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How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost in Orange County in 2026?
Updated: 1 day ago
To budget a kitchen remodel in Orange County, start from $86,214. That's the published kitchen remodel cost for a midrange major remodel (new cabinets, appliances and finishes) of a 200-square-foot kitchen in Los Angeles, from Zonda's 2025 Cost vs. Value Report. Cost vs. Value is a yearly report on remodeling costs in U.S. markets. It has no figure for Orange County, so Los Angeles is the nearest market it prices. Your own kitchen's number will move with its size, the cabinets you choose, whether the layout changes, the age of your house and what your city requires. If you already have bids, they usually differ because they don't include the same work.
I've been running Built to Perfection since 2001, and today we remodel kitchens across Los Angeles and Orange County, as far south as Newport Beach. For a house, our kitchen remodels start at $35,000.
The Nearest Published Kitchen Remodel Cost for Orange County
Cost vs. Value prices three levels of kitchen remodel for Los Angeles. The 2026 Houzz Kitchen Trends Study adds national medians of what homeowners spent, which show how size changes the cost.
Source | Project | What it includes | Kitchen size | Cost
|
Cost vs. Value 2025, Los Angeles | Keeps the cabinet boxes and replaces the doors and drawer fronts; new range, refrigerator, laminate countertops, sink, flooring and paint | 200 sq ft | $29,765 | |
Cost vs. Value 2025, Los Angeles | New semi-custom cabinets with an island; laminate countertops; new appliances, sink, lighting, flooring and paint | 200 sq ft | $86,214 | |
Cost vs. Value 2025, Los Angeles | Custom cabinets; stone countertops; built-in refrigerator, commercial-grade cooktop and wall oven; high-end sink, lighting and tile floor | 200 sq ft | $171,369 | |
Houzz 2026, national median | Major remodel | At least all the cabinets and appliances replaced | Under 250 sq ft | $46,000 |
Houzz 2026, national median | Major remodel | At least all the cabinets and appliances replaced | 250 sq ft or more | $75,000 |
The minor remodel keeps the existing cabinet boxes and only puts new doors and drawer fronts on them, so it isn't a major remodel, and it costs about a third as much. One of our Orange County kitchens, the Bright Shaker Kitchen Remodel in Tustin, included cabinets, countertops, backsplash, appliances and lighting, plus an island.
A larger kitchen costs more than the Cost vs. Value figure for its level of remodel, because all three are priced for 200 square feet. Nationally, the median major remodel cost $46,000 for a kitchen under 250 square feet and $75,000 for one of 250 square feet or more.
Does a Kitchen Remodel Cost More in Orange County Than in Los Angeles?
I haven't seen anyone publish whether a kitchen remodel costs more or less in Orange County than in Los Angeles. So I wouldn't adjust the Los Angeles figures up or down to get a kitchen remodel price for OC.
The age of your house affects your kitchen renovation cost in Orange County, because older kitchens are more likely to need work on old wiring and pipes, lead paint or asbestos. Homes from the 1960s and 1970s make up about two in three in Huntington Beach, and 43% to 50% in Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Tustin and Anaheim, based on Census estimates for 2014 to 2018. In Irvine, by contrast, about a quarter of homes are from those two decades, so fewer Irvine kitchens hide that older work.
What Raises the Cost of a Kitchen Remodel?
Three things that raise the cost of a kitchen remodel are the cabinets, changes to the layout and the appliances.
Cabinets raise the cost as you go from keeping the existing boxes to semi-custom to custom cabinets, as the Cost vs. Value levels show. As of October 2026, imported kitchen cabinets carry a 25% tariff, and a presidential proclamation schedules a rise to 50% on January 1, 2027. Cabinets made in the U.S. aren't covered.
Changing the layout raises the cost because of the plumbing, gas and electrical work it brings. Taking out a wall that holds up part of the house also means paying an engineer to design what replaces it.
Appliances raise the price as you move to built-in and commercial-grade models.
What's Behind the Walls of a 1960s or 1970s Kitchen?
A kitchen built in the 1960s or 1970s can hide four things that add cost once the walls are open: wiring that may not meet today's code, old pipes, lead paint and asbestos.
California's electrical code requires at least two 20-amp circuits for the kitchen's wall, floor, countertop and refrigerator outlets. Those circuits can't serve any other outlets.
Every kitchen outlet also needs GFCI protection, which cuts the power when it senses a shock hazard. The county's kitchen remodel handout lists these rules. If your wiring falls short, the permit inspections will require that work, so each bid should include it.
The water and drain pipes are as old as the house unless someone has replaced them. Nobody can see their condition until the wall is open.
Lead paint is covered by the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, which requires anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 to be a certified firm whose workers are trained in lead-safe work practices. Built to Perfection is an EPA Lead-Safe certified firm.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District, which covers Orange County, requires an asbestos survey by a certified asbestos consultant before a renovation. When a contractor does the work in a house, the survey is required unless the renovation removes less than 100 square feet of undamaged asbestos-containing material. The survey is a cost, so check whether each bid includes it.
How Do You Decide How Much to Set Aside for Surprises?
Base the amount you set aside for surprises on your bids. None of the cost reports I've used here gives a figure for that money in a kitchen. Ask each bidder to write down what their price covers for the wiring, pipes, lead paint and asbestos, and what they'll charge for each if it turns up. Lead-safe work applies if your home was built before 1978. Wiring and pipe work apply if your kitchen hasn't been updated. Add up the prices the bidder you're leaning toward gives for the items that apply, and set that total aside.
You may well need it. In the 2026 Houzz and Home Renovation Trends Study, 37% of homeowners who renovated in 2025 went over budget. That figure covers every kind of renovation, not only kitchens.
Do You Need a Permit for a Kitchen Remodel in Orange County?
A kitchen remodel that touches wiring or plumbing usually needs a permit, and each city in Orange County sets its own rules. In unincorporated Orange County (the areas outside any city), Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, the three places whose rules follow, moving or adding electrical outlets needs a permit. Plumbing changes like moving the sink or adding a water line generally need one too. The first plan check, the review of your plans before the permit is issued, takes about 15 working days in unincorporated areas and about five business days in Irvine. Costa Mesa's FAQ recommends calling the building division before work starts. I'd do the same in Santa Ana, Anaheim, Tustin and other cities. We pull the permits on every project.
Unincorporated Orange County
In unincorporated Orange County, the county's kitchen remodel handout requires a permit even to replace base cabinets and countertops. For fiscal year 2026-27, the county's fee schedule charges $689 for a building permit on a non-structural kitchen remodel affecting less than 300 square feet. Plan check adds 65% of that fee, about $450.
Newport Beach
Newport Beach's permit page doesn't mention cabinets or countertops, so ask about those when you call (949) 718-1888. Permit fees are based on the project's valuation, which is the city's figure for what the construction will cost. The city's fee schedule lists the rates.
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach lists cabinets and countertops as finish work that doesn't need a permit. Its exemption form also exempts replacing a plumbing fixture or appliance with one of the same type and size in the same location. Moving the sink needs a permit.
Do You Need a Coastal Development Permit?
A Coastal Development Permit is a separate approval for building in the coastal zone, and an interior kitchen remodel of an existing home is generally exempt. Work on a home next to a beach, the harbor or a coastal bluff is the most likely to need one. To find out whether you're in the zone, ask Newport Beach or Huntington Beach.
What Changes if You Live in a Condo or HOA Community?
In a condo or a community with a homeowners association (HOA), you'll likely need the association's approval before you can get a permit. Under California Civil Code section 4765, when your governing documents require approval for a change, the association has to decide in writing. The law doesn't set how long the association has to decide. The association's own procedure sets that time limit. Look it up in your CC&Rs (your community's rules) before you pick a start date. In Irvine, a condo permit application has to include the HOA's approved plans or approval letter.
Why Are Two Kitchen Remodel Bids So Far Apart?
Two bids for the same kitchen are often far apart because they don't price the same work. Part of the gap comes from work nobody can see before demolition, like the wiring and pipes inside the walls. One bid may include an amount for that work, and another may leave it out. When you put two bids side by side, check these:
Allowances. An allowance is a placeholder amount for something you haven't picked yet, like cabinets, tile or light fixtures. A low allowance makes a bid look cheaper until you choose what you actually want.
Design. Some bids include design, and some don't. Our kitchens include 3D design, so you see the finished kitchen before demo.
License. In California, anyone who contracts for work that needs a building permit, or for work worth $1,000 or more, must hold a license from the Contractors State License Board (CSLB).
How Much Can a Contractor Ask for Up Front?
A California contractor can't ask for a down payment of more than $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less. Your contract also has to include a payment schedule that shows each payment and the work it pays for. Your payments can't get ahead of the work that's been done.
The CSLB says any change to the contract should be in writing too, as a change order. Changing your mind during a remodel is normal. At Built to Perfection, we put the scope, the timeline and the change-order process in writing before work starts.
Get a Price for Your Own Kitchen
If you're planning a kitchen remodel in Orange County, I'd be glad to have one of our project managers come out for a free in-home consultation. Call us at (888) 955-0535 or email info@builttoperfection.com to set it up.
Built to Perfection is licensed by the CSLB (License Number: 837987), BBB A+ accredited since 2016 and an 8-time Best of Houzz Service winner.
