How it works
Our kitchen cost calculator estimates the cost of kitchens by adding installation costs to the cost of cabinetry, fittings and appliances.
Installation costs are broken into two parts: labour costs for electrical and plumbing and the cost of installing the cabinetry, splashback and appliances.
We use prices of between $1200 and $2000 to estimate the total cost of electrical and plumbing work and $140 per cabinet for the cost of installing all the cabinets, benchtops, splashback, and appliances.
The default prices we set are all 'middle-of-the-road'. You can change them to match your own research findings. For an accurate cost use our get-a-quote service to get 3 free quotes from local kitchen specialists.
Step 1: Initialise the calculator
Click on small, medium or large to set-up some initial values. The default selection is medium. You will be able to set your own values in all the subsequent steps.
|
What the abbreviations mean
|
|
| If you select the large kitchen the corner cabinet counts as 2 floor cabinets in step 2 below. | |
Step 2: Estimate the cost of cabinets, shelves and the pantry
Because the cost of cabinets, shelves & pantries varies so greatly we have used average values to get you started and help give you a rough idea of the cost.
We obtained our average values using various sources including the Bunnings and Ikea Australia websites. You will need to create a kitchen plan and do some research to get a more accurate estimate.
| Floor cabinets with shelves |
X | $ | $ | ||
| Floor cabinets with drawers |
X | $ | $ | ||
| Wall cabinets or shelves |
X | $ | $ | ||
| Pantry or tall cabinets |
X | $ | $ |
Notes:
- If you seleted the large kitchen the corner cabinet counts as 2 floor cabinets
- Our average price includes the cost of the cabinet doors, handles, legs and coverpanels
- The usual width of a floor cabinet is 60cm but 80cm and 90cm are also commonly available
- If you seleted the large kitchen the cornercabinet counts as 2 floor cabinets
- Wall cabinets come in many sizes but 60cm, 80cm and 90cm are the most common sizes
Step 3: Estimate the cost of the benchtop & splashback
Benchtop
How many linear metres of benchtop do you have? (Length only.)
| metres | X | $ per metre | $ |
Splashback
How many linear metres of splashback do you have? (Length only.)
| metres | X | $ per metre | $ |
Notes:
- Splashbacks also come in a variety of materials including tile, glass and stainless steel.
- Splashbacks come in many heights. Usually the height and the height varies depending on where it is (e.g. behind the stove top it is often higher)
Step 4: Select basic fittings & main appliances
Adjust the prices shown below to reflect prices you have been quoted online or elsewhere. If you already own the items shown set the cost to $0.
sink |
$ |
sink tap set |
$ |
dishwasher |
$ |
oven |
$ |
cooktop |
$ |
exhaust / rangehood |
$ |
fridge |
$ |
microwave |
$ |
Step 5: Determine the approximate cost of the kitchen
Adjust the labour values below as required and then click the blue button below for a rough estimate of the cost of your new kitchen.
| Labour: installation, electrical & plumbing | $ |
| $ |
Notes:
- For a small kitchen we use $1200 for the cost of all electrical & plumbing work, $1500 for a medium kitchen and $2000 for a large kitchen
- We estimate $140 per cabinet for the cost of installing all the cabinetry, appliances and the splashback.
Step 6: Get 3 quotes for an accurate price
Don't waste time doing the ring around, get 3 reliable local businesses to quote you for a new kitchen design or installation. Our quotation service is obligation-free.
Further information
Appliances
Do not buy PC items (such as appliances and taps etc) before your kitchen has been designed by a professional - even if it is on sale. Choosing items before your kitchen is designed will limit your kitchen design options.
Extra storage
Always allow extra cupboard space for:
- brooms and mops
- space to dry tea towels
- garbage and recycling
- kitchen scrap waste
Splashbacks
Splashbacks can be made of a variety of products and vary greatly in price. Standard splashbacks are made of tile or acrylic. Premium splashbacks can be made of stainless steel, glass, stone composite, natural stone or acrylic sheeting.
The most cost affective splashback for the DIY kitchen renovator is tiles as no trades are involved and tile splashbacks are back in vogue!
To work out the area you need measure the lengths of all your bench space by the height you prefer. It can be as low as 200mm high or as high as 600mm - it will depend on what is taking place in a particular area of the kitchen.
Benchtops
Tiled DIY benchtops can look fantastic and are the most economical option. For more benchtop options consider laminate (the most popular), stainless steel, granite, marble, terrazzo or timber for a rustic look.
Sinks
There are four basic types of sinks. The standard is a drop in sink made of stainless steel and is very light in weight. The second is also a stainless steel but the sheet metal is thicker and stronger (premium). Undermounted sinks and ceramic sinks come into the "opulent" range.
Cabinet doors
There are many creative options. A great cost effective DIY option is curtain doors. Preformed and laminated MDF doors (premium) are the next most economical door option. Polyurethane coated doors are an "opulent" option as are glass inserts and hand painted solid timber doors.
The cost of basic cabinet doors are included in our calculator's default values.
Drawers
Everybody loves having drawers in the kitchen but it will cost you more, and there are some areas such as under the sink where standard drawers just don't work. Yes there is the nifty drawer with cut-out options but remember anything non-standard is extra.
Soft drawer closers
These devices stop drawers from slamming shut. When pushed close they stop 20mm short of closing and then the drawer self closes. Our calculator does not include the cost of soft drawer closers.
Cabinet handles
There is a virtual cornucopia of handles on the market so choose ones that will best suite the style of your kitchen.
The cost of basic cabinet handles are included in our calculator's default values.
Bins
If the kitchen in big enough it is worth integrating bins into your cabinetry and if you choose not to integrate make sure that you design the kitchen plan with a good space for the bin, out of site, not in the pantry and out of the way of kitchen traffic.
Dishwashers
Lower end dishwashers need regular maintence and cleaning and are generally very noisy so if you can afford a good quality machine, buy one!
Cooktops or uprights
Combined cook top and oven units are very popular at present and the higher end units can set you back many thousands of dollars. However if you are on a budget and just need a "cheapy to get you through" the lower end ranges are very economical and do their job just fine.
Range hoods
These devices help ventilate or circulate air in the kitchen over the cooking area. The ventilated options will need to be ducted to the roof or an external wall and are more expensive to buy and fit than a circulating unit. The circulating option does not vent any air out of the kitchen it just filters the air and pushes the air back into the kitchen.
Refrigerators
Most people already own a fridge so if that is the case, just put "0" (zero) in this field but if you don't have one, or the one you have is going to become a beer fridge and sit in the garage then happy shopping! Full size kitchen fridges vary in price from $450.00 to over $13,000 (hard to believe, but true nevertheless).
Kickboards
A vertical panel usually made of particle board covered with laminate and located above between the floor and the bottom of the cabinetry. The cost of these is included in our calculator default values.
Microwaves
Microwaves can almost be categorised as a plug-in appliance like a toaster, but given the space they take up it is worth having a kitchen designed with a spot set aside for one.