Looking for small kitchen renovation services in Kitchener Waterloo? A small kitchen is one of the best-value rooms in the house to renovate. There is less floor, fewer cabinets and less countertop to pay for, so every dollar goes further, and a smart layout can make a cramped room feel twice the size. At Kitchen and Bath Reno Guys Kitchener Waterloo, we renovate small kitchens across Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, including galley kitchens, compact condo kitchens and tight L-shaped kitchens.
This guide covers what a small kitchen renovation includes, what it costs, the ideas that get the most out of a small footprint, and how to decide whether an island will fit. For the full picture of how we run a kitchen job from start to finish, see our Kitchen Renovations Kitchener page.
Quick answer: A small kitchen renovation in Kitchener-Waterloo usually runs $15,000 to $25,000 for a refresh with new cabinets, countertops and paint in the existing layout. Moving walls, plumbing or the layout pushes a remodel into the $35,000 to $60,000 range. If your cabinet boxes are solid, refacing them costs $4,000 to $10,000 and is the biggest single way to save.
Small Kitchen Renovation Services in Kitchener Waterloo
A small kitchen renovation is the same set of trades as a large one, packed into less space. That makes planning more important, not less: in a big kitchen a wasted corner is an annoyance, in a small kitchen it is a quarter of your storage. Here is what a typical small kitchen job with our team covers.
Custom and semi-custom cabinetry. Cabinets decide how well a small kitchen works. We build boxes to your exact wall lengths and ceiling height, so there are no filler strips eating up inches, and we run uppers to the ceiling where it makes sense so you gain a full shelf of storage for seldom-used items. Inside, pull-out pantries, corner solutions and deep drawers do more for a small kitchen than any finish choice.
Countertops. Less countertop means a premium material costs less in total. Quartz, granite and laminate are all good fits. See our countertop installation service for the options we install, and whether granite or quartz is cheaper in Kitchener-Waterloo if you are weighing the two.
Layout. The sink, stove and fridge should be close enough to work between without crossing a doorway or a traffic path. In a small room, a small change to where the fridge sits or which way a door swings can open up a whole run of counter.
Lighting. Under-cabinet task lighting makes a small kitchen easier to cook in and makes it look bigger. Ceiling lights alone throw your shadow onto the counter you are working on.
Flooring. A small floor is a small bill, so this is a place where you can choose a better product without much impact on the budget. Our flooring installation team handles tile, vinyl plank and hardwood.
What Is the Average Cost of Renovating a Small Kitchen?
The price of a small kitchen depends far more on what you change than on the size of the room. These are the ranges we work to in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge:
| Type of job | Typical cost | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet refacing | $4,000 to $10,000 | New doors, drawer fronts and exterior panels on your existing boxes |
| Semi-custom cabinet replacement, small kitchen | $8,000 to $18,000 | New boxes, doors and hardware in the same layout |
| Basic refresh | $15,000 to $25,000 | New cabinets, countertops and paint, layout stays the same |
| Remodel with layout changes | $35,000 to $60,000 | Moving walls, plumbing, gas or electrical, new everything |
If the layout stays the same, a small kitchen lands in the basic refresh range. The jump to the top range almost always comes from moving something: a wall comes out to open the kitchen to the dining room, the sink moves to a new wall, or a gas line is run for a new range location. Every one of those brings in another trade and, often, a permit.
Where the money goes in a small kitchen. Cabinets are usually the largest line, followed by countertops and labour. Appliances can swing the total more than people expect: a compact kitchen that needs a counter-depth fridge or a narrow dishwasher has fewer, sometimes pricier, models to choose from. Decide on appliances before the cabinets are ordered, because the openings are built to the exact model.
Plan a buffer. Older Kitchener and Waterloo homes hide surprises behind the walls: old wiring, galvanized plumbing and floors that are out of level. A contingency of 10 to 20 percent of your budget keeps a surprise from stopping the job.
Small Kitchen Remodel Ideas on a Budget
If the budget is tight, the goal is to spend on what you touch every day and save on what you don’t. These are the moves that give a small kitchen the biggest change for the money.
- Reface instead of replace. If the boxes are solid plywood or in good shape, new doors and drawer fronts change the whole look of the room for a fraction of new cabinets. See whether it is cheaper to reface or replace kitchen cabinets.
- Paint the cabinets. A professional spray finish is the lowest-cost way to update cabinets that are the right size and still work. Here is what painting kitchen cabinets costs in Kitchener-Waterloo.
- Keep the plumbing where it is. Leaving the sink and dishwasher on the same wall is the single biggest way to stay out of the top price range.
- Put the money into the countertop. A small kitchen needs far less material than a large one, so an upgrade from laminate to quartz costs less here than in a big kitchen.
- Add storage inside the cabinets, not more cabinets. Pull-out shelves, drawer organizers and a corner pull-out often solve a storage problem without adding a single box. See what pull-out shelves cost.
- Light it properly. Under-cabinet lighting is a small line item that makes a small kitchen look bigger and cleaner. Here is what under-cabinet lighting installation costs.
- Know where not to cut. Cheap hinges and drawer slides are the first thing to fail in a busy kitchen. Soft-close hardware is worth keeping in even the tightest budget.
For more ways to trim the total without the kitchen looking cheap, see the cheapest parts of a kitchen to renovate.
Small Kitchen Remodel Ideas with Island
An island is often the first thing people ask for, and it is easy to force one into a room that is too small for it. An island needs enough walkway on every side for doors, the dishwasher and the oven to open while someone is standing there. In many small kitchens that space simply isn’t there, and an island that blocks the dishwasher door makes the kitchen worse, not better.
When a full island doesn’t fit, these options give you the extra counter and seating without choking the room:
- A peninsula. A counter that runs off the end of an existing run of cabinets gives you seating and prep space while only needing walkway on three sides.
- A narrow island. A shallower island built from standard-depth or reduced-depth cabinets can work where a full-depth one can’t.
- A movable cart or butcher-block table. Extra prep space when you need it, out of the way when you don’t.
- A counter-height ledge. In an open-concept space, a ledge on the dining side of a wall or half wall gives the kitchen seating without taking floor from the kitchen itself.
If the room does have the space, an island with cabinetry typically adds $3,000 to $12,000, depending on the size, the countertop and whether it gets a sink or power. See how much it costs to add a kitchen island in Kitchener-Waterloo, and for layout ideas, the best kitchen layout for a small space.
Very Small Kitchen Remodel Ideas
Condo kitchens, galley kitchens and older kitchens with a single wall of cabinets need a different approach. In a very small kitchen, every inch of wall and every inch of cabinet depth has a job.
- Take the uppers to the ceiling. The space above standard upper cabinets usually collects dust. Taller uppers or a row of stacked cabinets turns it into storage.
- Use lighter colours and fewer lines. Light cabinet colours and slab or simple shaker doors keep a small room from feeling busy. See the most popular cabinet colours in Kitchener-Waterloo.
- Choose compact appliances deliberately. A 24-inch range or a narrow dishwasher can free up a full cabinet. Pick them before the cabinet order goes in.
- Swap doors for drawers on the lower cabinets. Deep drawers put everything in reach, where a base cabinet with doors hides half its contents at the back.
- Use the backsplash wall. Rails, a magnetic knife strip or a shallow shelf keep daily items off a small counter.
How long a small kitchen takes. Most small kitchen renovations take 4 to 8 weeks overall, depending on the scope and how quickly cabinets and countertops arrive. If you are ordering custom cabinets, the shop build happens before demolition, so the time your kitchen is actually out of service is shorter, typically 2 to 4 weeks for a cabinet replacement. See how long custom kitchen cabinets take.
What happens during a small kitchen renovation. It starts with a visit to measure the room and talk through how you use the kitchen: who cooks, what you store, and what bothers you about the room today. From there we put together a layout and lock in cabinets, countertops and appliances before anything is torn out, so the kitchen is out of service for as little time as possible. On site, demolition comes first, then any plumbing and electrical changes, then drywall and paint, flooring, cabinets, countertops, backsplash and the final hook-ups.
Getting ready. Set up a temporary kitchen somewhere else in the house, with a microwave, a kettle, a coffee maker and a folding table. It makes the weeks without a kitchen much easier to live with.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical budget for a small kitchen remodel?
In Kitchener-Waterloo, most small kitchens are budgeted at $15,000 to $25,000 for new cabinets, countertops and paint in the same layout. Moving plumbing, walls or the layout puts the job at $35,000 to $60,000.
Can you redo a kitchen for $5000?
Not a full renovation, but $5,000 can make a real difference in a small kitchen: painted cabinets, new hardware, a new faucet and lighting, or the low end of cabinet refacing, which starts around $4,000.
Can I redo my kitchen for $10,000?
$10,000 covers cabinet refacing at the top of its range, or a combination of painted cabinets, new laminate countertops and new lighting. New cabinets and countertops together usually start at about $15,000. See whether $10,000 is enough for a new kitchen.
How much should a 10×10 kitchen remodel cost?
A 10×10 kitchen is a classic small kitchen. With new cabinets, countertops and paint in the same layout, expect $15,000 to $25,000. Semi-custom cabinets for a kitchen that size run $8,000 to $18,000 of that. If you are keeping the boxes, see the average cost to reface a 10×10 kitchen.
Kitchen Renovations Kitchener: Start Your Small Kitchen Project
A small kitchen doesn’t need a big budget to work like a big one. It needs a plan that uses every inch, cabinets built to fit and money spent where you will feel it every day. We serve homeowners across Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge (see Kitchen and Bath Renovations Cambridge), as well as Guelph, Brantford, Stratford and Woodstock.
Ready to see what your small kitchen could be? Call Kitchen and Bath Reno Guys Kitchener Waterloo at (226) 894-0234 or email info@kitchenandbathrenoguys.ca for a free estimate.
Kitchen and Bath Reno Guys Kitchener Waterloo
Serving Kitchener, Waterloo & Cambridge, ON
Phone: (226) 894-0234
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Also proudly serving Guelph, Brantford, Stratford, Woodstock, and surrounding areas throughout Southwestern Ontario.
Related reading: What is the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel in Kitchener-Waterloo?