestead's appraised value can rise in a year to 10 percent over the prior year's value, but the market value of new improvements is added on top of that limit; repairs and ordinary maintenance don't count as new improvements.19
Who answers the phone?
Your call goes to one independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the Houston area, and from then on you deal with them directly. In Texas, anyone can be a general contractor, including a homeowner, and no state license is required for that role.26
Sources
Page updated October 12, 2026. How we source our numbers
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, Houston, TX. Released 2025. Houston, TX (Cost vs. Value market). Industry source.
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, national. Released 2025. United States. Industry source.
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, Columbus, OH. Released 2025. United States. Industry source.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25040. Released January 29, 2026. Harris County, Texas.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25034. Released January 29, 2026. Houston city, Texas, Harris County, Texas.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25077. Released January 29, 2026. Houston city, Texas, Harris County, Texas.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released May 15, 2026. Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, TX metro, Carpenters, United States, Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters, United States, Electricians, United States, Plumbers, United States, Heating, United States.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Released 2021. George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston (station USW00012960).
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Comparative Climatic Data, average relative humidity, data through 2023. Released November 2024. Houston, Bush Intercontinental Airport (WBAN 12960).
- City of Houston, Houston Public Works, 2025 Houston Water Quality Report (Jan–Dec 2025). Released 2026. City of Houston Main System (PWS TX1010013).
- U.S. Geological Survey, Water Science School: Hardness of Water. No publication date. View source.
- City of Houston, Houston Permitting Center, Residential Remodel Permit (HPWCODE1135). No publication date. View source.
- City of Houston, Houston Permitting Center, Permits Submittal Overview (annual workshop presentation). Released November 19, 2024. View source.
- Harris County Office of the County Engineer, Floodplain Management. No publication date. View source.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research, Cityscape Vol. 25 No. 1: Residential House Foundations on Expansive Soils in Changing Climates (Tabassum and Bulut). Released 2023. View source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Remodeling Your Home and Indoor Air Quality. Released February 17, 2026. View source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sources of Combustion Products. Released December 17, 2025. View source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Strategies for Improving Indoor Air Quality While Cooking (infographic). Released March 10, 2026. View source.
- Texas Legislature, Texas Tax Code, Section 23.23 (Limitation on appraised value of residence homestead). No publication date. View source.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Facts About Older Adult Falls. Released September 4, 2026. View source.
- National Institute on Aging, Preventing Falls at Home: Room by Room. Released September 12, 2022. View source.
- National Association of Home Builders, Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS). No publication date. View source. Industry source.
- Texas Legislature, Property Code chapter 53, Mechanic's, Contractor's, or Materialman's Lien. No publication date. View source.
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, TDLR License Data Search. No publication date. View source.
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, Public License Search. No publication date. View source.
- City of Austin Development Services Department, Contractor Registration. No publication date. View source.