What Does a Kitchen Island Cost? Size, Seating, Sinks and Structure

Half the kitchen remodels we build include an island, and most of the conversations about it start with “how big can it be.” The better first question is how much room the aisles need, because that decides whether an island helps the kitchen or gets in its way. Then comes the price.

What an island costs

• Simple ($3,500–$8,000). Two or three stock base cabinets, a quartz top, finished end panels, one outlet. The right island for a smaller kitchen or a refresh.
• Semi-custom with seating ($8,000–$18,000). Deeper storage, drawers, a 12- to 15-inch overhang for stools with proper support brackets, outlets on both ends, a stone or quartz top in one piece.
• Custom with an appliance ($18,000–$40,000+). A sink or cooktop, paneled dishwasher, a contrasting color or wood, a waterfall edge, a natural stone slab. The Bellevue kitchen in our projects is this tier.

The top is a big share of the number: a 4-by-8-foot island in quartz is roughly $3,000 to $6,000 on its own, and a waterfall end adds $1,500 to $4,000. Our quartz vs granite guide compares materials, and the cabinet cost guide covers the boxes.

Clearances decide everything

• 42 inches of clear aisle on a working side, the minimum we build to.
• 48 inches where two people cook, or opposite a range, dishwasher or refrigerator door.
• 36 inches on a side that is only a walkway.
• 24 inches of width per stool and a 12- to 15-inch overhang for knees.

A kitchen needs to be roughly 13 feet wide before a standard island fits with a counter run on one side, which is why so many 1960s and 1970s kitchens get theirs only after a wall comes out. Our load-bearing wall guide covers that cost, and small kitchen ideas covers what to do when the room will not give.

Sinks, cooktops and the hidden costs

A sink ($2,500–$7,000 extra). The drain has to run to the main stack, and an island has no wall to vent through, so it needs a loop vent or an air admittance valve where code allows. Over a crawlspace or basement this is routine. On a slab it means cutting concrete.

A cooktop ($3,000–$8,000 extra). A dedicated circuit and, the expensive part, ventilation: a ceiling hood with a duct through the joists, or a downdraft that works less well. Many clients decide to keep the range on the wall for that reason.

Power. Code requires outlets on islands, and pop-up or side-mounted outlets keep them off the visible face. Plan them before the floor is closed.

Island or peninsula

When the room is under 13 feet wide, a peninsula gives the same counter and seating with one fewer aisle. It also anchors to a wall, which makes plumbing and venting easier and cheaper. In a lot of Everett and Lynnwood split-levels, the peninsula is the better kitchen; our Everett kitchen cost guide has the local numbers.

Building yours

An island is part of our kitchen remodeling work, and the first thing we do is measure the aisles. Overall numbers by city are in our Seattle and Bellevue kitchen guides, and we build across Bellevue, Kirkland and the rest of Snohomish and King County.

Plan your kitchen →