Kitchen Fitting Cost, Labour Only: What Fitters Charge When You Supply the Kitchen (2026)
The supply-your-own kitchen route — flat-packs from IKEA, trade units from Howdens via a friendly account, ex-display bargains — saves serious money on the boxes. Then comes the question the showrooms don't answer: what does just the fitting cost? The labour-only market has clear 2026 rates; the variance is all in what your kitchen and your prep add on top. Here's the honest picture.
In short: Labour-only kitchen fitting runs £200–£300 a day for a skilled fitter (£300–£450 in London and the South East; from £140–£180 in lower-cost regions), or £70–£150 per unit where fitters quote that way. A standard kitchen takes 3–5 working days, landing total labour at £1,800–£3,000 — with £1,000–£3,000 as the realistic overall band.
The 2026 labour rates
| Pricing basis | Rate |
|---|---|
| Day rate (skilled fitter, UK average) | £200 – £300 |
| London & South East | £300 – £450 |
| Lower-cost regions | from £140 – £180 |
| Per unit (where quoted) | £70 – £150 |
| Standard kitchen, total labour | £1,800 – £3,000 (3–5 days) |
Per-unit quoting rewards simple runs of standard cabinets; day rates suit kitchens with complexity (islands, integrated appliances, awkward walls). Either way, the like-for-like comparison rule is absolute: same unit count, same worktop material, same appliance list — or the quotes aren't comparable.
What "fitting" includes — and what it doesn't
A labour-only fit typically covers: assembling and installing base and wall units, worktop fitting (laminate — stone is a separate templated trade), plumbing-in the sink and appliances to existing connections, and finishing with plinths, end panels and handles. The classic extras that surprise people:
- Moving services: relocating water, waste, gas or sockets is trade work beyond the fit — and legally so for gas and much electrical work; budget separately and book early.
- Stone worktops: granite and quartz are templated after units go in, then fitted a week later by the stone company — sequencing your fitter must plan around.
- The out-of-square kitchen: old walls and wonky floors add scribing and packing time — the difference between the 3-day and the 5-day fit.
- Removal of the old kitchen: a day of strip-out and disposal, often quoted separately.
Making the DIY-supply route actually work
- Check everything on delivery, not on fit day: a missing hinge pack discovered mid-fit stops a £250-a-day professional dead — and the delay bills at your expense.
- Get the design sanity-checked: fitters spot the missing filler panels, clashing drawer runs and undersized appliance gaps that showroom plans hide — a paid hour of pre-fit review avoids the classic planning errors cheaply.
- Sequence the trades in the right order: the timeline logic doesn't change because you supplied the boxes — first fix, fit, worktop template, second fix, tiling.
- Compare against the fitted-price alternative honestly: the full new-kitchen cost picture sometimes narrows the saving less than expected once extras stack — the DIY-supply route wins biggest on mid-range kitchens where box savings are large and complexity is low.
Booking reality: good kitchen fitters book weeks ahead, and the IKEA-fit specialists in cities are a genuine sub-market — ask specifically about your kitchen brand, since flat-pack assembly time differs sharply from rigid pre-built units and quotes should reflect it.
The bottom line
Budget £1,800–£3,000 labour for a standard supplied kitchen (3–5 days at £200–£300 a day), plus separately for gas, electrics, stone tops and strip-out — and protect the saving with delivery checks and a pre-fit design review. Done right, supply-your-own plus a good fitter is the best value route to a new kitchen there is. Find vetted kitchen fitters near you here.
Frequently asked questions
Skilled fitters charge £200–£300 a day (£300–£450 in London and the South East, from £140–£180 in cheaper regions) or £70–£150 per unit. A standard kitchen takes 3–5 working days, putting typical total labour at £1,800–£3,000.
Assembly and installation of units, laminate worktop fitting, connecting the sink and appliances to existing services, and finishing (plinths, panels, handles). Moving gas, water or electrics, stone worktops (templated separately), and old-kitchen removal are standard extras — and gas/electrical work is legally restricted trade work.
Usually, especially on mid-range kitchens where box savings are large: IKEA, trade-account or ex-display units plus £1,800–£3,000 of fitting typically undercuts fitted-package pricing. The saving narrows on complex kitchens where extras (services moves, stone tops, wonky walls) stack up.
A standard kitchen takes 3–5 working days for the fit itself. Stone worktops add a templating visit after units are in and fitting about a week later, and any first-fix plumbing or electrical moves happen before the fitter starts — sequencing that a good fitter will plan with you.
