Kitchen remodeling contractors in Cambridge, MA
Cambridge prices at the top of the Massachusetts market. Labor runs at or above Boston rates, lots are tight, and a large share of the housing sits inside historic or neighborhood-conservation districts that add review time to exterior work.
Our Haus isn't a contractor directory. We give you the local cost math, the permit reality, and the paperwork tools — the scope, the proposal comparison, and the vault your records live in.
Kitchen remodel cost in Cambridge
Based on a 150 sq ft kitchen remodel scope, adjusted by the Massachusetts regional cost index and a Cambridge metro multiplier of 1.14×. A 10% contingency reserve is included. These are budgeting estimates, not quotes.
| Cambridge kitchen remodel | Low | Likely | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic finishEntry-level materials, no layout change | $37k | $49k | $68k |
| Mid-range finishThe most common scope | $68k | $92k | $123k |
| High-end finishCustom materials and detail | $123k | $172k | $246k |
Source: Our Haus cost engine — per-square-foot bands from public industry data (Cost vs. Value, NAHB, RSMeans-derived regional indices), adjusted for Massachusetts and the Cambridge metro.
Estimated range — based on BLS OEWS national average wages and BLS PPI material indexes applied to Our Haus baseline unit costs, as of June 2026. Estimates are shown as a range and help set expectations. They are not a quote, a verified price, or an appraisal of what a contractor will charge.
Where the money goes (mid-range finish)
| Line item | Low | Likely | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinets | $18k | $24k | $32k |
| Countertops | $6.2k | $8.4k | $11k |
| Appliances | $8.6k | $12k | $16k |
| Flooring | $4.3k | $5.9k | $7.8k |
| Plumbing & fixtures | $4.9k | $6.7k | $9.0k |
| Electrical & lighting | $3.7k | $5.0k | $6.7k |
| Drywall, paint, trim | $3.7k | $5.0k | $6.7k |
| Labor (general) | $9.9k | $13k | $18k |
| Permits & design | $2.5k | $3.4k | $4.5k |
Estimated range — based on BLS OEWS national average wages and BLS PPI material indexes applied to Our Haus baseline unit costs, as of June 2026. Estimates are shown as a range and help set expectations. They are not a quote, a verified price, or an appraisal of what a contractor will charge.
What drives the price in Cambridge
Triple-deckers and two-families dominate most of the city, with Victorian singles in West Cambridge and mid-rise conversions near the squares. Expect plaster walls, old steam and hydronic heat, undersized electrical panels, and — in pre-1978 housing — lead-safe work practices on any renovation.
- Cabinet tier
- Cabinets are typically the single largest line item — often close to a third of the job. Moving from stock to semi-custom to full custom can double the cabinet line by itself.
- Layout changes
- Keeping sink, range, and refrigerator in place is the cheapest kitchen you can build. Moving the sink means new supply and waste runs; moving a gas range means a new gas line and often a new vent path.
- Wall removal
- Opening a kitchen to a living space usually means a load-bearing header, temporary shoring, and an engineer's letter for the permit. In older homes it also means finding out what is inside the wall.
- Electrical service
- Older homes frequently cannot support an induction range, a wall oven, and a microwave without a panel upgrade. That is a separate line item and a separate permit.
- Countertop material
- Laminate, butcher block, quartz, and natural stone span a wide range, and stone adds template and fabrication lead time between demo and finish.
Common Cambridge neighborhoods where this work comes up: Harvard Square, Kendall Square, Porter Square, West Cambridge, Cambridgeport, North Cambridge.
Permits and rules in Cambridge
Authority: City of Cambridge Inspectional Services Department
Building, electrical, plumbing, and gas permits are separate and pulled by licensed trades where applicable. Exterior changes in historic districts require Historic Commission review before the permit issues, and demolition of any kind faces an extra review step for buildings over fifty years old.
Massachusetts contract and licensing rules
Same Massachusetts rules as Boston: written contract over $1,000, Home Improvement Contractor registration, one-third deposit cap, and required start and completion dates in the contract.
Timeline and season in Cambridge
Exterior work runs April through November. The contractor pool overlaps Boston entirely, so the spring booking rush is the same — interior work scheduled for January and February prices and starts best.
Typical duration: 8–14 weeks on site once materials are in hand.
- 1Design and selections · 2–6 weeks
Layout, cabinet order, and every finish selection. Cabinet lead time drives the whole schedule — order before demolition.
- 2Permitting · 1–4 weeks
Building permit plus separate electrical and plumbing permits. Historic-district review, where it applies, sits in front of this.
- 3Demolition · 2–4 days
The scope-change window. Anything hidden — rot, old wiring, undersized framing — surfaces here.
- 4Rough-in · 1–2 weeks
Framing changes, plumbing and electrical rough, inspections before anything is closed up.
- 5Drywall and paint prep · 1 week
Board, tape, prime. Dust travels through the whole house during this phase.
- 6Cabinets and counters · 1–3 weeks
Cabinets install, then counters are templated and fabricated — usually a 1–2 week gap before the stone arrives.
- 7Finishes and punch list · 1–2 weeks
Backsplash, appliances, trim, lighting, final inspections, and the punch list.
What's included — and what usually isn't
A full kitchen remodel replaces cabinets, counters, appliances, flooring, and lighting, and usually touches plumbing and electrical. The spread between a modest refresh and a gut renovation with a moved wall is the widest of any room in the house.
Typically included
- • Demolition and disposal of existing cabinets, counters, and flooring
- • Cabinetry — stock, semi-custom, or custom, plus installation
- • Countertops, backsplash, and sink cutouts
- • Appliance rough-in and installation
- • Plumbing fixtures and any supply or waste relocation
- • Electrical: circuits for appliances, under-cabinet and ceiling lighting, code-required GFCI outlets
- • Flooring, drywall repair, trim, and paint
Usually excluded
- • Appliance purchase, when the contract lists it as an allowance rather than a supplied item
- • Structural work to remove a wall (priced separately once an engineer sizes the beam)
- • Panel upgrades required to add appliance circuits
- • Asbestos or lead abatement discovered during demolition
What a complete Cambridge estimate spells out
- • Cabinet manufacturer, line, and door style — not just "new cabinets"
- • Countertop material and a square-foot figure, with edge profile named
- • Appliance allowance as a dollar figure, or the model numbers being supplied
- • Who supplies and who installs each item
- • Whether the price includes disposal, protection of adjacent rooms, and final cleaning
- • A change-order clause with a stated markup
Full checklist: what should be in a contractor's estimate.
Looking for a kitchen remodel contractor in Cambridge?
We don't keep a contractor directory, and we won't pretend to. The dependable process is to gather two or three referrals locally, check the Massachusetts registration or license rules above, confirm general liability and workers' compensation directly with each carrier, then compare the written proposals side by side against the ranges on this page.
Run a Cambridge contractor's business? You can publish a free Our Haus profile with your license, insurance dates, service area, and work photos, and share it by link or QR code.
Have a Cambridge quote in hand?
Run it through the quote range checker. We compare it against the Massachusetts cost index, flag line items that look high, and review the contract against Massachusetts home-improvement rules.
Check my quoteKitchen remodel in Cambridge — common questions
Should I order cabinets before demolition?
Yes. Cabinet lead times commonly run six to twelve weeks, and demolishing a working kitchen before the cabinets are in the shop turns a schedule gap into weeks without a kitchen.
Is a kitchen remodel worth it at resale?
Industry cost-versus-value data consistently shows minor and mid-range kitchen remodels recovering a larger share of their cost than high-end ones. A $30,000 refresh usually returns a better ratio than a $120,000 gut, even though the gut may be the right call for how you live.