Kitchen remodeling in San Antonio
A minor midrange kitchen remodel in San Antonio cost $25,4631 in the 2025 Cost vs. Value report, against $28,4582 nationally. The local factor to weigh is fuel: 70%3 of occupied homes in the city heat with electricity, so many kitchens may have no gas line to build a range plan around.
Calls are recorded. One independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the San Antonio area answers.
Updated October 12, 2026
What a San Antonio kitchen costs
The 2025 Cost vs. Value page for San Antonio prices three standard kitchen jobs next to the national averages.
| Measure | San Antonio | U.S. average |
|---|---|---|
| Minor kitchen remodel, midrange, job cost | $25,4631 | $28,4582 |
| Major kitchen remodel, midrange, job cost | $75,7371 | $82,7932 |
| Major kitchen remodel, upscale, job cost | $148,3131 | $164,1042 |
San Antonio lands under the national figure on all three jobs, so a local quote well above these numbers deserves a line-by-line look.
What comes back when you sell
The same report estimates how much of each job's cost shows up in resale value.
Electric or gas
House heating fuel is a good stand-in for whether a home has gas service at all.
| Measure | City of San Antonio | Bexar County |
|---|---|---|
| Occupied homes heated with electricity | 70%3 | 70%3 |
| Occupied homes heated with utility gas | 28%3 | 28%3 |
In a mostly electric city, induction is the easy upgrade. Switching to gas cooking can mean a new line and a separate plumbing permit, so price it before you fall for a range.
How old the kitchens are
Census counts by year built, for the city and the county around it:
What kind of homes they are
Census counts by building type for the City of San Antonio:
Kitchen budgets next to home values
Setting a kitchen budget against local home values keeps the remodel in scale with the street.
What kitchen trades earn here
Carpenters and cabinetmakers carry a kitchen job, with electricians and plumbers behind them. Bureau of Labor Statistics medians for the San Antonio–New Braunfels metro:
| Measure | San Antonio metro | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Carpenters, median hourly wage | $23.51/hr8 | $29.12/hr8 |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters, median hourly wage | $17.95/hr8 | $22.44/hr8 |
| Electricians, median hourly wage | $27.41/hr8 | $30.38/hr8 |
| Plumbers, median hourly wage | $27.97/hr8 | $30.67/hr8 |
Cabinetmakers and carpenters earn the least against their national medians, and those two trades make up much of what a kitchen costs.
Weather a San Antonio kitchen lives with
Normals for San Antonio International Airport and NOAA's July humidity figure:
| Measure | San Antonio Intl. |
|---|---|
| Days a year with a high of 90°F or more | 122 days9 |
| Days a year with a high of 100°F or more | 18 days9 |
| July afternoon relative humidity | 52%10 |
Cooking adds heat and steam to a house that's already running the air conditioner for much of the year. A hood ducted outdoors takes both out instead of leaving them for the AC.
Permits
Inside the city limits, San Antonio's Development Services Department issues the permits. New cabinets, counters, flooring and paint are on its no-permit list, but a remodel that moves walls, plumbing or wiring needs a building permit plus trade permits pulled by licensed contractors registered with the city. Small remodel permits are issued over the counter. In a historic district, the Office of Historic Preservation reviews exterior changes, such as a new kitchen window, and the no-permit list warns that design and material limits can still apply.
- San Antonio's Development Services Department says a building permit is typically required to build, remodel, repair or demolish a structure, with exceptions for some general repairs on its No Permit Required List.11
- San Antonio's No Permit Required List includes cabinets and countertops, carpeting and wood or laminate flooring, and painting, plastering, sheetrock repair, wallpapering and tiling.12
- San Antonio adds that even work on that list may face design and material restrictions in a Historic, Neighborhood Conservation or Corridor District.12
- San Antonio issues general repair and small remodel permits over the counter at the Cliff Morton Development and Business Services Center.11
- In San Antonio, trade contractors licensed by the city or state and registered with the city can pull electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on a homeowner's behalf.11
- In San Antonio, a contractor must be registered as a home improvement contractor to get permits for non-structural remodeling, and as a residential building contractor for structural alterations or remodels, additions and foundation repairs.13
- In San Antonio, exterior changes and repairs to a property with a historic zoning overlay need a Certificate of Appropriateness, including work in side and rear yards not readily visible from the street.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 San Antonio
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 bungalows, ranches and historic districts
23%5 of homes in the city were built in the 1960s and 1970s, including many north-side ranches. If yours has a kitchen closed off from the family room, opening that wall is a common goal, and it's structural work that needs a registered residential building contractor. In San Antonio, a contractor must be registered as a home improvement contractor to get permits for non-structural remodeling, and as a residential building contractor for structural alterations or remodels, additions and foundation repairs.13
Older houses sit in the city's historic districts. San Antonio's local historic districts include King William, Monte Vista, Tobin Hill, Dignowity Hill, Lavaca and Government Hill, among others.14 In San Antonio, exterior changes and repairs to a property with a historic zoning overlay need a Certificate of Appropriateness, including work in side and rear yards not readily visible from the street.14 Minor projects in San Antonio's historic districts can usually be approved by Office of Historic Preservation staff without a public hearing.14
For homes built before 1978, the EPA advises hiring contractors who use only lead-safe certified renovators.15 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.15
Ranges and hoods
Only 28%3 of the city's occupied homes use utility gas for heat, so gas cooking is the exception here. Whatever the fuel, 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.16
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.17 In a house with ducts in a hot attic, ask the company where the hood duct will run and how it will be sealed.
A kitchen for every age
More than one in four adults 65 and older fall each year.18 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.19
If you mean to stay put, a single-story house already does half the work. In the kitchen, plan counter heights, reach and task lighting around the people who will use it longest, and ask on the call what aging-in-place projects the company has done. NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential trains remodelers in home modifications for aging in place.20
What happens when you call
The number on this page connects you, on a recorded line, to one independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the San Antonio area. You settle layout, cabinets, appliances, schedule and price with them.
We're paid by that company for the call. You owe us nothing, and we never call or text you. How we make money
After you're connected
Check the company yourself before you sign. San Antonio's Find a Contractor page offers a search by type of work, and contractors whose city registration is canceled or suspended go on its Contractor Sanctions Report.21 On a Texas residential construction job, the original contractor must give the owner a written disclosure statement before the owner signs the contract.22 Check a Texas license
Questions people ask
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in San Antonio?
For 2025, Cost vs. Value lists $25,4631 for a minor midrange San Antonio kitchen, $75,7371 for a major midrange one and $148,3131 for a major upscale remodel. Cabinet grade, appliances and any walls that move set your price.
Do I need a permit for a kitchen remodel in San Antonio?
For a real remodel, yes. San Antonio's Development Services Department says a building permit is typically required to build, remodel, repair or demolish a structure, with exceptions for some general repairs on its No Permit Required List.11 San Antonio's No Permit Required List includes cabinets and countertops, carpeting and wood or laminate flooring, and painting, plastering, sheetrock repair, wallpapering and tiling.12 In San Antonio, trade contractors licensed by the city or state and registered with the city can pull electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on a homeowner's behalf.11
Will a kitchen remodel pay off when I sell?
A modest one often does. The 2025 report figures a minor midrange kitchen here returns 121%1 of its cost at sale, compared with 113%4 for the country. Bigger remodels are about living in the kitchen, not selling it.
Who will I be talking to?
Someone at one independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the San Antonio area. We aren't a contractor. In Texas, anyone can be a general contractor, including a homeowner, and no state license is required for that role.23 In San Antonio, a contractor must be registered as a home improvement contractor to get permits for non-structural remodeling, and as a residential building contractor for structural alterations or remodels, additions and foundation repairs.13
Sources
Page updated October 12, 2026. How we source our numbers
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, San Antonio, TX. Released 2025. San Antonio, TX (Cost vs. Value market). Industry source.
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, national. Released 2025. United States. Industry source.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25040. Released January 29, 2026. San Antonio city, Texas, Bexar County, Texas.
- 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 B25034. Released January 29, 2026. San Antonio city, Texas, Bexar County, Texas.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25024. Released January 29, 2026. San Antonio city, Texas.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25077. Released January 29, 2026. San Antonio city, Texas, Bexar County, Texas.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Released May 15, 2026. San Antonio–New Braunfels, TX metro, Carpenters, United States, Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters, United States, Electricians, United States, Plumbers, United States.
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Released 2021. San Antonio International Airport (station USW00012921).
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Comparative Climatic Data, average relative humidity, period of record 1948–2018. Released November 2024. San Antonio, TX airport (WBAN 12921).
- City of San Antonio Development Services Department, Residential Permits. No publication date. View source.
- City of San Antonio Development Services Department, No Permit Required List. No publication date. View source.
- City of San Antonio Development Services Department, Building & Home Improvement contractor registration. No publication date. View source.
- City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation, Before Getting Started (Project Review). No publication date. 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.
- 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.
- City of San Antonio Development Services Department, Find a Contractor. No publication date. View source.
- Texas Legislature, Property Code chapter 53, Mechanic's, Contractor's, or Materialman's Lien. No publication date. View source.
- City of Austin Development Services Department, Contractor Registration. No publication date. View source.