Kitchen Remodel in Boca Raton: What It Really Costs and Where the Money Goes

“Joe, what does a kitchen remodel cost?” I get it three times a week. Here’s what I tell people: I can tell you exactly where the money goes. The total? That depends on your kitchen, and I’m not going to make up a number over the phone.

What I will do is break it down honest — so when you get quotes, you know what’s real and what’s fluff.

Where the money actually goes

Every kitchen remodel has the same five buckets. Learn these and you’ll read quotes like a contractor.

Cabinets — the biggest check you’ll write. Usually 30–40% of the job. Stock cabinets versus semi-custom versus full custom is the single biggest swing in any kitchen budget. Stock gets you a clean, good-looking kitchen. Custom gets you the weird corner, the tall pantry wall, the exact shade. Most of my Boca customers land in the middle — semi-custom — and never look back.

Countertops. Granite, quartz, marble — pick your fighter. Quartz is what most people choose now: tough, no sealing, looks like a million bucks. The price moves with the slab and the edge detail. A fancy ogee edge on a big island isn’t free, and the quote should say so.

Labor — demo, install, tile, the works. This is me and my crew. Demo, hanging cabinets level (in these Florida houses, “level” is a prayer — the floors are never flat), setting tile, trim, the thousand little things. Anyone who tells you labor should be cheap has never hung a wall cabinet on a wavy block wall.

Plumbing and electrical. Moving a sink across the room? That’s not a small thing — that’s opening walls, rerouting drain lines, maybe touching the slab. Same with electrical: under-cabinet lighting, new circuits for the appliances, bringing old wiring up to code. Kitchens from the 80s and 90s almost always need electrical work once the walls are open. Budget for it.

Flooring, paint, and finishes. The stuff you see every day. Tile, backsplash, paint, hardware, fixtures. This is where kitchens go from “renovated” to “wow” — and it’s also where budgets die if you fall in love with $40-a-square-foot tile.

The condo kitchen reality

Half my kitchen work in Boca is condos. And condo kitchens have their own rulebook.

HOA approval comes first. Most associations want an alteration application, contractor insurance certificates, license docs — before we touch a thing. I handle the paperwork side; you handle your HOA contact. Build in time for this. Some HOAs approve in a week. Some meet once a month.

Work hours are restricted. Typically 8 or 9 to 5, weekdays only, no weekends in a lot of buildings. That stretches the schedule compared to a house. It’s not slower work — it’s fewer allowed hours per week.

Elevators and logistics. Materials go up in the service elevator, on the building’s schedule, with the walls padded. Debris comes down the same way. In a high-rise, logistics is a real line item — anybody who quotes a 12th-floor kitchen the same as a ranch house hasn’t done a 12th-floor kitchen.

Water shutoffs affect your neighbors. If we’re touching plumbing stacks, the building shuts water to the whole line — your upstairs neighbor’s shower included. That gets scheduled, noticed, and coordinated. It’s routine for me. It’s new for most homeowners.

What I won’t do

I won’t give you a price without seeing the kitchen. I know some guys will. They’re either guessing or they’re planning to “find” the real price halfway through the job with change orders. My estimate happens in your home, tape measure out, and the number I give you is the number.

Here’s my philosophy, and it’s the whole company: nothing is promised until I measure, price it in person, and we both sign. Marketing can say whatever it wants. The number that matters is the one I write down in your kitchen.

How people pay for it

Kitchen remodels are the classic finance job. Through our financing partner, most customers land in the $200s to $300s a month, with rates as low as 4.49% APR on approved credit. Smaller refreshes — paint, hardware, fixtures — can run from around $120 a month. You use the kitchen every single day. Financing it over a few years while you cook in it beats staring at 1994 oak cabinets for another decade.

Red flags when you’re shopping quotes

The quote with no line items. “Kitchen remodel: $X.” That’s it. That’s the whole quote. No breakdown, no materials listed, no scope. You can’t compare it to anything, which is exactly the point.

The 50% deposit. Standard in Florida is a reasonable deposit with progress payments tied to milestones. Somebody demanding half upfront before demo is telling you about their cash flow problems.

“We don’t need a permit.” In Boca Raton, you almost certainly do — especially with plumbing or electrical moves. Unpermitted work becomes your problem at resale. I pull permits. It’s slower. It’s also the only way I’d do it in my own house.

What to do next

If you’re thinking about it, start with the free estimate. I come out, we walk the kitchen, you tell me what drives you crazy about it, and I tell you what’s possible and what it costs — real number, in writing.

And bring me any written quote you’ve already got. I’ll beat it or you get $50. Beat-the-Quote runs through October 1st.

Call or text (561) 462-9293. I’m Joe. Let’s look at your kitchen.

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