How much will a kitchen remodel cost in Seattle?

$45,000 was the median declared permit value for data years 2023-2026 in Seattle, WA. Single-family and duplex kitchen remodel permits issued in Seattle declared a typical range (middle half of 115 City of Seattle permit data points, Seattle, WA, 2023-2026) of $20,000 to $99,334.

Updated 2026-10-28

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Seattle, WA: declared value on building permits
What was measured	Median declared value	Declared value range (middle half)
Single-family and duplex kitchen remodel permits issued in Seattle declared	a median declared value on building permits of $45,000	the typical range (middle half of 115 City of Seattle permit data points, Seattle, WA, 2023-2026) was $20,000 to $99,334

Declared permit values are what applicants reported to the city; final contract prices can differ.

How measured: residential single-job permits; declared values below the low-value floor for the same job removed (0 rows). Source: City of Seattle, SDCI 'Building Permits' (76t5-zqzr), data read 22 October 2026.

These figures are estimates from City of Seattle, SDCI 'Building Permits' (76t5-zqzr), data years 2023-2026, read 22 October 2026, for Seattle, WA. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.

How we know: By InstaBids editorial team with AI research agents. Sources read: 16 October 2026

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What the job includes, the line items to ask for and how to compare bids: the national kitchen remodel cost guide.

What do Seattle kitchen remodel permits declare?

Each Seattle figure above is a declared permit value: what the applicant told the permit office the kitchen job was worth when applying. It is not an invoice.

The count covers single-family and duplex building permits whose description names a kitchen remodel. Permits for a new home, demolition-only permits, revision and renewal permits, and permits that also name another job were left out first.

Also left out as other jobs: wiring-only or electrician's permits, whole-house renovations that list several trades, work on more than one unit or more than one kitchen or bathroom, adding a new bathroom, permits that also name a porch, stairs, sunroom, basement or other room, conversions such as a double to a single, and damage repair.

All 115 matched permits carried a declared value. None fell below the low-value floor for this job, so all 115 permits are behind the figures.

How does Seattle compare with the national survey?

For the national picture, the Census Bureau's American Housing Survey asked households about the work done on their home and whether they hired it out. Its kitchen item reads "Remodeled kitchen" and records no scope, so new cabinet doors and a full gut-and-rebuild share one range.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, read 16 October 2026.

United States: homeowner survey
What was measured	Median	Typical range (middle half)
Households in the American Housing Survey that hired out a kitchen remodel reported	a median of $12,000	the typical range (middle half of 728 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) was $5,000 to $28,500
When the household remodelled the kitchen itself	a median (410 American Housing Survey data points, the United States, 2021-2023) of $4,000	—

How measured: hired-out finished jobs, survey-weighted, not adjusted for inflation; do-it-yourself jobs the same way. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data read 16 October 2026.

These figures are estimates from U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, data years 2021-2023, read 16 October 2026, for the United States. They are not a quote, and they are not a promise of what any contractor on InstaBids will charge. Your price depends on your home, the materials and the contractor. Get written bids before you decide.

Full national guide: How much will a kitchen remodel cost?

The Seattle median declared value sits above the national survey median for hired-out kitchen remodels.

The two are different kinds of record: a survey answer is what a household remembers paying, while a permit value is what an applicant wrote down before the work began. This page keeps them apart and never blends them into one number.

What does Seattle require for kitchen sink connections?

Example rule, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections kitchen dishwasher drainage connection: “Domestic dishwashing machines shall discharge indirectly through an air gap fitting in accordance with Section 807.3 into a waste receptor, a wye branch fitting on the tailpiece of a kitchen sink, or dishwasher con- nection of a food waste disposer.”

Source: Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, read 9 November 2026.

Example rule, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections kitchen disposer drain connection: “No dishwasher drain shall be connected to a sink tailpiece, continuous waste, or trap on the discharge side of a food waste disposer.”

Source: Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, read 9 November 2026.

Example rule, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections kitchen disposer water protection: “A cold water supply shall be provided for food waste disposers. Such connection to the water supply shall be protected by an air gap or backflow prevention device in accordance with Section 603.2.”

Source: Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, read 9 November 2026.

Example rule, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections kitchen sink waste outlet: “Kitchen and laundry sinks shall have a waste outlet and fixture tailpiece not less than 11⁄2 inches (40 mm) in diameter.”

Source: Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, read 9 November 2026.

Example rule, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections kitchen pull-out faucet backflow: “Faucets and fixture fittings with pull out spout shall comply with ASME A112.18.1/CSA B125.1. Faucets and fixture fittings with pull out spouts with integral backflow protection shall comply with ASME A112.18.1/CSA B125.1 or shall have a backflow preventer device that complies with ASME A112.18.3.”

Source: Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, read 9 November 2026.

Example rule, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections kitchen faucet hot water controls: “Where two separate handles control the hot and cold water, the left- hand control of the faucet where facing the fixture fitting outlet shall control the hot water. Faucets and diverters shall be con- nected to the water distribution system so that hot water corresponds to the left side of the fixture fitting.”

Source: Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, read 9 November 2026.

Example rule, Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections kitchen remodel structural design scope: “Your new construction must comply with the current Seattle residential, building, zoning, electrical, land use, environmental, shoreline, and mechanical codes. You do not need to upgrade existing portions of your house that are not being remodeled to the current codes. However, any structural impacts from your addition or remodel will need to be accounted for in the design and permit submittal.”

Source: Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, read 9 November 2026.

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Sources for the figures on this page

City of Seattle, SDCI 'Building Permits' (76t5-zqzr), https://data.seattle.gov/Built-Environment/Building-Permits/76t5-zqzr, read 22 October 2026. InstaBids computed medians and middle-half ranges.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/data/2023/ahs-2023-public-use-file--puf-.html, read 16 October 2026. U.S. government work; no endorsement implied.
U.S. Census Bureau, AHS 2023 Value Labels Package, www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/ahs/2023/AHS 2023 Value Labels Package.zip, read 16 October 2026.
Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/SDCI/Codes/PlumbingCode/2021SeattlePlumbingCode.pdf, read 9 November 2026.
Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, www.seattle.gov/construction-and-inspections/permits/common-projects/house-additions-and-remodels, read 9 November 2026.