How much a bespoke kitchen will cost is the first question every future owner asks - and the last one they get a clear answer to. Carpenters’ quotations often differ by tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of crowns for a comparable layout. The difference isn’t random. The price of a bespoke kitchen breaks down into six items, and if you know their share, you can actually read a quotation - not just compare the bottom line.
Carcasses - the load-bearing structure
The carcass is the body of the cabinet: sides, bottom, back panel, shelves. For the vast majority of carpenters, it’s a wood-based board (most often laminate, laminated chipboard) regardless of what the front is made of. Thickness of 16 or 18 mm, edge quality and the type of joints (tongue-and-groove instead of a plain glued joint) affect both stability and price. Carcasses typically make up 20-25% of the budget - it’s the least visible but structurally most important item.
Doors (fronts) - the largest share of the price
The front is what you see, and the door material determines 30-40% of the price of the whole kitchen. Laminate is the cheapest option, foil and lacquer are mid-range, veneer and solid wood the most expensive. You’ll find a detailed comparison of door materials and their lifespan in our separate article on door materials.
Fittings - the invisible mechanics
Hinges, drawer runners, soft-close, push-to-open - fittings are often tucked away in the price list under a single line item, yet they make up 10-15% of the budget. The difference between a cheap copy and branded fittings mainly comes down to lifespan: quality fittings often carry a functional warranty running for decades, while a cheap substitute fails after a few years of use. Terms like soft-close or full-extension are explained in our glossary of terms.
Appliances - the item that can double the price
Oven, hob, dishwasher, fridge - for integrated appliances (hidden behind the front), the appliance price is counted separately from the kitchen price itself, but it affects the budget more than anything else. A basic set costs around 40-60 thousand crowns, premium brands can easily run over 300 thousand for appliances alone. When comparing quotations, always check whether appliance costs are included in the total or handled separately.
Worktop
A stone worktop (granite, quartzite, engineered stone) costs roughly 25-80 thousand crowns for a typical kitchen run. A laminate worktop is significantly cheaper but less resistant to heat and mechanical damage. The worktop typically makes up 8-12% of the total budget.
Installation, delivery and design
The last item that’s often forgotten: installation, delivery and, in many cases, a paid design service (for carpenters offering 3D visualisation and an on-site survey). Design is usually charged separately, but it’s typically deducted from the total price once you order the kitchen. Always ask whether installation is included in the price - with cheaper quotations it tends to be an extra item that adds tens of thousands of crowns.
What raises the price even if you stick with the same material
Besides the choice of material, there’s a group of factors that can push the price up without you reaching for more expensive wood or fittings. These include:
- Non-standard shape and dimensions. Sloping walls, attics or a kitchen built around a column require an individual survey and manufacturing that can’t be simplified with a template.
- Drawers instead of cabinets. Full-extension drawers are more expensive than shelves behind doors, but significantly more practical - more on this in our article on common design mistakes.
- Kitchen island or peninsula. A freestanding element requires its own construction, often adjustments to utilities too, and raises both installation and material costs.
- Custom colour (RAL, a bespoke lacquer shade). Mixing and lacquering a non-standard shade costs more than the manufacturer’s standard sample range.
These items often don’t appear in the basic estimate until you specifically ask about them - so it’s worth mentioning them at the first meeting, not only once the drawing has been approved.
How many quotations to compare
The price of a single workshop can’t be judged in isolation - it only makes sense in comparison. It’s worth asking at least three different manufacturers for the same brief (dimensions, material, appliances) and comparing the cost breakdown, not just the total figure. If one quotation is significantly lower, it usually means something is missing - typically installation, delivery, or a specific type of fittings.
Indicative ranges by material
A bespoke kitchen from a carpenter realistically starts around 150 thousand crowns without appliances, for the simplest designs. Indicatively:
- Basic design (laminate, standard fittings): 150-220 thousand Kč
- Mid-range (foil or veneer, quality fittings): 250-400 thousand Kč
- Top tier (solid wood, stone, integrated appliances): 450-800+ thousand Kč
These figures are indicative and vary from workshop to workshop and depending on the kitchen’s size. Only a specific quotation tailored to your space will show the exact price. Before you compare quotations, also read about what to ask and how to read a manufacturer’s quotation, so that none of the items listed above is missing from it.