Kitchen fitters in the UK charge £150 to £250 per day, or £20 to £40 per hour, with rates in London running £200 to £300+ per day. For a full kitchen installation, expect to pay £1,500 to £3,500 in labour for an average-sized kitchen, on top of the cost of the units, worktops and appliances themselves.
Those are national averages, though, what you pay depends on the size of your kitchen, the worktop material, whether plumbing or electrics need moving, and where in the country you live. Here in the North East, labour rates tend to sit at the lower-to-middle end of the national range, which is one reason a new kitchen in Sunderland often costs noticeably less than the same kitchen fitted in the South.
This guide breaks down exactly what kitchen fitters charge in 2026, per day, per unit and per job, what’s included in a quote (and what isn’t), and how to avoid the hidden extras that catch homeowners out.
Kitchen fitter charges at a glance
| What you’re paying for | Typical UK price (2026) |
| Kitchen fitter day rate | £150 to £250 per day |
| Kitchen fitter hourly rate | £20 to £40 per hour |
| Labour to fit a small kitchen (6 to 8 units) | £1,000 to £1,800 |
| Labour to fit an average kitchen (10 to 12 units) | £1,800 to £3,000 |
| Labour to fit a large or complex kitchen | £3,000 to £5,000+ |
| Complete new kitchen, supplied and fitted | £5,000 to £15,000+ |
| Fitting cost per unit | £50 to £100 per unit |
Prices are typical ranges compiled from UK trade cost guides and quotes. Always get itemised quotes for your specific kitchen, every job is different.
How much do kitchen fitters charge per day?
Most kitchen fitters charge a day rate of £150 to £250. An experienced, insured fitter in a city will sit at the top of that range; in lower-cost regions you may find good fitters from around £140 to £180 per day.
The day rate usually covers the fitter’s labour and standard tools only. Materials, fixings, worktop fabrication, waste removal and specialist trades (gas, electrics) are charged on top unless your quote says otherwise.
Kitchen fitter day rates by region
| Region | Typical day rate |
| London | £200 to £300+ |
| South East | £180 to £260 |
| Midlands | £160 to £220 |
| North West | £150 to £210 |
| North East (inc. Sunderland, Newcastle, Durham) | £140 to £200 |
| Scotland | £150 to £210 |
| Wales | £140 to £200 |
Regional labour rates are the single biggest reason identical kitchens get wildly different quotes. A 10-unit kitchen that costs £2,800 in labour in Surrey might cost £1,900 in Sunderland.
Day rate or fixed price, how do fitters price a job?
Kitchen fitters price work in one of two ways:
- Fixed-price quote: one agreed figure for the whole installation, based on your kitchen plan. This is the most common approach for full installations and protects you from the job overrunning.
- Day rate: you pay for each day worked. This suits smaller or unpredictable jobs (like a partial refit) but the final bill depends on how long the work takes.
A fair fixed price is essentially day rate × estimated days + margin for materials and contingency. If a quote looks unusually cheap, the fitter has either underestimated the days or plans to charge extras later, both end badly.
Kitchen fitting labour cost for a full installation
For a complete rip-out and refit, the labour alone typically costs:
| Kitchen size | Units | Labour cost | Time on site |
| Small / galley kitchen | 6 to 8 units | £1,000 to £1,800 | 3 to 5 days |
| Average kitchen | 10 to 12 units | £1,800 to £3,000 | 5 to 8 days |
| Large kitchen or open-plan with island | 14+ units | £3,000 to £5,000+ | 8 to 12 days |
Layout matters as much as size. A galley kitchen with services staying where they are is the cheapest to fit. L-shaped and U-shaped kitchens add corner units and worktop joints. A kitchen island adds worktop fabrication, and often new electrics and plumbing under the floor, one of the biggest single additions to a fitting bill.
What’s included in a kitchen fitter’s price, and what’s not
A standard kitchen fitting quote normally includes:
- Fitting base units, wall units and tall units
- Fitting doors, drawer fronts, plinths, cornice, pelmets and end panels
- Fitting laminate worktops (cut on site), including sink and hob cut-outs
- Installing the sink and connecting to existing plumbing
- Housing and fitting integrated appliances
- Adjusting and aligning everything, then sealing worktops and upstands
It usually excludes: and this is where budgets go wrong:
- Removing and disposing of the old kitchen
- Plastering, tiling, flooring and decorating
- Moving plumbing, gas or electrics
- Stone worktops (quartz/granite are templated and fitted by a specialist fabricator)
- Appliance electrical connections and gas hob connection
Always ask the fitter to list exclusions in writing on the quote.
First fix and second fix, explained
Trades split kitchen work into two stages.
First fix is the plumbing and electrical routing done before the units go in (new socket positions, moved sink waste, appliance circuits).
Second fix is connecting taps, appliances and sockets after the units and worktops are fitted. If your new layout moves anything, you’re paying for both visits, which is why relocating a sink or hob adds several hundred pounds to a job.
Itemised kitchen fitting costs: units, worktops, sinks and appliances
If you only need part of the job done, these are the typical stand-alone prices:
| Job | Typical cost (labour) |
| Fitting kitchen units | £50 to £100 per unit |
| Fitting a laminate worktop | £150 to £300 |
| Quartz or granite worktop, supplied, templated and fitted | £1,500 to £4,000 (via fabricator) |
| Solid wood worktop fitting | £250 to £450 |
| Fitting a kitchen sink and tap | £100 to £250 |
| Fitting a glass or tiled splashback | £150 to £400 |
| Kitchen wall tiling | £40 to £60 per m² |
| Fitting an integrated dishwasher or washing machine | £70 to £150 each |
| Connecting a gas hob (Gas Safe engineer) | £80 to £150 |
| Installing an electric oven (hard-wired) | £80 to £160 |
| Fitting an extractor fan / cooker hood | £100 to £250 (more if new ducting is needed) |
| Replacing kitchen doors and drawer fronts only | £400 to £1,000 labour |
A note on stone worktops: quartz and granite can’t be cut on site. A fabricator visits to laser-template once your units are in, then returns to fit the finished stone 5 to 10 days later. Factor that gap into your timeline, you’ll be without a full worktop in between.
Extra costs that catch people out
These are the lines that turn a £2,000 quote into a £3,500 final bill if nobody mentions them upfront:
- Old kitchen removal: £250 to £500, plus skip hire at £150 to £250
- Plastering after the rip-out (old kitchens hide bad walls): £150 to £450
- Moving the sink or appliance plumbing: £300 to £800
- New sockets or circuits: electrical work in kitchens is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, so it must be done or certified by a qualified electrician, budget £100 to £200 per new socket, £1,000 to £2,500 for a kitchen rewire
- Moving a boiler: £500 to £1,500+, needing a Gas Safe registered engineer
- Removing a wall to go open-plan: £1,250 to £3,500+ if it’s load-bearing (structural calculations, steel beam and building regs approval required)
- Flooring: £300 to £1,000+ depending on material and whether it goes under the units
The rule of thumb: keep the sink, hob and boiler where they are and your fitting bill stays close to the averages. Move services around and every trade on the job charges more.
Supply and fit vs labour-only: which is cheaper?
There are two ways to buy a new kitchen:
Supply and fit: one company supplies the kitchen and installs it for a single price. You get one point of responsibility: if a unit arrives damaged or a door drops out of alignment, the same company fixes it. This is how most kitchen showrooms (and firms like us) work, and a complete supplied-and-fitted kitchen typically runs £5,000 to £15,000+ depending on range and size.
Labour-only (fit-only): you buy the kitchen yourself and hire an independent fitter. It can work out cheaper on paper, but you become the project manager: you check deliveries, order missing parts, and sit in the middle if the fitter says the units are the problem and the supplier says the fitting is. Missing or damaged parts are the number-one cause of stalled fit-only installations.
Brand-specific fitting costs (IKEA, Howdens, Wren, B&Q, Wickes)
- IKEA (Metod): flat-pack, so every cabinet must be assembled before it’s hung, expect fitters to quote 20 to 40% more days than for rigid units. Typical fitting: £1,500 to £3,000.
- Howdens: trade-only. Howdens sells through your fitter or builder, who quotes you a combined price. Quality rigid units, but always ask for the kitchen and labour itemised separately.
- Wren Kitchens: rigid units with Wren’s own installation service or your independent fitter; installation commonly adds £2,000 to £4,000+ to the kitchen price.
- B&Q / Wickes: retail kitchens with optional in-house installation, typically £2,000 to £4,000 depending on size, get an independent quote to compare.
- DIY Kitchens (online): supply-only rigid units, popular with homeowners hiring their own fitter.
How long does it take to fit a kitchen?
A straightforward average kitchen takes 5 to 8 working days to fit. A small kitchen with no layout changes can be done in 3 to 5 days; a large open-plan project with structural work, re-plastering and stone worktops can take 3 to 4 weeks end to end.
Typical order of work: rip-out → first-fix plumbing and electrics → plastering → flooring (sometimes) → base units → wall units → worktop (or templating, then fitting a week later) → sink and appliances → second fix → tiling, splashback and sealing → snagging.
Plan to be without a working kitchen for most of that time, a temporary washing-up station and a microwave in another room saves a lot of takeaways.
Quotes, deposits and VAT: what’s normal
- Quotes should be free. Reputable fitters and kitchen companies don’t charge to price up a job.
- Get 2 to 3 itemised quotes. An itemised quote lists units, worktop, labour, and exclusions separately, a single round number tells you nothing.
- Deposits of 10 to 25% are normal for booking and materials. Be wary of anyone wanting most of the money upfront, and never pay large sums in cash for a discount, you lose your paper trail and usually your consumer protection.
- Agree a payment schedule for bigger jobs: deposit, a stage payment mid-job, and the balance after snagging is complete.
- Check whether VAT is included. VAT-registered firms add 20%; a sole-trader fitter under the VAT threshold may not charge it. Quotes that don’t state the VAT position aren’t comparable.
How to find a good kitchen fitter (and avoid the cowboys)
Whether you use a local kitchen company or an independent fitter, check the same things:
- Proof of public liability insurance: no insurance, no job.
- Recent local references or reviews: ask to see photos of the last two or three kitchens, or read their Google and Checkatrade reviews.
- Accreditations: TrustMark endorsement or BiKBBI (British Institute of KBB Installation) membership are strong signals; gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer and electrics by a Part P qualified electrician.
- A written, itemised quote with exclusions listed.
- Lead time: good fitters are booked 4 to 8 weeks ahead. Someone who can start tomorrow at half the price of everyone else is a red flag, not a bargain.
How to save money on kitchen fitting
- Keep the layout. Leaving the sink, hob and boiler where they are avoids first-fix costs entirely.
- Do your own rip-out and disposal: saves £400 to £700 if you’re able.
- Choose laminate worktops: they’re cut on site, avoiding fabricator costs and the templating delay.
- Replace doors and worktops instead of the whole kitchen if your carcasses are sound, a facelift costs a fraction of a full refit.
- Fit in stages: units and worktop first, tiling and decorating later.
- Time it right: January sales and quieter winter months often bring better kitchen prices and fitter availability.
- Compare supply-and-fit against buying separately: with delivery, extras and your time factored in, a local supply-and-fit quote is often closer than you’d expect, with far less risk.
Can I fit a kitchen myself?
A competent DIYer can assemble and hang units, fit a laminate worktop and attach doors and plinths. But you legally can’t connect a gas hob (Gas Safe engineers only), notifiable electrical work needs a qualified electrician under Part P, and scribing worktop joints or end panels neatly is genuinely skilled work. Most DIY kitchen budgets should still include a plumber, an electrician and, honestly, a fitter’s day rate to rescue the tricky bits.
Is a new kitchen worth it?
A well-fitted new kitchen is consistently ranked among the best-value home improvements in the UK, typically adding around 5 to 10% to a property’s value and making it noticeably easier to sell. Buyers judge kitchens on finish as much as style, which is exactly what good fitting delivers: aligned doors, tight worktop joints, sealed edges and appliances that sit flush.
Kitchen fitter charges in Sunderland and the North East
Because North East labour rates sit at the friendlier end of the national scale, a fully fitted kitchen in Sunderland, Washington, Seaham, Durham or South Tyneside generally costs less than the UK averages above, often by 10 to 20% on the labour. At Kitchens Sunderland we supply and fit as one team, so you get a single itemised price covering the kitchen, the fitting and the finishing, with no mystery extras mid-job. Get a free, no-obligation quote here and we’ll price your exact kitchen, not a national average.