Kitchen Remodel Cost in Tooele County
Upterra Builders · February 11, 2026
The kitchen is the room people ask us about most, and it is also the one where the price swings the hardest. We have remodeled kitchens in the older homes in Old Tooele and in brand new builds out in Erda, and the same square footage can cost $18,000 or $70,000 depending on how far you take it. Here is how we think about it.
Two Kinds of Kitchen Remodel
Almost every kitchen job falls into one of two buckets, and knowing which one you want is the fastest way to a real number.
Cosmetic refresh: $18,000 to $35,000
This keeps your existing layout. Cabinets stay where they are, plumbing and gas stay put, and we upgrade the parts you see and touch every day:
- New countertops (quartz or granite)
- New cabinet doors and drawer fronts, or a full repaint
- New backsplash, sink, faucet, and hardware
- New appliances and updated lighting
- Fresh paint and often new flooring
A refresh is the best value in the whole house. You get a kitchen that looks brand new without paying to move walls or utilities.
Full remodel: $40,000 to $75,000+
This is a gut job. New cabinet layout, moved or removed walls, relocated plumbing and gas, new electrical, and often taking out a wall to open the kitchen to the living room, which is the number one request we get in the older Tooele homes with closed-off kitchens.
- Custom or semi-custom cabinetry
- Island with its own power and sometimes plumbing
- Moved sink, range, or refrigerator runs
- New drywall, ceiling work, and often a structural beam if a wall comes out
- High-end appliances and full lighting design
Where the Money Actually Goes
People are always surprised that cabinets and counters eat most of the budget. A rough breakdown of a mid-range full remodel:
- Cabinets: 30 to 40 percent
- Countertops: 10 to 15 percent
- Labor and installation: 20 to 25 percent
- Appliances: 10 to 15 percent
- Flooring, lighting, plumbing, paint: the rest
If you want to control the price, cabinets are the lever. Going from custom to good semi-custom stock cabinets can drop a full remodel by $8,000 to $15,000 and most people cannot tell the difference once the doors are on.
Taking Out a Wall
Opening a kitchen to the dining or living room is the single change that makes the biggest difference in an older Tooele home. If the wall is not load bearing, removing it is a few thousand dollars. If it is load bearing, we bring in a beam and the cost climbs to $4,000 to $9,000 depending on the span and whether we can hide the beam in the ceiling. We always confirm the structure before we quote it.
Permits and Timeline
A cosmetic refresh that does not move plumbing or electrical sometimes needs only a minor permit, or none. A full remodel that moves gas, plumbing, or electrical needs permits and inspections through the Tooele County Building Department. Budget $300 to $900 for permits on a full job.
Timeline matters because your kitchen is out of service the whole time. A refresh runs 3 to 5 weeks. A full gut runs 8 to 12 weeks once cabinets are ordered, and cabinet lead times are usually the long pole, so we order early.
What We Tell Our Neighbors
If your layout works and you just hate how it looks, do the refresh and put the savings somewhere else. If the kitchen is chopped up, dark, and closed off, spend the money to open it up, because that is the change you will feel every single day and it is the one that adds the most value when you sell.
Upterra Builders is owned by Danny and Trayson and remodels kitchens across Tooele City, Stansbury Park, Grantsville, Erda, and Stockton. Licensed and insured in Utah. Call or text (435) 248-0339.