A kitchen redesigned around smart storage, the right mix of deep drawers, open shelves, and full cabinets, runs $15,000 to $45,000 in Tampa Bay depending on size, and 6 to 10 weeks start to finish. CraftLine is a licensed design build contractor and we plan the storage around how you actually cook before we price it.
What Cabinets and Storage Cost
Cabinetry is the single biggest line in almost any kitchen, usually 29 to 40 percent of the whole budget. That is why the drawer, shelf, and cabinet mix you choose drives the price more than countertops or appliances do. Here are the Tampa Bay ranges by kitchen size.
| Kitchen Size | Scope | Tampa Bay Price |
|---|---|---|
| Small (under 120 sq ft) | New cabinets and storage, same general layout | $15,000 to $25,000 |
| Mid (120 to 200 sq ft) | New layout, drawer banks, pantry, island | $25,000 to $45,000 |
| Large / open | Custom storage, two-tone, premium hardware | $45,000 to $80,000+ |
See how cabinets fit the full picture in our Tampa Bay kitchen cost guide, or price your layout in the free calculator.
What Each Storage Feature Adds
Storage decisions are made one cabinet at a time, and each one has a price. These are typical upcharges over a plain door-and-shelf base cabinet in a semi-custom line.
| Feature | Typical upcharge | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Three-drawer base instead of a door base | $150 to $350 per cabinet | Everything reachable without kneeling, no lost back corner |
| Roll-out trays inside an existing door base | $75 to $175 each | Most of the drawer benefit at a fraction of the cost |
| Full-height pantry cabinet with pull-outs | $1,200 to $3,000 | Replaces the pantry closet these houses never had |
| Corner solution, lazy Susan or blind-corner pull-out | $300 to $900 | Recovers roughly 6 cubic feet of dead space |
| Trash and recycling pull-out | $250 to $500 | Bins off the floor, out of sight |
| Drawer dividers and cutlery inserts | $60 to $200 per drawer | The difference between deep drawers and a deep pile |
| Under-cabinet lighting | $800 to $2,500 for the kitchen | Usable counters, and it makes cabinets look built-in |
| Open shelves in place of upper cabinets | Saves $200 to $600 per run | Cheaper, lighter looking, more dusting |
The roll-out tray line is the one most people miss. If your existing boxes are solid plywood and the layout works, adding roll-outs to what you already have is the highest return storage money in the kitchen.
The Right Storage Mix
- Deep drawers for pots, lids, and dishes, easier on your back than low shelves
- Pull-outs in the base cabinets so nothing gets lost in the back
- A few open shelves for everyday glasses and a lighter look
- Full-height pantry cabinet for dry goods and small appliances
- Drawer dividers and a dedicated trash and recycling pull-out
Drawers, Shelves, or Doors: How to Decide
The rule we use is simple. Anything below counter height should be a drawer. You can see into a drawer from above without bending, and nothing disappears into the back. Doors below the counter make sense in exactly two places: under the sink, where the plumbing is, and in a corner where a specialty pull-out fits.
Above the counter, doors win for anything you do not touch daily. Open shelves are for the six glasses and two bowls you use every morning. In a Tampa Bay kitchen there is a practical reason for that limit: cooking grease and year-round humidity mean anything left on an open shelf for a month needs washing before you use it. A short run of open shelving near the coffee maker looks great and stays clean because it turns over. A whole wall of it becomes a chore.
Then there is the tall cabinet question. Most kitchens here from the 1960s and 1970s were built with cabinets that stop a foot short of the ceiling, with a soffit above. Removing that soffit and running cabinets to the ceiling adds $1,500 to $3,500 and returns a full extra shelf across every upper run. For seasonal and rarely used items, that is usually a better answer than a separate storage cabinet somewhere else in the house.
Storage Planning for Tampa Bay Kitchens
The storage plan depends a lot on the bones of the house. St. Petersburg and Gulfport bungalows from the 1940s and 1950s usually have tight galley kitchens, so the trick is going vertical with tall cabinets and winning back a wall. South Tampa ranch homes from the 1960s and 1970s often have a wall we can open to add an island with seating and hidden storage. Newer Hillsborough builds in Brandon and Riverview already have the footprint, so the work is upgrading builder-grade boxes to soft-close drawers and real pull-outs. Humidity matters here too, so we favor cabinet boxes and finishes that hold up to Florida moisture.
Storage by Kitchen Shape
- Galley: drawers on both runs, tall cabinets to the ceiling on one wall, and no upper cabinets over the sink run if there is a window. Skip the island, there is no aisle for it.
- L-shaped: the corner is the whole game. A blind-corner pull-out or a proper lazy Susan recovers space that is otherwise unreachable. Put the pantry cabinet at the short leg.
- U-shaped: two corners to solve, and usually enough run to give up one section of uppers for a window or open shelves without losing storage.
- Island kitchens: deep drawers on the seating side, trash pull-out near the prep zone, and resist putting a sink in an island under 7 feet, it costs you the prep surface you built the island for.
What Homeowners Say
CraftLine Remodeling holds a 5.0 rating across 93 Google reviews. We are a licensed and insured Tampa Bay contractor and a NARI Tampa Bay member. You can see real before and after work on our Tampa Bay project showcase.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive part of a kitchen remodel?
Cabinets and the storage built into them, typically 29 to 40 percent of the budget. Labor is next at 20 to 35 percent, then countertops and appliances.
Are drawers more expensive than shelves?
Drawer banks cost more than basic shelves because of the slides and hardware, usually $150 to $350 more per base cabinet, but they hold more and are far easier to use. Most homeowners get the best value mixing deep drawers in the base cabinets with a few open shelves up top.
Can I add pull-outs to the cabinets I already have?
Often yes, at $75 to $175 per roll-out tray, as long as the boxes are solid plywood and square. It is the cheapest meaningful storage upgrade available and it works well in newer Brandon and Riverview kitchens where the layout is already fine and the boxes just need better guts.
How long does a kitchen cabinet and storage project take?
Most run 6 to 10 weeks from final design to finish, including cabinet lead time. Semi-custom cabinets ship faster than full custom.
Do you build storage for small St. Pete galley kitchens?
Yes. Small galley kitchens are common in St. Petersburg and Gulfport bungalows. We design tall cabinets, pull-out pantries, and drawer banks to get the most usable storage out of a tight footprint.
Get a Real Number on Your Project
Want a fixed price for your own home? Schedule a free quote or call (813) 522-4359. CraftLine is a licensed design build contractor serving Tampa, St. Petersburg, Brandon, and the rest of Tampa Bay.