How to compare kitchen quotes like for like

Prices checked 17 Sep 2026 · Prices include VAT · Updated 24 Sep 2026

Short answerTo compare kitchen quotes, list every unit by type and width, match the door style and colour, check what each unit includes, and compare totals on the same scope. The same 11 cabinets cost a typical £1,534 at Wickes, £1,634 at IKEA and £1,910 at DIY Kitchens, including VAT, so scope matters as much as the shop.

Why are kitchen quotes hard to compare?

Kitchen quotes are hard to compare because each one lists different units, ranges and extras. For the same 11 cabinets, typical totals are £1,534 at Wickes, £1,634 at IKEA and £1,910 at DIY Kitchens, including VAT. Those totals cover cabinets with doors only: worktops, appliances, sink and tap, handles, plinth, cornice, end panels, delivery and fitting are left out.

One quote may include worktops and fitting while another lists cabinets only. One may use a 500mm unit where another uses a 600mm unit. Until the scope matches, the totals don't tell you which quote is cheaper.

How do I compare kitchen quotes like for like?

Compare kitchen quotes by matching the units, the door style and the scope before you look at the totals. Work through these steps with each quote side by side.

1. List every unit by type and width. Write down each base unit, drawer unit, tall unit and wall unit with its width, such as 600mm base unit or 500mm wall unit.
2. Match the door style and colour. Shaker, slab, handleless and in-frame doors cost different amounts, so compare a shaker quote with a shaker quote.
3. Check what each unit includes. See whether doors, drawer fronts, legs, hinges and soft close are in the unit price or listed as extras.
4. Separate cabinets from everything else. Put worktops, appliances, sink, tap, handles, panels, delivery and fitting on their own lines.
5. Compare totals on the same scope. Only compare two totals once both cover the same units and the same extras.

Our line-by-line kitchen quote checklist lists what a full quote should include.

How much does one unit vary between shops?

A single unit can cost more than twice as much at one shop as at another. A 600mm 3 drawer base unit costs from £162 at IKEA, £249 at Wickes and £300 at DIY Kitchens. The table shows the lowest and highest price for each unit type across all ranges, with its door or drawer fronts.

The range you pick matters as much as the shop. A 70/30 fridge freezer tower at DIY Kitchens runs from £285 to £744, a gap of £459 for the same unit type. So always compare a unit with the same unit in a similar range.

What should match between two quotes?

The units, their widths, the door style and the extras should all match. The same 11-cabinet kitchen at Wickes costs from £1,413 in a slab range to £1,636 in its dearest range, so even one shop's quotes differ by £223 depending on the range.

Build also differs between shops, and a lower price may reflect it. Wickes cabinets are flat-pack with 15mm sides, and soft close hinges are an extra. DIY Kitchens cabinets are rigid, glued and dowelled in the factory, with 18mm sides and soft close Blum hinges included in our prices.

Guarantees differ too. Wickes gives 10 years on cabinets and 5 years on doors. DIY Kitchens gives 25 years on cabinets and 5 years on doors, and Howdens gives 25 years on cabinets.

How do I compare a Howdens quote with Wickes or IKEA?

Compare a Howdens quote unit by unit, not by total. Howdens doesn't publish prices online, so our Howdens figures are estimates from a real Howdens trade estimate, about ±15%. For the reference kitchen, the Bridgemere Linen range comes to about £3,287.

That Howdens total is a rough guide. Some units in the reference kitchen are matched only to the nearest unit type Howdens sells, so the total is not like for like with Wickes, IKEA or DIY Kitchens. Kuote compares a real Howdens quote line by line instead, so each Howdens unit is matched with the same unit elsewhere.

When you check a Howdens quote yourself, list its units by type and width, then look up each one at Wickes, IKEA or DIY Kitchens in a similar door style. See how much a new kitchen costs in the UK for totals at each shop.

What do substitutions like a split unit or a filler mean?

A substitution means one shop doesn't sell the exact unit on your quote, so the nearest match is used instead. A split unit replaces one wide unit with two narrower units that fill the same space. A filler is a narrow panel that closes a small gap when the units don't fill the run exactly.

Substitutions are real differences, so they change the price. Two narrower units usually need two doors and two sets of hinges, and a filler is an extra line. When a comparison uses a split or a filler, check it before you compare totals.

How we priced this

We priced the same units in every range at each shop, using public prices including VAT. Wickes, IKEA and DIY Kitchens prices were checked on 17 September 2026, and the Howdens estimate on 15 September 2026. Read how Kuote compares kitchen prices for the full method.

Compare your own kitchen quote

The fastest way to compare quotes is to price your own units. Upload your quote to Kuote and see the same kitchen priced at Howdens, Wickes, IKEA and DIY Kitchens, line by line. If you think your price is high, read how to check if your kitchen quote is too high.