The hidden costs of a new kitchen
The quote for the units is where a new kitchen begins, not where it ends. Here is what sits between the showroom price and the finished, working room — and how to budget the true total.
What the sticker leaves out
Oven, hob, extractor, fridge, dishwasher and washing machine are often specified but not fully included in the units quote, and integrated models cost more than freestanding ones.
The surface can be a large line of its own — stone, solid or composite worktops are templated and fitted separately from the cabinets, and the material choice moves the cost sharply.
Moving a sink, adding sockets, wiring appliances and any changes to pipework are trade jobs on top of the kitchen itself, and older homes often need more than expected.
Splashbacks, wall tiling and a new floor are usually separate from the kitchen quote, covering both materials and the labour to fit them.
Making good the walls and ceiling after the old kitchen comes out, then decorating, is a real stage between fitting and finishing that quotes often omit.
Ripping out the old kitchen and disposing of packaging and rubble means skip hire or removal charges that are easy to forget.
The fitter’s labour is frequently quoted apart from the units, and delays — a worktop template that adds days, a trade waiting on another — can stretch the timeline and the cost.
Why the units quote misleads
A kitchen showroom quote covers the cabinets, and sometimes some appliances, but a finished, working kitchen also needs worktops, plumbing and electrics, tiling and flooring, plastering and decorating, waste removal and fitting labour — much of it bought from separate trades. These stages routinely add up to a large share of the total, so two kitchens with similar unit quotes can finish at very different real costs. Comparing on the units alone is exactly the mistake that turns a tidy showroom figure into a much bigger final bill.
How to work out your true total
Start from the units quote, then add the appliances you actually need, worktops in your chosen material, plumbing and electrical work, tiling and flooring, plastering and painting, skip or waste removal, and the fitter’s labour — plus a contingency for the delays and surprises that older homes in particular tend to reveal once the old kitchen is out. For a sourced, dated figure on specific options, run it through the calculator rather than a rule of thumb.
How we stay honest about this
If you buy through a partner link we may earn a referral fee at no extra cost to you, and it never changes which option we rank first or the figures we show. Placement can’t be bought. See our affiliate disclosure and methodology.
Rules of thumb only get you so far. Run a specific option through the calculator for a sourced, dated, confidence-graded figure.
Frequently asked
A units quote often excludes worktops, appliances, plumbing and electrical work, tiling and flooring, plastering and decorating, waste removal and sometimes the fitting labour itself. These separate stages are what turn the showroom figure into the finished cost, so fold them all into your true total.
Usually because the quote covers the cabinets while the surrounding work — trades, worktops, making good and decorating — is bought separately, and because older homes reveal extra plumbing or electrical work once the old kitchen is out. A contingency for delays and surprises is a sensible line rather than an optional one.
It varies with the room and the home, but labour and the surrounding trades — plumbing, electrics, tiling, plastering and fitting — can be a large share of the total alongside the units and worktops. That is why comparing on the units quote alone understates what a finished kitchen really costs.
Related guides
See the big picture in the Hidden-Fee Index — how much the advertised price hides across every category — or browse all buyer guides.
This guide explains typical, well-known cost mechanisms for general education — actual fees vary by operator, destination and date. Confirm live prices, fees and your consumer rights with the retailer and official sources before you buy. TrueTotal provides guidance, not financial or legal advice.