Kitchen Renovation Cost London — Honest 2025 Guide
A kitchen replacement starts from £8,000. A kitchen combined with a structural opening runs £20,000–£30,000. A kitchen as part of a rear extension can reach £40,000+. Here is what each level actually includes.
Kitchen renovation costs by scope
All figures include labour and first-fix materials. Kitchen units, worktops, appliances, sinks, and taps are client-supplied in our standard scope — you choose the kitchen, we install it.
Kitchen Replacement
Rental property upgrades, cosmetic refreshes, updating a functional layout without changing it. Works well where the kitchen structure and layout are sound.
New units and worktops into an existing layout. No structural changes, minimal drainage moves. Strip out old kitchen, prepare walls and floor, install new kitchen supplied by client.
✓ TYPICALLY INCLUDED
- ✓Strip-out and disposal of existing kitchen
- ✓Wall preparation and making good
- ✓First-fix plumbing — existing positions re-used
- ✓First-fix electrics — existing circuits extended or updated
- ✓Installation of client-supplied units, worktops, and appliances
- ✓Sink and tap installation
- ✓Splashback tiling (client supplies tiles)
- ✓Skirting and finishing
✗ NOT INCLUDED
- ✗Kitchen units, worktops, appliances, sink, taps (client-supplied)
- ✗Tiles (client-supplied)
- ✗New flooring (can be added to scope)
- ✗Structural openings or drainage relocation
Full Kitchen Renovation
Main family kitchens being fully modernised. Properties that have had the kitchen untouched for 10–20+ years. Where the condition of walls, floor, or services means a full restart is the right approach.
Complete renovation including new electrics, new plumbing runs, replastering, new flooring, and installation of client-supplied kitchen. May include non-structural layout changes.
✓ TYPICALLY INCLUDED
- ✓Full strip-out to brick or stud
- ✓Replastering throughout
- ✓New electrical circuits — consumer unit if required, ring main, dedicated appliance circuits
- ✓New plumbing — relocated drainage if required
- ✓New flooring — LVT, engineered wood, or tile (client choice, RCB installs)
- ✓Installation of client-supplied kitchen
- ✓Splashback, feature tiling
- ✓Extractor installation
- ✓Skirtings, architraves, finishing
✗ NOT INCLUDED
- ✗Kitchen units, worktops, appliances, sink, taps (client-supplied)
- ✗Tiles, flooring materials (client-supplied)
- ✗Structural wall removal (priced separately)
Kitchen + Structural Opening
Converting closed kitchen into open-plan kitchen-dining-living. Very common in London Victorian and Edwardian terraces where the rear rooms were originally separated.
Full kitchen renovation with removal of a load-bearing wall to create open-plan space. Includes steel beam (RSJ), structural engineer, temporary propping, and making good.
✓ TYPICALLY INCLUDED
- ✓Structural engineer specification and calculations
- ✓Temporary propping and wall removal
- ✓RSJ installation and padstones
- ✓Structural making good — lining, patching, replastering
- ✓Full kitchen renovation scope (see above)
- ✓Open-plan flooring coordination
✗ NOT INCLUDED
- ✗Kitchen units, worktops, appliances (client-supplied)
- ✗Party wall surveyor fees if applicable
- ✗Bi-fold or sliding doors if new opening leads outside
Kitchen + Extension
The most transformative kitchen project — adds space, light, and value. Common in London semi-detached and terraced properties where the original kitchen is too small.
Kitchen as part of a rear extension. Extension creates the new kitchen footprint — larger, open-plan, often with bi-folds or roof glazing. Full M&E, structural, and finish package.
✓ TYPICALLY INCLUDED
- ✓Extension structure — foundations, walls, roof
- ✓Roof glazing or bi-fold / sliding doors if specified
- ✓Full M&E to the new space
- ✓Underfloor heating (if specified)
- ✓Kitchen installation in the new space
- ✓Structural opening between old and new
- ✓Building Regulations — full coordination
✗ NOT INCLUDED
- ✗Kitchen units, worktops, appliances (client-supplied)
- ✗Planning fees if required
- ✗Party wall surveyor fees if applicable
- ✗Tiles and flooring materials (client-supplied)
What affects the cost of a kitchen renovation?
Six factors that move the final number.
Structural opening
HighRemoving a load-bearing wall to open up the kitchen adds £3,500–£8,000 depending on span, beam specification, and making good required.
Extension
HighAdding a rear or side extension to create the kitchen footprint is a separate building project. Adds substantially to the total but transforms the result.
Layout changes
MediumMoving the sink, hob, or dishwasher position requires new drainage runs. A simple move adds £500–£1,500. More complex reroutes cost more.
Electrical upgrade
MediumOlder properties may need a new consumer unit or partial rewire to support modern kitchen appliances safely. Add £800–£2,500 if required.
Flooring
Low–MediumNew kitchen flooring (LVT, engineered wood, or tile) adds £1,500–£4,000+ depending on area, material choice, and whether underfloor heating is included.
Specification level
VariableThe kitchen itself (units, worktops, appliances) is client-supplied and can range from £3,000 to £30,000+. This is separate from the build cost but affects the overall project value.
⚠️ About these figures
These are ballpark ranges based on completed London projects and current market conditions (2025). They are not formal quotations. Actual costs depend on your specific kitchen, its condition, layout changes required, and the specification of the kitchen itself (which is client-supplied). A detailed estimate is only produced after a site survey. Costs may be higher or lower once we have assessed your project properly.
Kitchen renovation cost — frequently asked questions
How much does a kitchen renovation cost in London?
A London kitchen renovation costs £8,000–£40,000+ depending on scope and specification. A straightforward kitchen replacement (new units, worktop, appliances) typically runs £8,000–£15,000. A full kitchen renovation with replastering, new electrics, new flooring, and layout changes runs £15,000–£25,000. A kitchen as part of a rear extension — with structural opening, bi-folds, and premium finish — can reach £30,000–£40,000+. These are real figures from London projects, not national averages.
Does a kitchen renovation include the kitchen units and appliances?
RCB's kitchen renovation price covers all labour and first-fix work. Kitchen units, worktops, appliances, sinks, taps, and tiles are client-supplied in our standard scope — you choose your kitchen, we install it. If you want us to manage procurement, we can include this by arrangement. Always confirm what is client-supplied versus contractor-supplied at the scoping stage to avoid confusion between quotes.
How long does a kitchen renovation take?
A kitchen replacement without structural changes typically takes 2–3 weeks. A full kitchen renovation with new flooring, replastering, and electrics takes 3–5 weeks. A kitchen combined with a rear extension adds to this significantly — the extension works usually take 10–16 weeks, with the kitchen fit-out in the final weeks of the programme.
Do I need planning permission for a kitchen renovation?
A kitchen renovation within the existing footprint of the house does not usually need planning permission. If the kitchen is being moved to a new extension or the works involve external changes, planning may apply. Building Regulations are required for new electrical circuits, structural openings, and any drainage work. RCB manages all of this.
What is a structural opening and does it cost extra?
A structural opening is the removal of a load-bearing wall to create an open-plan kitchen-dining or kitchen-living space. This requires a structural engineer's specification, temporary propping, installation of an RSJ (steel beam), and making good. A typical structural opening in a London terrace adds £3,500–£8,000 to the kitchen scope depending on the span and beam specification.
Can RCB do the kitchen as part of a wider extension or refurbishment?
Yes — this is one of the most efficient ways to do it. When the kitchen is part of a rear extension or ground floor refurbishment, the M&E, flooring, plastering, and structural works are all coordinated under one programme. You avoid the cost and disruption of doing them separately. RCB prices the complete package and you have one point of contact throughout.
Get a free estimate for your kitchen renovation
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