IKEA Kitchen Installation Cost in NYC & NJ (2026)
How Much Does IKEA Kitchen Installation Cost?
We quote IKEA kitchen installation per cabinet, because that is what actually drives the work. Across New York City and New Jersey our labour runs $190–260 per cabinet, which puts most whole-kitchen installations between $2,000 and $5,000. A 12-cabinet galley lands near the bottom of that range; a 25-cabinet L-shape with an island lands near the top.
This page covers installation labour — the assembly and fitting. It does not include the cabinets themselves, countertops, or the plumber and electrician.
What a typical kitchen costs to install
| Kitchen | Cabinets | Installation labour | Time on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small galley or studio kitchen | 8–12 | $2,000–2,800 | 1–2 days |
| Standard apartment kitchen | 13–18 | $2,800–3,800 | 2 days |
| Large kitchen or L-shape with island | 19–30 | $3,800–5,000+ | 2–3 days |
What's included
- Cabinet assembly — flat-pack frames built before anything goes on the wall. This is the slowest part of the job. See our cabinet assembly service.
- Mounting and levelling — rail set true, cabinets plumb, legs adjusted to the floor you actually have.
- Doors, drawers and hardware — fronts hung, hinges adjusted in three planes, soft-close set, handles fitted.
- Scribing and trim — filler strips, cover panels, toe kicks and scribe work against out-of-square walls. In pre-war buildings this is most of the finish quality.
What costs extra
- Countertops: $800–3,500 for laminate or IKEA quartz; more for outside fabricators. See countertop options.
- Plumbing: $500–2,000, by a licensed plumber, for the sink and dishwasher.
- Electrical: $300–1,500 for under-cabinet lighting, new outlets or an appliance circuit.
- Backsplash: $800–2,500 installed.
- Removing the old kitchen: $500–1,500 including disposal.
- Appliance fitting: $150–500 per appliance.
Where you live changes the price
New York City. The cabinet rate is the same, but city buildings add work that suburban houses don't: a certificate of insurance naming the building and managing agent, a booked freight-elevator window, protection of common areas, and in co-ops an alteration agreement approved before anything starts. Expect more labour hours in a walk-up, where every box is carried up by hand. Manhattan and Brooklyn kitchens are usually smaller, so the cabinet count — and the total — is often lower than a suburban job even though the day is harder.
New Jersey. Suburban kitchens are bigger, so the cabinet count rises: 20–30 cabinets is normal in Bergen, Essex or Middlesex County, which puts labour in the $3,800–5,000 band. Driveway access and a garage to stage boxes in make the day faster. Towns like Hoboken and Jersey City behave like NYC: elevator buildings, COIs and stair carries.
What IKEA's own installation service costs
IKEA sells an installation service in the US, priced from the value of your kitchen rather than per cabinet. IKEA's own example is roughly $2,500 of installation on a $5,500 kitchen, with a 5-year workmanship warranty. Worth knowing before you compare:
- IKEA's service excludes demolition, plumbing and electrical — you arrange those separately.
- IKEA generally will not install modified cabinets — so if you are using custom fronts or a cut-down frame, that route closes.
- Measuring is a separate $79 service, credited toward qualifying installation.
An independent installer is usually the cheaper and more flexible option, especially for anything non-standard — we compare the two in detail in does IKEA install kitchens?. We only install IKEA kitchens, so the trade-off is not experience — it is who you call when a hinge needs adjusting next year.
What pushes a quote up
- Out-of-square walls and floors — standard in pre-war buildings, adds scribing time.
- Moving the sink, stove or dishwasher — triggers plumbing and electrical, and often a permit.
- Soffits — removing them, or building new ones to close the gap above 30" wall cabinets.
- Walk-ups and elevator restrictions — carrying 40 boxes up four flights is labour.
- Custom fronts (Semihandmade, Nieu and similar) — heavier doors, tighter tolerances, more adjustment.
Get an accurate number
Cabinet count is the fastest way to a real quote. Send us your IKEA plan — the PDF from the planner or a photo of the printout — and we come back with an itemised price, usually within three hours. Try the cost calculator for an instant estimate, or request a quote with your plan attached.
We install across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester and New Jersey.
Bottom line
Budget $190–260 per cabinet for installation, and expect $2,000–5,000 for a whole kitchen in the NYC and NJ metro area. Add countertops, plumbing and electrical on top. An IKEA kitchen installed properly still lands well below a comparable custom kitchen — the savings come from the cabinets, not from cutting corners on the fitting.