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What changes the cost of a new kitchen?
The Federation of Master Builders renovation guide of 5 June 2026 says new kitchens generally start from £10,000 [S6]. Prices vary by the job and the location, and QuoteZila does not set prices.
Last reviewed:What goes into the price of a new kitchen
A new kitchen is several jobs in one. Even a straightforward refit usually includes taking out the old kitchen, any first-fix plumbing and electrics, fitting units and worktops, connecting appliances, tiling or splashbacks, flooring, plastering and decorating, and taking the waste away.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns, and anyone in the UK can post a job. The Federation of Master Builders renovation guide of 5 June 2026 says new kitchens generally start from £10,000, and its table lists a new kitchen at £10,000+ [S6]. The same page says those figures are starting points, not quotes, and that the final price depends on location, specification, site access and defects found once work starts [S6]. It is not a Cheshire price. Prices vary by the job and the location, and QuoteZila does not set prices.
The price splits into two parts that are worth keeping separate:
- Supply. Units, doors, worktops, sink and tap, handles, appliances, lighting and any tiles or flooring.
- Fitting. The labour for removal, plumbing, electrics, gas, fitting, tiling, plastering, flooring and decorating.
Some quotes combine them. Ask for them to be split, so you can see where the money goes.
Units, doors and worktops
The units are the boxes, and the doors and drawer fronts are what you see. Both vary a great deal:
- Carcass build. Flat-pack units assembled on site, rigid units that arrive built, and made-to-measure cabinets are different in cost and fitting time.
- Doors. Laminate, vinyl-wrapped, painted, solid wood and handle-less doors all differ.
- Internal fittings. Pan drawers, corner pull-outs, larder systems and soft-close hinges add to the cost of the units.
- Worktops. Laminate, wood, compact laminate, solid surface, quartz and natural stone each differ in material and fitting. Stone and quartz are usually templated and cut by a specialist after the units are in.
A quote that says "units and worktops" without naming them is hard to compare. Ask for the range, the door style, the number of units and the worktop material.
Appliances and sinks
Built-in appliances need housings that match their sizes, so they are usually chosen at the design stage. Decide early whether you are reusing any appliances, buying new ones yourself or buying them through the kitchen company.
Things that change the fitting work:
- an integrated fridge or dishwasher, which needs door fronts fitting
- a range cooker or a large hob, which may need a different gas or electrical supply
- a boiling water tap or water softener, which needs plumbing and sometimes power
- an extractor that vents outside, which may need a hole through the wall or ducting through a ceiling
- an undermount or ceramic sink, which needs the worktop cut to suit
What changes the fitting price
| What changes | Why it matters | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Layout changes | Moving the sink, hob or appliances means new pipes, cables and gas | Which items move, and what work does that involve? |
| Removal of the old kitchen | Stripping out and disposal takes time and a skip or van | Is removal and disposal included? |
| Gas work | A hob or cooker on gas needs a Gas Safe engineer [S3] | Who does the gas, and are they registered? |
| Electrical work | New circuits or a new consumer unit are notifiable [S4] | Who does the electrics, and what certificate will I get? |
| Plumbing | New or moved waste and supply pipes, and appliance connections | Is all plumbing included, including the dishwasher and washer? |
| Walls and ceilings | Old tiles, damaged plaster and new lighting may need making good | Is plastering included, and who decorates? |
| Flooring | Some floors go down before the units and some after | When does the floor go in, and who fits it? |
| Tiling or splashbacks | Labour and materials vary by type | Are tiles and tiling included? |
| Worktop templating | Stone and quartz need a template visit and a fitting visit | Are templating and fitting in the price? |
| Project management | Someone has to coordinate the trades | Who is in charge, and who do I call? |
| VAT | Register if taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000 [S2] | Does the total include VAT? |
If one quote is far below the others, check whether it includes removal, gas, electrics, plastering, flooring and VAT. Missing lines are the usual reason.
Gas, electrics and older homes
Gas and electrical work in a kitchen is work for registered trades, not something to fit around the units yourself.
- Gas. HSE says anyone employed to work on gas appliances in domestic premises must be a Gas Safe registered engineer and competent in that work [S3]. Check the engineer's ID card and look them up on the Gas Safe Register.
- Electrics. The Planning Portal says that in England a complete new circuit and a new consumer unit or fuse box are notifiable, and that a registered competent person can self-certify [S4]. You can find registered electricians through Electrical Safety First, the NICEIC or NAPIT.
Gas Safe Register. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Electrical Safety First: find a registered electrician; NICEIC; NAPIT. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
In older homes, the old kitchen may hide materials that need care. HSE says asbestos was added to some PVC and thermoplastic floor tiles, and that these can be found in kitchens and can be hidden under carpets [S5]. If your house is older and you are lifting old floor tiles, ask the fitter how they will deal with this. Do not break up or sand old tiles you are unsure about.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE). QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
How long a kitchen job takes
A refit usually runs in stages, and each stage needs the right trade:
- Strip-out of the old kitchen.
- First fix of plumbing, gas and electrics, before walls are closed up.
- Plastering and any floor preparation.
- Fitting units, then worktops. Stone or quartz tops are often templated now and fitted later.
- Second fix of sinks, taps, appliances, sockets and lights.
- Tiling, flooring and decorating.
Ask each fitter how long they expect the job to take, how long you will be without a working sink or cooker, and what happens if parts arrive late or damaged. A kitchen company that orders units may give delivery times that are outside the fitter's control.
Ways to keep the total under control
You can shape the price without lowering the standard of the work:
- Keep the wet and gas items where they are if the layout works, so less pipework and cabling moves.
- Reuse appliances that are in good condition and fit the new housings.
- Spend on what you touch every day, such as drawers, hinges and the worktop, and less on extras you rarely use.
- Decide early. Changes after units are ordered or walls are closed cost more than changes on paper.
- Ask for a labour-only price if you are confident about buying the units, and agree who handles faulty or missing parts.
- Get the plastering and decorating priced separately, so you can choose who does them.
How to compare kitchen quotes
Citizens Advice says a quote is a fixed price, while an estimate is only a guess [S1]. It suggests written quotes from at least three traders, and says that where a deposit cannot be avoided, keep it as low as possible and no more than 25% [S1]. For a kitchen, ask each quote to state:
- The design or layout drawing the price is based on.
- The unit range, door style, number of units and internal fittings.
- The worktop material and who templates and fits it.
- The appliances, sink and tap, and who supplies them.
- Removal and disposal of the old kitchen.
- Plumbing, gas and electrical work, with the registered trades named.
- Plastering, tiling, flooring and decorating.
- Payment stages, start date and expected length.
- Whether VAT is included. A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 [S2].
Agree in writing how changes and extras will be priced once work has started.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Replacing a tired kitchen with the same layout. Units bought, need a fitter for removal, fitting, worktops and tiling."
- "New kitchen with the hob moving to the other wall. Need gas and electrics moved and the room replastered."
- "Older house, removing a kitchen with old floor tiles underneath. Want the floor checked and a new kitchen fitted."
Say what is staying and what is moving, whether you have bought anything already, and the size of the room.
Get quotes from kitchen fitters
Describe the kitchen and your postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can send you a quote [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See our kitchen fitters, plumbers, electricians and tilers pages, the plumber cost guide and the electrician cost guide. For related work, see what changes the cost of new worktops and what changes the cost of a kitchen extension.
Questions about kitchen prices
How much does a new kitchen cost?
The Federation of Master Builders renovation guide of 5 June 2026 says new kitchens generally start from £10,000, and its table lists a new kitchen at £10,000+. The same page says layout, worktops, appliances and fittings change the final price. Prices vary by the job and the location, and QuoteZila does not set prices. Ask for itemised written quotes that separate supply from fitting.
Does keeping the same layout lower the cost?
Keeping the sink, hob and appliances where they are usually means less plumbing, gas and electrical work, so the fitting is simpler. It is not always the right choice. Ask each fitter to price your preferred layout and a like-for-like option so you can see the difference.
Who fits the gas hob or cooker?
A Gas Safe registered engineer. HSE says anyone employed to work on gas appliances in domestic premises must be Gas Safe registered and competent in that type of work. Some kitchen fitters are registered, and others bring in an engineer. Ask who it will be.
Does a new kitchen need electrical certification?
If it involves notifiable work, yes. The Planning Portal says that in England a complete new circuit and a new consumer unit or fuse box are notifiable, and that a registered installer can self-certify. Ask the electrician what certificate you will receive.
Should I buy the units myself?
You can, and some fitters price labour only. If you do, agree who checks the delivery, who deals with missing or damaged parts, and who is responsible if something does not fit. A supply-and-fit price puts more of that on the fitter.
How big a deposit should I pay?
Citizens Advice suggests keeping any deposit as low as possible and no more than 25% of the price where a deposit cannot be avoided. Kitchen companies often take a payment when units are ordered, so ask what it covers and get a receipt.
Does QuoteZila check the businesses?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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Related pages
- Granite Worktop Quotes: What Changes the Price. What moves a granite worktop quote: the stone, templating, cut-outs, edges, upstands, joins, access and fitting. This guide prints no price per metre or slab.
- Quartz worktops: what changes the price. In Cheshire, a quartz worktop quote turns on the slab, the cut-outs and the edge. No pound total is printed. See the dust risk and what to compare.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and jobs-for-tradesmen copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ and app README.
- S1: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S2: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S3: Domestic gas: frequently asked questions, HSE. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqs.htm
- S4: Electrics: building regulations general information, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/electrics/building-regulations-general-information
- S5: Locations of asbestos and taking the right action, HSE. Accessed 2026-10-25. https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/location-materials.htm
- S6: How much does a house renovation cost?, Federation of Master Builders. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/how-much-does-a-house-renovation-cost.html