Pricing Tiers: From Flat-Pack to Full Custom
Kitchen cabinetry pricing is most usefully understood per linear metre of cabinetry (base + overhead combined), since kitchen sizes vary enormously.
Benchtop Materials Compared
The benchtop is often 20–30% of the total kitchen cabinetry cost and the most visible surface in the room.
Laminate (Laminex, Formica) — ~$200–$600/lm installed. The budget standard. Modern laminates convincingly mimic stone, timber, and concrete. Prone to chipping at edges and cannot be repaired if damaged. 500+ colour and pattern options through Laminex. Suitable for most kitchens; avoid next to undermount sinks (moisture ingress at the cut edge).
Engineered stone (Caesarstone, Essastone, Smartstone) — ~$500–$1,350/m2 installed (or roughly $800–$2,200/lm for a standard 600mm-deep benchtop). Caesarstone is the market leader. Non-porous, scratch-resistant, and available in 30+ colours per range. Templated after cabinets are installed (allow 7–14 days from template to fit). Waterfall edges (stone wrapping down the cabinet end) add ~$400–$800 per end. 15-year manufacturer warranty on most ranges.
Natural stone (granite, marble) — ~$800–$2,000/m2 installed. Each slab is unique. Marble requires sealing every 6–12 months and stains more readily than engineered stone. Granite is harder but heavier (may need reinforced cabinetry). Natural stone is a premium choice for character homes and high-end renovations.
Solid surface (Corian) — ~$600–$1,200/m2 installed. Seamless joins possible, integrated sinks available. Scratches can be sanded out. Less heat-resistant than stone; trivets are essential.
Timber — ~$500–$1,500/m2 installed. Solid hardwood or butcher block. Requires oiling every 3–6 months. Adds warmth but demands maintenance. Popular as an island benchtop paired with stone on perimeter benches.
Cabinet Door Styles and Finishes
Melamine/laminate. Factory-applied decorative paper on MDF or HMR board. Low maintenance, moisture-resistant, affordable. Laminex and Polytec are the two dominant suppliers in Australia. Available in hundreds of colours, woodgrains, and textures. Cannot be repainted. The workhorse of Australian kitchens.
Vinyl wrap (thermolaminated). A vinyl film heat-pressed onto an MDF substrate. Allows routed profiles (Shaker, curved edges) at a lower cost than 2-pac. The main risk is delamination near heat sources (next to ovens, above toasters). Quality varies significantly between manufacturers.
2-pac polyurethane. Spray-painted finish on MDF. Any colour is possible (RAL colour matching). The premium flat-panel look. Extremely durable but expensive to repair if chipped, as the whole door needs respraying. Allow 4–8 weeks manufacturing time.
Shaker profile. A routed frame-and-panel design available in 2-pac, vinyl wrap, or solid timber. Adds visual depth and suits both modern and traditional kitchens. The most popular premium door style in Australia's renovation market.
Solid timber. Real hardwood doors (usually with a timber veneer panel centre to manage movement). The highest-cost option. Requires periodic re-oiling or re-lacquering. Used predominantly in Hamptons-style and heritage kitchen designs.
Hardware: The Hidden Cost Driver
Hardware is easily overlooked in quotes but can add $1,000–$4,000+ to the total.
Blum (Austrian, premium). The industry benchmark. BLUMOTION soft-close hinges (~$8–$15 each), TANDEMBOX drawer runners (~$70–$150 per drawer), SPACE TOWER pantry systems (~$800–$1,500 per unit), servo-drive touch-to-open (~$200–$400 per door). Most custom cabinet makers default to Blum. Lifetime warranty on hinges and runners.
Hettich (German, mid-premium). ArciTech drawer system (~$50–$120 per drawer), Sensys hinges with integrated soft-close (~$6–$12 each). Strong alternative to Blum at a slightly lower price point. Common in semi-custom and quality flat-pack ranges.
Budget hardware. Generic soft-close hinges (~$3–$6 each) and roller runners (~$15–$30 per drawer) are fine for rental properties and budget renovations. They work adequately but feel noticeably cheaper and have a shorter lifespan (5–10 years vs 20+ for Blum/Hettich).
Internal fittings drive convenience and cost: pull-out waste bins (~$150–$400), corner carousel or Le Mans unit (~$400–$900), pull-out pantry shelves (~$200–$500 each), cutlery inserts (~$50–$200), and built-in knife blocks or spice racks (~$100–$300).
What Affects the Cost
Kitchen size and layout. A single-wall galley (3–4 linear metres) costs far less than an L-shape or U-shape (6–10+ linear metres). Adding an island bench adds $3,000–$10,000+ depending on size and benchtop material.
Door material and finish. The single biggest variable. Melamine doors cost 40–60% less than 2-pac polyurethane for the same kitchen layout.
Benchtop material. Laminate benchtops cost roughly a third of engineered stone. Upgrading from laminate to Caesarstone on a 5m kitchen adds ~$3,000–$6,000.
Hardware tier. Blum or Hettich soft-close throughout vs budget hardware can add $1,500–$3,500 to a mid-sized kitchen.
Demolition and disposal. Removing an existing kitchen runs $500–$2,000 depending on size and whether asbestos is present (pre-1990 homes may have asbestos in splashback tiles or vinyl flooring).
Associated trades. Plumbing, electrical (~$300–$1,500), floor tiling, a tiled splashback, and painting are separate costs that can add substantially to the cabinetry-only price.
Access and site conditions. Apartment kitchens with lift-only access, narrow hallways, or strata-mandated work hours add time and cost. Multi-storey homes without ground-floor access are similarly affected.
A flat-pack kitchen installed in a straightforward single-wall layout with laminate benchtops and basic hardware sits toward $4,000. A fully custom U-shaped kitchen with island, 2-pac doors, Caesarstone benchtops, Blum hardware throughout, and stone splashback pushes toward $40,600.
City and Regional Price Comparison
City-level: Sydney (NSW) sets the baseline at $4,000–$40,600 per job. Melbourne's strong custom kitchen market and higher trade costs mean pricing tracks 5–10% above Sydney for equivalent specifications. Brisbane sits at or slightly below Sydney for semi-custom work, though custom cabinet makers are fewer. Perth's smaller cabinet-making trade pool and material freight costs influence quotes; see the Pricing by City table for ranges. Adelaide has the smallest market but competitive pricing for custom work, with costs generally 5–10% below Sydney.
Suburb and regional level: Within any city, kitchen size and property type drive variation. Compact inner-city apartment kitchens (2.5–3.5m) cluster toward $4,000, while large suburban family kitchens (6–10m) with islands push toward $40,600. Strata buildings with restricted work hours and lift-only access add 10–20% to installation labour. Heritage-listed properties may require council approval for kitchen changes that affect the building's character.
How We Calculate
Estimates are based on current trade rates for cabinet makers across Australian capital cities, adjusted for regional labour costs and typical material prices. All figures include GST. Ranges reflect the spread between a budget flat-pack installation and a fully custom premium kitchen with stone benchtops and high-end hardware.