Kitchen fitting in the UK typically costs around £3,500 in labour, not including the kitchen itself. Expect roughly £2,200 for a small kitchen and £4,600 for a large one, with fitters charging £250 to £350 a day. That's the headline number. What it actually covers, and what gets added on top, is where most budgets go wrong.
At Oak & Pine by Design, we make handmade kitchens in our Honley workshop and install them ourselves. Here's how fitting costs really break down, and the questions worth asking before you sign anything.
How much does it cost to fit a kitchen in 2026?
These are typical UK labour costs for fitting only, based on 2026 industry price guides:
| Kitchen size | Typical fitting cost | Typical time on site |
|---|---|---|
| Small (galley or compact) | around £2,200 | a few days |
| Average | around £3,500 | up to two weeks |
| Large or complex | around £4,600 and up | one to two weeks, or more |
Most fitters charge by the day, usually £250 to £350, or around £37 an hour. So the real driver of your bill isn't the number of cupboards. It's how many days the job takes, and that depends on how straightforward your room is.
What does a kitchen fitter's price usually include?
A standard fitting quote normally covers:
- Removing the old units (check whether taking them away is included)
- Assembling and fixing the new cabinets, level and square
- Hanging doors and drawer fronts, and adjusting them
- Fitting worktops, including cut-outs for the sink and hob
- Plinths, end panels, cornice and handles
- Fitting integrated appliances into their housings
That's the fitter's trade. Everything below is usually priced separately.
What costs extra on top of fitting?
This is the part that catches people out. Most new kitchens also need other trades:
- Plumber: around £40 to £60 an hour, or £325 to £375 a day
- Electrician: a full kitchen rewire is around £1,000
- Gas Safe engineer: legally required to disconnect or connect any gas appliance
- Plasterer: around £1,100 for a small room, £1,900 for a large one
- Decorator: around £325 a day, or about £450 to paint a room
- Waste removal: a builder's skip is around £320 a week
Add those up and a £3,500 fitting job can easily become a much larger project. The quote that looks cheapest is often the one that leaves the most out.
Why do fitting quotes vary so much?
Two kitchens with the same number of units can take very different amounts of time to fit. The main reasons:
- Old walls. Yorkshire stone cottages and terraces often have walls that aren't straight and floors that aren't level. Standard units then have to be packed, shimmed and scribed to fit, which adds time.
- Moving things. Relocating the sink, hob or gas supply brings in plumbing, electrics and making good.
- Worktops. Stone needs templating and a specialist. Solid wood can be cut and fitted on site.
- Units arriving flat. If the fitter has to assemble every cabinet first, you're paying for those hours.
Planning a kitchen in an older home? Talk to Daniel about your room before you buy units that won't fit it.
Should you buy the kitchen and fitting from one company?
It's usually far less stressful. When you buy units from one place and hire a separate fitter, nobody owns the problem if a door won't line up or a unit is short. The supplier blames the fitter, and the fitter blames the units.
With a handmade kitchen from us, that gap doesn't exist. We design your kitchen to the exact measurements of your room, build it by hand in our Honley workshop, and then install it. Our master craftsman, Daniel Fitzpatrick, oversees every kitchen from the first drawing to the final fitting.
Because the units are made for your walls, there's far less packing and scribing on site. Every piece leaves the workshop hand-finished and ready to fit.
Our clients notice the difference. As Rich Armstrong put it: "The day he came to measure up I knew that he was the right man for the job. He kept me up to date with the project and when he came to fit it he was very professional."
How long does it take to fit a kitchen?
A small, simple kitchen can be fitted in a few days. A medium to large kitchen usually takes one to two weeks, and longer if there's plastering, rewiring or new flooring involved.
A handmade kitchen has one extra stage: the making. Your kitchen is built in our workshop before we arrive, and you're welcome to visit and see it take shape. Your written proposal sets out the likely timescales from the start, so you can plan around the days you'll be without a kitchen. You can see each step on our design-to-installation process page.
How to get a fair kitchen fitting quote
- Get it in writing, itemised, so you can compare like for like.
- Ask what's excluded: waste removal, plumbing, electrics, plastering, decorating.
- Ask who's responsible if a unit, door or worktop doesn't fit.
- Check the timescale and how many days you'll be without a working kitchen.
- Look at previous work and read real reviews.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to fit a kitchen, labour only?
Typically around £3,500 for an average UK kitchen, ranging from about £2,200 for a small kitchen to £4,600 for a large one. Plumbing, electrics, plastering and waste removal are usually extra.
How much do kitchen fitters charge per day?
Most charge £250 to £350 a day, or around £37 an hour. Rates vary with experience and location.
Do kitchen fitters remove the old kitchen?
Usually, yes, and it's normally included. Taking the waste away often isn't, so check. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer can legally disconnect a gas appliance.
Do you install the kitchens you make?
Yes. We install the kitchens we make in Honley, with Daniel overseeing every step through to installation. We've travelled as far as Durham to fit a handmade oak kitchen.
Get a kitchen that's made to fit, and fitted by its makers
Whether you want Shaker, hand-painted or solid oak, one team designs it, builds it and fits it. Your first consultation with Daniel is free, and you'll get a detailed written proposal covering everything through to installation before anything is built.
Visit our workshop and showroom at Unit 3, Crossley Mills, Honley, HD9 6PL to see our handmade kitchens up close.
Book a showroom visit or call 01484 666 333.