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Last updated September 18, 2026
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in South Jersey?
A mid-range kitchen remodel in South Jersey — new semi-custom cabinets, quartz counters, tile backsplash, new flooring and lighting, same layout — runs $30,000 to $60,000 in 2026 for a typical 120–150 sq ft kitchen in Cherry Hill, Marlton, Deptford or Washington Township. A cosmetic refresh (paint, hardware, counters, backsplash) is $8,000 to $20,000. A full gut with a layout change is $60,000 to $120,000+.
Cabinets are 30–40% of the bill. Moving the sink, the range, the gas line or a wall adds 20–40% and turns the job into permitted work. Older homes in Collingswood, Haddonfield and Woodbury add code-update costs generic estimators miss.
Every “kitchen remodel cost NJ” number you’ll find online is a Bergen County or Hudson County number. Those markets price labor against New York. South Jersey prices it against Philadelphia, and a good crew out of Pitman or Sewell is not charging Hoboken rates. This guide uses 2026 ranges published by South Jersey remodelers and NJ-wide cost guides, tells you which is which, and gets specific about what changes the number on a house in Camden, Gloucester or Burlington County.
Kitchen remodel cost in South Jersey by scope
There is no average kitchen remodel because there’s no average kitchen. There are four scopes, and the honest way to budget is to decide which one you’re doing before you call anyone.
| Scope | What it includes | South Jersey 2026 | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic refresh | Paint or reface cabinets, new hardware, new counters, backsplash, faucet, lighting. Boxes stay. | $8,000 – $20,000 | 1–2 weeks |
| Mid-range, same layout | New semi-custom cabinets, quartz or granite, tile backsplash, new flooring, lighting, sink and faucet. Plumbing and electrical stay put. | $30,000 – $60,000 | 4–6 weeks |
| Mid-range with layout change | Same as above, plus moving the sink or range, adding an island with plumbing/electric, or opening a non-bearing wall. | $45,000 – $80,000 | 6–10 weeks |
| Full gut / custom | Down to studs, new subfloor, all new mechanicals, custom cabinetry, bearing-wall removal with engineering, pro appliances. | $60,000 – $120,000+ | 8–14 weeks |
Sources: Kubat Construction (Pitman, NJ), Kitchen Remodeling Cost in South Jersey, Mar 2026 — full remodels $45k–$120k · The Cabinet Coach, Kitchen Remodeling Cost Breakdown: A 2026 South Jersey Guide, Apr 2026 — mid-range $35k–$65k; 120 sq ft Cherry Hill kitchen $28k–$55k; permits $2k–$5k · Magdev Inc. (South Jersey / Main Line), Kitchen Remodel Cost in NJ & PA, Jun 2026 — mid-range $30k–$60k, layout change +20–40% · IAC Home Improvement, Kitchen Remodeling Cost in NJ 2026, May 2026 — minor $5k–$15k, mid $25k–$60k, gut $60k–$120k+, cabinets 30–40%. The South Jersey-specific sources sit at the top of the statewide ranges for full guts and the middle for mid-range; the table reflects the South Jersey sources where they exist.
Where the money goes in a $45,000 South Jersey kitchen
Ask any remodeler from Pitman to Mount Laurel for a line-item quote and the proportions come out about the same. Here’s a mid-range, same-layout kitchen at $45,000.
Proportions from IAC Home Improvement (cabinets 30–40%), MHG Contracting (labor 20–25%, counters 8–12%, appliances 10–15%, permits/design/contingency 5–8%) and Magdev (cabinetry 30–35%, labor ~20%), all 2026. Dollar figures are those percentages applied to a $45,000 South Jersey mid-range job, rounded.
Cabinets: the decision that sets the budget
Stock cabinets from a big-box store run roughly $80–$200 per linear foot installed. Semi-custom (Kraftmaid, Fabuwood, Wolf and the like, through a local dealer) runs $150–$650. Full custom from a South Jersey shop is $600–$1,000+ per linear foot. A typical kitchen has 20–30 linear feet of cabinet. That’s the whole spread between a $30,000 kitchen and a $70,000 kitchen, before you’ve picked a countertop. Refacing — new doors and veneer on existing boxes — is the middle path when the boxes are sound, and in a 1990s Voorhees or Mount Laurel kitchen they usually are.
Countertops
Laminate $25–$50 per sq ft installed. Granite and quartz $75–$150. Marble and quartzite $100–$250. Quartz is what most South Jersey remodelers are installing now, and the fabricator matters more than the brand — ask who’s templating and cutting, and whether the seam placement is on the drawing.
What changes the number on a South Jersey house
The layout
Keeping the sink, range and fridge where they are is the single biggest cost control there is. Moving the sink means new supply and drain lines; moving the range means a new gas line run by a licensed master plumber and a new 240V circuit if it’s electric; an island with a sink or cooktop needs both under the floor. Each of those adds trades, a permit, and inspection days. Budget 20–40% more than the same-layout number, and more than that if the wall you want gone is bearing — that’s an engineered beam and a structural permit.
The age of the house
This is where South Jersey diverges from the statewide guides. Pre-1930 homes in Collingswood, Haddonfield, Merchantville, Woodbury and Riverton — and a lot of 1940s–50s stock in Pennsauken, Audubon and Haddon Township — turn up the same things when the kitchen walls open: knob-and-tube or cloth-wrapped wiring that has to come out before the electrical inspector signs anything, galvanized supply lines, cast-iron drains, plaster over lath, no insulation on the exterior wall, and a floor that’s two inches out of level across the room. None of that is in a $35,000 quote from a remodeler who priced off photos. All of it is in the quote from one who opened a cabinet and looked. On a house older than 1960, budget a 15% contingency and hire the remodeler who asked about the wiring before you did.
Code updates you can’t skip
Once the kitchen is permitted work, the township inspector brings it up to current code whether you planned to or not: GFCI protection on every counter receptacle, two dedicated 20-amp small-appliance circuits, separate circuits for the dishwasher, disposal and microwave, a vented range hood on a gas range, and AFCI breakers depending on the scope. On a 1950s panel with 100-amp service that’s frequently a panel upgrade — $2,000–$4,000 — that nobody mentioned at the showroom. Ask the remodeler to walk the panel before the quote.
The fastest way to sort remodelers is to ask two questions on the first call: “Who pulls the electrical and plumbing permits, and under whose license?” and “What’s your contingency on a house this age?” A design-build firm in Pitman or Marlton answers both without pausing. A handyman with a truck answers neither, and that’s a $35,000 lesson you don’t need.
Permits: when a South Jersey kitchen remodel needs one
Under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, replacing cabinets, counters, flooring, fixtures and appliances in the same location is ordinary maintenance — no permit. The remodel becomes permitted work the moment you move or add plumbing, run new electrical circuits or a gas line, change the range hood ducting, or alter framing. A same-layout mid-range remodel often stays permit-free except for the electrical work a licensed electrician pulls for new circuits; a layout change or gut always needs plumbing, electrical and building permits, with inspections at rough-in and final. Township fees across Camden, Gloucester and Burlington County run $2,000–$5,000 on a full remodel. If a contractor says “we’ll skip the permit to save you money,” that’s the answer to whether you should hire them — and an unpermitted gas line is a sale-killer when the buyer’s inspector finds it.
Kitchen remodelers: there is no vetted contractor on this page yet.
Every other trade guide on this site names a vetted local company at the top — website linked, license number shown, full profile. Kitchen remodeling doesn’t, because no kitchen remodeler has gone through our review. The first one that does gets this spot, a link from this page, and a directory profile.
What we check: active NJ HIC registration, insurance, reputation. What we don’t do: sell rankings.
What a fair South Jersey kitchen quote includes
- Cabinet brand, line, door style, box construction (plywood vs. particleboard) and linear footage
- Countertop material, thickness, edge profile, square footage and who fabricates
- Every plumbing and electrical change as a line item, with the license the permit is pulled under
- Demolition and disposal, including what happens if the floor or wiring needs work once it’s open
- Permit fees, shown separately
- Allowances for tile, lighting and hardware — and what happens to the price if you go over
- A schedule with a start date, a substantial-completion date, and the payment stages tied to milestones — NJ requires a written contract with dates for any job over $500
- The contractor’s 13VH registration number on the contract
A kitchen deposit in South Jersey is commonly 30–50% because cabinets are a custom order. That’s normal — but only after the written contract, and only to a contractor whose 13VH registration checks out and who has given you a certificate of insurance in your name. Payment stages should follow the work: deposit, rough-in, cabinet install, final.
The rest is in our 10 questions to ask any contractor before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
Is $30,000 enough for a kitchen remodel in South Jersey?
Yes, for a same-layout mid-range job on a newer house: semi-custom cabinets in a standard 10×12 kitchen, quartz or granite counters, tile backsplash, new flooring and lighting. It does not cover a layout change, custom cabinets, pro appliances, or the wiring and plumbing surprises in a pre-1960 home.
What is the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel?
Cabinets, at 30–40% of the total. Labor is next at 20–25%. The choice between stock, semi-custom and custom cabinetry moves the budget more than any other single decision.
How much does a 12×12 kitchen remodel cost in NJ?
A 144 sq ft kitchen in South Jersey runs about $28,000–$55,000 for a mid-range remodel keeping the layout, and $50,000–$90,000 with a layout change or custom cabinetry.
Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen in NJ?
Not for replacing cabinets, counters, flooring and appliances in the same location. Yes for moving or adding plumbing, gas or electrical circuits, changing hood ducting, or removing walls. Layout changes and gut remodels always need permits with inspections.
How long does a kitchen remodel take?
One to two weeks for a cosmetic refresh, four to six weeks for a same-layout mid-range remodel, six to ten with a layout change, eight to fourteen for a gut. Add cabinet lead time — semi-custom is typically 4–8 weeks from order, custom longer — before demo starts.
Does a kitchen remodel add value in South Jersey?
In the Haddonfield, Moorestown, Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel markets a mid-range kitchen is consistently among the higher-return improvements at resale, and buyers’ inspectors flag unpermitted kitchen work — so the permit is part of the value.
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Related: Best bathroom remodel companies in South Jersey · Bathroom remodelers & guides · How we vet contractors · Hiring a contractor in NJ · Cherry Hill contractors
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