How to Price a Full Kitchen Fit: Supply and Fit vs Fit Only Labour Rates

Quick Answer: A full UK kitchen fit in 2026 prices £4,500–£12,500 fit-only labour for a typical 8–12 unit kitchen, plus the supply cost of units, worktops, and appliances. Supply-and-fit packages from volume retailers (B&Q, Howdens via builder, Wickes) bundle units and labour at £8,000–£25,000; bespoke or in-frame kitchens run £25,000–£80,000+. Fit-only labour for a competent kitchen fitter runs £280–£480 day rate, with a typical 8–12 unit kitchen taking 5–10 working days. Kitchen electrical alterations are notifiable under Building Regulations Part P (special location around the sink); gas hob installation requires a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Summary

Kitchen pricing splits into two world-views that homeowners and tradespeople routinely confuse. Supply-and-fit is what the high-street retailers sell — Wickes, Howdens (via approved builders), Wren, Magnet, B&Q. The price covers units, worktops, panels, sink, tap, fitting, and a managed install. The labour is hidden inside the package; the homeowner sees one number. Fit-only is what an independent kitchen fitter sells — they install kitchens supplied by anyone (the homeowner buys the trade kitchen direct from Howdens, IKEA, DIY Kitchens, or a continental supplier). The fitter's labour is itemised; the homeowner sees their materials cost separately.

For a typical 8–12 unit family kitchen, fit-only labour is £4,500–£12,500. Add £3,500–£15,000 for budget-to-mid trade units (DIY Kitchens, IKEA, Howdens trade), and the total is £8,000–£27,500. A supply-and-fit Wickes or Wren package on the same kitchen is typically £15,000–£35,000 — comparable when the retailer's unit pricing matches trade pricing. The retailer's premium pays for the design service, the project management, and the warranty bundling. The independent fitter's cost is lower because the homeowner takes on the procurement and project management.

The single biggest pricing lever is bespoke vs flat-pack vs trade rigid. A flat-pack IKEA Metod kitchen at £3,500 supplied delivers a 10-unit kitchen for the price of two trade rigid units. A trade rigid kitchen (Howdens, Magnet, DIY Kitchens) is built and arrives ready-to-fit, takes less labour to install, and is typically warrantied 25 years. A bespoke in-frame painted kitchen is built to drawing, hand-painted, costs 4–10× a trade rigid, and is the right answer for older properties with non-standard dimensions or for clients who want a specific aesthetic. Pricing the labour the same across all three is wrong — flat-pack fit takes 30–50% longer than rigid; bespoke takes 10–25% longer than rigid for snagging and adjustment.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

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Kitchen tier Units 8–12 supply Worktop typical Fit labour Total
Flat-pack budget (IKEA Metod) £2,500–£6,000 £400–£1,200 laminate £4,500–£8,500 £7,400–£15,700
Trade rigid budget (DIY Kitchens, Howdens basic) £3,500–£8,000 £600–£1,800 laminate or wood £4,500–£8,500 £8,600–£18,300
Trade rigid mid (Howdens trade, Magnet) £6,000–£12,000 £1,000–£3,500 quartz/granite £5,500–£10,500 £12,500–£26,000
Volume retailer mid (Wickes, Wren) £10,000–£20,000 supplied-and-fitted £1,500–£4,500 quartz included £14,500–£29,500
Premium retailer (John Lewis of Hungerford, Tom Howley) £25,000–£60,000 £3,500–£10,000 stone £8,500–£14,500 £37,000–£85,000
Bespoke in-frame painted £35,000–£90,000+ £4,500–£15,000 £10,500–£18,500 £50,000–£125,000
German engineered (Schüller, Nobilia, Häcker) £15,000–£35,000 £2,500–£8,000 £6,500–£12,500 £24,000–£55,500

Detailed Guidance

Supply-and-fit vs fit-only — which model the homeowner should choose

Supply-and-fit is right for homeowners who want a single point of accountability. The retailer designs the kitchen, takes the order, manages delivery, books the fitters, and sorts snagging. The premium is typically 20–40% over the equivalent fit-only route — but the saved homeowner time is real, and the project-management warranty is a genuine value. Volume retailers (Wickes, Wren, B&Q, Magnet) specialise in this model.

Fit-only is right for homeowners who want to choose their own units and tradespeople. The homeowner buys the kitchen direct from a trade supplier (Howdens via account holder, DIY Kitchens, IKEA, continental importer) and engages a fitter or general builder for installation. This route is typically 15–35% cheaper than supply-and-fit on equivalent materials. The trade-off: the homeowner manages procurement, delivery slots, and snagging accountability.

Howdens trade-only is a hybrid. Howdens sells exclusively through trade accounts. A homeowner cannot walk in and buy. The homeowner appoints a builder or fitter who has a Howdens account; the fitter buys the kitchen at trade price and either marks up modestly or passes through at cost. The premium over DIY Kitchens (a direct-to-consumer supplier of similar trade rigid product) is usually £500–£2,000 on a typical 10-unit kitchen but Howdens scores on local depot availability and rapid replacements.

Day-rate labour — what's actually included

A kitchen fitter at £280–£480 per day covers:

Excluded from the kitchen fitter's day rate, requiring separate trades:

Most kitchen fitters operate as a multi-trade or with a paired plumber/electrician. A two-trade fit team (carpenter-fitter + plumber, or fitter + electrician) covers 80% of installations without bringing in additional trades. For stone worktops, the fitter typically pauses, the stone fitter templates and installs, then the kitchen fitter returns to finish.

Programme — the typical 5–10 day fit

Day-by-day for an 8–12 unit kitchen on a normal property (no structural change):

Day 1   STRIP-OUT          → remove old kitchen, isolate gas/water/electric
                              skip on driveway (8 yd typical)
                              floor and wall inspection
Day 2   FIRST-FIX SERVICES → re-route plumbing for new sink position,
                              electrical first-fix for new appliances,
                              extractor duct run if vented
Day 3   WALL PREP          → patching, levelling floor if required,
                              waterproof board behind sink and hob area
Day 4   BASE UNITS         → set out, level, fix to wall/floor
                              run waste pipework behind units
Day 5   WALL UNITS         → height-set, level, secure
                              cornice and pelmet first pass
Day 6   WORKTOP TEMPLATE   → laminate cut and fit on day, OR
                              stone template (returns Day 8 for fit)
Day 7   APPLIANCES         → build in oven, dishwasher, fridge, hob
                              electrical second-fix, gas connection
Day 8   STONE FIT          → only if stone worktop — full day
Day 9   SINK, TAP, SPLASH  → plumbing second-fix, splashback fit
                              tiling if metro tile splashback
Day 10  SNAG               → align doors, adjust hinges, silicone,
                              final clean, handover

Add 1–2 days for any layout change involving a moved sink or appliance. Add 2–3 days for any electrical re-route requiring a new cooker circuit. Add 3–5 days for structural change (removing wall, installing RSJ — see RSJ installation pricing).

Worktop choice — material, edge profile, fitting method

Worktop drives the kitchen's perceived value as much as the units. The homeowner often spends 30–50% of the kitchen budget on worktop and splashback — and gets it wrong as often as right.

Laminate — £45–£110 per linear metre fitted. Cheapest, widely available, easy to repair. Can be cut and edged on site by the kitchen fitter without specialist tools. 12-year typical lifespan to visible wear. See kitchen worktop comparison.

Solid wood (oak, beech, walnut) — £140–£320 per linear metre fitted. Warm, traditional appearance. Requires oiling at install and annually. Not heat-resistant — sets coffee rings and burn marks. Best for kitchens with moderate heavy-cooking use.

Quartz (engineered stone) — £350–£700 per linear metre fitted. Non-porous, scratch-resistant, heat-resistant to 150 °C continuous (avoid pans direct from hob). Templated and cut off-site by stone fitter, fitted in 1 day. The most popular mid-to-premium choice in 2026.

Granite (natural stone) — £300–£550 per linear metre fitted. Heat-resistant, scratch-resistant, requires sealing every 1–2 years. Heavy — can require unit reinforcement. Natural variation means each piece is unique.

Solid surface (Corian, Hi-Macs) — £350–£600 per linear metre fitted. Seamless joints, undermount sinks integrated, repairable scratches. Heat-resistant only to 100 °C — not for direct hot-pan placement.

Compact laminate (Fenix, Dekton) — £400–£900 per linear metre fitted. Ultra-thin (8–12 mm), modern aesthetic. Heat-resistant, scratch-resistant, expensive.

Always quote worktop separately from units. The 5–10× price spread between laminate and Dekton makes a single bundled "worktop allowance" misleading.

Plumbing — sink, dishwasher, washing machine connections

Kitchen plumbing connections are typically £180–£480 in labour for a typical install:

The waste pipe run is the variable. A new-build kitchen with a soil stack on the wall behind the sink is straightforward — 1 m of 40 mm waste, single trap. A kitchen island with a pumped drain to a remote stack is a different problem — pumped waste systems (Saniflo, Sanikit) cost £280–£500 for the unit plus 2–3 hours' labour. See sink and appliance plumbing requirements.

Gas hob — Gas Safe sign-off

A gas hob installation must be performed by a Gas Safe Registered engineer. The engineer:

Cost £150–£280 for the gas connection on an existing installation; £280–£550 if a new gas tap or pipework extension is needed. The kitchen fitter cannot perform any gas work without Gas Safe registration — this is a separate engagement.

For induction or electric hobs, no Gas Safe involvement; the work is electrical only.

Electrical — cooker circuit and Part P

Most kitchens require:

Part P notification triggers in the kitchen for: any new circuit, any work in the area within 600 mm horizontally of a sink (the "special location" zone for kitchen — narrower than bathroom but still notifiable). A registered electrician self-certifies via NICEIC/NAPIT/ELECSA. See kitchen electrical layout and notification triggers.

Extractor — recirculate vs vent

Extractor specification has Part F implications. The 2021 update to Approved Document F sets a minimum of 30 L/s ducted (or 60 L/s above the hob) for kitchens. Two routes:

Vent route adds an external wall vent (£40–£120 for the cap and grille) and 2–4 m of 150 mm rigid duct (£40–£90). For most kitchens, vented is the better long-term choice; recirculating is the fall-back where external venting is impractical (interior wall, party wall constraints). See kitchen ventilation Part F requirements.

Snagging allowance

Every kitchen has snagging — door alignment, soft-close adjustment, drawer runner alignment, silicone retouching, plinth refit after appliance installation. Allow 0.5–1 day of fitter time after the customer "moves in" for snagging visits. Honest quotes show this as a line item rather than an open-ended return commitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to fit a kitchen UK 2026?

For a typical 8–12 unit family kitchen, fit-only labour is £4,500–£12,500 for 5–10 days. Add £3,500–£15,000 for trade rigid units, plus worktop (£600–£4,500), plus appliances (£800–£5,000), plus splashback and tiling (£300–£1,000). Total fit-only route is £9,000–£27,500. Supply-and-fit volume retailer route on the same scope is £15,000–£35,000.

Why is supply-and-fit more expensive than fit-only?

The retailer is bundling design service, project management, supply chain warranty, and the fitting subcontractor's profit margin. Their unit pricing typically matches trade pricing, but the embedded labour and margin layers add 15–40%. The premium pays for a single point of accountability and a managed install. Independent fit-only is the cheapest route for homeowners willing to do their own procurement.

How long does a kitchen install take?

5–10 working days for a typical 8–12 unit kitchen with no structural change. Add 2–3 days for layout changes (sink moved, appliance moved). Add 3–5 days for structural changes (wall removed). Add 1 day for stone worktop installation (templating + return-to-fit). Customers should plan to be without a kitchen for 2–3 weeks calendar time including delivery and snagging.

Do I need a Gas Safe engineer for the hob?

Yes for any gas hob — the connection, isolation valve, and tightness test must be performed and certified by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Induction and electric hobs do not need Gas Safe — they are electrical only and require Part P sign-off if a new circuit is added.

What's included in a Howdens supply-and-fit price?

Howdens does not sell direct to consumers. The "Howdens kitchen" the homeowner sees has been bought by a builder or kitchen fitter at trade price and resold-with-fitting to the homeowner. The package typically covers units, doors, hinges, drawer boxes, plinth, cornice, pelmet, end panels, and the labour to fit. Worktop, sink, tap, and appliances are usually separate line items. Check the quote line by line.

Regulations & Standards