What Actually Drives the Cost of a Kitchen Refurbishment

Ask three contractors to quote the same kitchen and you can get three very different numbers. That is not always a sign someone is overcharging. Kitchens genuinely vary, and the spread comes down to a handful of factors. Knowing them helps you read a quote properly and budget with your eyes open.

Structural work is the biggest swing. A like-for-like kitchen replacement is a contained job. The moment you open a wall to go open-plan, you are into structural design, a steel beam, building warrant coordination, and making good on two rooms instead of one. That is a different scale of project, and it should be quoted as one.

Specification is the next factor. Cabinetry, worktops, appliances and tiling span an enormous range. The carcass and doors, the worktop material, whether appliances are integrated, the tile choice. Each one moves the number. A good contractor will talk you through where spend genuinely shows and where it does not.

Then there is the work around the kitchen that people forget to budget for: flooring, electrical alterations, plastering, decoration and lighting design. A kitchen is rarely just units. It is the whole room being brought up to standard at the same time.

Finally, the condition of what is already there. Old wiring, failed plumbing, uneven floors or damp all add scope that is invisible until strip-out. This is why a proper site visit before quoting matters: it is the difference between a fixed price you can rely on and a number that creeps.

We quote every kitchen after a site visit, itemised so you can see exactly what each part of the scope contributes. Plan your build with us and we will give you a clear, honest breakdown for your specific kitchen.