How Much to Fit a Kitchen

How Much to Fit a Kitchen?

The honest answer depends entirely on whether you're asking about labour alone or the whole project. Labour-only kitchen fitting in the UK typically costs £1,500 to £5,000, most commonly landing at £1,800 to £3,500 for a standard installation. A full kitchen, units, worktops, appliances, and installation together, typically costs £6,000 to £18,000, with a realistic mid-range budget for a standard three-bedroom semi sitting at £10,000 to £18,000. Those are genuinely different questions, and a large share of the confusion around kitchen costs comes from comparing a labour-only figure against a full-project one without realising that's what's actually happening.

Labour Only, Explained

If you're supplying your own units, worktops, and appliances and just need someone to fit them, expect to pay £1,500 to £5,000 in labour, with £1,800 to £3,500 the most commonly quoted range for a standard-sized kitchen. instantcost own average across the whole UK market sits at £3,500 for labour alone. Kitchen fitters typically charge either a day rate, commonly £150 to £350 per day depending on region and experience, or an hourly rate for independent fitters, typically £25 to £45 an hour. A standard installation generally takes 5 to 10 working days, so a day rate of £250 to £350 multiplied across that timeframe broadly explains where the £1,800 to £3,500 labour-only range comes from in practice.

Full Kitchen: Supply and Fit Together

Once you add the kitchen itself, units, worktops, and appliances, on top of labour, the total moves into a considerably wider range depending on specification. As a rough guide across current UK sources: a budget full kitchen typically costs £6,000 to £10,000, a mid-range kitchen, the most common outcome for a standard three-bedroom semi, typically costs £10,000 to £18,000, and a high-end kitchen with premium materials, integrated appliances, and bespoke elements typically costs £20,000 to £30,000 or more. If the project extends beyond the kitchen itself to include electrics, flooring, and tiling as part of one fully fitted job, the top of that range commonly reaches £15,000 to £30,000.

A Cheaper Alternative Worth Knowing About

Not every dated kitchen needs a full fit-out. If your existing units and worktops are structurally sound and the layout still works for how you use the space, a cosmetic refresh is a genuinely different, and considerably cheaper, project. According to InstantCost.co.uk's 2026 UK kitchen renovation pricing data, a cosmetic kitchen refresh, covering repainting units, new handles, and worktop refinishing, typically costs £1,500 to £3,500, positioned well below even the labour-only cost of a full refit, let alone a complete supply-and-fit project. It's worth genuinely asking whether your kitchen needs replacing or just refreshing before committing to a full fit, since the difference in cost between the two is substantial. Our guide on how to repaint kitchen units covers exactly this process in detail, worth a read before assuming a full fit is the only route to a kitchen that looks and feels new again.

What Drives the Price Beyond the Headline Figure

Moving plumbing or gas. Relocating a sink, hob, or appliance connection to a new position adds meaningfully to both time and cost, since it typically involves a plumber and sometimes a Gas Safe engineer working alongside the fitter, not just the fitter's own labour.

Electrical work. Adding new sockets, moving lighting, or wall-chasing for new circuits increases labour time considerably, and any notifiable electrical work legally needs a qualified, registered electrician regardless of how the rest of the job is structured.

Worktop material. According to InstantCost.co.uk's data, appliances alone typically account for £1,500 to £5,000 of a mid-range kitchen fit, and premium brands add a further £1,000 to £2,500 over budget alternatives while generally lasting 50 to 100% longer, a similar logic applies to worktops, where solid surface or stone materials take considerably longer to template, cut, and fit than laminate, adding real labour time on top of the material cost itself.

Hidden issues once the old kitchen comes out. Damp, rot, outdated wiring, or structural problems behind existing units are impossible to price accurately until the old kitchen is actually removed, which is why a contingency of 10 to 15% on top of any quote is realistic rather than pessimistic.

Region. London and the South East typically run 15 to 25% above the national average, though several other UK cities, Bristol, Manchester, and Edinburgh among them, now command rates close to South East levels rather than sitting meaningfully below them.

Number of trades involved. A tiler for splashbacks or flooring typically charges £110 per m² or £200 to £350 per day, separate from the main fitter's rate, and a Gas Safe engineer for appliance connections typically charges £40 to £75 an hour. Each additional trade coordinated into the project adds both cost and complexity to manage.

Labour Only vs. Supply and Fit: Which Should You Choose?

Supplying your own kitchen and hiring a fitter for labour only generally saves money if you're comfortable sourcing units, worktops, and appliances yourself and coordinating delivery timing around the fitter's schedule. A full supply-and-fit package through a retailer or kitchen company is typically more expensive overall but removes that coordination burden, and often includes a single point of contact and warranty covering both the kitchen and the installation together. Neither is objectively better, it depends on how much of the sourcing and project management you want to take on yourself versus pay someone else to handle.

Common Mistakes and What to Do Instead

Mistake: comparing a labour-only quote against a full supply-and-fit quote as if they're the same thing. This is consistently the biggest source of confusion in kitchen cost comparisons. Always confirm exactly what's included, labour alone, or labour plus materials, before comparing two figures side by side.

Mistake: budgeting for the showroom price and forgetting the work needed to make it function. Plumbing alterations, electrical upgrades, wall repairs, and waste removal are what turn a tidy unit-and-worktop estimate into a considerably larger final bill. Budget for the whole project, not just the visible components.

Mistake: not allowing a contingency for hidden issues. Old kitchens often hide problems, damp, rot, dated wiring, that only become apparent once units are removed. A 10 to 15% contingency on top of any quote is a realistic, not excessive, buffer.

Mistake: assuming every dated kitchen needs a full replacement. If the layout and structure are sound, a cosmetic refresh at a fraction of the cost of a full fit can achieve a genuinely transformed look without the disruption and expense of ripping everything out.

Mistake: accepting a lump-sum quote without a task breakdown. Ask any fitter for a breakdown by task, labour, materials, each trade involved, rather than a single number. This makes it far easier to compare fitters fairly and spot where hidden extras might appear later.

Timeline

A standard mid-range kitchen installation typically takes 5 to 10 working days for the fitting itself. Projects involving structural changes, bespoke joinery, or particularly complex layouts can run to 6 weeks or more, especially where there are material delays or several specialist trades need to be scheduled in sequence rather than working alongside each other.

What It Costs in the UK: Quick Reference

These are UK market estimates and vary significantly by region, specification, and whether structural or plumbing changes are involved. London and the South East typically run 15 to 25% above the national average. Always confirm whether a quote covers labour only or the full supply-and-fit package.

Staying Safe and Getting a Fair Quote

Ask any fitter for a full written breakdown, labour, materials, and each additional trade, rather than accepting a single lump-sum figure with no detail behind it. Confirm who's responsible for removing and disposing of the old kitchen, since this is a common source of unexpected extra cost if it's assumed to be included but isn't. Any electrical or gas work must legally be carried out by certified, registered professionals, this applies regardless of how the rest of the kitchen fitting is structured or priced.

Building Regulations requirements for electrics, gas work, and ventilation apply to kitchen renovations even without structural changes, so it's worth checking current guidance via GOV.UK or your local authority before finalising a project involving these elements.

FAQ

How much does it cost to fit a kitchen in the UK? Labour only typically costs £1,500 to £5,000, commonly £1,800 to £3,500. A full kitchen including units, worktops, and appliances typically costs £6,000 to £18,000 for budget through mid-range specifications, rising to £20,000 to £30,000 or more for high-end projects.

What's the difference between labour-only and supply-and-fit kitchen pricing? Labour only covers just the fitter's work, installing units, worktops, and appliances you've already sourced. Supply and fit includes the kitchen itself alongside installation, which is why the two figures can differ by several thousand pounds for what sounds like the same job.

How much do kitchen fitters charge per day in the UK? Typically £150 to £350 per day, with £250 to £350 most common for experienced fitters, and rates running higher in London and the South East than the rest of the UK.

Is it cheaper to refresh a kitchen than replace it entirely? Significantly, yes. A cosmetic refresh, repainting units, updating handles, and refinishing worktops, typically costs £1,500 to £3,500, well below even the labour-only cost of a full kitchen replacement.

How long does it take to fit a kitchen? A standard mid-range installation typically takes 5 to 10 working days. Projects with structural changes, bespoke joinery, or complex layouts can extend to 6 weeks or more.

What hidden costs should I budget for beyond the kitchen fitter's quote? Plumbing and electrical alterations, tiling for splashbacks or flooring, waste removal, and a contingency of 10 to 15% for issues discovered once the old kitchen is removed are all commonly underestimated in initial budgets.