Many people regard their kitchen as the hub of the family. It’s an informal meeting place for friends and family, it’s a place where you prepare the meals for your family. So, it makes sense that you should have a sleek, convenient and stylish kitchen renovation to create the perfect place to cook. But at what cost?
The average cost of fitting a kitchen in the UK varies with its size. A medium (15m2) sized kitchen will set you back at £6,000 to £8,000. Although this might sound reasonable for a new fitted kitchen, it’s only for a basic design. And, will probably only include base and wall units, and worktop. Appliances and sink will be extra. As will any additional work such as plumbing, electrical, plastering, flooring and decorating. So it will probably work out more expensive.
To remodel a new kitchen can mean lots of different things to different people. You might just want a new sink and worktop. Perhaps, you want a full kitchen refurbishment with new wall and base kitchen units as well. Or, maybe, just new cupboard doors and handles. It all depends on your new kitchen and its fitting costs.
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Topics
Kitchen Installation Cost Breakdown
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In the tables below we have highlighted how much each component of your kitchen renovation will cost. If you want to, you can use it as a cost calculator to benchmark against personal research. Or, you can simply use it as a starting point when planning a new kitchen.
Kitchen components
A fitted kitchen needs to have cupboards, drawers, a work surface and sink to fulfil its function.
| Component | Kitchen Price Range | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low End | Mid-Range | High End | ||
| Sink | Stainless | £30 | £120 | £250 |
| Ceramic | £180 | £250 | £350 | |
| Composite | £90 | £150 | £200 | |
| Taps | Monobloc | £30 | £100 | £160 |
| Single lever | £20 | £60 | £110 | |
| Pull out | £40 | £70 | £100 | |
| Worktop | Laminate | £20/m2 | £35/m2 | £50/m2 |
| Wood | £50/m2 | £100/m2 | £150/m2 | |
| Slate | £100/m2 | £200/m2 | £300/m2 | |
| Granite | N/A | N/A | £250 to £400/m2 | |
| Quartz | N/A | N/A | £200 to £500/m2 | |
| Marble | N/A | N/A | £300 to £500/m2 | |
| Base Units | Small (500mm) | £20 | £40 | £60 |
| Large (1000mm) | £30 | £50 | £40 | |
| Wall Units | Small (500mm) | £20 | £30 | £40 |
| Large (1000mm) | £30 | £40 | £50 | |
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Appliances
Your new fitted kitchen will only be half-finished unless you have electrical appliances like a fridge and cooker.
| Item | Installation Costs | Average Costs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | ||
| Electric Oven | £50 to £100 | £120 | £1,400 |
| Gas Hob | £70 to £100 | £350 | £1000 |
| Cooker Hood | £50 to £80 | £50 | £150 |
| Fridge | £30 to £50 | £150 | £2,500 |
| Smart Fridge Freezer | £50 to £100 | £2,000 | £7,000 |
| Dish Washer | £50 to £100 | £150 | £1,500 |
| Washing Machine | £20 to £50 | £150 | £1,500 |
| Tumble Dryer | £20 to £50 | £150 | £2,000 |
| Microwave Oven | £50 to £100 | £50 | £1,500 |
| Fridge Freezer | £50 to £100 | £150 | £2,000 |
Wall Tiles & Splashback
The last thing you want is to have water and grease splashes onto an absorbent plaster wall. So, you need wipe-clean ceramic tiles or something similar.
| Material | Size L(mm) x W(mm) | Average cost per m2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | ||
| Ceramic | 200 x 200 | £5 | £20 |
| 600 x 600 | £20 | £60 | |
| Porcelain | 200 x 200 | £15 | £45 |
| 600 x 600 | £20 | £50 | |
| Granite | 300 x 300 | £15 | £30 |
| 600 x 300 | £20 | £40 | |
| Slate | 300 x 300 | £15 | £20 |
| 600 x 300 | £20 | £45 | |
| Acrylic Splashback | 800 x 800 | £100 | £125 |
| 1000 x 1000 | £130 | £180 | |
| Glass Splashback | 800 x 800 | £90 | £150 |
| 1000 x 1000 | £150 | £220 |
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Flooring
You might as well finish the new kitchen with a new floor.
| Material | Thickness | Average cost per m2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | ||
| Laminate | 8mm | £10 | £30 |
| 14mm | £25 | £40 | |
| Porcelain | 8mm | £25 | £40 |
| 10mm | £30 | £50 | |
| Granite | 10mm | £30 | £40 |
| 12mm | £40 | £80 | |
| Stone | 10mm | £20 | £80 |
| 12mm | £40 | £80 | |
| Vinyl | 2mm | £6 | £12 |
| 4mm | £20 | £60 | |
| Wood | 14mm | £20 | £80 |
| 20mm | £50 | £100 | |
Example Kitchen Price Estimates
Fully fitted kitchens
The following tables show the cost of new kitchens, in terms of size and quality. The first table assumes the kitchen is of mid-range budget quality and incorporates the cost to buy all units, worktop, wall tiles and appliances. Plus, the kitchen fitter’s price for the installation.
| Kitchen Size | Number of components | Average Cost for Installation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | ||
| Small Kitchen (10m2) | 8 units & 4 appliances | £4,000 | £5,000 |
| Medium Sized Kitchen (15m2) | 12 units & 5 appliances | £6,000 | £8,000 |
| Large Kitchen (20m2) | 16 units & 6 appliances | £8,000 | £10,000 + |
The next table shows the total cost to buy all components plus kitchen fitting prices. The basic kitchen contains cheap flatpack units, which must be assembled at home. And, basic laminate worktops. Mid–range Budget kitchens incorporate units with thicker carcasses and higher quality doors. A Premium kitchen will be made to measure and assembled in a factory workshop before placed into position on-site. Usually, the Premium kitchen will be ‘supply and fit’ using the manufacturer’s installers. A Premium kitchen also allows you to incorporate all those appliances you always wanted but, couldn’t because of the price. A couple of examples that spring to mind include a smart cooker and a smart fridge freezer. Both of which can cost up to £7000 each.
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| Kitchen Type | Average Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | |
| Basic | £4,000 | £6,000 |
| Mid-range Budget | £8,000 | £15,000 |
| Premium | £15,000 | £20,000 |
Let’s now look at each component and get a better idea of how much things cost, how much kitchen fitters charge, and how long things take to install.
Sink
Most kitchen fitters from specialist installation companies can install plumbing for the sink and taps. But, if you use a small building company, they will probably have a plumber available to do the work.
Most sinks are ‘inset’. Meaning they sit inside a hole cut in the worktop. Then, clamped and sealed to prevent movement and water soaking into the cut edge of the worktop.
Sink material varies from steel to epoxy and composite in budget ranges, while premium sinks are made from ceramic, glass or stone.
It’s possible to make a cheap kitchen look special by using a premium sink rather than a cheap pressed steel model. Add to this an expensive–looking tap and you have immediately turned a cheap, budget kitchen into an up-market one.
A typical sink takes up to an hour to install, not including the time needed to cut the inset hole.
Taps
Choose taps to complement the sink style and material. Most models used these days are single taps that mix hot and cold water in the body of the tap to the required temperature.
They are made from either chrome plated nickel steel, stainless steel, or resin and are available in a range of prices to suit all budgets.
If you can afford it, choose an expensive tap and add it to a premium–priced sink. People won’t notice cheap kitchen units if you have an expensive sink and tap to draw the eye.
Taps take about 30 to 45 minutes to fit.
Worktop
Often a worktop will make the difference between an average and a first–class job. The cheapest type is a laminate worktop. It is a piece of chipboard covered in a low-cost, hard plastic skin. It’s also lightweight and easy to cut. But, wear and tear will scratch and mark it.
Hardwood worktops are another option. Many hardwood species are suitable but oak is the most popular.
You can try many stone worktops. Granite, slate, quartz and marble are very popular. However, they are expensive to buy and can’t easily be cut to fit on-site. The equipment needed to cut and polish a stone worktop isn’t very portable! So, usually, stone worktops come with high-end bespoke kitchen units, which are assembled in the workshop before delivery.
Low quality and budget kitchens use a joining strip to hide the butt joint at a corner between the two lengths of worktop.
High–quality laminate and hardwood worktops use ‘mason’s mitres’ to join worktop lengths on a corner. A mason’s mitre is a butt joint with a small section on the front edge cut as a mitre. This is easier to cut than a true mitre and gives less waste. Kitchen fitters use a special routing tool with a template to achieve the cut, tongue and groove, and clamping sockets needed for this joint. Stone worktops also use mason’s mitres but the cut can only be achieved in a workshop.
Depending on the type of worktop, its number and length, how many corners to make, and how many holes to cut (for sink and hob etc), the kitchen fitter will take anything from 4 to 8 hours.
Base Units
A base unit is made from a carcass and a door or drawer, depending on style. The carcasses sell separately to the drawers and doors so purchasers and designers can ‘mix and match’ functions.
Base units come in many widths, designed to serve different functions and to fill the required total wall space. Standard self–assembly base units come in 300mm, 500mm, 600mm, 900mm widths. And, some are designed to straddle internal corners. Others hold ‘built–in’ appliances, while others are cupboards or drawer units.
Moreover, bespoke base units will be made to fit the room, so won’t be restricted to the standard sizes.
Basic and budget carcasses use thinner chipboard than better quality carcasses. And, bespoke units usually made from plywood or even solid wood. Anything is possible for the right price!
Standard base units take about 30 minutes each to assemble and about an hour to install.
It’s essential to install base units so the top edge is perfectly horizontal. To assist with this, all but the cheapest carcasses have adjustable legs to accommodate changes in floor level.
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Wall Units
Wall units come in the same widths as base units, and it’s good practice to install a particular width wall unit above the same width base unit. Why? It looks better.
Wall units will be cupboards or shelving units and can have solid or glass doors, depending on your preference. Once again, wall units take about 30 minutes to assemble and about an hour to install each one.
Wall units fix to the wall using adjustable plates. On the rear of each unit are two hooks that can be adjusted up/down and left/right. These hook over the wall plates and can be fine–tuned to level the units.
Kitchen Appliances
Appliances need electrical sockets fitted under the worktop, with a switch above the worktop to isolate the machine. If the appliance needs water then the plumbing must be in place with suitable isolation valves, before the new kitchen units hide everything.
Kitchen Installation Labour & Day Rates
You’ll find that most kitchen fitters prefer to charge an hourly or a day rate. And, often this will work out cheaper for the customer. Sometimes, If you press for a ‘price for the job’ you’ll find that the installer will add contingency factors onto the quotation, in case there are unforeseen problems. Instead, ask for an estimate to give you a ballpark figure, but pay an hourly rate.
A typical kitchen installer will charge between £15 and £30 per hour. However, you’ll need other trades to complete the job. Unless you can get a free design service offered by many of the large DIY stores, you’ll find that a kitchen designer charges around £30 to £50.
A decorator charges around £15 to £30 per hour and will usually take on the ceramic tiling as well.
You’ll need a ‘Part P’ electrician to move and fit new electrical sockets and switches. And, this trade will charge from £40 to £60 per hour. You’ll also need a registered heating engineer to install gas pipes for the hob. And, as most heating engineers are usually plumbers, they will probably do the water and drainage plumbing too. Heating engineers and plumbers also usually charge around £40 to £60 per hour.
You should ask for references from a kitchen renovation specialist and follow these up to see what type of work to expect. Many kitchen retailers have a list of local installers they can recommend. So, listen to their recommendations, and from friends and family.
Also, check that he holds public liability insurance. This will protect both parties in case anything goes wrong.
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Additional Cost Factors
When installing a new kitchen, prices should include other tasks that many people sometimes forget. Let’s consider these, and see what they entail.
Waste removal
Unless you have made alternative arrangements, the waste produced by the kitchen installation must be removed. It’s easier if the installer organises this and includes it onto the bill at the end of the job.
Hire a waste skip to get rid of all the waste products. This includes scrap wood, old carcasses, rubble etc.
Alternatively, you could sell the second-hand units from your old kitchen. Many people use old kitchen units to build a workshop area in their garage or shed.
The new units will arrive either as flatpack or ready assembled. Either way, they will be wrapped in cardboard. You can either put this in the skip or preferably recycle at your local recycling centre.
If you decide to hire a waste skip, it’ll cost between £90 and £300.
Wallpaper removal
Most people will include redecoration when installing a new kitchen. You might have to remove old wallpaper when the old kitchen comes out. If so, you can save money by doing this yourself.
Make the house dustproof
Fitting a new kitchen creates a lot of dust from power tools such as drills and electric saws. Make sure the installer seals openings under and around internal doors to prevent dust getting into the remainder of the house.
Moving the sink
Often, the new sink will stay in the same place as the old one. However, if you decide to move it to a new location, you must hire a plumber to move water and drainage pipes.
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Moving electrical points
If you intend using existing powerpoints without any alteration, you don’t need an electrician. However, if you have to move the cooker socket and sockets for other appliances, you’ll need a Part P electrician. This is a qualified electrician who registered with the local Building Control office as a competent person, able to self-certify their work.
A single light fitting costs about £80 to £100 for installation. Cooker points and switches cost between £50 and £150
Lighting
If the kitchen is in a single storey extension, you might consider installing skylights. These cost between £80 and £150 to install.
Artificial lighting is also necessary and if you want to have spotlights installed to your existing light fittings, they cost about £5 to £30 to buy and take about an hour to install.
Alternatively LED striplights fit under the wall units to shine onto the worktop. These cost between £15 to £45 per strip.
Flooring
It’s a good chance that the new kitchen won’t cover the same footprint as the old one. In that case, you must remove the old flooring and replace with new. So, depending on the type of flooring, you might need a specialist to do the job.
Furthermore, you’ll also need a flooring contractor to install your chosen flooring. Usually, it’s only necessary to install new floor coverings under moveable appliances and in open spaces. There is no need to lay flooring under base units. And, it’s a complete waste of money.
Skirting boards
Skirting boards cover the gap between the bottom of a plastered wall and the floor. With a fitted kitchen, the base units will fit tight up against the wall so skirting boards will only be necessary where you can see them.
Fitting a cooker hood
Cooker hoods either extract steam and grease–laden air from the kitchen via a conduit to the outside fresh air. Or, recirculate the air through a built-in filter pad. Whichever version you use, you’ll need to have an electric power point installed at the same level as the cooker hood to prevent unsightly wires hanging.
A typical cooker hood costs between £50 and £150 to buy and about £80 to install.
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Planning Your New Kitchen Design
Before hiring a kitchen specialist it’s best to sit down with your partner and decide on what you want to be included in your next kitchen. However, it’s worthwhile mentioning again that most (if not all) DIY stores and other kitchen retailers will plan your new kitchen free of charge. All you need are the measurements of the room and a few ideas to start.
We might have already mentioned some of these considerations previously. But, now is the time to bring them together.
- What design theme do you intend to have? You’ll find that all kitchen manufacturers offer various design themes. It’s not a good idea to mix and match themes. It will look a mess! So, ensure all units match in colour and ornamentation.
- Moving the sink, washing machine or dishwasher might need plumbing and drainage pipes moved to a new location. Use a qualified plumber for a quick, and first–class job.
- If you want to move electric light fittings, switches and power points, you will need a qualified electrician. Remember, it’s a good idea to have as many power points as you can fit into the space. Modern kitchens have many more worktop appliances than they used to. So, bear that in mind.
- Decide what type of worktop you want. Remember that it’s one of the components that people notice. Therefore, it’s worthwhile spending a bit more on the worktop that you would normally. It’s guaranteed to make a budget kitchen look classy.
- Choose complimentary wall tiles and flooring for your kitchen. Although these aren’t part of the kitchen you’ll buy from the manufacturer, per se, the available options must be compared against the overall kitchen theme and considered with them.
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UK Building Regulations & Planning Permission
Unless you intend building a kitchen extension or your house is a listed building, you won’t need to apply for planning permission.
Furthermore, for a kitchen refit or alteration, you probably won’t need building regulations approval either. Unless you add to or move gas, drainage or electrical works. These will need approval either by having an inspection by the Building Inspector or by using an approved ‘competent person’ who is on the UK Government’s register. Usually, you will find that all registered gas heating engineers and ‘Part P’ electricians already belong to the scheme.
However, if the kitchen is to be installed in a room where there wasn’t previously a kitchen, there will be other regulations to comply with. You will need to provide
- Structural safety, Part A of the Building Regulations (Structural safety),
- Adequate ventilation, Part F (Ventilation).
- Plumbing and drainage, Part G (Sanitation, hot water and water efficiency).
- Electrical safety, Part P (Electrical Safety).
- Fire Safety, Part B (Fire Safety).
- Heating, Part L (Conservation of Fuel and power).
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Kitchen Fitting Q&A
Where do you start when fitting a kitchen?
Assume the old kitchen has been removed and everything is prepared.
Place a 1m spirit level onto the floor and find the highest point. Start from there with the base unit adjustable legs at their minimum height. Move away from that point, adjusting the legs as you go.
However, if the floor is already flat and horizontal, start in a corner, and fix the unit in place so it’s horizontal in both directions. Then move out from each edge adding each unit and fixing it in place.
Can I install my own kitchen?
Yes, as long as you have a very good DIY experience and are patient and methodical. Fitting a kitchen is something you can’t rush unless you’re an experienced professional.
Remember, there are some jobs that you must leave to a professional. If you are moving or adding powerpoints, these must be done by a registered electrician. And, if you intend connecting gas to a hob, a qualified GasSafe heating engineer must do it. Furthermore, any other tasks that come under the UK Building Regulations must be either checked by the Building Inspector or done by a person registered under the Competent Person Scheme.
Do kitchen fitters remove old kitchens?
Generally, a kitchen fitter will remove the old kitchen for you. At first sight, it might seem a simple job to the amateur. But, it needs someone who knows how carcasses fix to the wall and how they’re assembled. Then, the least amount of damage takes place to the wall, which saves time later. Depending on the size of your kitchen, it shouldn’t take longer than a day to remove the old units and tidy up.
However, if you are handy with a few basic tools, you can do it to save some money. One word of advice, however, don’t force anything.
Should you put flooring under kitchen cabinets?
The answer to this one depends on what type of flooring you intend laying. If you have a floating floor then lay it after the base units are in place. And, only cover the areas that you can see and those under moveable appliances. However, if the floor is nailed or glued to the subfloor or joists then you should install the floor before the units.
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Do kitchen islands add value?
Adding a kitchen island is one of those small kitchen jobs that is guaranteed to add value as long as you have the space in the room and nothing is cramped. A kitchen island will probably recoup, on average, about 85% of the initial outlay, when you come to sell and move house.
Can you paint before fitting a kitchen?
Generally, painting the kitchen walls is easier before the units are in place. But, be prepared to touch up again afterwards. Because you’ll find pencil lines and scuffs that happened during installation. If time is tight, however, there isn’t anything to prevent you from painting afterwards.
But, you must observe one hard and fast rule about painting. Always wait until any new plaster has completely dried before painting the area.
How long does it take to fit a small kitchen?
An average size kitchen takes about 3 to 5 days to complete. So, a small kitchen will take slightly less time than this, depending on its size. Remember that it’s not so much the size of the suite, its how many operations you have to do.
Also, if you have chosen worktops such as granite or something similar, remember that they can’t be cut to size until the base units are in place and the fitter has made a template. So, this will add extra time to the job.
How are kitchen cabinets attached to the wall?
The wall units will have hooks fitted to the rear of the carcase structure. These hook over metal plates previously screwed to the wall. Now, once the units are approximately in the correct position, you can adjust the hooks using a screwdriver to ‘fine-tune’ the positioning up/down and right/left, until the units are perfectly horizontal and match up with their neighbours.
Although this principle is the same on most wall units, some manufacturers have versions specific to their product. So, read the instruction leaflet supplied with the wall units for detailed step-by-step instructions.
Get Fitted Kitchen Quotes
Fitting a replacement kitchen in your home is a good idea if your present units are dated and you use the kitchen a lot. The cost of fitting a kitchen might seem high when you begin to add all the prices together. But, a new kitchen will make your home easier to sell and you will recover a high proportion of the original outlay.
Unless you can handle advanced DIY, don’t attempt to fit a kitchen yourself. You won’t get it right. Instead, complete the form on this page and you’ll receive 3 to 4 quotes from experienced kitchen installers who will get it right.
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