Most Auckland kitchen renovations fall between $35,000 and $80,000. Where yours lands depends on the size of your kitchen, the materials you choose, and the scope of work involved.
This guide gives you honest numbers, explains what drives the cost up or down, and helps you know what to expect before you talk to anyone.
No two kitchens cost the same, and any company that quotes without seeing your space is guessing.
The main factors that shape your final price are the size of your kitchen, the cabinetry and benchtop materials you choose, whether any plumbing or structural changes are needed, and the level of finish you are after.
Understanding these levers early helps you make smarter decisions and avoid budget surprises mid-project.
Done well, a new kitchen adds real value to your property, improves daily life, and lasts for decades. Done poorly, it costs twice.
Most people assume they need the middle one. Often they do not.
From $18,000. The layout stays. New doors and drawer fronts on your existing carcasses, a new benchtop, new handles, and the installation. The cheapest way to get a kitchen that feels new, when the bones are sound.
From $35,000. The whole kitchen out and a new one in, in the space you already have. New NZ-made cabinetry, new benchtop, all trades, all finishes. This is the work the three figures below describe.
Priced on the building work. Walls, layout changes, moving plumbing or electrical. Priced on the building work involved, because that is what drives it. If it needs consent, we tell you before you commit.
The three figures below are for a complete kitchen replacement: the whole kitchen out, a new one in, in the space you already have. They cover demolition, NZ-made cabinetry, benchtop, trade coordination, installation and finishing.
They are not the cheapest work we do. A kitchen upgrade starts at $18,000, because the layout and the carcasses stay. A kitchen renovation that moves walls, plumbing or the layout costs more, because it is a different job.
Ask us which one your kitchen actually needs. It is usually not the one people assume.
A complete renovation including demolition, NZ-made cabinetry, laminate or entry-level engineered stone benchtop, trade coordination, tiling, and finishing. Clean, modern, and built to last.
Everything in Standard, plus upgraded cabinetry, engineered stone benchtop, soft-close hardware throughout, a more detailed design process, and higher-spec finishes throughout. A clear step up in quality and feel.
Fully custom cabinetry, premium or natural stone benchtop, integrated appliances, lighting design, premium hardware, and full design service from concept to completion. For homeowners who want the best result with no compromises.
If you have been reading around, you will have seen bigger numbers than the ones above. Most Auckland companies publish $30,000 to $50,000 for a refresh, and $90,000 or more for premium work. Ours are lower, and it is fair to ask why.
We do not run a showroom. A showroom costs money to lease, fit out and staff, and that cost sits inside every quote a showroom-based company writes. We bring the options to your kitchen instead, which is also where you can actually judge how a colour looks under your own light.
We make the cabinetry ourselves. It is manufactured here in Auckland, by us, to your measurements. Cabinetry is the biggest single line item in most renovations, and there is no middleman margin sitting on top of ours.
One team runs the whole job. Design, build and install are all us, and we coordinate the plumbing, electrical and tiling directly. There is no head contractor margin stacked on top of subcontractor margins.
That is the entire explanation. It is not thinner board, cheaper hardware or a rushed job. It is a shorter path between the workshop and your house.
Once you understand these three levers, you can make smarter trade-offs and get the most from your renovation budget.
Cabinetry and benchtops make up the largest share of your renovation cost. The difference between a laminate benchtop and engineered stone, or standard doors versus custom profiles, can shift the budget by $8,000 to $15,000 on its own.
A small galley kitchen and a large open-plan kitchen are entirely different projects. The more cabinetry, benchtop length, splashback area, and flooring involved, the higher the cost. Scope also includes how many trades need to be coordinated.
Moving plumbing, relocating the sink, removing a wall, or upgrading electrical capacity all add to the budget. These changes are sometimes worth it for a better layout, but they need to be scoped clearly before work begins.
Demolition and removal
We strip out the old kitchen and prepare the space for the new one.
NZ-made custom cabinetry
All cabinetry is manufactured in Auckland and built to your kitchen’s exact dimensions.
Benchtop supply and installation
From laminate through to engineered stone, supplied and fitted by our team.
Trade coordination
We manage plumbing, electrical, and tiling so you don’t have to juggle multiple contractors.
Finishing and handover
Splashback, hardware, appliance installation, final checks, and a clean handover when the job is done.
A quote is only a price if it says what it does not cover. Ours says both. Unless your quote states otherwise, the following are not included:
What we can include, when we agree it up front: a new sink, extraction fan and powerpack, and installation of appliances you supply. We will help you source and order appliances, but we do not choose them for you unless we have agreed an allowance first.
On allowances: they are the most common reason a kitchen quote grows. Where we price against one, the quote states what it assumes and what happens if you choose something above it. No line on our quote says “allowance” without a number next to it.
Most budget blowouts are not dramatic. They are a series of reasonable decisions that each add a little.
A kitchen quoted at $42,000 becomes $51,000 like this: the plumber finds older pipework that has to be replaced, the benchtop gets upgraded once you see it in person, and a late change to the island size means re-cutting cabinetry that was already made. None of those is unreasonable on its own. Together they are a 20% overrun.
Five things keep it from happening.
Get one written quote for everything, not five loose ones. A single itemised quote covering cabinetry, benchtop, plumbing, electrical and installation gives you one number to hold everyone to, including yourself.
Ask what is fixed and what is an allowance. A line that reads “tiles: allowance” is not a price, it is a placeholder. Ask what it assumes, and what happens if you choose something dearer.
Settle the layout before the quote, not during the build. Moving plumbing or taking out a wall is the biggest single cost driver there is. Decide it at the planning stage, not once trades are on site.
Choose your materials before demolition starts. Decisions made under time pressure, with the old kitchen already gone, tend to be the expensive ones.
Set aside a contingency on purpose. Around 10% turns a genuine surprise into a non-event instead of a crisis.
We give you one written quote covering the full scope before any trade sets foot in your kitchen, so you know what you are paying for and why. And if you already have a quote from someone else, send it to us and we will tell you what is in it.
Talk to Kitchen Guys about your kitchen, your budget, and what you want to achieve. You can also browse our other kitchen renovation guides. We will give you a clear, honest picture of what your renovation will involve and what it will cost.
“Our kitchen was completely transformed. The team was professional, efficient, and kept us informed every step of the way. The craftsmanship is outstanding, and we love our new space.”
Mike & Nicole
Servicing Auckland wide
Copyright © Kitchen Guys 2026. All Rights Reserved
