Key Takeaways
- In the 2025 Cost vs. Value report, a midrange minor kitchen remodel in Cincinnati costs $25,895 and adds an estimated $22,956 at resale: 88.6% recouped.
- A midrange major kitchen remodel in Cincinnati recoups 45.5%, and an upscale major remodel 34%. Both are the lowest of the four Ohio cities we compared (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton).
- Our read of the numbers: lower resale estimates, more than lower costs, pull Cincinnati below the national figures.
- By our math on the report's estimates, past a basic update each extra dollar in a Cincinnati kitchen returns about 22 to 24 cents at resale.
- Remodel for the years you will use the kitchen. If you may sell soon, spend on condition and function, and keep the paperwork.
A kitchen remodel rarely pays for itself in full at resale in Cincinnati. The 2025 Cost vs. Value report estimates that a midrange minor kitchen remodel in the Cincinnati market recoups 88.6% of its cost, a midrange major remodel 45.5% and an upscale major remodel 34%. The rest of the return comes from using the kitchen while you live there and from a house that shows better when you sell.
Those Cincinnati figures run below the national averages in the same report, and below Columbus and Cleveland on every kitchen project. The kitchen at the top is our Coastal Calm kitchen, an aging room rebuilt with navy lower cabinets, quartz counters and a herringbone backsplash.
What the 2025 Cost vs. Value report shows for Cincinnati kitchens
The Journal of Light Construction's Cost vs. Value report compares average costs for 28 remodeling projects with the value those projects retain at resale in 119 U.S. markets. Cincinnati is one of them, in the East North Central region.
Cost recouped is the report's estimated resale value divided by the job cost. A project that costs $10,000 and adds $8,000 to the sale price recoups 80%.
| Project (2025 Cost vs. Value) | Market | Job cost | Resale value | Cost recouped |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minor kitchen remodel, midrange | Cincinnati | $25,895 | $22,956 | 88.6% |
| Minor kitchen remodel, midrange | East North Central region | $27,005 | $27,318 | 101.2% |
| Minor kitchen remodel, midrange | National | $28,458 | $32,141 | 112.9% |
| Major kitchen remodel, midrange | Cincinnati | $76,846 | $34,933 | 45.5% |
| Major kitchen remodel, midrange | East North Central region | $83,113 | $40,038 | 48.2% |
| Major kitchen remodel, midrange | National | $82,793 | $42,130 | 50.9% |
| Major kitchen remodel, upscale | Cincinnati | $150,463 | $51,148 | 34.0% |
| Major kitchen remodel, upscale | East North Central region | $160,333 | $55,119 | 34.4% |
| Major kitchen remodel, upscale | National | $164,104 | $58,561 | 35.7% |
Source: Cost vs. Value 2025, Cincinnati, which lists Cincinnati, regional and national figures side by side.
Two patterns stand out. The smaller the project, the larger the share it recoups. And every Cincinnati kitchen project recoups less than its national average: 24.3 points less for the minor remodel, 5.4 points for the midrange major remodel and 1.7 points for the upscale one.
How Cincinnati compares with Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton
We compared Cincinnati with three other Ohio cities that have pages in the same 2025 report. Here is the percent recouped for each kitchen project, city figures only:
- Cleveland: 94.2% minor, 50.3% major midrange, 36.6% upscale (JLC, Cleveland).
- Columbus: 89.5% minor, 49.7% major midrange, 36.6% upscale (JLC, Columbus).
- Cincinnati: 88.6% minor, 45.5% major midrange, 34% upscale.
- Dayton: 84.1% minor, 47.4% major midrange, 35.3% upscale (JLC, Dayton).
Our read of the four city pages: of the four Ohio cities we compared (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton), Cincinnati comes in last on both major remodels and third on the minor remodel, ahead of Dayton. None of the four reaches the East North Central figure of 101.2% for a minor kitchen remodel. The spread between these cities is widest on the cheapest project, about 10 points from Dayton to Cleveland, and narrows to about 3 points on the upscale remodel. We would not read much into a one-point gap between two cities. Still, a Cincinnati homeowner should plan on returns toward the low end of the Ohio range.
Why Cincinnati returns run lower
The report's resale values come from Realtors, not from closed sales. JLC's methodology says local costs come from Verisk's XactRemodel, and resale values come from "an online survey conducted by Zonda to over 6,000 Realtors," who were given "construction costs and median home prices for each city" (JLC, Cost vs. Value methodology).
Resale value, in the report, is that Realtor estimate of how much the finished project adds to a home's sale price. So a city's return depends on two local numbers: what the work costs there and what local agents think buyers will pay for it.
Our analysis of the report: the resale side drives most of Cincinnati's gap. A minor kitchen remodel costs about 91% of the national figure here ($25,895 against $28,458), but the resale estimate is only about 71% of the national one ($22,956 against $32,141). The same holds, less sharply, for the bigger projects:
| Cincinnati as a share of national | Job cost | Resale value |
|---|---|---|
| Minor kitchen, midrange | About 91% | About 71% |
| Major kitchen, midrange | About 93% | About 83% |
| Major kitchen, upscale | About 92% | About 87% |
Costs here sit a little below national. Resale estimates sit further below, and that is what pulls the percentages down.
Why smaller kitchen remodels recoup more
A buyer pays for a kitchen that looks current and works. Past that point, each added dollar buys less resale value. The report's minor remodel is a modest project. JLC describes it as an update of "a functional but dated 200-sq.-ft. kitchen" that keeps the existing cabinet boxes and adds new Shaker-style wood doors and drawer fronts with new hardware. It also includes an energy-efficient range and refrigerator, a midpriced sink and faucet, wall covering and new resilient flooring. The scope ends with "Replace 30 linear ft. of laminate countertop and repaint trim" (JLC, Minor Kitchen Remodel, Midrange).
The major remodels change much more. The midrange version is a new layout with 30 linear feet of semi-custom wood cabinets, a 3x5-foot island, laminate counters, a vented hood, a built-in microwave, custom lighting and resilient flooring (JLC, Major Kitchen Remodel, Midrange). The upscale version adds top-of-the-line custom cabinets, stone counters, a built-in refrigerator, a commercial-grade cooktop and vent hood, a wall oven and low-voltage undercabinet lights (JLC, Major Kitchen Remodel, Upscale).
Our math on the Cincinnati figures shows how fast the return falls off. Going from the minor remodel to the midrange major remodel adds $50,951 in cost and $11,977 in resale value, about 23.5 cents back per extra dollar. Going from midrange major to upscale adds $73,617 in cost and $16,215 in resale, about 22 cents per dollar. In unrecovered dollars, the minor remodel leaves $2,939 on the table, the midrange major remodel $41,913 and the upscale remodel $99,315.
The ranking tells the same story. Among all 28 projects in the Cincinnati report, the minor kitchen remodel ranks 7th (it ranks 5th nationally), the midrange major remodel 18th and the upscale remodel 24th. A midrange bathroom remodel, at 69.2% recouped in Cincinnati, returns a larger share than either major kitchen remodel. Our bathroom remodel guide covers that project.
Where different ROI numbers for the same kitchen come from
Kitchen ROI figures disagree because they come from different editions, places and methods. Three things to check before you trust a number:
- The edition year. Cost vs. Value is published every year, and older editions show different percentages. The 2025 edition is the newest one we found. Pages that quote old figures, or "2026" figures we could not trace to JLC, are not the 2025 report.
- National or local. The widely quoted national figure for a minor kitchen remodel, 112.9%, is 24.3 points higher than Cincinnati's.
- Which survey. In its 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, the National Association of Realtors estimates cost recovery of 60% for both a complete kitchen renovation and a minor kitchen upgrade (NAR, April 9, 2025). NAR uses its own method and project definitions, so its 60% does not line up with JLC's 88.6% or 45.5%.
How typical Cincinnati kitchen packages compare with the report's projects
The report's projects are standardized for comparison, and real kitchens rarely match them exactly. Here is where our three kitchen packages sit (full details on the Cincinnati kitchen remodel cost guide). Our ranges include design, materials, labor, permits and our lifetime workmanship warranty.
- Essential Refresh, $35K to $55K: same footprint, stock or semi-custom cabinets, quartz or granite counters, a new tile backsplash and LVP or tile flooring. That goes further than the report's minor remodel, which keeps the cabinet boxes and uses laminate counters.
- Signature Remodel, $55K to $85K: semi-custom cabinets, Level 2 quartz, an island reconfiguration or peninsula add and updated electrical. The report's Cincinnati cost for a midrange major remodel, $76,846, falls inside this range, though the report's version uses laminate counters and resilient flooring.
- Luxury Build, $85K to $120K+: full gut with walls moved, custom cabinets and a pro-grade appliance package. The report's upscale major remodel costs $150,463 in Cincinnati and does not include moving walls, so treat that comparison as loose.
We do not publish resale figures for our own kitchens. The report's estimates are the best public numbers for this market, and an appraiser or real estate agent who knows your street can tell you more about your house than any average.
Do kitchens matter to buyers at all?
Yes, even when the dollar return runs below 100%. In NAR's 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, 48% of Realtors said they had seen increased demand for a kitchen upgrade, the highest share for any project in the survey. A kitchen upgrade also earned a Joy Score of 10, the top of NAR's 1 to 10 scale (NAR, April 9, 2025).
Condition and function are where a seller has the most control. Doors that close true, counters without lifting seams, matching appliances and a layout that flows all show at a walkthrough. That fits the report's numbers, where the modest minor remodel recoups the most. A half-finished kitchen raises more questions for a buyer than an old one in good repair.
If you might sell within a few years
Spend on condition and function, and keep the choices that are expensive to change in neutral territory:
- Cabinets and counters: keep them neutral. They cost the most to change later. Put personality into paint, hardware and lighting, which cost little to reverse.
- Match the neighborhood. Look at what comparable homes nearby have, and what a buyer of a house like yours would expect, then build to that level well rather than above it.
- Go easy on specialty features. A pot filler or a built-in coffee system serves the people who use it. We would not count on a buyer paying for one.
- Fix what an inspector will flag. Old wiring, a leaking drain or a soft subfloor under the sink cost you at the inspection whether or not the kitchen looks new.
Our guide to kitchen remodel mistakes covers the choices that cost money twice, and our guide to cabinet refacing, painting or replacing covers the cheaper ways to update cabinets.
If you are staying
The resale numbers matter less than how you use the room every day. Spend on what you use daily: the layout, the storage, the counter space and the lighting. A household that cooks every night gets its return in the years before any sale. Our Covington mid-century kitchen case study shows one kitchen built around how its owners live, and the kitchen remodel planning guide covers how to set priorities before design.
Paperwork that helps at resale
A buyer who can see what was installed, by whom and when is paying for documented work. Keep these in one folder:
- The itemized specification and contract.
- Cabinet manufacturer details and warranty.
- Appliance registrations and manuals.
- Permit records and final approvals, since a buyer or insurer may ask to see that the work was permitted. Our post on kitchen remodel permits in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky covers what gets permitted.
Our lifetime workmanship warranty can transfer one time to the next owner of the house if requested within two years, with written notice and proof of purchase within 30 days of the transfer.
Frequently asked questions
What kitchen remodel has the best ROI?
In the 2025 Cost vs. Value report, the midrange minor kitchen remodel recoups the most: 88.6% in Cincinnati and 112.9% nationally. Major remodels recoup less than half their cost in Cincinnati.
Why are Cincinnati returns lower than national averages?
The report does not state a reason. Its resale values are Realtor estimates made against each city's construction costs and median home prices. In our analysis of the figures, Cincinnati's costs run about 7% to 9% below national, while its resale estimates run 13% to 29% below, so the resale side accounts for most of the gap.
Is Cincinnati's kitchen ROI lower than the rest of Ohio?
On the major remodels, yes. Cincinnati's 45.5% for a midrange major kitchen and 34% for an upscale one are the lowest of the four Ohio cities we compared (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton) in the 2025 report. On the minor remodel, Cincinnati's 88.6% trails Cleveland and Columbus and beats Dayton.
Should I remodel my kitchen before selling?
If the kitchen is dated but sound, a modest refresh and repairs usually make more sense than a full remodel. If it has failing cabinets, leaks or worn counters, fixing those protects the sale price. Ask your agent what comparable homes have before you spend.
Does a kitchen remodel raise my property taxes?
Major improvements can affect your assessed value. Ohio homeowners can check with their county auditor (the Hamilton County Auditor covers Cincinnati). Kentucky homeowners can check with their county Property Valuation Administrator.
Plan a kitchen that fits how long you will stay
Book an in-home consultation and we will walk through how long you plan to stay, what the kitchen needs, and give you an itemized, fixed price. You can also browse our kitchen remodels, see financing options, or contact us at (513) 657-3750.
Sources
- Journal of Light Construction. Cost vs. Value 2025: Cincinnati, Ohio. 526 Media Group, 2025.
- Journal of Light Construction. Cost vs. Value 2025: Columbus, Ohio. 526 Media Group, 2025.
- Journal of Light Construction. Cost vs. Value 2025: Cleveland, Ohio. 526 Media Group, 2025.
- Journal of Light Construction. Cost vs. Value 2025: Dayton, Ohio. 526 Media Group, 2025.
- Journal of Light Construction. Cost vs. Value 2025: National. 526 Media Group, 2025.
- Journal of Light Construction. Cost vs. Value 2025: Methodology. 526 Media Group, 2025.
- Journal of Light Construction. Minor Kitchen Remodel, Midrange, 2025.
- Journal of Light Construction. Major Kitchen Remodel, Midrange.
- Journal of Light Construction. Major Kitchen Remodel, Upscale.
- National Association of Realtors. Top Remodeling Projects for Homeowner Satisfaction and Cost Recovery Revealed in NAR Report. April 9, 2025.
- National Association of Realtors. 12 Remodeling Projects That Offer the Best Value at Resale. April 9, 2025.
