How to Price Kitchen Fitting Jobs in the UK

Kitchen fitting is one of the most valuable trades — high ticket values, strong referral potential and significant upsell opportunities. Getting your pricing right is critical to winning jobs at the right margin.

Kitchen fitting pricing models

There are three main ways kitchen fitters structure their work, each with different implications for risk, revenue and margin. Fit-only means the customer has already purchased the kitchen from a retailer — your job is labour only: unboxing, assembly, installation and connecting appliances. Fit-only labour typically runs £800 to £2,500 depending on kitchen size and complexity. Supply and fit means you source and supply the kitchen units, worktops and appliances as well as fitting them — a much higher revenue job running from £4,000 at the budget end to £25,000 and above for a premium kitchen with quartz worktops and integrated appliances. Full project management extends further: you co-ordinate the plastering, electrics, plumbing and tiling alongside the kitchen fit, acting as the single point of contact for the customer and managing all trades. Full PM commands the highest fee and the strongest referral potential — a customer who had a stress-free full project experience will recommend you enthusiastically.

What drives kitchen fitting costs

Several variables push kitchen fitting costs up or down significantly. Kitchen size and layout complexity matter enormously — a straight galley kitchen with twelve units is far simpler than an L-shaped or U-shaped kitchen with an island, integrated lighting and corniced wall units. Appliance installation count is a key driver: every integrated appliance — oven, dishwasher, washing machine, fridge-freezer, wine cooler — adds time and care to the installation. Any plumbing and electrical work required (relocating the sink, moving a socket behind the hob, installing an extractor fan with external ducting) adds both cost and coordination time. Wall tiling, flooring and worktop type all affect the overall project value — laminate worktops are straightforward while quartz or granite require templating by a specialist fabricator after units are fitted. Removal and disposal of the old kitchen also needs to be factored in: skip hire or grab bag costs, and the labour time for careful strip-out, add to the project cost.

Labour rates for kitchen fitting in 2026

An experienced kitchen fitter in 2026 charges £200 to £350 per day depending on location and specialism, with London and the South East at the top of that range. A typical fit-only small kitchen — ten to fourteen units, basic appliances — takes two to three days for a sole trader or one day for a two-person team. A full kitchen replacement with island, integrated appliances and co-ordinated trades runs five to ten days of fitting time, not counting trade visit days. When supplying materials, a mark-up of 20 to 35 per cent on kitchen units, worktops and appliances is standard practice — it covers your time sourcing, ordering and managing delivery, and compensates for the risk of goods arriving damaged. Do not sell materials at cost: the co-ordination overhead is significant and the liability for defective goods is yours.

Structuring a winning kitchen fitting quote

A professional kitchen fitting quote starts with a site survey — photos and measurements of the existing kitchen, notes on the appliances being installed, and a clear understanding of what the customer expects. Always measure the space yourself even if the customer has supplied drawings. Present your quote itemised: separate labour from materials, call out appliance installation individually, and list any associated trades (electrician, plumber, tiler) as distinct line items with estimated costs. Staged payment protects your cash flow on larger projects — a deposit of 25 to 35 per cent before materials are ordered, a mid-project payment at second fix, and the final balance on completion. Note appliance warranty terms clearly: the customer should understand that manufacturer warranties apply from date of purchase, and any warranty service will be through the manufacturer, not you. A clear scope of work and explicit exclusions — what is and is not included — prevent disputes and misunderstandings before work starts.

Common kitchen pricing mistakes

The most costly mistake kitchen fitters make is not surveying properly before quoting. Quoting from photos, floor plans or a customer description rather than a physical site visit leads to surprises — units that do not fit, walls that are not square, pipes in the wrong place — that erode the job margin. Underestimating appliance installation complexity is common: integrated appliances with customised doors, wine coolers and combination microwave ovens take significantly longer than a standard standalone fridge. Forgetting to account for skip hire and disposal is a recurring error — old kitchens produce a significant volume of waste and the cost of removal should be in every quote. Failing to account for plumbing and electrical co-ordination time also catches fitters out: even when a separate plumber and electrician are doing the work, you spend time arranging their visits, waiting for them and managing the interface between their work and yours. Price that time.

Trade2Base for kitchen fitters

Trade2Base gives kitchen fitters the tools to quote faster, manage projects cleanly and collect payment professionally. AI quote drafting takes your site photos and notes and produces a structured draft quote in minutes, ready for review and adjustment before sending. Digital sign-off lets customers approve the quote online with a digital signature — no paper trails or email confirmations. Stripe deposit collection allows you to take the project deposit online as soon as the quote is approved, protecting your materials spend before you place the order. Google review automation sends a review request to every completed kitchen customer, building your reputation at the point when they are most satisfied with the result. The customer portal gives clients a clean view of the project — quotes, invoices, progress updates and documents — in one place, reducing the volume of “where are we up to?” messages during a project.