Kitchen Renovation Cost UK 2026: Honest Pricing Breakdown

Quick answer: a typical mid-range kitchen renovation in the UK in 2026 costs £10,000-£20,000 for a standard family-sized kitchen (~12-15m²). Premium kitchens with bespoke joinery, stone worktops and integrated appliances run £25,000-£60,000+. A budget-friendly refresh — same layout, new units, basic appliances — can land around £5,500-£8,500.

Those numbers include units, worktops, appliances, plumbing, electrics, tiling, flooring, plastering, fitting and finish. They exclude knocking walls down, structural work, and anything outside the kitchen footprint.

Budget refresh — £5,500-£8,500. Flat-pack units (Howdens, B&Q, IKEA), laminate worktops, a basic gas hob + single oven, induction-friendly hob if going electric. Same layout as before — saves on plumbing/electrical moves. Sensible if the kitchen layout works and you just want it to look new.

Mid-range — £10,000-£20,000. Where most family kitchen renovations land. Soft-close drawer units, granite or quartz-effect laminate worktops (or budget quartz), induction hob, separate single oven + microwave, full splashback tiling, LVT or porcelain floor tiles, downlighters, integrated dishwasher. Layout tweaks possible — small wall moves, replumbing the sink, adding sockets.

Premium — £25,000-£60,000+. Solid quartz or natural stone worktops, bespoke or in-frame painted units, double oven + steam oven + warming drawer, boiling tap, wine cooler, full breakfast bar / island, herringbone or engineered oak floors, smart lighting on circuits. Layout often changes meaningfully — walls coming out, opening into the dining area, structural steel.

Kitchen units (20-30% of total). A 10m run of flat-pack units lands around £1,500-£2,500. The same run in mid-range soft-close (Howdens trade prices) is £3,500-£5,500. In-frame solid wood is £8,000-£15,000+. This single line item moves the total more than anything else.

Worktops (10-15%). Laminate £200-£400 per linear metre fitted. Quartz £400-£700/m. Granite £500-£900/m. Natural stone (marble, limestone) £700-£1,500/m. A 5m total run is typical in a family kitchen.

Appliances (15-25%). Where the price spread is biggest. £1,200 budget bundle vs £8,000+ premium integrated set. Induction hobs have come down a lot — a decent 4-zone induction is now £300-£500. Single ovens £250-£500 budget, £900-£1,800 premium.

Trade labour (25-35%). West Midlands day rates in 2026: skilled kitchen fitter £200-£280/day, electrician £220-£300/day, plumber £180-£250/day, tiler £160-£220/day, plasterer £180-£240/day. A typical mid-range kitchen needs 12-20 trade days across all skills.

Tiling, flooring, decoration (8-12%). Wall tiles £30-£70/m² supplied, £40-£60/m² to fit. Porcelain floor tiles £35-£80/m² supplied. LVT £25-£50/m² supplied + ~£20/m² to fit.

Skip + waste removal (1-2%). Always there, always forgotten in DIY budgets. A small skip lands around £230-£330 in 2026 across the West Midlands.

A standard mid-range kitchen with same-layout refit: 8-12 working days for the fit, plus 2-3 days for tiling and decoration on top.

If you're moving plumbing or electrics: add 1-2 days.

If you're knocking through a wall (typical kitchen-diner opening): add another 1-2 weeks for structural work, RSJ, building control sign-off and re-plastering.

Full premium kitchen with structural changes: 6-10 weeks start to finish. You'll be without a working kitchen for the bulk of it — plan a temporary cooking station and accept the takeaway bill.

Waste disposal of the old kitchen. Most quotes assume you'll deal with it. Either £200-£400 in skip hire, or factor in a couple of trips to the tip.

Replumbing for an island. Adding an island sink or hob means running services through the floor — much easier on a ground floor with a void underneath than upstairs over a concrete slab. Can add £600-£1,500.

Electrical upgrade. Modern kitchens want a lot of circuits — induction hob (dedicated 32A), oven, integrated appliances, lighting on multiple circuits. If your consumer unit is old or full, you may need a board change. £400-£800.

Making good neighbouring rooms. New kitchen floor doesn't end neatly at the door — the join into the hallway/dining room often needs threshold work or matching the new level. Easily missed in initial quotes.

Building Control for structural changes. A wall coming out requires Building Control sign-off (~£300-£600) and proper steel calcs from a structural engineer (£300-£500). Not optional.

Pick a mainstream unit range over fully bespoke. Howdens, Magnet and Wren mid-range carcasses with upgraded handles and end panels can look high-end at half the bespoke price.

Quartz lookalike laminate worktops. Mid-range laminates (Egger, Bushboard) now do quartz-effect surfaces that pass for the real thing at 6 feet. £200-£300/m vs £500+/m for actual quartz.

Keep the layout. Every wall move adds plumbing and electrical cost. If the existing layout works, work with it.

Integrated only what you need. Integrated dishwasher and fridge-freezer are worth it. Integrated microwave or wine cooler often isn't — freestanding equivalents do the same job for less.

Buy appliances yourself in sales. A reputable fitter doesn't mind. Black Friday and January sales drop premium ovens 30-40%.

Worktops. They take the most abuse. A cheap laminate that buckles in 3 years costs you more than upgrading once at the start.

Electrics. Outsource to a Part P registered electrician, get the certificates, sleep easy. Don't let a general builder do it.

Tiling. A bad tiler shows on every wall every day. Spend the £160-£220/day on someone who actually cares about their lines.

The hood/extractor. Cheap recirculation hoods are useless. A properly ducted extractor to outside is the difference between a kitchen that's pleasant to cook in and one that smells of last week.