Pricing guide
How to price a kitchen fit
A kitchen fit runs several trades through a short programme, and the longest lead-time item, the worktop, cannot even be ordered until the cabinets are in place. Price the sequence around that constraint, not around the finishes alone.
Short answer
Price a kitchen fit by working backwards from the cabinetry and worktop lead time, since ordering and templating set the whole programme, then price the trade sequence around it: first fix electrics and plumbing, any gas work by a Gas Safe registered engineer, cabinetry and appliance install, then worktop templating and fit, tiling and decoration. Treat drainage moves, a structural opening between kitchen and dining space, and the condition behind the existing units as provisional until confirmed on site.
Quick check
- Confirm cabinetry and worktop lead times before fixing the programme
- Price any gas appliance work with a Gas Safe registered engineer, never assumed in-house
- Check electrical circuit capacity for new appliances before pricing first fix
- Treat drain and waste pipe relocation as provisional until the existing run is exposed
- Price extract ventilation to meet building regulations, not just to match the hob position
- Keep worktop templating as a fixed step in the programme, not a squeeze point
- Check for asbestos behind old units, floor coverings or ceiling tiles in older kitchens
- Allow for making good to walls and floor where units, appliances or a wall have been removed
1. Scope the kitchen on site before pricing it
- Existing electrical circuit and consumer unit capacity
- Gas supply route and meter position, if gas appliances are involved
- Drain and waste pipe positions and falls
- Wall construction, for fixing tall units and wall units
- Floor level and any damp-proof course affected by reworked flooring
- Any wall proposed for removal between the kitchen and another room
Check load-bearing status before pricing a wall removal
A wall between the kitchen and dining room is often load-bearing. Get this confirmed by a structural engineer before pricing the opening, beam and making good as a firm figure.
2. Labour and trade sequence
| Stage | What drives the price |
|---|---|
| Strip-out and first fix | Extent of removal, new circuit or pipe routes, and any wall opening. |
| Cabinetry and appliance install | Cabinet lead time, levelling on an uneven floor, and appliance specification. |
| Worktop templating and fit | Material choice, lead time, edge detail and upstands. |
| Tiling and splashback | Tile size and pattern, and the finish level around sockets and extraction. |
| Second fix, decoration and commissioning | Extractor and appliance testing, sealant and snagging. |
3. Materials and where costs blow out
Stone and quartz worktops cannot be templated until the cabinets are fixed in place, which adds a wait into the programme that a quote based on a single continuous week of work will not survive.
Client-supplied appliances are a frequent source of extra cost: a fridge or range cooker bought to a different size or utility connection than the one priced can force late changes to cabinetry or services.
4. What to make provisional, not firm
| Item | Why it stays provisional |
|---|---|
| Drain and waste pipe relocation | The route and fall are often unknown until the floor is opened. |
| Structural opening between kitchen and dining room | Depends on whether the wall is load-bearing and the engineer's beam size. |
| Floor condition and damp-proofing | Only visible once old flooring and units are removed. |
| Asbestos in older floor tiles, ceiling tiles or boarding | Needs a survey before disturbance in a pre-2000 property. |
Gas work is not a DIY line item
Any work on a gas appliance, hob or supply pipe must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Price this as its own trade with its own certification, not folded into general plumbing.
5. Access, welfare and preliminaries for a kitchen-only job
- Protecting the household's only kitchen and cooking facilities if there is no alternative
- Delivery access for cabinets and appliances, including doorway and stair widths
- Dust protection to adjoining rooms during strip-out
- A skip or waste route for old units and appliances
- Isolating water, gas and electrics safely at each stage
6. Contingency and margin
Programme risk matters as much as cost risk on a kitchen fit. A delay to a worktop template or a mismatched appliance delivery holds up every trade behind it, so price contingency against the lead-time items as well as the hidden condition behind the old units.
Worked example
Price the wait, not just the work
If the worktop cannot be templated for a fortnight after the cabinets go in, build that wait into the quoted programme rather than implying the kitchen will be finished the same week.
7. The underquoting traps specific to kitchen fits
- Ordering cabinets before confirming appliance dimensions and utility connections match
- Assuming the existing gas or electrical supply has capacity for new appliances
- Missing the cost of levelling an uneven solid floor before fitting base units
- Underestimating the wait between cabinet install and stone worktop templating in the programme
- Not pricing making good to the wall or floor where an opening or old units are removed
- Treating appliances supplied by the client as their problem if delivery damage or the wrong specification appears
8. Present the quote so it compares fairly
Show the worktop and appliance lead times as part of the programme, not just the price, since a client comparing quotes needs to see why one fitter finishes in three weeks and another in six. Keep the provisional items behind the old units listed separately from the firm cabinetry and installation price.
Common questions
Do I need a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit a gas hob?
Yes. Any work connecting or altering a gas appliance in a domestic property must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer. This is a legal requirement, not a specification choice, and should be priced as its own trade.
Do I need building regulations approval for a kitchen fit?
A cosmetic refit with no changes to electrics, drainage or structure generally does not need separate approval. New circuits, moved drainage or a removed wall do, so check the specific scope against GOV.UK's building regulations approval guidance before quoting.
How long does a worktop take to template and fit?
Templating happens after the cabinets are fixed in place, because it needs the final position, and the fit follows once the material is cut. Build this sequence into the programme you quote rather than assuming the kitchen finishes in one continuous run.
Can I remove a wall between the kitchen and dining room without a structural engineer?
Only if you can confirm the wall is not load-bearing, which is not something to assume from its thickness alone. Get an engineer to check it before pricing the opening as a firm figure.
How do I price around long lead times for kitchen cabinets?
Order the cabinets and worktop material as early as the design allows, and sequence the rest of the trades around the confirmed delivery date rather than pricing on the assumption that everything arrives on time.
Sources and further reading
Primary and authoritative sources used to check this guide.
- Electrical safety: Approved Document PGOV.UK
- Ventilation: Approved Document FGOV.UK
- Domestic gas safety and Gas Safe registrationHealth and Safety Executive
- AsbestosHealth and Safety Executive
- Building regulations approval: when you need approvalGOV.UK
General information for UK residential building work, not legal, tax or gas safety advice. Gas work must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and structural changes should be checked by a qualified engineer. Confirm uncertain treatment with the relevant professional or building control body.