Kitchen renovation costs in Boca Raton run from $35,000 for a cosmetic renovation to well past $250,000 for a full custom remodel—and which end of that range applies to you comes down to a distinction most homeowners get wrong: the difference between a remodel and a renovation.

Material and labor costs in South Florida have climbed again heading into 2026, and permit fees haven’t gotten any friendlier—so if the number in your head is from a couple of years ago, it’s probably too low. Skilled trade labor is harder to find in South Florida than it was even three years ago, and tariffs on imported high end materials and products; like cabinetry, stone, and appliance pricing hasn’t moved backward once since 2022.

I quote every project against today’s numbers, not last year’s, because a stale estimate is worse than no estimate at all.

Key Takeaways

• Kitchen renovation cost in Boca Raton runs from $35,000 to $150,000+. Cosmetic renovations sit at the low end; full custom remodels with structural changes and premium cabinetry push past six figures.
• Custom cabinetry is typically 25–35% of your total budget—usually the single largest line item in any kitchen project.
• A permit is required for any remodel touching electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or structural walls. Cosmetic renovations in single-family homes can sometimes skip it; condos and townhouses almost always require one because they are defined in the building code as commercial properties
• A rip-and-replace renovation costs less than a gut remodel because plumbing, electrical, and HVAC stay in place. A full gut remodel typically means relocating utilities and reworking the structure which in most cases triggers a permit requirement.

Renovation is restoring or updating what’s already there—new fixtures, refreshed finishes, no change to the layout or structure. Think new countertops, repainted cabinets, and updated lighting in the same footprint. Remodeling is changing what’s there—moving walls, reconfiguring the layout, changing how the space functions.

Think knocking out the wall between your kitchen and dining room to create one open living space, or relocating the sink and stove to a completely different wall. Most of the kitchen work I do in Boca falls into the remodeling category, because the houses here were built in the 1960s and 70s for a different way of living than the one my clients live now. If you want the full breakdown, I explain it here: remodel vs renovation guide.

Permits track the same line. A limited-scope renovation in a single-family home can sometimes move forward without a permit. In a condo or townhouse, you need a permit even for that level of work, since any project inside a multi-family building falls under stricter association and municipal review. A remodel—because it touches electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or structural elements—always requires a permit through the City of Boca Raton or Palm Beach County.

A few variables move your final number the most, especially if quality is a priority:

• The size of your kitchen
• The quality and price of materials
• The scope of the work
• The design, engineering, and permitting services needed

What Kitchen Renovation & Remodels Actually Costs in 2026

Here’s the range for an average Boca Raton kitchen project. I work almost exclusively in Boca’s country-club and luxury single-family communities — Bocaire, Woodfield, Boca Grove, and similar neighborhoods — so these numbers reflect that tier, not a market-wide average.

Design-build kitchen work in this segment generally breaks into three tiers:

• Budget—a small cosmetic kitchen renovation starts around $85,000
• Mid-range—a small full kitchen remodel starts around $125,000
• High-end—a custom luxury remodel starts around $150,000, and full custom kitchens with premium cabinetry, natural stone or quartzite, professional-grade appliances, and structural layout changes often run $250,000–$400,000+

Custom cabinetry alone is typically the single largest line item—often 25–35% of the total budget. These figures reflect current South Florida labor rates, premium material and cabinetry pricing, and today’s permit fees, all of which have risen since 2022.

Whichever tier fits your project, I handle it start to finish under one design-build process—so the number above isn’t just a materials estimate; it’s the real number you’ll pay.

The Size & Finish Level of The Kitchen

Size and finish level are the two biggest drivers of total project cost. Size is measured in total square footage; finish level is the quality and price of fixtures, materials, and finishes across countertops, cabinetry, flooring, and appliances.

In South Florida, I recommend plywood-box cabinet construction over particleboard as the standard, since it holds up far better to humidity over time. These are decisions you can plan for early in the design phase, and a qualified design-build partner can often find savings here without compromising quality.

The Scope of The Kitchen Renovation

Scope — the type and amount of work required—is the real question to answer before you set a budget: do you need a simple renovation, or a full remodel? There are two primary paths homeowners choose between.

Rip-and-Replace Renovation

A “rip-and-replace” project is the more cost-effective option because appliances, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC largely stay in place. This works well when the existing layout already functions, and you simply want updated cabinetry, countertops, and appliances.

A Gut Remodel

A gut remodel is more involved — and more expensive. It typically means stripping the kitchen down to the studs and subfloor to fully transform the layout, relocating appliances, and often upgrading electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and structural components. This level of work requires professional design services, permitting, and a licensed general contractor.

Kitchen Renovation Services in Boca Raton, FL

Two core services make up the total price of a kitchen project in Boca Raton: design and build. Design covers conceptualization, planning, and the construction drawings needed to pull a permit and communicate scope to the subcontractors. Build covers the physical construction.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a kitchen renovation vs Remodel cost in Boca Raton?

A kitchen renovation in Boca Raton typically starts around $35,000 for a cosmetic update and can run past $250,000 for a full custom remodel with structural changes, premium cabinetry, and natural stone or quartzite. Size, finish level, and scope are what move that number most.

Do I need a permit for a kitchen renovation in Boca Raton?

It depends, if the work does not touch electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or structural elements, a limited cosmetic renovation in a single-family home can sometimes proceed without one, but any project inside a condo or townhouse requires a permit through the City of Boca Raton or Palm Beach County, since it falls under stricter association and municipal review.

How long does a kitchen renovation vs remodel take?

It depends on scope. A rip-and-replace renovation—where plumbing, electrical, and appliances stay in place—moves faster than a gut remodel, which means stripping the kitchen to the studs, relocating utilities, and often reworking structural elements.

How do I find a licensed contractor in Boca Raton?

Verify their license directly through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation before hiring, look specifically for a Certified General Contractor (CGC) license if the project touches structural work, and ask whether the same person handling design is also the licensed contractor of record. With a true design-build firm, they’re the same company — which limits finger-pointing between designer and builder later.

What’s included in a design-build kitchen services?

A design-build kitchen renovation or remodel starts with a Professional Services Agreement covering design, estimating, and material selections under an open-book pricing process, so you see the cost of every decision — like choosing a gold faucet over a chrome one — before it’s locked into the contract. Once selections are finalized, the same team that designed the project builds it, with permitting and construction handled in-house.

The Benefits of Design-Build for your Kitchen Renovation

A design-build approach combines both services under one roof, which is how we run every project. Because we handle design and construction under one roof, we understand the real cost of every decision from day one—so you aren’t blindsided by budget overruns once building begins. Everything happening under one roof also means you avoid the costly delays that come from coordinating separate designers and builders.

I’m Phyllis Michaels, BA in architectural design —a practicing designer and Florida Certified General Contractor, top tier (FL License #CGC022980). You can confirm it at the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. As the owner of Bluestone Contractors design-build firm, I oversee a team of professionals — from production of designs, working drawings, permits to field coordination to produce an end product of lasting value.

Our work includes; kitchen and bath renovation, whole-home remodeling whole condo remodeling and additions across Boca Raton’s country-club communities and coastal estates. If you’d like to talk through where your project falls, let’s schedule a design consultation. It starts with a Professional Services Agreement — the conversation where we figure out scope, feasibility, and ballpark numbers before anything’s committed, open-book pricing the whole way through. Schedule a design consultation.