Design build remodeling cost in the Kansas City and Lee’s Summit area generally runs from about $15,000 for a modest kitchen refresh to $80,000 or more for a full basement or a primary bath, with most whole-room projects landing somewhere in the middle.
The wide swing exists because a design-build firm wraps design, materials, permits, and construction into one price, instead of splitting them across a separate architect, designer, and general contractor.
Here is how the ranges shake out for the rooms we get asked about most.
|
Project |
Typical starting costs |
|
Kitchen refresh |
From $15,000 |
|
Full kitchen remodel |
From $45,000 |
|
Guest bathroom |
From $25,000 |
|
Primary bathroom |
From $50,000 |
|
Finished basement |
From $50,000 |
|
Basement with a bar or theater |
From $80,000 |
These are starting points for a licensed, permitted job built by a team working from a real plan. Your final figure depends on the size of the room, the finishes you pick, and how much plumbing or structural work the design calls for.
How Design-Build Pricing Actually Works
On the traditional path, you hire an architect or designer, pay for plans, and then take those plans out to bid with a general contractor.
You are guessing at the construction number the whole time, and the two teams do not answer to each other.
A design-build firm folds both halves into one contract. The same team runs the design and construction, prices the build against real labor and materials, and then does the work.
You approve a fixed scope before demolition starts, so the amount you sign is the amount you plan around.
The design phase carries its own cost.
For example, our design and planning services run $1,500 to $2,500 depending on the size of the project, and on a kitchen we credit half of that design fee back into your build once you move forward. That process is worth understanding before you compare quotes, and our design-build remodeling overview walks through it in more detail.
Design-Build vs a General Contractor: The Cost Difference
Homeowners often assume design-build firms cost more than general contractors. In practice they usually do not, once you compare final numbers.
A general contractor bids from someone else’s plans and bills for labor and materials as the job unfolds. If the construction runs long or an architect’s drawing needs a fix, that lands on your bill as a change order. Those change orders are where design-bid-build budgets quietly climb.
A design-build contract shifts the risk of overruns onto the firm and away from the homeowner. Because one team controls both design and construction, the plan is checked against a real construction budget before you commit.
You trade a slightly higher-looking first number for far more cost control.
What Drives the Number Up or Down
A remodel budget comes down to a few big decisions.
- Room size and layout. More square footage means more flooring, drywall, and labor, and moving walls or plumbing adds real cost.
- Finishes. Cabinets, countertops, and tile span an enormous range, so a stock-cabinet job and a custom-everything job are very different projects.
- Plumbing and electrical. Adding a basement bathroom or relocating a sink brings in more trades and more permit scope.
- Structural and code work. Egress windows, support beams, and older-home surprises show up more often in established neighborhoods.
- Materials and lead times. Semi-custom and brand-name products cost more up front and generally last longer, which shifts the value math.
A good design-build process accounts for all of these before you sign, which keeps change orders off your final invoice.
Permits, Financing, and the Fine Print
Kansas City and Lee’s Summit both require permits for most remodels, and pulling them protects you at resale. In Lee’s Summit, that work runs through the city’s Development Services permit office, and licensed design-build firms handle the application and inspections as part of the job.
How you pay matters too. We offer financing with a 0% intro option, so a larger project need not wait on one lump sum. And every build carries our 3-year workmanship warranty on labor and materials, real value baked into your total costs.
Design Build Remodeling Cost FAQ
Is design-build more expensive than hiring a general contractor?
Usually not, once you compare final numbers. A design-build firm shows you the full price up front and absorbs the risk of overruns, while a separate designer-and-contractor path often looks cheaper at first and climbs through change orders.
How much do the design plans cost?
Our design and planning services are $1,500 to $2,500 depending on scope, with half of a kitchen design fee credited toward the build when you proceed.
Can I get one price for the whole project?
Yes. You approve a fixed scope and price before the construction phase starts, rather than assembling separate bills from designers, contractors, and subcontractors.
What is the most expensive part of a remodel?
Cabinetry, countertops, and any plumbing you move drive kitchen and bath budgets, while square footage and a bathroom addition drive basement budgets.
Let Us Put a Real Number on Your Project
Ballpark ranges only get you so far. The honest way to know what your remodel costs is to sit down with a team that prices your actual home. We can walk your space, talk through finishes and budget, and hand you a clear plan for your design-build remodeling job. Call us at (816) 970-9256 or message us here.