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Sela Developments

Kitchen Renovations in Calgary

A kitchen renovation in Calgary replaces the cabinets, counters, flooring, lighting and appliances, and often moves plumbing, wiring or a wall. RenovationFind's 2026 Calgary guide puts a full renovation on the same layout at $35,000 to $70,000 and a layout change at $80,000 to $140,000 or more. New wiring and moved plumbing need City of Calgary permits, and removing a wall needs a building permit. Sela Developments plans the layout, takes care of the permits and runs the trades as your general contractor.

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Cosmetic refresh (RenovationFind, 2026)
$15,000 to $30,000
Full renovation, same layout
$35,000 to $70,000
Layout change or custom build
$80,000 to $140,000 or more
Renovation building permit
$205.92 (City of Calgary)
Time on site, same layout
4 to 7 weeks (RenovationFind)
Custom cabinet build time
6 to 10 weeks before demolition
Placeholder image: kitchen renovation photo to come

01 · Overview

What a kitchen renovation in Calgary includes

A kitchen renovation replaces the working parts of a kitchen: cabinets, counters, sink, appliances, flooring, backsplash and lighting. A full renovation also reworks the wiring, plumbing and ventilation behind them, and an open-concept renovation moves or removes walls. The scope falls into three levels, and RenovationFind’s Calgary guide, published September 14, 2026, prices each one.

Kitchen scope What it includes Published range (RenovationFind, 2026)
Cosmetic refresh Cabinets refaced or painted, new counters, backsplash, sink and paint, same layout $15,000 to $30,000
Full renovation, same layout New cabinets, quartz counters, flooring, lighting and appliances, sink and stove roughly in place $35,000 to $70,000
Layout change or custom Walls moved or removed, plumbing and gas relocated, custom cabinets, high-end appliances $80,000 to $140,000 or more

The same guide breaks a typical $50,000 kitchen into line items:

Line item Published range (RenovationFind, 2026)
Cabinets $8,000 to $35,000
Countertops $3,000 to $15,000
Appliance package $5,000 to $20,000
Flooring $3,000 to $10,000
Electrical $2,500 to $8,000
Plumbing and gas $1,500 to $6,000
Removing a wall, with structural support $2,000 to $5,000

These are third-party figures, not Sela prices. Your quote depends on the size of the room, what is behind the walls and the finishes you choose.

02 · Before you start

What decides the cost and schedule of a Calgary kitchen

Five decisions set most of the price, the permits and the time without a kitchen.

01

Which kitchen layout will work in my house?

The layout that works is the one your plumbing, gas and ventilation can reach. The sink wants to be near the drain stack. The range wants a gas line or a heavy circuit and a route for the hood duct to an exterior wall or the roof. An island sink needs a drain and vent path through the floor below. Keep the sink, range and fridge close enough to work between, with clear walkways around the island. If the basement under the kitchen is finished, moving the sink or range also means opening and patching that ceiling.

How we handle it
02

How do I choose kitchen cabinets and countertops?

Choose the cabinets first, because they are the biggest line and the longest wait. RenovationFind puts cabinets at 30 to 40% of most kitchen budgets. Stock boxes arrive fastest. Custom cabinets can take six to ten weeks to build. Stone and quartz counters are measured on the finished cabinets, so the counter date always follows the cabinet install.

How we handle it
03

Do I need a permit for a kitchen renovation in Calgary?

It depends on what moves. Replacing a faucet or fixture in place needs no plumbing permit. New or extended plumbing needs one. New wiring and changes to branch circuits need an electrical permit. Removing or moving a wall, or adding or moving a window or door, needs a building permit, which is $205.92 for an existing house. Moving a gas line is work for a licensed gas fitter under its own permit.

How we handle it
04

Can I remove a wall to open up my kitchen?

Usually, yes, with a building permit. A partition wall comes out once the wiring, plumbing and ducts inside it are rerouted. A bearing wall needs a beam and posts that carry its load down to the foundation, sized by an engineer or the beam manufacturer. RenovationFind lists $2,000 to $5,000 for removing a wall with structural support, but the larger cost is the patching: flooring, ceiling and the services that ran through the wall.

How we handle it
05

How long will we be without a kitchen?

Plan on four to seven weeks on site when the layout stays, and eight to ten weeks when a wall comes out or the plumbing moves, according to RenovationFind’s 2026 Calgary guide. Custom cabinets add their six to ten week build time before demolition, not after it, if they are ordered early. For the weeks in between, most families set up a temporary station with the fridge, a microwave, a kettle and a laundry or bathroom sink for dishes.

How we handle it

03 · Key insight

Moving the sink, the range or a wall is what changes the price

The jump in the published ranges tells the story. A full kitchen on the same layout runs $35,000 to $70,000. A layout change starts at $80,000. The cabinets and counters can be similar in both. The difference is what moves: drains and vents, a gas line, a hood duct through a new wall, and a beam where a bearing wall stood. Each of those adds a trade, often a permit, and weeks to the schedule.

So the layout is the first decision, and it should be made with the basement ceiling open to view and the wall framing understood. Once the layout is fixed, finishes only move the price within a tier. Change the layout after the cabinets are ordered and you pay for it twice.

04 · How we work

How we renovate your kitchen, step by step

  1. Answers 01Which kitchen layout will work in my house?

    We plan the layout around the drain, gas and duct runs

    Before we draw anything, we look at the basement ceiling under the kitchen to find the drain stack, the joist direction, the gas line and the duct routes. The layout we propose shows where each service runs, so you can see which moves are cheap and which change the tier.

  2. Answers 02How do I choose kitchen cabinets and countertops?

    We order cabinets before demolition and template counters after install

    Cabinets are ordered once the layout and permits are confirmed, timed so they arrive before demolition starts. Counters are templated on the installed cabinets, and the fabricator’s lead time is booked into the schedule from the start.

  3. Answers 03Do I need a permit for a kitchen renovation in Calgary?

    We take care of the permits and duct the range hood outside

    We apply for the building permit when a wall or window changes, and the licensed electricians, plumbers and gas fitters take out their own permits. We plan a ducted hood to the outside wherever there is a practical route, sized to the range, with the duct path drawn on the layout.

  4. Answers 04Can I remove a wall to open up my kitchen?

    We have the beam engineered before the wall comes out

    For a bearing wall we trace the load to the foundation, get the beam and posts sized, and show them on the permit drawings. Temporary shoring carries the floor or roof above while the wall comes out. Rerouted wiring, plumbing and ducts are in place for the framing inspection before anything is closed in.

  5. Answers 05How long will we be without a kitchen?

    We set a schedule you can cook around

    You get a written schedule with the demolition date, the inspection dates, the cabinet and counter dates and the day water is back on. Where the plumbing allows, we keep a temporary sink working, and we tell you up front which days you will have no water or power in the kitchen.

05 · In short

Kitchen renovations in Calgary, planned from the layout out

A kitchen renovation in Calgary is priced by its layout. Keep the sink, range and walls in place and published 2026 ranges sit at $35,000 to $70,000. Move them and the range starts at $80,000. Sela Developments settles the layout, the permits and the structure first, then runs the trades in order as your general contractor.

Kitchens and bathrooms share the same trades and many of the same decisions, so compare with our bathroom renovations in Calgary. If the kitchen needs more floor area than the house has, a home addition can make room for it. For basements, additions and layout changes together, see home renovations in Calgary. When you are ready, send us your kitchen and we will book a site visit.

Sources

2 cited

Last reviewed October 22, 2026 by the Sela Developments team. See our editorial policy for how we write and check these pages.

FAQ

Questions we get asked

Short answers to what owners ask us most. Something else? Ask us directly.

How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Calgary?

RenovationFind's 2026 Calgary guide lists $15,000 to $30,000 for a cosmetic refresh, $35,000 to $70,000 for a full renovation on the same layout, and $80,000 to $140,000 or more for a layout change or custom build. Those ranges assume a standard 100 to 200 sq ft kitchen in a detached home. They are third-party figures, not our prices.

Do I need a permit to renovate my kitchen in Calgary?

Replacing cabinets, counters and a faucet in the same place generally does not need a permit. New wiring or changed circuits need an electrical permit, and new or moved plumbing needs a plumbing permit. Removing or moving a wall, or adding or moving a window or door, needs a City of Calgary building permit, which is $205.92 for an existing house.

How long does a kitchen renovation take?

RenovationFind's 2026 Calgary guide puts a kitchen with no layout changes at four to seven weeks on site, and eight to ten weeks when a wall comes out or plumbing moves. Custom cabinets can take six to ten weeks to build, so they are ordered before demolition. Permit review for a building permit takes about seven days.

Can I remove the wall between my kitchen and living room?

Usually, yes. If the wall is not load bearing, it comes out with a building permit and any wiring, plumbing or ducts in it rerouted. If it is load bearing, a beam and posts carry the load to the foundation. RenovationFind's 2026 guide lists $2,000 to $5,000 for removing a wall with structural support.

Should a range hood vent outside?

A ducted hood removes grease, moisture and cooking fumes from the house. A recirculating hood filters grease and returns the air to the room. We plan a ducted hood wherever there is a practical route to an exterior wall or the roof, and we decide that route with the layout, before the cabinets are ordered.

Related services

Start with the layout

Send photos of the kitchen, the rooms beside it and the basement ceiling below it. We check the plumbing, gas and duct routes on site and send a written quote with the permits and the schedule.

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