Understanding how much does a new kitchen cost is integral for anyone considering a renovation, extension or self build. While the answer can vary, having an idea of what you might be expected to pay will ultimately dictate if you are on the hunt for a budget-friendly solution, or have enough cash for a custom made show-stopper.
Of course, with so many variables involved in designing a kitchen, while we can't give you exact sums, what we can do is explain what you will need to price up, and the range those variables might sit within.
So whether you're seeking a quick and easy flat-pack solution, or are keen to know if a bespoke kitchen is within your reach, here's how much a new kitchen will cost in 2026.
What's included in new kitchen costs?
“There are many factors to think about when budgeting for a new kitchen," says Debra Hutt, kitchen expert at Wren Kitchens. "it is best to start with a clear budget for the main components such as cabinets, worktops, handles and hardware, then consider if you need new kitchen appliances such as ovens, sinks and fridges.
“Depending on whether you are doing a complete kitchen re-fit or replacing certain features as part of an upgrade, it’s also important to factor in costs such as new flooring, lighting and decorating/painting, when budgeting the whole project," she adds."
When it comes to knowing your final new kitchen costs, it's also important to distinguish between some of the elements of a new kitchen in a self build versus a kitchen renovation.
After all, there's of course more to fitting a kitchen than installing some units and a worktop. If you're removing an old kitchen, you'll also need to factor in additional labour costs and practicalities such as skip costs.
As each of these areas will generate its own set of costs, in order to give you a clearer picture of what you can expect to pay for your new kitchen, we've broken this guide down into sections, looking at budget and mid-range kitchens, off-the-shelf options, second hand kitchens and bespoke luxury options.
Debra Hutt is the Head of PR and Supplier Relations at Wren Kitchens, where she has contributed over five years of expertise during a period of rapid, strategic growth.
Is it worth considering a cheap kitchen?
If you are on a tight budget, the good news is that there are very cheap kitchens available, for sometimes less than £1,000. The bad news is that they aren't always the bargain they seem to be.
At these prices, you’ll be looking at largely chipboard or MDF cabinetry, faced with the likes of melamine, veneer or laminate. They will be sold flat-packed, ready to assembled on a DIY basis and are not likely to include worktops or appliances.
While they can be a good short term solution, the chances are you'll need to replace it sooner than you imagine, and there may be other ways of keeping costs down so that you can invest more in fixtures and fittings that will last.
The biggest problem with opting for a cheap kitchen? You will likely have to measure the space yourself which can lead to errors. While most budget kitchen brands – from IKEA to DIY stores such as B&Q , will have a fitting service, it’s less common to have at home appointments where your kitchen is measured. Usually, you’ll measure your kitchen yourself and attend a design appointment where a 3D design will be generated.
If I have one piece of advice when doing this, it's to make sure you really have measured accurately. I recently ordered a B&Q kitchen for my mum, and have ended up having to change one of the wall cabinets as once the old kitchen was removed, the measurements just didn't quite add up.
Instead of choosing a cheap kitchen, consider other ways of saving money instead, advises experienced senior quantity surveyor, Tim Phillips.
"The key elements of any kitchen renovation costs are materials and labour. The biggest percentage of the material cost will be the purchase of the kitchen units, worktop and kitchen appliances," he explains.
"I always buy just the kitchen units and doors/drawer fronts from the kitchen company, and then purchase worktops from a third-party company, who will template, supply and install. This always saves me money," says Tim.
If you're an experienced DIYer, you could also save on kitchen installation costs by fitting a new kitchen yourself, or perhaps tackle the kitchen tiling too.
Tim Phillips is an experienced senior quantity surveyor and estimator and has worked in the construction industry for over 38 years. He has worked on many varied projects in this time, for corporates, public bodies and private residential clients, managing everything from small budgets to multi-million budgets. For the past 18 years, Tim has worked on a freelance basis, through his company www.quantiv.uk. He has extensive experience of undertaking his own full-scale house renovations and extensions. He is also a speaker and expert at the Homebuilding & Renovating Shows.
What to consider when buying a flat-pack kitchen
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Buying a kitchen flat-packed, ready for home assembly is a great cost-alternative to have one installed for you or buying bespoke.
What you end up paying obviously depends on your supplier and what your chosen design includes. Although people can be wary of flat-packed kitchens, providing you choose a well-made product there is no reason why these cannot offer fantastic value for money. They also give your the chance to have a go at fitting a kitchen on a DIY basis, offering further savings.
Flat-pack kitchens are cheaper than bespoke but most suppliers will generally offer a range of units from budget through to premium.Do make sure you have a full understanding of what is and isn't included when purchasing one though.
Also shop around and pay attention to details such as what fittings are included with a budget kitchen. IKEA supplies all its kitchens with BLUM fittings for example, which are also regularly used by luxury kitchen brands.
As a guide, Debra Hutt says at Wren Kitchens, you could expect to pay anything from £3,300 – £4,700 for a small kitchen, or from £6,400 – £9,100 for a larger one. Small being defined as 8 cabinets, 3 appliances and mid-range materials; large as 16 cabinets with same appliance and material specifications.
How much do second hand kitchens cost?
Second hand kitchens can be a brilliant way to get your hands on a designer, high-quality kitchen for just a fraction of the price it would have been sold for brand new. Of course, the cost of a used kitchen is dependent on a lot of factors, including the brand, materials used, age and condition of the kitchen. It will also depend on what is included – some second hand kitchens come complete with all appliances, for example.
As a rough guide, Used Kitchen Exchange suggests that sellers take the original purchase price, halve it, and then take off a £1,000 for every year it has been in use. If the original purchase price of a kitchen was £25,000 and the owners had used it for ten years then a purchaser might expect to pay around £2,500 for it.
Another option is to buy an ex-display kitchen from a kitchen showroom – these are somewhat easier to price with discounts starting from around 50% of the price of a non-display kitchen. You could also make money yourself by selling off your own kitchen if it's considered suitable for resale.
What is the average price of a mid-range kitchen?
Middle of the range kitchens are usually made to order using higher quality materials than a budget kitchen. Carcasses tend to be constructed from better quality veneered MDF or birch ply, doors may also be available in the likes of solid timber, plywood and high quality laminate. They’re likely to be available in a greater number of sizes and contain better internal storage solutions.
As part of a mid-range kitchen, you can also look forward to the showroom treatment – entailing a more experienced designer and home visits with professional measurements which will all be factored into the price of the kitchen.
Mid-range kitchens are likely to be priced between £10,000 and £20,000 depending on size and choice of worktops and appliances.
What is the cost of a high-end kitchen?
Luxury kitchens tend to be bespoke. This type of kitchen is custom made to the exact dimensions of your space, allowing for the perfect fit of cabinetry and a chance to make the very most of every available centimetre – in short, it will be tailored precisely to your needs.
Bespoke kitchens are usually handmade, often in the UK, and from luxury materials, or even made as one unit, also known as in-frame kitchens. Discerning bespoke kitchen brands will use solid timber for carcasses and doors and the final results can include everything from the kitchen through to fully considered seating areas, entertainment zones and high-end kitchen appliances.
However, the final kitchen cost for a bespoke option are much the same as the proverbial piece of string. It can be as long (expensive) or as short (lower price) as you want it to be. And, it can be about way more than just your cabinets and worktop.
“In our experience, clients often approach a kitchen project thinking primarily about cabinetry, yet the final figure is shaped just as much by the architectural context in which that kitchen sits," says Charlotte Butler, kitchen design manager at BK Eleven.
"A luxury kitchen installation frequently falls between £40,000 and £100,000 once associated building work, flooring, electrics and decoration are included, particularly in open-plan renovations where walls are removed, structural steel is introduced and glazing is upgraded to create a cohesive living space.
“Changes to layout can require engineering input, revised services and additional labour that extend well beyond the furniture itself," she continues. "Appliance specification is another major variable; integrated refrigeration, advanced extraction systems and boiling water taps can meaningfully influence the budget depending on brand choice and technical performance. Clients are often surprised by how quickly these functional decisions accumulate, especially when they are specified late in the design process."
So why do costs vary so much? As well as structural considerations, part of it can be down to the design of the cabinets as well as the materials used.
"A simple shaker style cabinet is quicker and easier to make than a cabinet that includes beading, or a more intricate design," explains Richard Davonport, founder and managing director of Davonport.
"Additionally, the shape of the cabinets can cause the price to vary. If the design includes curved cabinetry it will be more expensive for example. Ultimately, the more the design varies and the more individuality required, the higher the cost.
“However, a genuinely bespoke kitchen, designed and manufactured in Britain, will typically require a starting budget in the region of £60,000 to £70,000 for a smaller room, and that figure can increase significantly once the scale of the space, the level of craftsmanship and the specification of materials begin to evolve," says Richard.
"At this level, clients are investing in far more than cabinetry alone; they are commissioning a piece of fitted furniture that has been developed from first principles around their home, their architecture and the way they live, with every cabinet made to order rather than adapted from a standard range.
How costs are split for a bespoke kitchen
“In most projects, cabinetry represents approximately half of the total kitchen investment because it encompasses design time, detailed joinery drawings, hand-finishing, specialist paint application and installation by experienced fitters," says Richard.
"Kitchen worktops commonly account for between 15 and 25 per cent depending on whether the client selects quartz, granite or marble, particularly if the stone requires complex fabrication or bookmatching.
"Appliances can range from 15 to 30 per cent of the overall spend when brands such as Sub-Zero or La Cornue are introduced," he adds, "and the remaining proportion is generally allocated to kitchen lighting, flooring, internal cabinet mechanisms and preparatory building work."
Charlotte is Kitchen Design Manager at BK Eleven, with a background in hotel interiors and a degree in Interior Design. Since moving into bespoke handmade kitchens in 2014, she has built over 14 years of experience shaping kitchens that resolve day-to-day use as carefully as their visual character
Richard Davonport is a luxury cabinetmaker, designer and the founder and Managing Director of kitchen specialists, Davonport. The company designs and makes bespoke kitchens from its workshop in the heart of East Anglia. He has a vast wealth of experience in kitchen design, layout and creating beautiful kitchens for all type of homes.
Managing new kitchen costs
“The most effective way to keep a bespoke project financially controlled is to establish a clear hierarchy of priorities at the outset, so the investment is directed towards the areas that will deliver daily value, whether that is cabinetry quality, appliance performance or material authenticity," says Richard Davonport. "When layout, appliance specification and structural requirements are resolved before manufacture begins, the process becomes structured and transparent rather than reactive, and that is where true value lies.
"Another key factor is late-stage revision;" he adds. "Once cabinetry has entered production, amendments can have implications across multiple elements, so clarity and decisiveness at sign-off stage are essential."
“From a design perspective, cost control does not have to mean visual compromise," notes Charlotte Butler. "We often guide clients towards concentrating investment in focal areas such as a feature kitchen island or a statement stone surface, while adopting a quieter material for perimeter runs, or combining painted cabinetry with timber veneer rather than specifying a single premium finish throughout. This approach allows the scheme to retain depth and character without elevating every element to the highest price point."
FAQs
Can you buy a kitchen from a trade supplier?
If you're wondering about new kitchen costs if you buy from a trade supplier, such as Benchmarx or Howdens, be aware that you won’t be able to see a price list directly from the brands. Their kitchens need to be purchased through a tradesperson with an active account who will have a discount depending on the amount of kitchens they buy annually.
However, don’t expect to pay the trade price that your tradesperson paid for the kitchen. They’re likely to add a mark-up to the costs they charge you.
That said, it can still mean it's worth considering as an option. I installed a Howden's kitchen in a property as my builder had an account with a good discount. While it wasn't their most premium range, it felt like a better quality option than flat pack, but at a more affordable price.
Can changing kitchen doors be a cheap way to remodel?
Whether you’re looking to upgrade new budget kitchen units, or considering replacing kitchen doors, this is one way of updating your kitchen without the full expense of new kitchen costs.
The average cost for new doors, which tend to be higher quality than those that would be provided by budget kitchen companies, for a medium-sized kitchen, would start from around £800 – £1000, rising to £3,000 – £4,000 for higher quality versions.
Alternatively, if you are happy with the overall design and quality of your kitchen, but simply want to change the colour, you could investigate kitchen respray costs instead.
Charlotte Butler's final advice when budgeting for your new kitchen costs? “It is also prudent to set aside a contingency, often around 10 per cent of the total project value, particularly in older properties where unforeseen issues can emerge once floors or walls are opened up.
"A fully itemised specification, agreed early, combined with close coordination between designer, contractor and trades, provides financial discipline and protects the integrity of the design. When those foundations are in place, a kitchen project becomes far more predictable from both a creative and a cost perspective.”
Seeking additional kitchen layout inspiration? Take a look at these galley kitchen ideas that are perfect for smaller spaces.
