The first kitchen quote almost always looks too clean — cabinetry on one line, benchtops on another, splashback and appliances somewhere below. The total looks reasonable, and the homeowner signs the deposit.
Three months later the project has slipped two weeks, the final invoice is 20% higher than the first quote, and the lines that drove the increase were never itemised on day one. Plumbing relocation, electrical upgrade, benchtop fabrication overrun, and the 10–15% contingency most skip because the spreadsheet looked clean.
This page breaks down where the money actually goes in a kitchen renovation — by line, by tier, and by the hidden costs that bite hardest. Use it to read a quote before you sign one, and to compare two quotes on equal terms.
What a Kitchen Quote Actually Contains
A defensible kitchen quote is more than a total with a few line items — it is a scope of works that spells out what is supplied, what is installed, and what changes mid-project. The lines that matter most: cabinetry, benchtop, splashback, appliance package, and labour cost broken down by trade. Anything bundled into a single number is a line you cannot compare.
The mechanism is straightforward: a quote that itemises every category lets you see where the money goes, and a quote that hides categories inside a provisional sum (PC sum) lets the builder adjust the final number after you have already committed. A PC sum is not dishonest — it is a placeholder for work that cannot be priced precisely before demolition. The problem is when PC sums cover the categories that decide the budget, like the benchtop material or the appliance package, and the homeowner treats them as fixed.
In the field, what separates a quote you can trust from one that looks clean and slips is whether the scope of works spells out every line — appliance supply, installation, electrical rough-in, plumbing rough-in, plaster patching, waste removal, and a 10–15% contingency. If those lines are missing, the quote is a starting point, not a contract.
Cabinetry — The Largest Single Line
Cabinetry is usually 35–50% of a kitchen renovation budget, and it is the line where the gap between a flat-pack price and a fully installed price catches most homeowners. A flat-pack quote might show AUD 4,000–8,000 for a standard 3-metre run. The same run fully installed — with delivery, assembly, levelling, fixing to wall and floor, and all hardware fitted — often lands at AUD 8,000–15,000. The difference is not padding. It is the labour, the hardware, and the fit-out that flat-pack pricing leaves out.
The cost per linear metre is the standard comparison unit, but it only works when both quotes measure the same thing. One quote might include carcass, finish, door profile, drawer runners, and soft-close hinges. Another at the same rate might include carcass and door only, with handles, soft-close, and fit-out as extras. Soft-close hinges alone add AUD 6–12 per door over standard.
Cabinetry is also the line where most homeowners over-quote by assuming handles, soft-close, and internal fit-out are standard. Experienced cabinetmakers price them separately, and the gap between a base quote and a fully fitted quote can be 30–40%. Before you compare two cabinetry lines, check whether both include the same hardware and fit-out. A detailed cabinet material comparison helps you see where the material choice drives the price before the hardware does.
Benchtops — Where Price Varies Most
Benchtop cost varies more than any other line in a kitchen quote. A 3-metre run of laminate might come in at AUD 300–600 installed. The same run in engineered stone with a standard edge lands at AUD 1,500–3,000. Add a waterfall edge and the engineered stone run can climb to AUD 2,500–4,500. The gap is not a marginal upgrade — it is a different budget category.
Laminate is cut and edged on-site by the cabinet installer. Engineered stone, natural stone (granite, marble), and porcelain slab are fabricated off-site by a stone fabricator who templates after the cabinets are in. Templating cost — AUD 300–600, sometimes credited against the final order — is a separate line that does not exist for laminate. Natural stone needs veining matched across joins, adding 10–20% to material cost.
The cost per m² is the right comparison unit for benchtops, but only when edge profile, cutouts (sink, cooktop, tap hole), and fabrication method match. A quote at AUD 450/m² with a straight edge and one cutout is not comparable to AUD 650/m² with a mitred edge, two cutouts, and a waterfall end. For a full breakdown by material, see the benchtop material guide.
Appliances, Splashback, and the Hidden Lines
The appliance package moves the most between mid-range and premium. A mid-range package — cooktop, oven, rangehood, dishwasher — typically runs AUD 4,000–8,000. A premium package with the same categories can run AUD 12,000–25,000. The rangehood alone is often under-quoted: a standard under-cabinet model AUD 300–600, a premium island-mount AUD 1,500–4,000, plus ducting penetration for ducted models.
Splashback is a small line by area but a big one by finish. A tile splashback installed runs AUD 80–150 per m², depending on the tile and the tiler’s rate. A glass splashback or a porcelain slab splashback runs AUD 350–600 per m² once you include the material, the cutting around powerpoints and windows, and the install. The difference is not just aesthetic — tile has grout lines that need maintenance, while glass and slab are single surfaces that wipe clean. Over a typical 6–8 m² splashback area, the gap between tile and slab is AUD 1,500–3,000.
Then there are the lines that do not appear on every quote at all. The sink and tap is a common one — a stainless steel sink and mixer might be AUD 300–800, but an undermount or inset sink with a pull-out tap can be AUD 800–2,000, and the plumbing connection is a separate line. A waste disposal unit adds AUD 400–1,000 for the unit plus the electrician’s call-out for a dedicated powerpoint. These are not large numbers individually, but they add up, and they are the lines that turn a clean quote into a final invoice that surprises.
Labour — The Tradesperson Days
Labour cost reads as one number on a quote but it is actually four separate day rates multiplied by their own days. The carpenter (cabinet installer) typically runs AUD 600–900 per day. The licensed plumber runs AUD 700–1,000 per day. The licensed electrician runs AUD 700–1,000 per day. The tiler runs AUD 600–900 per day. A typical full kitchen renovation runs 10–15 working days from demolition to final fit-off, but no single trade is on site for all of those days. The carpenter might be there for 5–8 days, the plumber for 2–3 days across rough-in and fit-off, the electrician for 2–3 days, and the tiler for 2–4 days depending on the splashback area and whether the floor is tiled.
The distinction between rough-in and fit-off matters because it splits the plumbing and electrical work into two visits. Rough-in happens after demolition and before the cabinets go in — pipes and cables are run to the right positions. Fit-off happens after the cabinets and benchtops are in — the sink, tap, and appliances are connected. A quote that prices plumbing as a single visit is either assuming the existing plumbing stays where it is, or it is a quote that will generate a variation when the plumber needs to come back.
Skipping the licensed plumber to save money is the one shortcut that always costs more than it saves. Unlicensed plumbing work is illegal in Australia, and it voids the home insurance coverage for any water damage that follows. The same applies to electrical work — a dedicated circuit for the dishwasher, the oven, and the rangehood is not optional, and it needs a licensed electrician to sign off.
The Hidden Costs Most Homeowners Miss
The line that bites hardest is plumbing relocation. Moving a sink two metres from its existing position can add AUD 1,500–3,000, and it usually shows up after demolition exposes the pipework, not in the first spreadsheet. The reason: the existing drain dictates where the sink can go without re-falling the waste pipe. If the new position is beyond the existing fall, the floor needs cutting, the pipe re-laying, and the concrete or timber re-instating. That is rarely in the first quote unless the homeowner flagged the move before pricing.
In the field, what usually hides in the first quote is plumbing relocation — it only shows up after demolition exposes the existing pipework.
Electrical upgrade is the second most common hidden cost. An all-electric kitchen with induction, oven, dishwasher, and rangehood typically needs dedicated circuits for each, plus possibly a switchboard upgrade. That adds AUD 1,000–3,000 and cannot be confirmed until the existing wiring is exposed.
Other hidden lines show up often enough to budget for. Structural wall opening requires a structural engineer and a steel or timber lintel — AUD 2,000–6,000 including the engineer’s fee. Asbestos testing in pre-1990 homes is AUD 300–600; if asbestos is found, removal adds AUD 2,000–8,000. Council permits and building approval vary, but budget AUD 500–2,000. Then there are the small lines: temporary kitchen (microwave and camp stove for 4–8 weeks), waste removal (skip bin AUD 400–800), and delivery surcharge if no street access.
For the cost decisions that most often lead to regret, see the common kitchen reno mistakes article — it covers the specific points where homeowners under-budget and the builder has no choice but to issue a variation.
Contingency, Permits, and How to Compare Quotes
The right comparison between two quotes is not the headline number — it is which lines are itemised, which are PC sums, which include the contingency, and which assume the existing plumbing stays where it is. A quote at AUD 35,000 with every line itemised and a 10% contingency included is a more honest number than a quote at AUD 28,000 with three PC sums and no contingency. The second quote will almost certainly cost more than the first by the time the project finishes.
Step through the comparison systematically. First, check whether both quotes use a fixed-price quote structure or a cost-plus structure. A fixed price locks the total unless the scope changes. A cost-plus quote passes the actual costs to the homeowner plus a margin, and the final number is only known at the end. Second, identify every provisional sum and ask the builder what assumption sits behind it. A PC sum for “benchtop supply” at AUD 2,000 might assume laminate; if you choose engineered stone, that line triples. Third, check the contingency budget. A 10–15% contingency on the total is standard for a full renovation, and a quote that does not include one is a quote that expects zero surprises — which never happens.
Then check the commercial terms. The deposit schedule should tie payments to milestones — deposit on signing, payment on delivery of cabinets, payment on completion of rough-in, final payment on practical completion. A builder who asks for more than 10–15% upfront is carrying your cash flow, not theirs. The retention — 5–10% held back until the defect period ends (typically 12–24 months) — gives the builder a reason to come back and fix the doors that swell or the tap that drips. And the variations process should be in writing before the project starts: how variations are priced, how they are approved, and how they affect the timeline. A verbal agreement on a variation is a dispute waiting to happen.
Realistic Budget Tiers (and What Each One Buys)
The mistake most homeowners make is to budget for a mid-range kitchen and quote for a premium one. The categories look the same on paper — cabinets, benchtop, appliances, splashback — but the material and finish choices inside each category are completely different. Sit down with the cabinetmaker and pin the tier down before any line items are priced.
A refresh tier (AUD 10,000–20,000) typically keeps the existing cabinet carcasses and replaces the doors, handles, and benchtop. Flat-pack cabinets with a laminate benchtop and a basic appliance package fit this tier. The existing plumbing and electrical positions stay where they are, which keeps the hidden costs low. This tier works when the layout is functional and the carcasses are in good condition.
A mid-range tier (AUD 25,000–50,000) is where most full renovations land. Custom cabinetry with a laminate or entry-level stone, a mid-range appliance package, and a tile or glass splashback. The layout might change slightly, but the plumbing and electrical positions stay close to existing. This tier allows for soft-close hinges, a decent drawer fit-out, and a cooktop upgrade without moving the sink or the cooktop to a new wall.
A premium tier (AUD 55,000–120,000+) includes full custom cabinetry with a premium appliance package, an stone or porcelain slab with a waterfall edge, and a slab splashback. This tier almost always involves some plumbing relocation or electrical upgrade, and it is the tier where the hidden costs are most likely to appear. The structural wall opening, the switchboard upgrade, and the asbestos testing (if applicable) all sit inside this tier.
The right tier is the one where the total — including the 10–15% contingency and the hidden lines — fits the budget without stretching. For the full project walkthrough, including the order in which decisions should be made and which trades need to be booked when, see the full project walkthrough.
