How Much Does Kitchen Wrapping Cost?

Pricing Factors in Your Kitchen Wrapping Cost

There are many benefits in opting for a vinyl wrap, not least in that you have a vast range of choices in terms of colours, textures, shades and styles – and that should you wish to upgrade your kitchen again in a couple of years, the wrap can be easily removed and replaced.

It’s essential to ask for quotations for your kitchen door wrapping project – prices can be substantially lower than replacing the cabinet doors, although that depends on what sort of vinyl you choose and how large your kitchen is.

Most UK kitchen cupboards are opened multiple times a day, and they can quickly show wear and tear, so a vinyl wrap is a fast and cost-effective way to renovate your kitchen in a very short timescale.

The most significant cost element is likely to be the vinyl you choose. Contractors can recommend different brands and finishes to ensure the wrap remains in great shape for the years to come.

Finishes can include:

• Matte or gloss.
• Patterns and texture (think marble, wood, slate).
• Carbon fibre wraps for a tough external surface.
• Metallic, pearlescent or even glitter vinyl.

Wraps with a more complex design or a textured finish will cost more than simple matte or gloss block colours.

Per door, you’re looking at pricing from £30 to £100, so from £1,000 to £10,000 for ten kitchen cabinets or more, provided they are in good enough condition to wrap. Note that dents or scratches can’t be disguised by wrap (it fits flush with the door’s surface), and so any repair works required or replacement MDF will add to the cost.

The following cost to think about is labour, which costs around £160 per day, per person in the UK. The more doors you have, the more vinyl wrap your job will require, and the more days of work are involved.

Larger projects may require two fitters, whereas a smaller kitchen might be possible with one tradesperson.

Most kitchen wrap projects take from one to three days, depending on how many cabinets you have in your kitchen and whether there are any additional tasks such as installing a coating or finish on top of the wrap itself.

Additional Budget Considerations in Wrapping a Kitchen

Quotations for kitchen wrapping will relate solely to the cabinets themselves, so if you’re budgeting for any other kitchen improvements, these will need to be priced separately.

That could include:

• Fitting new flooring or a replacement worktop.
• Buying new cabinet handles.
• Assembling new Flat Pack Furniture such as a table and chairs, or installing new kitchen shelving.
• Moving a Radiator or fitting a new one into your kitchen.
• Fixing any plumbing issues or requesting a Plumber Callout Quote to install new taps or mixers, along with making sure you understand kitchen rewiring costs and how this may impact your wrapping project.

As well as any other jobs, cost factors include your location. Generally, work in London and the southeast is quoted at higher rates than elsewhere in the UK, given the increased trading cost in this region. You can usually add around 5% to 10% as a contingency cost, as labour charges will be higher than the average and sometimes up to £250 per person per day.

Another kitchen wrapping cost might include replacement cabinets or wood filler and sanding to ensure damage to the MDF or units underneath has been repaired before the vinyl is fitted.

There isn’t likely to be a significant amount of waste materials. However, if you remove any doors or need to strip back an existing finish on the cabinets to ensure they are ready for the application, this could add extra time and labour costs to the overall quote.

Breaking Down a Kitchen Wrapping Quotation

Most kitchen wrap quotes will be pretty simple and include the anticipated labour costs and the charge for the vinyl material.

However, it’s still worth having a careful look through the quoted prices:

• Check what brand of vinyl is being used. There are a considerable number of products and brands, with suppliers such as 3M and Avery being popular for internal wrap projects. Most premium vinyl wrap will come with a warranty, so it’s wise to check with your contractor if this isn’t mentioned.
• If labour is quoted per day or hour, without a total, you should always ask for a cost estimate based on the professional’s opinion as to how many days will be needed.

To provide an accurate quote, contractors will need to know how many doors, units or cabinets you need to be wrapped. If you can provide photos of the units so the tradesperson can check the condition of the wood, this can also give a more precise value.

They will need to know the size of the units and how many you need to be wrapped – that includes drawers and cabinet panels as well as the unit doors themselves.

You can also speed up the quotation process by explaining what style or finish you’re looking for. If, for example, you want a realistic textured wood finish, this can then be quoted per door or for the total project, rather than providing an estimate based on a more standard vinyl roll.

What are the Benefits of Wrapping Kitchen Cabinets?

A kitchen wrapping cost can be significantly cheaper than any other option for updating your kitchen decor – and is a long-term decorative feature. The average new kitchen costs from £3,000 to £4,500, so with vinyl wraps starting at £250, you can save a lot of expense.

Benefits include:

• Fast turnarounds – vinyl wrap takes between one and three days to be fitted and is much quicker than respraying cabinets.
• Easy maintenance – the wrap won’t need any particular care and can be easily cleaned with warm soapy water. It’s advisable not to use solvents as these can break down the adhesive.
• Simple to change – wraps can be removed easily by a professional if you want to change your kitchen’s design scheme.
• The vast amount of choice – as we’ve discovered, there are limitless options when it comes to styles, colours and designs, and something more unusual such as marble is far more achievable and affordable than any other method.
• Minimal mess and disturbances – fitting a wrap doesn’t include drilling, noise or fumes, and so your kitchen will be clean and tidy without any dust or building disruption.
• Guarantees – premium types of vinyl with long-lasting coatings often come with a ten-year warranty, which means you can protect against cracking or scaling.

FAQs - Costs to Wrap a Kitchen

Please find below answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the costs to wrap a kitchen!

Can I Remove a Kitchen Vinyl Wrap if I Want to Redecorate?

Yes, vinyl is easy to remove, but we’d always recommend booking a professional, as you require specialist tools and skills to avoid damaging the units underneath.

This also applies to the application – while you can attempt a DIY project and purchase rolls of wrap yourself, it’s not recommended. Without experience, you can easily end up with bubbles or rippling, which will ruin the finish.

How Long Does a Vinyl Wrap in a Kitchen Last?

Vinyl is an excellent option if you’re looking for a fast and affordable way to refurbish your kitchen or have decent quality cabinets that don’t match your decor. Vinyl is durable and lasts for years, with premium brands offering guarantees for around ten years.

You can also look at respraying your kitchen, buying new cabinet doors, opting for PVC edged door units, or painting, although none of these options will last as long or provide as diverse a range of colours and textures.

Will Vinyl Wrapping a Kitchen Damage My Cabinets?

Not at all! Vinyl is popular in kitchens since it coats the surface of the cabinets to provide whatever decor style you have chosen but leaves the cabinets underneath untouched.

If you decide to sell and want to revert your units to their original colour, the contractor can remove the wrap. This also means protecting the paintwork and finishes, so you can continue to use quality kitchen units for many more years without seeing wear and tear from cooking or steam.

How Long Does it Take to Install a Kitchen Wrap?

The exact time required will depend primarily on how large your kitchen is, how big each cabinet is, and how many doors or panels you need to be wrapped.

Average projects take from one day to three.

Is Kitchen Wrapping Safe?

We’re all conscious of fire safety, and it’s vital to ensure you use a suitable wrap in your kitchen, given the exposure to heat and cooking flames! Premium vinyl films are non-flammable and are tested for indoor emissions.

A fire-resistant wrap is also UV resistant, so it won’t fade in the sunlight and is safe for use in kitchens.