I wish I could give you a simple number. People want a per-square-foot figure so they can do some quick math. But that's not how premium renovation works, and anyone who prices it that way is either guessing or cutting corners.
Here's the truth: the cost of a renovation is driven by your decisions — the materials you select, the complexity of the design, and the condition of what's behind your walls. Two kitchens in the same neighborhood with the same square footage can land very far apart depending on those variables. So instead of a misleading formula or a price range that won't fit your home, here's what actually moves the number. Every project is priced to its scope, and we'll give you a clear number after a site visit.
Why We Don't Publish Price Ranges
A range on a website can't see your house. It doesn't know whether you want stock cabinetry or custom inset, whether the kitchen stays in its footprint or takes over the next room, or what a 1920s wall is hiding. A number that ignores those things isn't honest, so we don't publish one.
What we do instead: walk the house with you, listen to what you want, and tell you plainly how the decisions in front of you will shape the cost. Then our preconstruction process turns those decisions into a detailed, line-by-line estimate you can trust.
What Drives the Cost
Selections. The single biggest variable in any renovation budget is what you choose. The difference between an entry-level range and a professional-grade one doesn't affect the installation cost much — but it changes the project total dramatically. The same is true for tile, cabinetry, countertops, plumbing fixtures, lighting, and hardware. Our structured selection process helps you make these decisions with full awareness of their budget impact.
Structural complexity. Moving walls, widening openings, adding windows, or modifying the roofline involves engineering, permits, and significantly more construction time. A kitchen that stays within its existing footprint costs substantially less than one that expands into an adjacent room.
Existing conditions. Opening walls in older homes sometimes reveals work that needs to be addressed — outdated wiring, galvanized plumbing, inadequate insulation, or previous modifications that weren't done to code. These aren't luxuries; they're necessities that affect both cost and timeline.
Historic district requirements. Homes in CHAP-designated districts require period-appropriate materials and methods that can be more expensive than standard alternatives. Wood windows instead of vinyl. True divided-lite patterns instead of applied grilles. The results are beautiful, but the materials cost more.
What Our Fee Covers
Every SA&Co project includes overhead and profit. I know that can sound like a lot, so let me explain exactly what it pays for.
That margin covers full-time project management on your job every single day. It covers our general liability insurance, workers compensation, vehicles, office operations, accounting, and legal. It covers the technology and documentation systems that keep your project organized. And critically, it funds our 20-year warranty obligation — the reserves for future inspections, the record-keeping, and the commitment to stand behind our work for two decades.
Contractors who charge less aren't offering the same thing. They're either underinsured, undermanaging the project, offering a one-year warranty, or not making enough margin to stay in business long enough to honor their promises.
The cheapest bid is almost never the cheapest project. The most accurate estimate is.
How to Budget Realistically
Start with your goals, not a number. Tell us what you want to accomplish — the rooms, the scope, the quality level — and we'll tell you what that costs. Starting with an arbitrary budget and trying to fit a project into it usually leads to disappointment or compromises you didn't want to make.
Build in contingency. We recommend a 10% to 15% contingency on top of the estimated cost. Not because we expect to spend it, but because renovations — especially in older homes — occasionally reveal conditions that require additional work. Having contingency means you can address those issues without panic.
Invest in preconstruction. Our Building the Blueprint process is a separate paid engagement, scaled to the complexity of your project. That investment produces a detailed estimate based on real numbers, finalized selections, and competitive subcontractor bids. It's the most accurate number you'll get.
Don't compare bids at face value. Two bids with different bottom lines are not comparable unless they include the same scope, the same materials, the same level of management, and the same warranty. Most of the time, the lower bid is missing something — and you'll pay for whatever it's missing later, through change orders. Read why a blueprint beats a bid.
