How Kuote compares kitchen prices: our method

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

Short answerKuote prices the same kitchen at every shop using each shop's own published prices, including VAT, checked in September 2026. We match units by type and width, flag every swap, and leave out fitting and delivery. Howdens doesn't publish prices, so its figures are estimates from a real trade estimate.

Where do the prices come from?

Every price comes from the shop itself. Wickes, IKEA and DIY Kitchens publish prices on their websites, and we read them from their product pages and catalogues. All prices include VAT. DIY Kitchens shows prices without VAT, so we add VAT at 20%.

Howdens sells through trade accounts and does not publish prices. Our Howdens figures come from a real Howdens trade estimate, so treat them as a guide. They can be about 15% higher or lower than the price you are offered.

What is the reference kitchen?

The reference kitchen is one fixed kitchen that we price at every range, so totals are fair to compare. It has 11 cabinets for a mid-sized L-shaped kitchen:

• 1 × 600mm sink base unit
• 2 × 600mm base units and 1 × 500mm base unit
• 1 × 600mm 3-drawer base unit
• 1 × 600mm built-under oven housing
• 1 × 600mm 70/30 fridge freezer tower
• 3 × 600mm wall units and 1 × 500mm wall unit

Each total includes the cabinets, their doors or drawer fronts, and the parts the shop sells with them, such as legs and fixings. It leaves out worktops, appliances, the sink and tap, handles, plinth, cornice and end panels, delivery and fitting. Those vary too much from kitchen to kitchen to price fairly in one number.

How are units matched between shops?

We match each unit by what it does and its width. A 600mm sink base unit is matched with a 600mm sink base unit, not with any 600mm base unit. When a shop has the exact unit, we call it an exact match.

When a shop has no exact unit, we use the closest option and say so:

• Split: two narrower units fill the same space, for example 300mm + 300mm instead of 600mm.
• Filler: a slightly narrower unit plus a filler panel to close the gap.
• Different layout: the same width, but for example 2 drawers instead of 3.
• Height difference: the same unit in a different height.

If nothing suitable exists, we leave the unit out of both totals and tell you, so one missing unit can't make a shop look cheaper. When some units are only the nearest type, we call the total a rough guide and don't use it to say one shop is cheaper than another.

How do we choose a range at each shop?

When you upload a quote, we read the door style (for example shaker or slab) and the colour. We rank every range at each shop by how close it looks, then by how many of your units it can supply. You can switch to any other range and the prices update.

In our guides we price every range, so you can see the full spread. For the reference kitchen, the cheapest ranges are IKEA from £1,249, Wickes from £1,413 and DIY Kitchens from £1,506.

Our Howdens total is only a rough guide. Our Howdens prices come from one trade estimate, so for 4 of the 11 reference units we only have the nearest Howdens unit, such as a recycling bin base in place of a plain 500mm base. With a real Howdens quote, Kuote compares your own units line by line.

What does Kuote not price?

We don't price fitting, delivery, removal of your old kitchen, plumbing or electrics. These depend on your home and your fitter. We also don't price discounts you might negotiate in store, or short-term sales that end before our next check.

Build quality differs too. Some shops sell rigid units that are built in the factory; others sell flat-pack units that you or your fitter assemble. We show each shop's published build facts next to the price, so you can compare like with like.

How up to date are the prices?

Every guide shows the date its prices were checked. When we refresh prices, we keep the old ones too, so a change never overwrites the history. If a guide and a shop's website disagree, the shop's website is right on the day.

Compare your own quote

Guides use one standard kitchen. Your kitchen is different. Upload your quote as a PDF, photo or pasted text, and Kuote prices your exact units at the other shops, line by line. Start with how to compare kitchen quotes or see how much a kitchen costs in the UK.