Ask five builders what a new kitchen costs and you'll get five very different answers, because a kitchen refit is really six or seven trades stacked into one job. The units are often the part people focus on, yet they rarely account for even half the bill. Here is a realistic picture of where the money goes, based on the kind of work we do day to day around Maidstone and the surrounding villages.
Most kitchen projects fall into one of three bands. A straight swap, where the new units go roughly where the old ones were and the plumbing and electrics stay put, is the cheapest route. A full refit with a changed layout means moving services, and that adds both cost and time. A structural job, knocking through to a dining room or building out, is a different project entirely with its own approvals.
These figures cover supply and fit for a typical three bedroom semi in Kent, including labour, materials and waste removal, but excluding VAT variations and appliances unless stated.
On a mid range refit, units and worktops usually account for 40 to 50 percent of the total. Labour is typically another 30 to 40 percent, and that is the part most quotes online quietly leave out. The rest is the unglamorous work: plastering, flooring, tiling, decorating and skip hire.
Worktops are where budgets swing most sharply. Laminate might cost £300 to £700 for an average kitchen. Solid wood sits around £800 to £1,600. Quartz and granite are templated and fabricated to your specific run, so expect £2,000 to £4,500 depending on the surface area, edge detail and how many cutouts you need for sinks and hobs.
Older Kent housing stock throws up surprises. Victorian terraces around Maidstone town centre often have uneven solid walls that need dot and dab or a full skim before units can hang properly. Sixties and seventies semis frequently need a consumer unit upgrade before a new kitchen circuit can be signed off, and that alone can be £450 to £900.
Other common additions include moving a gas meter or boiler, upgrading the supply for an induction hob, and replacing rotten subfloor found once the old units come out. A good builder will flag the likely risks at survey stage rather than discovering them on week two.
Insist on an itemised breakdown rather than a single figure. You want units, worktop, appliances, labour, electrics, plumbing, tiling, flooring and decorating listed separately. Otherwise a cheaper quote often just means fewer things included.
Ask directly what happens if something unexpected is found behind the units, and how variations are priced and agreed. Also check who is supplying the kitchen. Buying units yourself from a retailer and having a builder fit them can save money, but you then carry the risk if anything is missing or damaged on delivery, which can stall a job for a fortnight.
A like for like swap is usually five to eight working days. A full refit with layout changes typically runs two and a half to four weeks, and structural work extends that considerably. Bear in mind lead times too: quartz worktops are templated only after the units are fitted and levelled, so there is often a gap of seven to ten working days where you have a temporary surface.
Plan for a functioning kettle, microwave and fridge somewhere else in the house. It sounds obvious, but it makes a three week job far more bearable.
A straight replacement generally does not, but new electrical circuits fall under Part P and any structural change such as removing a wall or forming a new opening needs approval. Your builder should arrange notification and certification, and you will want those documents when you come to sell.
It can be, particularly during retailer sale periods, and it gives you full control over the specification. The trade off is that you own any supply problems, and trade accounts sometimes secure discounts that offset the difference anyway.
Around 10 to 15 percent of the total is sensible for a modern property, and closer to 20 percent for anything pre war or previously extended. Unexpected wiring, pipework and subfloor issues are the usual reasons it gets used.
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