Fitting 12 cabinets and three appliances comes to £3,500 for labour in Checkatrade’s UK example. For the same number of appliances, its eight-cabinet example is £2,000 and its sixteen-cabinet example is £5,000. The figures cover fitting labour. Add the purchase price of cabinets, worktops and appliances. The guide does not specify VAT, so ask for the total payable. See the kitchen fitting cost guide.

For a local comparison, BOL’s small kitchen example includes removing and replacing six double units and approximately four metres of worktop. Decoration is separate. Count the units on your plan and measure the worktop before comparing packages. A double unit and an individual cabinet can represent different amounts of fitting work. See BOL’s kitchen installation scopes.

Why a like-for-like layout helps

Leave the sink against the same wall and the installer can assess the existing pipes instead of pricing a new route across the room. Keep the cooker position and there is an existing location to assess for its connection and extraction. This is where a familiar layout can save work.

Look closely at the replacement units. A deeper drawer can clash with a pipe. A full-height fridge needs enough clearance to open beside a wall. Moving a socket just far enough to clear a new upstand still involves an electrician and making good.

Allow for a second worktop visit

Laminate and templated stone have different installation sequences. For a stone top, confirm who measures after the base units are fixed, who supplies the sink and hob details, and who returns for the final connections. A fabricator’s checks show why those visits need booking in the right order. Read Cardiff Stone’s template preparation checklist.

Ask for a single written list of the work to be completed before you can cook dinner again. Include removal, fitting, specialist connections, splashbacks, decoration and waste collection, with the VAT total stated. Compare your options in our worktop materials guide.