Home Improvements · South LondonWhat a kitchen renovation costs in London
Three honest bands, the things that actually move a kitchen from one to the next, and what should be inside the number before you compare it with anyone else's.
The bands we work to
Indicative bands for the complete job, not for units or fittings alone. Where a property lands depends more on scope than on floor area.
These are the same figures the estimator uses. A confirmed, itemised quotation follows a free walkthrough — nothing here is a quote.
Why two similar jobs quote differently
Two kitchens the same size can sit a band apart. These are the things that move them, roughly in order of impact.
Cabinetry and worktops
Consistently the largest single share of a kitchen budget. The spread between a good range kitchen, a German manufacturer and fully bespoke joinery is the widest variable on the whole job, and worktop material alone can move the total noticeably — laminate, timber, quartz and sintered stone are not close to each other.
Whether the layout moves
Keeping the sink, hob and drainage where they are keeps a kitchen in the lower band. Moving them means new waste runs with workable falls, new supply pipework, and often a new gas run — all of it first-fix work behind the finishes.
Structural work
Opening a kitchen into another room means a beam, building control sign-off, and in a terrace a party wall agreement. This is the single biggest step change in a kitchen budget and it is the usual reason a job lands in the top band.
Electrical scope
Modern kitchens need considerably more circuits than the ones they replace. Ovens, induction hobs and instant hot water taps often want dedicated supplies, and where the existing consumer unit cannot take them it needs upgrading — notifiable work through a registered electrician.
What is behind the old kitchen
The genuine unknown. Failed plaster, rotten floorboards, corroded pipework, undersized joists or old rubber-insulated wiring are all common in South London period stock and none of them are visible at quoting stage. A quote that pretends otherwise is a quote that will change.
Access and location
Realistic in London and often ignored. No off-street parking, bay suspensions for deliveries and skips, permits, carrying materials up communal stairs, restricted working hours in a leasehold block and goods-lift booking all cost labour time.
What is in the number, and what is not
Normally included
Design and layout, strip-out and waste removal, first-fix plumbing and electrics, cabinetry and worktop supply and fit, tiling, flooring, lighting, appliance installation, making good, decoration and a final snag walk-through.
Normally separate
Appliances themselves where you prefer to buy your own, structural engineer's fees, building control fees, party wall surveyor's fees, and planning or listed building applications where the property needs them.
Never a fixed figure up front
Anything behind a wall or under a floor. It is quoted once it is visible, as a variation you approve, rather than guessed at the start and argued about later.
More on how we quote and sequence a job: how we work. Related: Kitchen renovations · What really goes into a complete kitchen renovation.
Kitchen renovation costs: common questions
How much does a new kitchen cost in London? +
As a ballpark for South London: a compact or galley kitchen typically runs £12,000–£18,000, a standard family kitchen £18,000–£28,000, and a large or bespoke open-plan kitchen £28,000–£45,000. Those bands cover the full job rather than units only. You get an exact itemised quote after a walkthrough.
Why is a London kitchen more expensive than the same kitchen elsewhere? +
Labour rates, and access. Beyond the trades themselves, London jobs carry parking suspensions, skip permits, restricted delivery windows, materials carried up stairs, and leasehold working-hour limits. None of that shows up in a showroom price and all of it is real labour time.
Can I reduce the cost without cheapening the kitchen? +
Yes, and in a specific order. Keep the sink, hob and drainage where they are. Spend on cabinet carcasses and worktops, which you touch daily, before appliances you can upgrade later. Choose a good range kitchen over bespoke where the layout is regular. And avoid structural work unless the plan genuinely needs it — that is the biggest single line.
Does the estimate include appliances? +
It can either way. Many people supply their own appliances and we install them; others prefer them in the quote. It is itemised separately so the comparison stays clear.
Want a figure for your own property?
The estimator gives an indicative ballpark in four questions. A confirmed quotation follows a free site visit.