Most Melbourne homeowners should expect to pay somewhere between $5,000 and $20,000 or more for a custom kitchen, with the final figure shaped by three things: the size of the run in lineal metres, the material and finish you choose, and how complex the installation is. Before signing anything, line up three written quotes built on the same specifications so you’re comparing like with like.
TL;DR:
- Installed trade grade cabinetry costs $400 to $700 per metre, while custom melamine runs $700 to $1,200 and solid timber starts at $1,500.
- Request three written quotes with identical specifications, and confirm installation, GST, named hardware models, and any provisional allowances before comparing totals.
- Victorian projects costing $10,000 or more require a written major domestic building contract; at $16,000, builders must also hold domestic building insurance.
- Local workshops take four to eight weeks after design approval; overseas joinery may save 25% to 45%, but requires longer lead times and quality checks.
Table of Contents
- Melbourne price ranges for kitchens, vanities, wardrobes and built-ins
- What drives the price differences between quotes
- Worked budget examples for small, medium and large kitchens
- How to get accurate quotes and what Victorian contracts must include
- Timeline and lead times for fabrication and installation
- Our perspective on joinery in Melbourne’s heritage homes
- How we can help with your joinery and heritage project
- FAQ
- Sources
Melbourne price ranges for kitchens, vanities, wardrobes and built-ins
Custom cabinetry in Victoria is typically priced per lineal metre, and the grade you choose moves that number considerably. Trade-grade flat-pack cabinetry installed sits at the budget end, while veneered or solid timber joinery sits well above it.
- Trade-grade flat-pack, assembled and installed: $400 to $700 per metre
- Custom melamine or thermofoil joinery: $700 to $1,200 per metre
- Premium two-pack painted MDF: $1,200 to $2,000 per metre
- Veneered or solid timber joinery: $1,500 to $3,000 or more per metre
A full kitchen of around six metres can land anywhere from roughly $5,000 to over $20,000 depending on grade and finish. Bathroom vanities, built-in wardrobes and laundry cabinetry follow the same per-metre logic, just over shorter runs, so a two-metre vanity in a premium painted finish costs proportionally less overall than a full kitchen even at the same rate per metre, as explained in this detailed custom fitted wardrobes cost breakdown.
Inner Melbourne suburbs tend to sit at the upper end of these ranges because of access constraints and the premium finishes period homes usually call for, while growth-corridor areas with straightforward access and standard specifications trend cheaper. Always confirm whether a quote is supply-only or supply-and-install, and check GST is clearly stated, since the gap between those two figures is often the biggest surprise in a comparison.
What drives the price differences between quotes
Three things separate a budget quote from a premium one: the material itself, the hardware and joinery technique, and how hard the site is to work in.
Material choice moves cost in a predictable order, from melamine at the bottom, through two-pack painted finishes, up to veneered or solid timber at the top. Hardware adds another layer. Soft-close drawer runners, integrated appliance panels and better hinge systems all carry a price premium over basic fittings.
- Bespoke profiles, mitred joins and curved cabinetry take more workshop time than straight runs.
- Integrating appliances like dishwashers or fridges into joinery fronts adds fabrication and fitting steps.
- Site access, such as a narrow Victorian terrace hallway or a stair carry to an upper floor, adds installation labour that a straightforward ground-floor job avoids.
Specifying hardware brand families and drawer construction at quote stage, rather than leaving them open, is one of the simplest ways to keep quotes comparable and avoid a mid-job substitution that quietly lifts the price.
Pro Tip: Ask every quoting tradesperson to name the exact hardware brand and model, not just “soft-close drawers”, so you can tell whether a cheaper quote is actually a lower-spec one.
Worked budget examples for small, medium and large kitchens
Turning per-metre figures into real totals makes it easier to sanity-check a quote against the benchmarks above.
- Small kitchen, 3 to 4 metres: a galley or compact layout in custom melamine typically lands in the lower thousands, scaling toward the top of that run length at a premium painted finish.
- Medium kitchen, 5 to 6 metres: an L-shaped or U-shaped layout in two-pack painted MDF commonly reaches into the mid to high teens of thousands once an island and appliance integration are included.
- Large or premium kitchen: veneered or solid timber joinery, curved cabinetry and multiple integrated appliances push costs toward the top of the $20,000-plus range and beyond, largely because of material cost and workshop hours.
- Bathroom vanity: a two-metre custom vanity in a premium finish sits well under kitchen totals, scaled to the same per-metre pricing.
- Walk-in robe: a fitted walk-in wardrobe follows wardrobe-specific per-metre rates, with drawer banks and hanging systems adding to a straightforward shelving layout.
How to get accurate quotes and what Victorian contracts must include
Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends getting at least three written quotes built on identical plans and specifications, because a cheaper number often hides a lower-spec material list or missing components rather than a genuine saving.
Victorian law also sets clear thresholds that protect you as the work scales up.
- For work worth $10,000 or more, you need a written major domestic building contract.
- For work worth $16,000 or more, the builder must hold domestic building insurance, and it’s worth checking the certificate of currency yourself.
- Deposits and cooling-off periods are regulated, so ask your tradesperson how their payment schedule complies.
Watch for prime cost items and provisional sums in a quote. These are placeholder allowances for things like tapware or benchtops that haven’t been finalised yet, and they’re a common source of budget blowouts if you sign before locking in exact makes and models. A good quote also spells out inclusions, exclusions, lead times, the process for variations, and what warranty applies to both materials and workmanship.
Timeline and lead times for fabrication and installation
Local workshops typically need four to eight weeks from design sign-off to installation. Joinery sourced overseas can be cheaper, but builders report 25 to 45% savings come with longer lead times and tighter quality checks. Deposits and staged payments usually track manufacturing and install milestones rather than a single upfront sum.
Our perspective on joinery in Melbourne’s heritage homes
Custom joinery rarely sits in isolation on Victorian and Edwardian home projects, which often include timber restoration and heritage trim repair. It usually sits alongside timber restoration and heritage trim repair, and coordinating those trades under one project lead is where the real savings show up. When joinery, repairs and finishing are scoped together, there’s far less rework from mismatched profiles or paint schedules that don’t line up with the new cabinetry.
Our approach favours fixed-fee scoping wherever possible and a clear decision on repair versus replacement for existing architectural woodwork before joinery work begins, which keeps prime cost surprises out of the final invoice.
— Jarrad
How we can help with your joinery and heritage project
Custom joinery, architectural woodwork, and heritage restoration are often coordinated under a single project lead to streamline trade management for cabinetry, timber repair, and finishing coats. For homeowners planning a kitchen or built-in alongside broader period home work, that coordination is what keeps a quote accurate from the first conversation to the final coat.
We aim to scope projects with clear fixed fees and specify details upfront to help control prime cost items throughout the work. If you’re weighing joinery costs against a wider restoration, our heritage painting services and architectural woodwork restoration pages outline how we scope comparable projects. Get in touch for a scoped quote on your home.
FAQ
How much does custom joinery cost?
Most Melbourne joinery falls between $400 and $3,000 or more per lineal metre depending on material and finish, with a full kitchen commonly landing between $5,000 and over $20,000. Vanities, wardrobes and laundries scale down from those same per-metre rates based on run length.
Is $10,000 enough for a new kitchen?
A budget of $10,000 typically only covers a small kitchen in trade-grade or entry melamine cabinetry, and even then it depends on run length and whether appliances need integration. Once you’re into custom melamine or painted finishes, most Melbourne kitchens move well beyond that figure.
What are typical costs for carpentry framing in Melbourne?
Melbourne carpenters commonly bill $58 to $135 per hour for labour, with full project costs depending heavily on scope and material grade. Custom cabinetry projects can range from the low thousands to tens of thousands once materials, hardware and installation are included.
How much does a custom cabinet cost to make?
A single custom cabinet’s cost depends on its material, hardware and size, and is usually priced as part of a broader per-metre joinery quote rather than as a standalone figure. For context, Melbourne per-metre cabinetry rates run from $400 for trade-grade flat-pack up to $3,000 or more for solid timber.
Sources
- Getting quotes – Consumer Affairs Victoria
- Building
- Carpenter cost Melbourne — WhatsTheDamage
- Cabinet making and joinery Vic — The Quote Yard
