Kitchen Renovation Cost in London (2026): Full Price Breakdown

The kitchen is the most expensive room in most London renovations — and the one with the widest price range, because a kitchen can mean anything from new doors on the old carcasses to a bespoke handmade kitchen in a glass-roofed extension. Here's an honest 2026 cost breakdown: what a kitchen renovation actually costs in London across budget, mid-range and high-end jobs, the price of every element from cabinetry to making-good, how a knock-through or extension changes the maths, and what drives London prices up.

The short answer

Most London kitchen renovations land between £20,000 and £40,000 for a full mid-range job — new units, worktops, appliances, flooring and the trades to fit them. A cosmetic refresh (new doors, worktops and a coat of paint over existing carcasses) starts around £8,000, while a high-end kitchen with semi-bespoke or bespoke joinery, premium appliances and stone worktops runs £40,000–£80,000. A luxury handmade kitchen, especially one tied into a structural opening-up, can pass £150,000. London sits roughly 20–35% above the UK average.

The two things that move the number most are the cabinetry tier (this is usually the single biggest line) and whether you're touching the structure — knocking through to a dining room or building an extension. The fit itself is similar work whatever the spec; it's the kitchen you choose and the walls you move that set the budget.

Kitchen renovation cost by scope

These are typical London market ranges for 2026 — a guide, not a fixed price list. Every kitchen is priced on its size, the cabinetry tier, the appliances and any structural work, so treat these as a starting point and get a site visit for a firm figure.

Those ranges cover the kitchen itself — supply and fit — and exclude VAT (20% on most domestic work) and any extension shell. As a rough rule of thumb, roughly 40% of a kitchen budget goes on cabinets and worktops, 20% on appliances, 20% on labour, and the last 20% on flooring, tiling, plumbing, lighting and contingency.

Cost breakdown by element

Here's where the money actually goes on a typical mid-range London kitchen. Add VAT on top, and treat these as supplied-and-fitted ranges unless stated.

Strip-out and removal

Removing the old kitchen, flooring and any tiling, capping off services and clearing the waste, typically costs £500–£1,500. As with any London job, flats, stairs, parking and skip permits push this up, and lifting an old floor can reveal repairs that need doing before the new kitchen goes down.

Units and cabinetry

Cabinetry is the biggest single line in most kitchens — usually 35–45% of the budget. Ready-made units (IKEA, Howdens, Wren and similar) run £3,000–£8,000; semi-bespoke ranges (deVOL, Neptune and the like) £15,000–£30,000; and fully bespoke, handmade joinery £20,000–£50,000+. The carcasses matter less than the doors, drawers and runners — that's where the price and the longevity sit.

Worktops

Worktops are priced by material, supplied and fitted (roughly 4–5 linear metres for an average kitchen):

An island worktop typically adds £1,500–£4,000 on top. Quartz is the most popular mid-to-high choice in London for its durability and low maintenance; marble looks stunning but stains and etches, so go in with your eyes open.

Appliances

Appliances usually run 15–20% of the budget. A budget suite (Beko, Indesit) is £2,000–£4,000; mid-range (Bosch, Neff, AEG) £4,000–£8,000; premium (Miele, Smeg, Fisher & Paykel) £8,000–£15,000; and luxury (Gaggenau, Sub-Zero, Wolf) £15,000–£35,000+. Integrated and built-in appliances cost more to buy and to fit than freestanding.

Plumbing, gas and electrics

First-fix plumbing for the sink, dishwasher and any water feed is typically £900–£1,500. Relocating or adding a gas point must be done by a Gas Safe engineer and runs £300–£800. Electrics — new ring main, appliance circuits, lighting and certification under Part P — are £900–£1,500 for a straightforward kitchen, more if the property needs rewiring (£1,500–£4,000).

Flooring

Flooring is roughly 5–8% of the budget — typically £1,500–£2,400 in a mid-range kitchen. Engineered wood, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and porcelain tiles are the common London choices; porcelain and stone cost more to lay, and pair well with underfloor heating in an open-plan space.

Tiling and splashback

Splashbacks and any wall tiling run £900–£1,500 in a typical kitchen, with tiling at £40–£180 per m² supplied and fitted. A single slab of stone or glass splashback that matches the worktop costs more but gives a seamless, easy-to-clean finish.

Lighting

Kitchen lighting — ceiling spots, under-cabinet strips, pendants over an island and the wiring for it all — is typically £900–£1,500. In an open-plan kitchen-diner it's worth spending more here: good layered lighting is what makes the space work morning, noon and night.

Making good and decorating

Plastering, boxing in services, and filling, sanding and painting the walls and ceiling once the units are in typically adds £500–£1,500. It's the line a cut-price quote tends to leave thin — and the difference between a kitchen that looks built-in and one that looks bolted-on.

The knock-through and open-plan cost factor

Most London kitchen projects of any size involve opening up — knocking the kitchen into a dining room or reception to create one open-plan space. That structural work sits on top of the kitchen cost and typically adds £5,000–£15,000+, depending on the wall and the span. The main lines are:

• Structural engineer — calculations and a beam design, roughly £400–£800.
• Steel beam (RSJ) supplied and installed — around £1,500–£4,500 depending on span and how much temporary support (acrow props and strongboys) the opening needs.
• Building Control — application and inspections, £400–£900.
• Party Wall award — if the wall is shared, roughly £700–£1,000+ per affected neighbour.
• Making good — re-plastering the opening, levelling floors between the two rooms, and re-decorating across the whole space.

A removed chimney breast, a wider span needing twin beams, or a wall that turns out to be load-bearing when you hoped it wasn't will all push that figure up. Always get the structural design done before you price the kitchen — it can change the layout entirely.

How a kitchen extension changes the cost

If you're gaining the space rather than just re-using it — a rear or side-return extension to make room for a bigger kitchen-diner — you're paying for two things: the extension shell and the kitchen fit inside it. In London a single-storey rear extension typically runs £2,500–£4,000 per m² for the shell alone, so a modest extension adds £40,000–£90,000+ before the kitchen itself goes in.

Glazing is where extension kitchens get expensive fast: roof lanterns, large sliding or bi-fold doors and frameless structural glass all carry a premium. Our glass extension cost guide breaks down the glazing options, and what affects the price of a London extension covers the wider build. Budget the two separately — extension shell, then kitchen — so you can see exactly what you're spending on each.

What drives London kitchen costs up

Cabinetry tier and bespoke joinery

The jump from ready-made to semi-bespoke to fully handmade joinery is the biggest swing in any kitchen budget — tens of thousands on the same footprint. It's also where quality and longevity live, so it's worth deciding early how far up that ladder you want to go.

Structural and layout changes

Knocking through, moving the kitchen to a different room, or building out all add cost well beyond the kitchen units — steels, building control, party wall and making good across a bigger area. The further you move services (sink, gas, waste) from where they are now, the more first-fix work it takes.

Access, parking and waste

As with any London job, flats above ground floor, narrow access, controlled parking and ULEZ or congestion charges all add cost that doesn't exist out of town — and a kitchen generates a lot of waste and a lot of deliveries.

Spec and finish level

Premium appliances, stone worktops, designer brassware and feature lighting can double a kitchen budget without changing the layout at all. Most of the spread between a £25,000 and a £60,000 kitchen of the same size is spec, not structure.

Costs people forget to budget for

The headline figure rarely tells the whole story. Budget separately for:

• VAT — 20% on most domestic kitchen work, on top of the build cost.
• Structural and building control fees — if you're opening up: engineer, building control and possibly a party wall surveyor.
• Rewiring or a consumer-unit upgrade — older London properties often need it before new circuits can go in.
• Worktop templating lead time — stone is templated after the units are fitted, so there's a gap (and a temporary worktop) of a week or two.
• Eating arrangements — you'll be without a kitchen for several weeks; factor that in.
• Contingency — keep 15–20% back, more if you're touching structure.

Frequently asked questions

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