Kitchen Design Fees in Ireland: What Designers Charge for Design-Only vs Full Packages

The Two Ways Irish Designers Charge

In Ireland, kitchen designers generally work in one of two ways. A design-only service means you pay a flat fee for the designer's time, expertise, and drawings, but you buy the cabinets and worktop elsewhere, often online or from a trade supplier. A full package means the designer's fee is wrapped into a larger supply-and-install contract: you pay one price for design, cabinetry, appliances, worktops, and installation, and the design element is often described as 'free' or 'included'.

The distinction matters because the quoted figures are not directly comparable. A 'free design' from a kitchen showroom is not actually free—the cost is built into the cabinet prices, which typically carry margins of 30–50% over trade cost. A standalone designer charging €1,500 for drawings may save you more than that if you then buy cabinetry at trade price, but you take on the project management risk yourself.

Which route suits you depends on the scale of the work. If you are replacing cabinets in the same footprint with minimal plumbing or electrical changes, a design-only fee can be money well spent. If you are knocking walls, moving services, or fitting a large bespoke kitchen, the coordination provided by a full-package supplier often justifies the higher cabinet price.

• Design-only: flat fee for drawings and specifications; you buy products separately.
• Full package: design fee absorbed into a supply-and-install contract; cabinet prices carry a margin.
• Hybrid: some studios charge a design fee, then rebate it if you buy the kitchen through them.

What Design-Only Fees Typically Cover

A standalone kitchen design fee in Ireland typically ranges from €500 for a small one-bedroom apartment to €2,500 for a large family kitchen with complex joinery. That fee usually includes an initial site visit, measured survey, layout options, 3D visuals, a specification sheet listing every cabinet, worktop, handle, and appliance, and a set of drawings your builder or cabinetmaker can price from. Some designers charge by the hour—€60 to €100—but most quote a fixed project fee once they know the room size.

What is not included can catch people out. Design-only fees rarely include structural drawings for a building notice or planning permission—that requires an architect or engineer, and typically costs €1,500 to €4,000 separately. They also do not include a lighting plan, electrical layout, or plumbing schematic, though many designers will mark these on their drawings for an extra €200–€500. Site supervision—visiting during installation to check the build matches the design—is usually an additional €300–€600 per day.

If you plan to buy cabinets from a trade-only supplier such as Howdens or a local joinery, the designer's specification is essential because those suppliers do not offer design support to the public. You hand their cutting list to a fitter, and the fitter's quote becomes directly comparable to a showroom package.

Full-Package Pricing: Where the 'Free' Design Lives

Irish kitchen showrooms—from mid-range brands like Cash & Carry and Woodpro to premium firms like Boffi and Bulthaup—quote a package price that includes design, supply, and installation. For a typical 12–15 square metre kitchen, mid-range packages start around €12,000 to €18,000 fully installed. The design work is described as complimentary, but the showroom's margin on the cabinetry covers it. That margin is not disclosed, and it is why a showroom will rarely give you a detailed itemised quote breaking out cabinet costs from design costs.

Premium and bespoke joinery packages tell a different story. A bespoke kitchen from a Dublin joinery, with painted timber cabinets, quartz worktops, and integrated appliances, typically lands at €30,000 to €60,000 installed. Here the designer's role is more like an architect: they may charge a separate design fee of €3,000–€8,000, which is then credited against the build cost if you proceed. This structure is common with high-end firms because the design phase can involve months of iterations, material sampling, and coordination with architects and interior designers.

Be wary of quotes that seem too low. A 'fully installed kitchen for €9,000' from a national retailer often excludes appliances, worktop upstands, sink taps, tiling, plastering, electrics, plumbing, and removal of the old kitchen. When those are added, a €9,000 quote can become €15,000–€18,000. Always ask for a written list of inclusions and exclusions before comparing packages.

Worked Example: A Dublin Semi-D Kitchen

Take a typical 1970s semi-detached house in Dublin 12 with a 4.2 m by 3.1 m kitchen—about 13 square metres. The homeowner wants new shaker-style cabinets, a quartz worktop, a Belfast sink, and integrated dishwasher and fridge-freezer. They have two options.

Option A is a design-only route. They hire an independent kitchen designer for €1,800, who produces drawings and a cutting list. The homeowner then buys cabinets from a trade supplier at €6,500, quartz worktop at €2,200, appliances at €3,000, and hires a recommended fitter who quotes €3,500 for installation including plumbing and electrics. Total: €17,000. The designer also charges €350 for two site visits during installation. Grand total: €17,350.

Option B is a mid-range showroom package. The same kitchen from a national supplier, fully installed with the same appliances, comes to €19,500. That includes a project manager who coordinates the plumber, electrician, and fitter, and handles any snagging issues after installation. The design is 'free' but the cabinet price is higher—the showroom's margin covers the designer's time. The homeowner pays €2,150 more than the design-only route, but has a single point of contact if anything goes wrong.

Hidden Costs That Apply to Both Routes

Regardless of which route you choose, several costs sit outside the design fee or package price. Structural alterations—removing a load-bearing wall—need an engineer's report (€300–€800) and often a steel beam (€800–€1,500 supplied and fitted). Plastering after wall removal runs €500–€1,000. Floor tiling, wall tiling, and painting are almost always excluded from kitchen packages, and for a 13 square metre kitchen, tiling alone can add €2,000–€4,000.

Electrical and plumbing work is sometimes included in a full package, but often only up to a fixed allowance—say, €1,000—beyond which you pay extra. Moving a sink drain by 1 metre typically costs €400–€700. Adding three new socket circuits costs €600–€900. If your existing wiring is 1970s-era with no earth bonding, you may need a partial rewire, which adds €1,500–€3,000. Always ask the supplier whether their installation quote includes these, or whether they will be subcontracted and billed separately.

VAT is another overlooked line. Kitchen design fees are subject to 23% VAT, and most suppliers quote ex-VAT. A €1,800 design fee becomes €2,214 with VAT. On a €19,500 package, VAT adds €4,485. Some suppliers quote inclusive of VAT for domestic work, but many do not—confirm before comparing quotes.