Start with the tier that matches your scope
Kitchen Kings publishes three full-remodel tiers for Northern Virginia. Read the scope column, not just the price. If your plan includes a full layout change, custom cabinetry, premium countertops and appliances, or structural or plumbing moves, you're in the high-end tier regardless of where you live.
| Tier | Typical Scope | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Refresh existing layout — refaced or stock cabinets, laminate or lower-tier countertops, standard flooring. | $18,000–$35,000 |
| Mid-Range | New layout or new cabinets, quartz or granite countertops, upgraded flooring and lighting. | $35,000–$60,000 |
| High-End | Full layout change, custom cabinetry, premium countertops and appliances, structural or plumbing moves. | $60,000–$120,000+ |
Typical Northern Virginia reference ranges from the Kitchen Kings cost guide, not quotes. Your price depends on the written scope for your McLean kitchen.
Build the budget from components
Within a full remodel, the individual service ranges help you see where money goes and where your priorities should sit.
| Tier | Typical Scope | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Cabinetry | Built to the exact dimensions and storage needs of your kitchen. | $10,000–$30,000 |
| Countertops | Quartz, granite, and other surfaces — sized, templated, and installed. | $3,000–$12,000 |
| Kitchen Islands | Added seating, storage, and prep space, sized to fit the room. | $5,000–$15,000 |
| Kitchen Layout & Design | Reworking your kitchen's footprint for how you actually cook and live. | $2,000–$8,000 |
| Kitchen Electrical & Lighting | Task and accent lighting, outlet placement, and code-compliant wiring. | $2,000–$8,000 |
| Kitchen Flooring | Flooring sized and installed to hold up to daily kitchen use. | $3,000–$10,000 |
Typical Northern Virginia reference ranges from the Kitchen Kings cost guide, not quotes. Your price depends on the written scope for your McLean kitchen.
These ranges don't simply add up to the full-remodel tiers, because a full remodel also includes demolition, plumbing, drywall, paint, protection and coordination. Use them to understand proportions, not as a checklist to total.
Decide what matters most
Every high-end kitchen involves trade-offs. Rank these from most to least important to you before design starts:
- Layout: opening walls, moving the sink or range, adding an island.
- Cabinetry: fully custom construction and storage.
- Surfaces: premium slabs, waterfall edges, full-height backsplash.
- Appliances: professional-style range, built-in refrigeration.
- Lighting: layered, dimmable, integrated.
Layout and infrastructure (structure, plumbing, electrical, ventilation) are the hardest to change later. Finishes like light fixtures and hardware are the easiest. If something has to give, protect the first and flex the second.
Items that are easy to forget
- Structural design for a load-bearing wall.
- Makeup air for a large range hood (required above 400 cfm under the 2021 Virginia Residential Code, with limited exceptions).
- Electrical panel or circuit upgrades in older homes.
- Flooring transitions into rooms beyond the kitchen when a wall comes out.
- Painting adjacent rooms that are now visually part of the kitchen.
- Permits through Fairfax County.
- A temporary kitchen while yours is out of service.
Plan a contingency
Older McLean homes can hide surprises behind walls and under floors: an undersized beam, an old leak, outdated wiring. Set aside a contingency separate from the project budget for what you can't see until demolition. Agree with your contractor in advance how discovered conditions will be priced and approved.
Owner-supplied items
Some homeowners buy appliances, light fixtures or plumbing fixtures themselves. That can work, but it moves responsibility for ordering, delivery timing, damage and missing parts to you. Make sure owner-supplied items are listed in the scope, along with who receives, stores, installs and connects them, and remember that the work they require, such as gas lines, circuits and ventilation, still has to be budgeted.
Matching the kitchen to the house
In McLean, the kitchen often needs to match the finish level of a home that has already been renovated, or set the standard for one that hasn't. Look at the rooms the kitchen connects to. If they'll stay as they are, the kitchen's materials should sit comfortably beside them. If they'll be updated later, plan flooring and trim that will still work when they are.
Finally, revisit the budget after design and again after selections. Each stage replaces assumptions with real choices, and it's far easier to adjust a plan on paper than once demolition has begun.
Selections before demolition
Making selections early protects the budget as much as the schedule. When every cabinet, slab, fixture and appliance is chosen before demolition, the scope can be priced as fixed selections rather than allowances, and you avoid rushed decisions mid-project.
Finished Kitchen Kings kitchens, not McLean projects.
Related
What does a high-end kitchen remodel cost in Northern Virginia?▸
Kitchen Kings' high-end tier is $60,000–$120,000+, covering a full layout change, custom cabinetry, premium countertops and appliances, and structural or plumbing moves. It's a reference range, not a quote.
Do the individual service ranges add up to a full remodel?▸
No. A full remodel also includes demolition, plumbing, drywall, paint, protection and coordination. Use the service ranges to see proportions.
Where should I save money in a high-end kitchen?▸
Usually on things that are easy to upgrade later, like decorative light fixtures or hardware, rather than on layout, structure, wiring or ventilation.