How Much Does a New Kitchen Cost in Aberdeen?
A new kitchen can mean a tidy refresh of your existing units or a full open-plan transformation with walls coming out. The price follows the scope, so the honest answer starts with what you actually want to change.
The kitchen is the room people spend on with the most care, and rightly so. It is where the household gathers, and a well planned one lifts the whole feel of a home as well as its value. But "how much does a new kitchen cost" has no single answer, because a fit only job and a full open-plan refit sit at completely different ends of the scale. To make this useful, we have set out the typical starting points first, then explained exactly what moves the number up or down.
Below are the indicative figures we work to for kitchens across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Read them as starting points for the type of project, not fixed quotes. The only way to land on a real figure is a site survey and a written quote, which we provide free of charge through our kitchens service.
Kitchen cost at a glance
| Type of project | What it covers | Indicative from |
|---|---|---|
| Fit only | Installing units and appliances you have already bought, with no supply | £3,000 |
| Supply and fit | We source the units, worktops and appliances and install the lot | £8,000 |
| Full refit | A complete strip out and rebuild, including plumbing, electrics and finishes | £12,000 |
| With building work | An open-plan knock-through or extension as part of the kitchen project | Per project |
- Already bought your kitchen? A fit only job from £3,000 gets it installed properly by experienced fitters.
- Want it handled end to end? Supply and fit from £8,000 covers sourcing and installation in one written quote.
- Replacing everything? A full refit from £12,000 takes the room back to the walls and rebuilds it.
- Knocking through to open-plan? That is structural work, priced per project once we have surveyed the wall.
What drives the price of a kitchen
Two kitchens of the same footprint can be thousands of pounds apart. The difference is almost always down to the choices below rather than the labour to fit them. Understanding these drivers helps you spend where it matters to you and trim where it does not.
Unit quality and how the kitchen is built
Units are usually the single biggest line. Entry level flat-pack carcasses cost far less than rigid, pre-assembled units in a solid timber or painted finish, and bespoke cabinetry sits higher again. Soft-close hinges, dovetailed drawers, internal organisers and tall larder units all add up. None of this is wrong to want, it simply needs to be costed honestly from the start so the quote reflects the kitchen you actually picture.
Worktops
Worktops carry a lot of the look and a lot of the cost. Laminate is the most economical and has come a long way in appearance. Solid wood sits in the middle. Quartz, granite and porcelain are the premium options, templated and fitted by a specialist, and they move a kitchen budget noticeably. The run length and the number of cut-outs for sinks and hobs also affect the figure.
Appliances
Appliances are where budgets quietly expand. A basic integrated oven and hob package is modest, but induction hobs, double ovens, wine coolers, boiling-water taps and high-end extraction can add a great deal. If you are on a supply and fit or full refit quote, tell us your appliance wish list early so it is built into the number rather than discovered later.
Layout changes
Keeping the existing layout is the cheapest route, because the plumbing and electrics largely stay put. Moving the sink, relocating the hob, adding an island or changing the position of services means new pipework, drainage and wiring. It is often well worth it for a kitchen that works far better day to day, but it is a real cost driver rather than a free tweak.
Moving services and electrics
A new kitchen frequently needs more sockets, better lighting, an upgraded consumer unit and reworked plumbing. Electrical work in a kitchen must meet current standards and be properly certified, and gas work must be carried out by a registered engineer. We coordinate these trades so the whole job is compliant and signed off, which is part of what separates a full refit from a simple fit.
Structural openings and building work
The biggest jump comes when the kitchen project includes taking down a wall to open up to the dining or living space, or adding floor area with an extension. Removing a load-bearing wall needs a structural beam and, in Scotland, a building warrant from Aberdeen City Council or Aberdeenshire Council. That is why open-plan and extension kitchens are always priced per project. If a knock-through is on your mind, our home extension cost guide sets out how that side of the budget works.
"The fit is the same skill either way. The budget is decided by the units, the worktops and whether walls are moving."
Fit only, supply and fit, or full refit?
The three non-structural tiers in the table really describe how much of the job you are handing over.
A fit only project suits people who have already chosen and bought a kitchen, often from a showroom or large retailer, and need skilled installation. From £3,000, our kitchen fitters handle the assembly, levelling, worktop fitting and connection so it goes in straight and lasts.
A supply and fit project, from £8,000, hands the whole thing to us. We help you specify, source the units, worktops and appliances, and install everything under one quote. It removes the juggling of separate suppliers and keeps a single point of responsibility for the result.
A full refit, from £12,000, is the complete job: stripping the old kitchen back to the walls, sorting flooring, plastering, plumbing, electrics and the new installation. This is the route when the existing kitchen is tired throughout or the layout needs rethinking. If a fresh look is the goal, our guide to kitchen design trends in Aberdeen is a good place to gather ideas before you brief us.
How to keep a kitchen budget under control
You do not have to choose between a cheap kitchen and a good one. A few decisions protect the budget without dulling the result.
- Keep the layout where you can. Leaving the sink, hob and drainage roughly in place avoids a large slice of plumbing and electrical cost.
- Mix your spending. Put the money into the worktop and the doors you see and touch every day, and be sensible on the carcasses behind them.
- Decide appliances early. Choosing them up front means they are designed in, not squeezed in, and the quote is accurate.
- Get it in writing. A clear, itemised written quote after a survey is the best defence against surprises mid-job.
Planning, warrants and a straightforward kitchen
A like-for-like kitchen replacement does not normally need planning permission or a building warrant. The picture changes once you start altering the structure. Removing an internal load-bearing wall for an open-plan layout needs a building warrant, and a kitchen extension needs both planning consideration and a warrant. Planning permission and the building warrant are separate processes in Scotland, and we handle the warrant side for you as part of a structural kitchen project so nothing is missed.
Planning a new kitchen?
Book a free survey and we will give you an honest written quote, whether you want a tidy fit only installation or a full open-plan transformation. No ballpark figures and no pressure to go ahead.
It depends on the scope. Fit only of a kitchen you have already bought starts from around £3,000. Supply and fit, where we source and install everything, starts from around £8,000. A full refit that strips the room back and rebuilds it starts from around £12,000. A kitchen that involves building work, such as an open-plan knock-through, is priced per project. These are indicative only, subject to a site survey, and exclude VAT.
Fit only means you have already purchased the kitchen and our fitters install it, from around £3,000. Supply and fit means we source the units, worktops and appliances and install the lot under one quote, from around £8,000. Supply and fit gives you a single point of responsibility, while fit only suits those who have already chosen their kitchen elsewhere. Both figures are indicative only, subject to a site survey, and exclude VAT.
The main drivers are unit quality and how the cabinets are built, the worktop material, the appliances you choose, and whether the layout changes. Moving the sink, hob or services means new plumbing and wiring, which adds cost. The biggest jump comes from structural work such as removing a wall for an open-plan layout, which is always quoted per project.
A like-for-like kitchen replacement does not normally need a building warrant. You do need one if the project involves structural change, such as removing a load-bearing wall for an open-plan layout or building an extension. In Scotland the warrant comes from Aberdeen City Council or Aberdeenshire Council, and we handle that side for you as part of a structural kitchen project.
Yes. Our kitchen fitters carry out fit only installation from around £3,000, assembling and levelling the units, fitting the worktops and connecting everything so it goes in straight and lasts. This suits homeowners who have bought a kitchen from a showroom or retailer and need it installed properly. The figure is indicative only, subject to a site survey, and excludes VAT.
Keep the layout roughly where it is to avoid moving plumbing and electrics, spend on the worktop and doors you see every day while being sensible on the hidden carcasses, and decide your appliances early so they are designed in rather than squeezed in. Above all, get an itemised written quote after a survey so there are no surprises mid-job.