How much does a kitchen island cost?
The national average cost to install a kitchen island is $6,000, but can run for as little as $200 to as much as $20,000, including labor and materials. The price can be as low as $200 for a small, pre-made kitchen cart, while a large, custom-built kitchen island with appliances can cost as much as $20,000, including labor and materials.
Kitchen islands, or freestanding cabinets topped with a countertop in the middle of the kitchen, are a popular feature in a kitchen remodel because they make the room more functional. It can provide extra counter and storage space, and create a place to prepare meals, eat, work, or socialize. A kitchen island can also increase your home's value.
If you're remodeling your kitchen to include an island, it's worth it to hire an experienced kitchen island contractor to help. Before you find someone, get an estimate on how much your remodeling project will cost.
What's in this cost guide?
The price to buy and install a kitchen island will depend on whether you opt for a ready-made versus a custom-built one, type of material you choose for your countertops, and whether you add any additional appliances or features like under-counter cabinets, a sink, or a stove.
Ready-made vs. custom-build kitchen islands
Ready-made kitchen islands, which come in standard sizes, cost between $200 and $3,000. Rolling carts from IKEA are at the low end of the price range. However, you can also find a ready-made kitchen island with drawers and shelves and can be fixed in place on the higher end of the price range.
Pre-made kitchen islands usually don't have slots for a sink, dishwasher, oven or stove and you'll pay more for a ready-made island with those features. But ready-made kitchen islands are less expensive than custom-built islands.
Custom-built kitchen islands are made just for your space, so you pay more for labor, materials, and installation. Custom kitchen islands cost between $3,000 and $20,000, depending on its size, materials, and whether it you need to connect it to electricity and running water.
| Types of kitchen islands | Price |
| Kitchen cart | $200 to $3,000 |
| Table | $200 to $4,000 |
| Base cabinets with countertop | $400 to $4,000 |
| Base cabinets with countertop, sink, and dishwasher | $3,000 to $5,000 |
| Custom-built base cabinets with high-end countertop, electricity, running water, and appliances | $6,000 to $10,000+ |
Countertop material
Countertop material will have a big impact on the price, accounting for as much as 75% of the cost of the island if you go for a high-end material like marble or soapstone. Below are the average cost for installing a kitchen countertop, based on the material you use:
| Material | Average cost per square foot |
| Ceramic tile | $1 to $7 |
| Porcelain tile | $3 to $28 |
| Laminate | $8 to $27 |
| Butcher block | $10 to $40 |
| Granite | $15 to $140 |
| Engineered stone quartz | $15 to $70 |
| Marble | $25 to $190 |
| Corian | $20 to $75 |
| Slate | $20 to $60 |
| Concrete | $50 to $100 |
| Soapstone | $70 to $120 |
For example, a Thumbtack pro in Denver charged $20,000 to build a kitchen island with a granite countertop (one of the more expensive countertop materials), built-in electric stove top, a breakfast bar with seating for nine people, and under-counter cabinets.
That same pro charged $3,000 to install a sand quartz countertop kitchen island built with custom, vintage wood posts and no cabinetry. The price also included installation of new hanging lights.
Cabinets
Pre-fab or stock cabinets are your most affordable option for cabinetry, running $100 to $300 per linear foot to buy and install them. Custom kitchen cabinets are more expensive, costing $500 to $1,200 per linear foot to buy and install.
Additional features like a pull-out spice rack, Lazy Susans, molding, and trim add to the cost. Molding and trim adds an average of $10 per linear foot to your cabinet costs.
The materials the cabinets are made of will impact costs, too, with MDF and wood veneer being the least expensive and solid wood being the most expensive. If you're not sure what your material will cost, get a full breakdown with our guide to kitchen cabinet costs.
Installing appliances
If your island accommodates appliances like a dishwasher, range, or sink with a garbage disposal, you'll need to pay a plumber to hook up the appliances and an electrician to run power to the island.
The average hourly rate for an electrician is $50-$100 per hour while most plumbers will charge $45-$150 per hour. The average cost to install an appliance is $150 to $300.
On top of installation costs, you'll need to buy the appliances that go into the island, which will add between $350 and $15,000 to the cost of the project, depending on the brand and features you choose.
Below is a breakdown of common appliances to add to a new kitchen island, and how much they cost to buy and install:
| Appliance | Average appliance price | Average cost to install | Total |
| Oven | $350 to $15,000 | $100 to $200 | $450 to $15,200 |
| Gas stove | $350 to $3,000 | $150 to $250 | $500 to $3,250 |
| Electric stove | $600 to $1,300 | $100 to $200 | $700 to $1,500 |
| Island range hoods | $300 to $3,000 | $250 to $600 | $550 to $3,600 |
Adding a sink
The average cost nationwide to install a sink in a kitchen island is $400. The sink itself can cost anywhere from $250 for a standard stainless steel one to $2,000 for an eye-catching and stylish farmhouse sink.
If want to include a sink in your new kitchen island, you'll need to hire a plumber to hook it up. A Thumbtack pro in Tecumseh, Michigan, charges $225 to $500 for a typical island plumbing installation, depending on the location of water and drain pipes and conditions of the space.
Electrical outlets
If you want to run appliances or sit at the breakfast bar with your laptop and work, you'll need to add electrical outlets. Expect to pay an electrician $200 to install a GFCI outlet in a kitchen island, and $150 for a switch.
Not every homeowner's renovation project is the same. If you're looking to go past the basics, below are some additional features—and costs—you may encounter.
Adding or removing flooring
Plan to spend between $200 and $500 to add or remove flooring, depending on the square footage affected by the island, the flooring material, and the complexity of the job.
Installing a kitchen island will require removing or adding flooring, depending on the situation. Generally, the only way to avoid flooring repair is to use a table or rolling cart as a kitchen island.
Adding a breakfast bar
A breakfast bar is a popular feature to add to a kitchen island because it provides a spot for eating or working. You'll need to expand the countertop and buy stools or chairs that work with the counter's height.
Hiring a kitchen designer
Hiring a kitchen designer costs most homeowners around $9,500, but the price ranges between $4,000 and $17,500 nationwide.
If installing a kitchen island is part of a total kitchen remodel, you may consider hiring a designer to help you make the best use of your space and plan a new kitchen that will fits your lifestyle and needs.
Getting rid of the old kitchen island
The cost of a professional demo of a kitchen island starts at $400 and goes up with the complexity of the job. A junk removal company charges between $150 and $500 to haul away the old countertop and cabinets. Some contractors will be able to both un-install and haul away the old island.
This additional cost is especially relevant if you're remodeling your kitchen and want to replace an existing island. If the old island has electricity, running water or gas lines, you may need to hire an electrician or plumber to disconnect them in addition to the junk company who hauls it away.
Building permits
If your kitchen island installation is part of a larger kitchen remodel, you may need to pull a building permit before beginning the work. Check with your local city or county government to see what laws apply. On average nationwide, permits cost between $75 and $250.
How do I hire a pro to install a kitchen island?
Before you hire a professional to install your kitchen island, be sure to:
- Look at examples of their past kitchen island installation projects: Make sure the contractor you hire has experience installing kitchen islands, and read reviews to check the quality of their work.
- Ask about what's included in their costs: For example, are they going to demo and haul away the existing kitchen island? Is the cost of repairing flooring around the island included in the quote? Make sure the estimate details exact project costs. To get started, download the Thumbtack Android or iPhone app and submit a cost estimate request.
- Know who to hire to install a kitchen island. If you want to install a kitchen island with a sink and appliances, work with a carpenter, kitchen remodeling professional, or a general contractor who subcontracts the electrical and plumbing pieces. For a pre-made kitchen island that only requires assembly, a handyman can do the work.
Whether you're totally remodeling your kitchen, or just trying to add more counter space and cabinetry to a less-than-functional kitchen, a kitchen island can be a great addition for homeowners of any level of culinary expertise. Start building a new kitchen island in your home with the help of an experienced kitchen island installation professional.
