Guide

Kitchen designer hourly rates in NZ: what designers charge

New Zealand kitchen designers charge roughly $120–220 an hour, a fixed fee of about $2,500–6,000 or more, or 8–15% of the project (FBD Interiors). Retailers such as Bunnings and Mitre 10 design for free, because the design is drawn around their range and ends in their quote.

Updated 27 October 2026

Key takeaways

Kitchen designer hourly rate in NZ: $120–220/hr; $2,500–6,000+ fixed, or 8–15% of the project (FBD Interiors).
Bunnings' in-home kitchen design is free and takes 1.5–2 hours.
Kitchenmaker charges $495 + GST per room for design and drafting, refunded when you proceed.
A free design is a sales document. That is not a criticism, it is what it is for.
Ours is $595 incl. GST, credited in full to a build contract signed within 6 months, and yours to keep either way.

How much do kitchen designers charge in NZ?

There are three common pricing models for independent kitchen design in New Zealand: hourly, fixed fee, and a percentage of the project. FBD Interiors publishes all three, and the ranges are wide because the scope varies from a layout sketch to full documentation and site supervision.

Superior Renovations quotes a designer cost of $552–4,830+ within an Auckland kitchen renovation (2026), which sits inside the same picture.

NZ kitchen designer fees (FBD Interiors)
Model	Typical range
Hourly	$120–220+ per hour
Fixed fee	$2,500–6,000+
Percentage of project	8–15%

What is the hourly rate for a kitchen designer in NZ?

About $120–220 an hour plus, for an independent kitchen designer in New Zealand (FBD Interiors). Hourly billing suits small jobs: a layout check, a second opinion on a retailer plan, or a few drawings. For a full design, most designers quote a fixed fee instead, so you know the total before they start.

The hourly rate is not the number to compare. Two designers at $150 and $200 an hour can land on the same total if one works faster or includes less. Ask what the hours cover: measure, concept layouts, revisions, joinery drawings, and whether site visits are billed on top.

Worked example: what design costs on a $35,000 kitchen

A typical NZ kitchen renovation costs about $35,000 (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026). Applying the published fee models to that job gives $2,800–5,250 at 8–15%, or $2,500–6,000+ as a fixed fee. At $120–220 an hour, a fixed fee in that range buys roughly 11 to 50 hours of a designer's time.

Design fee on a $35,000 kitchen, by pricing model
Model	Published rate	On a $35,000 job
Percentage of project	8–15% (FBD Interiors)	$2,800–5,250
Fixed fee	$2,500–6,000+ (FBD Interiors)	$2,500–6,000+
Hourly, 20 hours	$120–220/hr (FBD Interiors)	$2,400–4,400
Retailer in-home design	Free (Bunnings, Mitre 10)	$0, tied to their range
Credited design deposit	$495 + GST (Kitchenmaker)	Refunded when you proceed

Calculated from the published ranges above. The 20-hour row is an illustration, not a quote.

Why do retailers design kitchens for free?

Because the design is how they sell cabinets. Bunnings offers a free in-home design appointment of 1.5–2 hours. Mitre 10 offers a free consult with a render and a quote, and will organise the installation. Both are good services, and both produce a plan drawn around one range at one supplier's prices.

You get a layout and a price quickly, at no cash cost.
The layout is constrained to that retailer's cabinet sizes and finishes.
The output is a quote, not a document you can hand to three companies for comparable pricing.
If you do not buy, you do not usually keep drawings you can build from.

When is paying for a kitchen design the better buy?

When you want to compare quotes on identical scope, when the room has a real constraint to solve, or when you are not yet sure which of the three ways to renovate you should be pricing at all. In those cases a plan you own is the cheapest thing in the project.

There is an NZ precedent for the credited model: Kitchenmaker charges $495 + GST per room for design and drafting and refunds it when you proceed. Kitchen Renovation Wellington gives a free first consult and says a design fee may apply, credited back against the build.

What do we charge for a design consult, and why?

$595 including GST for an in-home measure of about 90 minutes, two layout options drawn to scale, a line-item budget with a source for every band, and a written scope. It is credited in full against a build contract signed within six months, and the drawings are yours whether or not you build with us.

We charge because a plan takes a designer's day, and because a free design has to be paid for somewhere: in the cabinet price, in the range you are steered to, or in the pressure to decide on the spot. Charging for it lets us draw the kitchen your room wants rather than the one our supplier stocks.

The full deliverable list and the refund terms are on the design consult page.

Questions

What is the hourly rate for a kitchen designer?

In New Zealand, about $120–220 an hour or more for an independent designer (FBD Interiors). Most quote a fixed fee for a full kitchen design rather than billing by the hour.

How much does a kitchen designer cost in NZ?

About $120–220 an hour, $2,500–6,000+ as a fixed fee, or 8–15% of the project (FBD Interiors). Retailer in-home design is usually free because it is tied to their range.

Is a free kitchen design any good?

Often, technically, yes. The limitation is not quality, it is independence: it is drawn around one supplier's cabinets and ends in that supplier's quote.

Do I get to keep the drawings if I do not build with you?

Yes. The two scaled layouts, the line-item budget and the written scope are yours. That is the product you paid for.

Is the $595 refundable?

It is fully refundable until 24 hours before your confirmed visit, if we cannot offer a visit within 10 working days of payment, or if we do not deliver the plan within 5 working days of the visit. After delivery it is not refundable, because you have the plan, but it is credited to a build contract signed within 6 months. See our terms.

Sources

Checked 27 October 2026. We re-check every published figure quarterly.