How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Maryland?
A kitchen remodel in Maryland averages about $22,253, with Annapolis a bit higher at $24,478, according to Fixr’s state data. The published national average is $26,940, and most projects fall between $14,588 and $41,550. A refresh that keeps the layout and the cabinet boxes can come in under $10,000. A full gut with new cabinets, moved plumbing and new lighting runs $65,000 and up.
Those are market figures from published cost guides, not our quote. For what your kitchen needs, our kitchen remodeling service page covers both the refresh and the full remodel, and estimates are free.
What does a kitchen remodel cost by scope?
The guides agree on three tiers, and the scope decides which one you are in.
| Scope | Published range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh | under $10,000 | paint or reface cabinets, new counters, backsplash, hardware, sink, faucet, lighting |
| Minor remodel | $10,000–$28,000 | new cabinet fronts, counters, appliances, floor and paint in the same layout |
| Major remodel | $20,000–$65,000 | new cabinets, counters, floor, lighting, some plumbing and electrical |
| Full gut | $65,000–$130,000+ | everything above plus moved walls, plumbing and gas |
Two local anchors sit inside those bands. Fixr’s Baltimore average is $21,150, and a permit-data platform that analyzed 2,332 Baltimore kitchen permits found an average of $32,202. Houzz’s 2026 survey of homeowners put the median minor project at $20,000 and the median major project at $55,000. Per square foot, the national range is $75 to $250, and Fixr’s Maryland figure is $139.
What does a kitchen refresh cost line by line?
A refresh keeps the boxes and the layout and replaces what you see and touch. Here is what HomeAdvisor’s guides publish for each piece.
| Line item | Published cost |
|---|---|
| Cabinet painting | $425–$1,466, average $942 |
| Cabinet refacing | $4,234–$10,226, average $7,230 |
| Cabinet refinishing | $1,800–$4,200 |
| Countertops, 55 sq ft installed | $825–$3,850, average about $2,200 |
| Backsplash | $500–$1,700 |
| Sink and faucet | about $420 plus $260 |
| Recessed lights | $100–$300 each |
| Flooring | $1,000–$4,000 |
Refacing is the middle path. HomeAdvisor puts it 30% to 50% below full replacement, and a pro finishes it in three to five days. Painting is cheaper still, and about 85% of that price is labor, which is why a careful prep matters more than the paint. Our interior painting crew handles cabinet painting as its own job.
Countertops swing on material. Laminate runs $8 to $27 per square foot installed, quartz $15 to $70, granite $15 to $140 and marble up to $190. On a 55 square foot kitchen, that choice alone moves the number by a few thousand dollars.
Why does moving the sink cost so much more?
Because it turns a handyman job into a trades job. Once a sink, a stove or a wall moves, the plumber, the electrician and the permit office all enter the project. HomeAdvisor prices new plumbing at about $1,250, a moved gas line at $375 to $750 and a panel upgrade at $520 to $2,000. Fixr’s Maryland data puts utility work at $989 to $3,956. Removing a wall in Baltimore runs $1,000 to $3,000 if it is not load bearing and $3,000 to $8,000 if it is.
Cabinets are the biggest line either way. Fixr’s Maryland average is $7,912 for cabinets, ahead of appliances at $4,945 and countertops at $3,956. Stock cabinets run $100 to $300 per linear foot nationally, and custom runs $500 to $1,200. Keeping the boxes and changing the fronts is the single biggest saver in the whole project. Any same-location sink or disposal swap stays with our plumbing repair crew instead of a rough-in.
Does the county require a permit for a kitchen remodel?
For moved plumbing, new wiring and structural work, yes. Anne Arundel County requires a plumbing permit for adding or relocating fixtures and piping, and an electrical permit for installing wiring and fixtures. The county does not publish a list of exempt interior work. Its permit page asks owners to email the Permit Center with the address and scope for a determination, so treat a cabinet-and-counter swap as a question rather than a given. Annapolis runs its own permit office inside city limits.
The fees are small next to the project. The county schedule lists a residential electrical alteration at $95 plus a $43 application fee, and plumbing at $51 for the first fixture plus $8 for each additional one. Fixr puts total kitchen permits in Maryland at about $1,000 for a full remodel.
Older kitchens carry one more rule. The county’s median home dates to 1983, and about 45% of its housing was built before 1980. In a home built before 1978, tearing out cabinets and disturbing six square feet or more of painted wall puts the job under the EPA lead-safe rule, which requires a certified firm and lead-safe practices.
Which kitchen remodel pays back at resale?
The small one. The 2025 Cost vs. Value report puts a minor midrange kitchen remodel at $28,458 with 112.9% of the cost recouped at resale nationally, and 109.2% in the South Atlantic region that includes Maryland. A major midrange remodel at $82,793 recoups 50.9%, and an upscale one at $164,104 recoups 35.7%. The minor scope in that report keeps the cabinet boxes, replaces the fronts and hardware, and adds new counters, a sink, appliances, paint and flooring.
For a 1980s kitchen in Severna Park or Odenton, that is the whole argument for a refresh. The same room with painted boxes, new quartz and a tile backsplash reads as new to a buyer, and the money comes back.
What should you do next?
List what stays. If the layout, the boxes and the appliance spots stay, you are pricing a refresh, and the counter material is your biggest decision. If the sink or the stove moves, plan for the trades, the permits and the six to ten week construction window. Summer pricing in Baltimore runs 1% to 5% higher in Fixr’s data, so a fall or winter start can save a little.
Our Maryland handyman cost guide covers how a refresh gets scheduled as one project instead of five visits. Call (877) 349-4632 with a few photos of the kitchen and the office can give you a range the same day. Full remodels get a free written estimate at the house, and the number you approve is the number you pay.