A new kitchen faucet can add style and functionality while taking less than an hour to replace.

Number of Faucet Holes and Spacing

New kitchen faucets will cost anywhere from $50 to $1,000, but the price goes up substantially if you change to a different type of faucet. You may need to modify your counter top to accommodate it, and if your sink has integrated faucet holes, changing the layout could entail replacing the entire sink — an extra cost of at least $150. Faucets typically come in 1- to 3-hole varieties with multiple holes most often spaced 4 inches on-center. If your existing faucet has more holes than your new one, it is easy to cover unused holes with a deck plate, which costs just a few dollars. Most new faucets come with 3/8-inch flex tubing that’s incompatible with 1/2-inch supply valves. If your existing supply valves are 3/8-inch, then you do not need to upgrade.

Wall and Deck Mounting

Faucets come in either wall- or deck-mounted varieties. The vast majority of faucets are deck-mounted. In other words, they are attached directly to a countertop or sink. They are significantly easier to replace and maintain than wall-mounted models. If you currently have a deck-mounted faucet and want a wall-mounted model, expect to pay at least several hundred dollars more to run new supply lines in the wall and to repair the wall damage. Because of their extra cost, wall-mounted faucets are considered luxury fixtures.

Handle Options

Every faucet has zero, one, or two handles. Single handle models are very common and found throughout the price spectrum. Two handle models offer a more traditional look and more precise control over the flow of hot and cold water. Touch-free faucets are certainly high-end, but they do not typically offer touch-free temperature control.

Style and Finish Options

With literally hundreds of options to choose from, picking the right faucet can take weeks or longer. Price is one very important consideration, but even in the $100 range, you can choose from contemporary, traditional, or transitional models in more than a dozen finishes.

Searching for a stylish but affordable material for your kitchen countertop? Don’t snub your nose at inexpensive kitchen countertop surfaces like laminate

Consider that between the brands Formica and Wilsonart, more than 325 colors and patterns are available. This makes it nearly impossible to not find the style that works for you.

And if that’s not great news, consider the price: at $12 to $40 per square foot installed, you’ll save a small fortune in comparison to more expensive stone surfaces like granite and marble.

Beyond laminate, other inexpensive, easy-to-maintain surfaces include solid wood and butcher block countertops as well as ceramic tile countertops. In addition, solid-surface countertops like Corian shouldn’t be overlooked. Corian, in fact, once enjoyed the status granite does today and was known for its seamless installation and the ability to easily integrate sinks and backsplashes.

Unexpected materials like concrete or glass are more recently trending countertop materials, as they not only make a statement but also offer plenty of personalization options, from stains and dyes (concrete) to LED illumination (glass).