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Thinking of remodeling your kitchen? When budgeting ahead, there are a few costs that can often get overlooked. Below are 5 expenses that often catch people out when remodeling a kitchen.

Design fees

While you may have a clear idea in your head as to what you want your new kitchen to look like, you should never take on a kitchen remodel without a clear design drawn up. If you’re hiring contractors or applying for a permit, it could be beneficial to have a professional design drawing. A kitchen designer will typically pay between $65 to $250 per hour. With most designers putting in around 25 to 30 hours from initial design to final design stage, you can expect to pay between $1500 and $7500 for the design work. 

Building permit

In most cases, you won’t need a building permit to carry out a kitchen remodel, however it’s often worth looking into. Permit laws can vary across the country and while some locations can be fairly relaxed, others may have tight restrictions in place as to what you can and can’t do without a permit. Structural changes that may require a permit include:

• Extending your kitchen or creating a new addition to place your kitchen in

• Installing, removing or relocating walls

• Installing, removing or relocating plumbing or electrics

• Installing, removing or relocating a window

A building permit can vary in cost. For small improvements, it generally only costs $50, however bigger projects can cost up to $2,000. Always apply for a permit before starting work on your project to avoid fines. 

Relocating appliances

When changing the layout of your kitchen, be wary of moving the location of appliances. Moving a dishwasher a few feet along a wall could mean having to also relocate plumbing and electrics. Moving plumbing more than three feet can cost $500 to $1000 per appliance. Keeping appliances where they are and designing a new layout around them could save costs.

Waste disposal

Installing a new kitchen will mean having to dispose of your old kitchen. What will you do with your old cabinets, countertops, flooring and appliances? Taking them to a recycling center yourself may be an option if you’ve got a large vehicle. However, most people are unlikely to have a vehicle big enough. Dumpster rental could be a more convenient option for disposing of your old kitchen. A company will drop off the dumpster for you and pick it up when you have disposed of all your waste, saving you from having to take it to a recycling center. The weekly cost to rent a dumpster can be anything from $150 to $1,500 depending on the size of the dumpster you need and nature of the waste.

Meals out/takeout meals

While remodeling your kitchen, you won’t be able to cook and prepare meals. This could mean having to order takeout meals or eat out. Make sure that you’ve budgeted for this. It’s possible that you may be able to get by on microwave meals - you can move your microwave and fridge to another room during the remodel if you’re not replacing them. Another option could be to rely on the generosity of friends and family to prepare meals for you while remodeling.