New Kitchen Cost UK: A 2026 Renovation Price Guide

Kitchen renovation cost is the first thing anyone asks about and the hardest thing to pin down, because a “new kitchen” can mean anything from swapping doors on the existing carcasses to knocking through a wall for a bespoke island. For 2026, a mid-range fitted kitchen in the UK typically lands between £12,000 and £25,000 all in, with budget refits starting nearer £8,000 and high-end or bespoke projects running from £35,000 well into six figures. This guide breaks the number down so you can see where the money goes, what fitting adds on top, and why a London kitchen costs noticeably more than the same units in Yorkshire.

The headline price bands for 2026

Kitchens fall into fairly consistent tiers. These figures cover a typical project including units, worktops, appliances, fitting, plumbing, electrics, tiling and decoration for an average-sized kitchen.

The spread inside each band is real. Two mid-range kitchens can be £10,000 apart depending on worktop choice, appliance brands and how much building work is involved.

Where the money actually goes

It helps to see the budget split, because it shows you the levers you can pull.

• Cabinets and units (30 to 40%). The single biggest line. Flat-pack is cheapest, rigid (pre-built) units cost more, and in-frame or bespoke cabinetry sits at the top.
• Worktops (10 to 20%). Laminate is the budget choice; quartz, granite and solid surfaces cost several times more. This is one of the easiest places to move your total up or down.
• Appliances (10 to 20%). An oven, hob, extractor, fridge and dishwasher add up fast, and premium integrated models can double this line.
• Fitting and labour (around 20 to 25%). The UK average for fitting a new kitchen sits around £3,500, but that rises sharply with any building work.
• Plumbing, electrics, tiling and decorating (10 to 20%). Often underestimated. Moving a sink or adding sockets means more first-fix work.

If your quote comes in high, worktops and appliances are usually where the flex is, not the cabinets.

What fitting and building work add

The units are only part of the story. Labour and building work are where budgets quietly balloon.

A straightforward swap, where the new kitchen goes back in the same layout, keeps fitting costs down. The moment you change the layout, the cost climbs: moving plumbing for a relocated sink, adding a run of sockets, replastering, new flooring, or taking out a wall for an open-plan look all add labour and often bring in a structural engineer or building control. Removing a load-bearing wall needs building regulations approval, and the government’s planning portal guidance explains when it applies. If you are considering opening the space up, our kitchen extension ideas guide covers what that adds, and knocking through is a separate cost again.

Keep the layout and you save thousands. Change it, and be realistic that the building work can rival the cost of the kitchen itself.

Why London costs more

Labour rates and demand mean London and the South East typically run 20 to 35% higher than the national average for the same specification. A mid-range kitchen that costs £18,000 in the Midlands can be £24,000 or more in inner London, driven almost entirely by fitting and trade rates rather than the units themselves.

That is worth planning for if you are in the capital. Our London-specific guides to kitchen interior design cost and the broader cost per room put kitchen spend in context alongside the rest of a home project.

How to bring the cost down without it looking cheap

You do not have to spend at the top of a band to get a kitchen that looks expensive. The reliable savings:

• Keep the existing layout so plumbing and electrics stay where they are.
• Choose a cheaper worktop in a good colour. A well-chosen laminate or a mid-price quartz reads far better than a bargain stone in the wrong shade.
• Mix appliance tiers. Spend on the oven and hob you use daily; save on the ones you do not.
• Consider replacing doors and worktops only if the carcasses are sound. Our kitchen cabinet doors guide explains when a door-and-worktop refresh beats a full rip-out.
• Paint rather than replace dated but solid units. A repaint plus new handles transforms a kitchen for a fraction of a refit.

When an interior designer is worth it

For a straightforward like-for-like kitchen, you may not need a designer. For a larger renovation, an open-plan reconfiguration, or a high-end project where mistakes are expensive, a designer usually earns their fee back through better space planning, trade discounts and fewer costly changes mid-build. We cover the numbers in how much an interior designer costs in London, including how design fees work as a percentage of project value.

A realistic budget checklist

Before you commit, price these separately so nothing surprises you:

1. Units and cabinetry
2. Worktops and splashbacks
3. Sink, tap and appliances
4. Fitting labour
5. Plumbing and electrics (allow more if moving anything)
6. Flooring, tiling, plastering and decorating
7. Any structural or building work
8. A 10 to 15% contingency, because older homes hide surprises

Add those up and you have a real number rather than a showroom headline. For the rest of the home, our companion guide on small kitchen design ideas shows how to get more from a compact space without pushing the budget up.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a new kitchen cost in the UK in 2026? A mid-range fitted kitchen typically costs £12,000 to £25,000 all in, including units, worktops, appliances and fitting. Budget refits start around £8,000, high-end kitchens run £35,000 to £60,000, and fully bespoke projects begin near £50,000 and can exceed £100,000. London and the South East sit 20 to 35% higher than the national average.

How much does it cost just to fit a kitchen? The UK average for fitting a new kitchen is around £3,500, covering the installation labour but not the units, appliances or building work. That figure rises significantly if you change the layout, move plumbing or electrics, or add plastering, flooring and tiling, which are separate trades.

What is the biggest cost in a kitchen renovation? Cabinets and units are usually the biggest single cost, taking 30 to 40% of the budget. Worktops, appliances and fitting labour each take a smaller share. Worktops and appliances are the easiest places to raise or lower your total, because cabinet costs are more fixed by the size of the room.

Can you get a new kitchen for £5,000? It is possible for a small kitchen if you keep the existing layout, choose flat-pack units and laminate worktops, reuse or buy budget appliances, and do some of the work yourself. For an average-sized kitchen with fitting included, £8,000 is a more realistic floor for a full replacement.

Does a new kitchen add value to your home? A well-planned kitchen in keeping with the property generally helps a sale and can add value, but overspending relative to the home’s price rarely returns the full outlay. The safest approach is to match the kitchen’s quality to the value and style of the house rather than fitting a luxury kitchen into a modest property.