If you’re planning a kitchen renovation, the first question is almost always the same: what is this actually going to cost? The honest answer is “it depends”, but general industry ranges can give you a rough idea to work with before you ask anyone for a quote.
The figures below are rough estimates based on general industry ranges, not a fixed price list or a commitment from us. Every kitchen is different, and the only way to know the real cost of your project is a written quote based on your specific space and requirements.
What Does a Kitchen Renovation Usually Cost?
At the budget end, a full kitchen renovation typically falls somewhere between £6,000 and £12,000 across the UK. This usually means flat-pack or entry-level units, laminate worktops, basic appliances and a straightforward layout where plumbing and electrics stay where they are. It suits homeowners who want a clean, functional refresh rather than a redesign.
Mid-range is where most UK renovations fall, with industry sources putting it at roughly £10,000 to £25,000, though some guides stretch the upper end towards £35,000 for larger rooms. At this level, you can expect better-quality units, quartz or solid-surface worktops, integrated appliances from a reputable brand, new flooring, and some electrical and plumbing alterations.
High-end kitchens typically start around £25,000 and can pass £50,000 for bespoke joinery, premium stone worktops, top-tier appliances and a heavily reconfigured layout. Published national averages sit between the budget and mid-range figures, so treat any single “average cost” with caution, because the spread between a small refresh and a full redesign is enormous.
Kitchen Fitting Costs: What You Pay for Labour
Many people searching for kitchen fitting cost want to know what the installation alone will add. UK industry data suggests a kitchen fitter typically charges between £250 and £350 per day, and a complete kitchen installation, including the trades required, usually runs from about £2,500 to £8,000, depending on size and complexity. A figure around £3,500 is often quoted as a typical installation cost for an average kitchen.
It is worth remembering that fitting is only one part of the labour bill. If walls need plastering, floors need levelling, or the plumbing and electrics are being altered, those trades are priced separately or folded into a single project price. Always check whether a quote covers everything between strip-out and final decoration, rather than just the units going in. When we fit a kitchen, the strip-out, plumbing, electrics, plastering, and fitting are coordinated as a single managed project, so there is a single quote to compare.
Where the Money Usually Goes
Kitchen budgets tend to split into a handful of areas, and while proportions vary, the pattern is fairly consistent across UK data. Cabinetry is usually the single biggest item, often taking roughly a third of the total, because the units define both the room’s look and longevity. Labour is the other major share, typically between 40 and 60 per cent of the overall project cost, depending on how much structural, plumbing, and electrical work is involved.
Worktops come next and are one of the areas homeowners most often underestimate, since the gap between laminate and natural stone can run into the thousands. Appliances can swing a budget just as much, with a basic integrated set costing a fraction of the price of a premium range. Flooring, lighting, tiling and decoration make up the remainder, and are easy to overlook when the units and worktops have already stretched the budget.
What Affects Where You Land in the Range
Layout changes are the biggest single driver. Keeping the sink, hob and appliances where they are keeps plumbing and electrical work simple, whereas moving them means new pipework, new cabling and often floor repairs. Room size matters too, and some UK guides price renovations per square metre, with mid-range projects often cited at roughly £1,500 to £2,500 per square metre before any structural work.
Specification is the other big lever. Cabinet quality, worktop material and appliance brand can easily double the cost of two kitchens that look identical on a plan. Structural work, such as removing a wall to create an open-plan space, falls outside the kitchen budget and is covered in greater detail in our full home renovation service. Finally, location plays a part: labour rates are noticeably higher in London and the South East than in many other parts of the country, so a national average will not match every postcode.
How Long Does a Kitchen Renovation Take?
Industry timelines generally put a standard mid-range kitchen at around two to four weeks of on-site work, though that depends heavily on scope. A like-for-like replacement can move faster, while a project involving a new layout, structural changes and a full re-wire will take longer. Lead times for ordering units, worktops and appliances can add weeks before any work begins, particularly for made-to-measure stone or bespoke joinery, so it is worth ordering early if you are working towards a particular date.
Ways Homeowners Typically Manage Their Budget
If you are working to a fixed figure, a few approaches recur in industry advice. Keeping the existing layout is consistently the biggest single saving available. Choosing quality units but a mid-range worktop, or the reverse, often yields better results than spreading the budget evenly across everything. It also pays to build in a contingency of around ten per cent, because opening up walls and floors sometimes reveals problems that were not visible beforehand.
Comparing like-for-like quotes matters as much as the headline price. Two quotes can look very different simply because one includes plastering, flooring and waste removal and the other does not. If you are weighing up who to approach, our guide to choosing a builder explains what to check before you commit. And if the bathroom is next on your list, our guide to bathroom renovation costs covers the same ground.
Our Process
Whatever the budget, our process starts the same way: an initial consultation and site visit to understand the space and what you want to achieve before any numbers are discussed. We then provide a detailed, itemised quotation for your specific project, a real figure rather than a ballpark, before any work begins. Once you are happy to proceed, we move into design and planning, finalising the layout, units and worktops together. Construction is fully managed on our side, with plumbing, electrical and fitting trades coordinated so you do not have to chase them. The project finishes with a proper handover, including a final walkthrough and snagging check before we consider the job complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. These are general UK market figures drawn from industry data, not our price list. Every project is different, and we provide a detailed written quotation specific to your kitchen after a free site visit.
Not necessarily. A much lower quote can mean cheaper materials, a narrower scope or corners being cut elsewhere, so it is worth understanding exactly what each quote includes before comparing totals.
Most kitchen renovations do not need planning permission, although building regulations may apply if you are altering electrics, gas or structure. We advise on this during your consultation.
The only reliable way is a site visit and a detailed written quotation, which we offer free with no obligation.
Ready to Get an Accurate Quote?
General figures are a useful starting point, but every kitchen is different. Contact Premier Building Services for a free, no-obligation quotation specific to your project, from the Bournemouth builders who have been delivering kitchens since 1985.