How much does it cost to fit a kitchen?

A kitchen fitter's core job is assembling and installing the base and wall units, fitting doors, drawers and handles, cutting and fitting the worktops, putting up plinths, end panels and cornice, and fitting integrated appliances into their housings.

For an average kitchen of 12–16 units that is usually five to ten working days, and £2,000–£5,000 in labour. A small galley kitchen may be £1,500–£2,500. Large kitchens with islands, tall larder units and lots of drawers can go well above £5,000.

Priced per unit, most fitters charge £100–£180 including doors and handles. Some quote per linear metre of run, typically £250–£450.

What is often not included: removing the old kitchen, plumbing, electrics, gas, tiling, plastering, flooring and decorating. Some fitters handle all of it with their own team, others fit units only. Make sure every quote you compare covers the same list.

The number of units and how complex they are. Drawer packs, corner units, larder pull-outs and glazed wall units take longer than plain cupboards.

Whether the units come rigid or flat-pack. Rigid, factory-assembled units go in faster. Flat-pack units add assembly time, often half a day to a day for an average kitchen.

The walls and floor. Out-of-level floors and walls that are far from square mean more packing, scribing and adjusting.

The worktop. Laminate is quickest. Solid wood needs careful jointing and oiling. Stone and quartz are templated and fitted by the specialist supplier.

The layout. Keeping the sink and appliances in the same places keeps the plumbing and electrics simple. Moving them means new pipe runs, drainage and circuits.

Laminate worktops are the cheapest to buy and fit. A fitter cuts them to length, joins them with mason's mitres or joint strips, cuts the sink and hob holes and seals the edges. Allow £150–£400 in labour for an average kitchen.

Solid wood worktops take longer. Joints are machined and bolted, cut-outs need care, and the wood must be oiled on all faces before and after fitting to stop it moving or staining. Expect £300–£700.

Quartz, granite and other stone worktops are different. The supplier usually templates them once the base units are in, makes them in a workshop, and comes back to fit them, so the fitting cost is normally included in the worktop price rather than the kitchen fitter's quote. The units must be level and solid before templating, which is part of the fitter's job.

Plumbing for a new kitchen covers the sink, taps and waste, and connections for the dishwasher and washing machine. If everything stays in roughly the same place it is often £300–£800. Moving the sink to another wall or an island costs more because of new waste runs.

Electrical work typically includes new sockets above the worktop, an oven or hob circuit, appliance connections, under-cabinet lighting and moving spurs. Expect £500–£1,500. In England, a new circuit such as one for an electric hob is notifiable under Part P, so use an electrician registered with a competent person scheme who will certify the work.

Any gas hob or cooker must be connected, moved or disconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer. That is a legal requirement and not something a kitchen fitter can do unless they are also Gas Safe registered.

Many people buy a kitchen from a DIY store or a flat-pack retailer and then hire a fitter. That is often the cheapest route overall, and most independent fitters are happy to work with these ranges.

The extra cost is assembly. Each flat-pack carcass takes time to build, so expect an extra £20–£40 per unit or an extra day on an average kitchen.

Check the delivery against the plan before the fitter starts. Missing or damaged parts are common, and a fitter waiting for a replacement door or panel may charge for the lost time or move on to another job.

Agree in advance who is responsible for checking measurements. If you designed the kitchen yourself, the fitter will fit what you bought, and any shortfall in worktop or panels is yours to buy.

Count your units and list the other trades you need.

1. Multiply the number of units by £100–£180, adding £20–£40 per unit if they are flat-pack. 2. Add worktop fitting: £150–£400 for laminate or £300–£700 for solid wood. 3. Add £250–£600 to remove the old kitchen. 4. Add plumbing (£300–£800), electrics (£500–£1,500) and tiling or plastering as needed.

Example: a 14-unit flat-pack kitchen with laminate worktops, sink and appliances in the same place. Units £1,680–£3,080, plus assembly £280–£560, worktops £150–£400, removal £250–£600, plumbing £300–£800 and electrics £500–£1,500. That is roughly £3,200–£6,900 all in, before tiling.

On BidMyJob you can post the job with your kitchen plan and photos of the room, and local kitchen fitters bid, so you can compare full prices side by side.

Keep the layout. Leaving the sink, cooker and washing machine where they are saves the most on plumbing and electrics.

Remove the old kitchen yourself if you are able, and arrange a skip, though leave anything connected to water, gas or electricity for the professionals to disconnect.

Choose laminate worktops, or buy rigid units if the price difference is small, as they fit faster.

Check every delivery the day it arrives so the fitter is not held up.

And get the fitter to coordinate the other trades, or book them yourself in the right order, so nobody is paid to wait.