The costs that show up
after the cabinetry quote.
A cabinetry quote is not the whole renovation budget. Here is what else genuinely belongs in it.
The short answer
The cabinetry, benchtop and hardware are usually the headline number in a kitchen renovation quote — but electrical and plumbing rough-in or alterations, waste removal from the old kitchen, making good to walls and flooring where cabinets once stood, and living arrangements while the kitchen is out of action are all real costs that sit outside a cabinetry-only quote and are worth budgeting for deliberately.
Electrical and plumbing changes
Moving a sink, adding an island power point, or changing from gas to induction — see induction vs gas cooktop — all involve a licensed trade beyond the cabinetry supplier. Get this priced separately and early, since it is one of the most common budget gaps in a renovation.
Making good around the old kitchen's footprint
Removing existing cabinetry often reveals flooring, wall finishes or paint that do not extend behind where the old units stood — a genuinely common surprise cost that only shows up once demolition starts.
Waste removal and disposal
Old cabinetry, benchtops and packaging from the new kitchen all need disposal, and skip hire or waste removal is a real line item that a cabinetry-only quote will not include.
Living without a kitchen during the works
A temporary cooking setup, extra takeaway spending, or a short stay elsewhere during installation are genuine costs of the disruption itself, worth planning for rather than discovering mid-renovation.
Cost and pricing
More in this series: Flat pack kitchen cost per linear metre · Average kitchen renovation cost in Australia · Cost to replace a kitchen benchtop only · Flat pack kitchen cost per cabinet · Granny flat kitchen cost across Australia.
Frequently asked
Common questions
If your question is not here, call the studio. We would rather talk it through than have you guess.
Ask us directly →What costs are not included in a kitchen cabinetry quote?
Electrical and plumbing trade work, making good to walls and flooring, waste removal, and appliances are commonly separate from a cabinetry-only quote — confirm what is and is not included before budgeting.
Does moving a sink or island add significant cost?
It can, since it usually requires a licensed plumber or electrician to relocate services — this is worth pricing early rather than assuming it is a minor change.
Should I budget for a temporary kitchen during renovation?
It is worth planning for — a working kitchen is typically out of action for the installation period, and a temporary cooking setup or short-term alternative arrangement is a real, if often overlooked, cost of the disruption.
Are appliances included in a kitchen renovation quote?
Not usually in a cabinetry-only quote — appliances are commonly priced and purchased separately, though cabinetry is drawn around your chosen or planned appliance dimensions.
Delivered assembled
The assembly is done
before it arrives.
Carcasses built square on a bench, Blum hardware fitted, doors hung and adjusted to even gaps. On site you are fixing finished cabinets to a wall, not building them on the floor. Our own team fits it in Central Queensland; your installer fits it anywhere else in Australia. Prefer to build it yourself? The same kitchen ships flat pack.
Timber island, stone top
American oak and stone
Concrete-look doors, matte black hardware
Put it to use
Reading is one thing.
Your room is another.
Send us your dimensions and we will tell you what actually works in your space — and what it costs. Free, fixed, and yours to keep either way.