Cost of Enlarging Our Galley Style Kitchen

Answered by Brett ~ September 6th, 2010 | No Comments » | Respond to this question

We are wanting to enlarge our galley style kitchen, but the only way to go is out…moving an exterior brick wall. We can’t begin the project without having an idea of the cost. Can you give me a “guesstimate?” It would be about a 30 foot length which includes our existing kitchen and den. We want to move out about 12 feet. The corner would be on the kitchen end and the other end would meet an existing bedroom wall. It’s currently an L-shaped area. The back wall will be mostly windows. I know it must be a load-bearing wall, so I’m not opposed to having some time of column in the house if necessary. I understand it’s a tough call to give me an idea, but I just need to know if we’re looking at about 6k, 10k, 15k or more. Thank you so much for any information you can give!

Bonnie S. ~ Fort Worth, Texas

Brett Kulina

Well Bonnie thanks for the question, and you are correct in assuming that it is difficult for me to offer you a cost estimate on your kitchen remodel based solely on your brief description. What I can do is offer some advice on how to tackle your project which may help you focus in on the different parts of the remodel and their potential costs. Here are a few things to consider:

  • Anytime you are expanding the footprint of your house, costs can go up if you have to relocate utility lines, septic systems, or water and sewer lines.
  • In most houses, exterior walls are usually supporting the weight of the roof, so be sure that you consult a structural engineer, or at least a very experienced contractor, before you consider blowing out the kitchen wall.  With a simple roof system, a properly sized header beam and some posts can help re-distribute the load of the roof, yet if your house is several stories high with a large roof, a whole lot more may be required before you can safely remove part of your existing kitchen wall.
  • Kitchens are fun to remodel, but the costs can add up quickly. I suggest you determine a realistic budget for the finishes you want before you start shopping for new appliances and cabinets. When designing your new kitchen, consider what you like and dislike about your current kitchen and then start to dream from there.
  • Other costs you will need to consider are the new kitchen floors, the new kitchen counter tops,the new brick exterior wall, the new windows, the new roof and the new wiring and plumbing which your expanded kitchen will require.

Even this short list of items starts to exceed your $15K guesstimate, and it would not surprise me if you were upwards of $35,000 when all is said and done. Of course the only way to obtain an accurate cost for your project is to start talking with contractors who work in the Ft. Worth area and ask them to prepare a detailed estimate and project description for you.  I would start by pricing out what you really want, then temper your dreams by building what you can really afford! Good luck with the project and let us know how it turns out.

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