Every kitchen estimate we write in Morris County has the same big buckets: cabinets, counters, labor, and everything behind the walls. Cabinets are usually the largest line, followed by labor, then counters, then the plumbing and electrical that nobody sees when it's done. Appliances, tile, lighting, and floors fill in the rest.
The number that surprises most homeowners is the behind-the-walls bucket. A 1970s colonial in Randolph or a cape in Parsippany often has plumbing that needs updating, an electrical panel that's out of room, or a subfloor that's soft near the sink. None of that shows in the finished photos, but it's the difference between a kitchen that lasts and one that leaks.
That's why we insist on an itemized written estimate rather than a lump sum. When you can see the cabinet allowance, the counter allowance, and the labor separately, you can make real trade-offs: a simpler door style to afford quartz, or keeping the layout to avoid moving plumbing. And it's why we recommend holding back ten to fifteen percent as a contingency for whatever is found on demo day.
The best way to keep a budget honest is to price every change in writing before it becomes work. If you decide mid-project that you want under-cabinet lighting, that's fine, but it should be a number on paper before it's a wire in the wall. That's how we run every kitchen, and it's why our final invoices match the estimate far more often than not.