A fitted kitchen is the single biggest investment most homeowners make inside the house, and the fitting is the part you cannot see in a showroom. A kitchen designer prices doors and worktops. A fitter prices the days on site, the making good, the services and the snagging, and those are what decide whether the job finishes clean and level or rumbles on for weeks.
This guide sets out what kitchen fitting costs in Gloucester, how the price is built up, what pushes it up or down, and how to compare two quotes so you are comparing like with like.
What a kitchen fit actually costs in Gloucester
For a typical three bedroom Gloucester home, the labour to strip out the old kitchen, fit new units, template and install worktops, connect appliances and finish the room sits between about £2,500 and £6,000. That is fitting only, with the customer buying the kitchen.
A supply and fit project, where we design, order and install everything, usually lands between £12,000 and £30,000 depending on size, door choice and worktop. A small galley kitchen with laminate worktops sits at the lower end. An open plan kitchen diner with quartz worktops, an island and integrated appliances sits at the upper end or beyond.
What is included in a fitting price
A proper fitting price covers a lot more than cabinets. It includes stripping out and disposing of the old kitchen, checking and levelling the walls and floor, first fix for sockets, plumbing and extractor, assembling and hanging units, scribing panels around uneven walls, cutting and fitting worktops and upstands, installing sinks, taps and appliances, fitting plinths, cornice and handles, sealing, and returning to snag.
If a quote is dramatically cheaper than the others, something has been left out. Usually it is waste removal, making good where tiles and old units come away, or the second visit to snag the job once the kitchen has been used for a week or two.
What pushes a kitchen price up
Older properties are the biggest single factor. Gloucester has a lot of Victorian and 1930s housing where walls are out of plumb by 20mm or more, floors slope, and services run in the wrong place. Chasing those problems takes a fitter time, and time is the price.
Worktops matter too. Laminate is quick and inexpensive, solid wood needs care and regular oiling, quartz and granite need templating and a second visit to fit, sometimes from a specialist. Islands, boiling water taps, integrated appliances, under cabinet lighting and a new extractor route each add both cost and coordination.
What you pay by kitchen size
A galley or single run kitchen of eight to ten units is the simplest fit, typically two to four days for the carcass and units before worktops. A standard L shaped family kitchen with twelve to eighteen units, integrated appliances and a sink under a window usually takes five to eight days.
An open plan kitchen with an island, a run of tall units, a range cooker and a separate utility room takes two weeks or more, and often needs more than one trade on site at the same time. Budget for the coordination, not just the carpentry.
How long a kitchen fit takes
Most kitchens take two to four weeks from the first day on site to handover, though the room is usually usable within a week. Worktop templating adds a gap of three to ten working days between fitting the carcasses and installing the surface, which is why quartz kitchens take longer than laminate ones.
Plan the programme backwards from when you want to be cooking again. Order the kitchen early, confirm appliance dimensions before the units are ordered, and let the fitter see the plans before you pay a deposit. Most delays we see come from appliances arriving late or changing after the order.
Hidden costs to plan for
Every kitchen has at least one surprise, and it is nearly always behind a wall or under a floor. Old pipework in the way of a unit run, a socket that no longer complies, a rotten floor beneath a leaking sink, or a party wall that needs making good. Set aside around 10 per cent of the budget for this.
Waste removal, decorating after the fit, tiling splashbacks and a new floor are separate jobs and separate costs. They are worth listing in your budget from the start rather than discovering them in week three.
Ways to keep the cost down without cutting quality
Keep the services where they are. Moving a sink, a cooker point or an extractor means plumbing, gas and electrical work, and it is the fastest way to add four figures. A well designed kitchen in the existing layout is usually better value and quicker to fit.
Choose standard sizes where the design allows, since made to measure cabinets always cost more. Fit quartz only where it shows and use a matching laminate in the utility. Paint existing cabinets where the carcasses are sound. Spend on the things you touch every day, the drawers, hinges and worktop, and save on the things you look at.
How to get an accurate quote
A fitter who quotes without measuring is guessing. Arrange for two or three companies to visit, and ask each one what is excluded, how many days they will be on site, who removes the waste, and when they will return to snag. Compare the exclusions, not just the totals.
We are based in Gloucester and fit kitchens across Gloucestershire. Take a look at our kitchen fitting service to see how we work, or request a free quote and Neil or Liam will visit, measure up and give you an itemised price with no obligation.