Prices reviewed November 2026.
At Arnold Baumann, clients typically spend around £36,000 including VAT on a kitchen package covering furniture, appliances, worktops, delivery and dry-fit installation. Preparing the room, altering services and completing wider building work require a separate budget.
That distinction matters when you start comparing prices. A kitchen furniture quotation, a fitted kitchen package and a complete room renovation can each cover very different work.
Our kitchen projects have ranged from approximately £21,600 to more than £300,000 including VAT. The range reflects the variety of designs and specifications we supply. Your own budget should come from the room, your priorities and the work involved.
For homeowners planning a kitchen renovation in London or Hertfordshire, the most useful starting point is to understand the four main costs: appliances, worktop, installation and cabinetry.
All Arnold Baumann prices below include VAT at 20%. They are indicative planning allowances, rather than fixed quotations.
Kitchen renovation costs at a glance
| Element | Indicative cost including VAT |
|---|---|
| Typical Arnold Baumann kitchen package | Approximately £36,000 |
| Appliances, sink and tap allowance | Approximately £10,800 |
| Quartz worktops | Approximately £6,000–£7,200 |
| Sintered stone worktops | Approximately £9,600–£10,800 |
| Dry-fit kitchen installation | Approximately £3,600–£4,800 |
| Cabinetry | Calculated around your layout and specification |
| Room preparation and service alterations | Quoted separately for your property |
Worktop allowances include templating, delivery and installation. The quartz and sintered stone figures are alternative material allowances, not costs to add together. Likewise, the component figure sit within the kitchen package; they are not additions to its headline price.
Why do online kitchen cost estimates vary so much?
As a board national reference, Checkatrade’s October 2026 kitchen renovation guide gives ranges of £6,200-£16,800 for a budget renovation and £15,000-£50,000 for a bespoke renovation. These are its published national estimates, rather than a quotation for your home.
The scope of a price is as important as the number. Which? kitchen cost guide, for example, distinguishes cabinetry-only comparisons from wider renovation estimates. Its retailer cabinet comparisons exclude worktop, sinks, taps and appliances.
When comparing a kitchen renovation cost in Hertfordshire with a quotation for a London home, first establish whether both cover the same work and products. Then look at differences in installation and preparation. A postcode alone cannot tell you the price.
The four main costs of a new kitchen
01 Appliances, sink and tap
For an initial discussion, we often allow approximately £1,200 including VAT per item across nine items: an oven, microwave, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, sink, tap, hob and extractor. That gives you an illustrative combined allowance of £10,800.
This is a way to establish a starting budget. Individual items will cost different amounts, and a combined fridge-freezer or a hob with integrated extraction changes the list.
Appliance choices can move the total substantially. A straightforward oven and a specialist model from a premium manufacturer occupy very different price brackets. Additional ovens, refrigeration capacity and specialist cooking functions can quickly increase the allowance.
Our advice is to start with how you cook. A keen baker, a household hosting large family meals and someone preparing quick weekday dinners will have different priorities. Choose functions you expect to use regularly, and establish appliance dimensions and service requirements during the design.
02 Worktops
For the quartz worktops commonly specified in our projects, a useful allowance is around £6,000-£7,200 including VAT. For sintered stone, our typical allowance is closer to £9,600-£10,800 including VAT. Both include templating, delivery and installation.
These figures depend on the surface selected and the design. The amount of material, slab layout, cut-outs, edge details, splashbacks and built-up sections can all affect the final quotation. A substantial island with waterfall ends needs a different allowance from a simple worktop run.
Laminate offers another route where controlling cost is the priority. Natural stone introduces further choices, with pricing tied to the particular material and fabrication. We consider the appearance, practical requirements and budget together before recommending a surface.
03 Dry-fit installation
Our dry-fit kitchen installation typically costs around £3,600–£4,800 including VAT, depending on the size and complexity of the design.
Dry fitting covers the furniture installation described in your quotation. Plumbing, electrical and gas connections, along with preparation of the room, need to be agreed separately. Worktop installation is already included in the worktop allowances above.
Features such as concealed doors, pocket-door cupboards and more intricate furniture arrangements can increase the fitting work. Establish who is responsible for each stage before agreeing the programme, so the room and services are ready when the kitchen arrives.
04 Cabinetry and furniture
Once appliance, worktop and fitting allowances are established, we can see what remains available for furniture and delivery within the overall package.
Cabinetry varies substantially. A design using standard cabinet sizes and straightforward finishes will have a different cost from a traditional handmade in-frame kitchen with custom hand-painted doors.
Internal features matter too. A pantry, a breakfast cupboard with pocket doors or a concealed walk-through to the utility room can change both the furniture price and the installation requirements. These are decisions to assess against the way you want the room to work.
Our role is to understand your brief and guide you through those choices. We can then develop the layout and specification together, keeping sight of the overall budget.
What could a £36,000 kitchen budget look like?
The example below shows how the four categories can fit together. It is a budgeting illustration, rather than a completed client project or a fixed package.
| Budget category | Illustrative allowance including VAT |
|---|---|
| Appliances, sink and tap | £10,800 |
| Quartz worktops, including templating, delivery and installation | £6,600 |
| Dry-fit furniture installation | £4,200 |
| Cabinetry and kitchen delivery | £14,400 |
| Total kitchen package | £36,000 |
Room preparation and service alterations sit outside this example. Changing one specification also changes the balance: upgrading the worktops may mean increasing the total budget or adjusting another part of the design.
Additional kitchen renovation costs to allow for
The work around the kitchen is often the easiest part of the budget to overlook. Before setting your furniture budget, establish what is needed to make the room ready.
Removing and disposing of the existing kitchen.
Moving or renewing pipework, drainage and electrical connections.
Preparing walls and floors, including plastering and levelling where needed.
Flooring, lighting, decoration and splashbacks outside the agreed worktop scope.
Structural alterations and any associated professional or approval costs.
Unexpected repairs discovered during removal.
Keep an agreed contingency available for unforeseen work. Its size should reflect the condition of the property and the extent of the renovation.
Smaller changes deserve attention too. Moving from gas to induction may require replacement cookware if your existing pans are incompatible. Discussing these details early helps you plan the whole project.
Where should you spend and save?
Our priority is the layout, the flow of the room and the furniture you use every day. Accessible drawers, useful preparation space and well-positioned storage can make a lasting difference to family life.
Well-specified cabinetry and worktops can serve a home for decades when properly installed and cared for. We encourage clients to think about long-term use when deciding where to allocate their budget.
Appliances may be replaced during that time. A specialist steam oven can be an excellent choice for someone who will use it frequently, but it deserves a place in the budget because it suits your cooking habits.
Where savings are needed, consider a simpler door finish, fewer specialist mechanisms or a different appliance specification. Retaining service positions may also reduce preparation costs where the existing layout works well.
Plan potential future appliance changes around dimensions, ventilation, services and access. Replacing an appliance later is easier when the furniture has been designed with those requirements in mind.
How to compare kitchen quotations fairly
Two kitchens can look similar in a photograph while differing in construction, materials, hardware and fitting detail. Ask for enough information to understand those differences.
Our furniture ranges include carcass thicknesses of 18mm, 19mm and 22mm, depending on the selected system. Thickness is one detail to consider alongside the board specification, cabinet construction, edging, hinges, drawer runners and door finish.
For Shaker doors, establish whether the quoted finish is wrapped, painted or another construction. Ask how the product should be cared for and what its warranty covers.
Compare the exact appliance models and worktop specifications, then check delivery, fitting, service connections, exclusions and aftercare. That gives you a clearer basis for assessing value than the headline total alone.
Kitchen renovation cost FAQ
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It may be, depending on the size, specification and installation requirements. Our typical kitchen package is approximately £36,000 including VAT, but we have supplied projects at lower budgets. A £30,000 total room renovation budget also needs to cover any preparation work outside the kitchen package.
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Our typical package includes furniture, appliances, worktops, delivery and dry-fit installation. Room preparation and plumbing, electrical or gas work are budgeted separately unless your quotation expressly includes them.
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Yes, where their dimensions, condition and installation requirements suit the new design. Let us know early so we can assess how they fit into the layout.
Start with a conversation about your kitchen
We begin with a discovery call to understand your home, priorities and budget. If we agree we are a good fit, we will request your architect’s plans or room measurements, together with photographs, and book your initial design presentation.
Whether you are planning a kitchen in North London, South Hertfordshire or further afield, the aim is to establish a design and specification that work together within a realistic budget.