Kitchen layout
L-shape kitchens, costed
The L-shape is the most common New Zealand kitchen layout: two runs of bench meeting in a corner, leaving the rest of the room free. It is the layout most quotes assume, so a same-footprint replacement sits squarely in the $25,000–45,000 mid-range band with a national typical of about $35,000 (CheckMyBuilder, July 2026).
Updated
When does a l-shape kitchen work?
Most family kitchens. It is forgiving on awkward room shapes and leaves room for a small dining table, which is why it is the most common New Zealand layout. A 2.4–3.6 m run plus a 1.8–3.0 m return is typical, and it is the shape most quotes assume.
When does it not work?
Long, narrow rooms, where one wall goes to waste. And the inside corner is always a compromise: a blind corner either wastes a cubic metre of storage or takes a specialty pull-out, which is one of the most expensive single items in a kitchen.
What drives the cost of a l-shape kitchen?
The inside corner, before anything else. A blind corner either wastes a cubic metre of storage or takes a specialty pull-out, one of the most expensive items in a kitchen. After that it is the benchtop join, which stone has to have fabricated, and the splashback on the return wall carrying the range.
| Driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The inside corner | A blind corner either wastes a cubic metre of storage or takes a specialty pull-out, which is one of the most expensive single items in a kitchen. |
| A mitred benchtop join | Stone benchtops need a fabricated corner join. Laminate can be post-formed or joined, and the two cost quite differently. |
| Two walls of splashback | The return wall usually carries the range, so its splashback specification drives the price. |
L-shape questions
What is the best thing to put in an L-shaped corner?
The honest options are a blind-corner pull-out, a carousel, or a deliberately dead corner used from one side only. The pull-out costs the most and works the best; we price all three at the consult so the choice is yours, with the numbers next to it.
Does an L-shape cost more than a galley?
Not by shape alone. The corner cabinet and the benchtop join add cost that a galley does not have, but an L usually has less total benchtop. Total square metres decide it.
Sources
- CheckMyBuilder, kitchen renovation cost (updated July 2026)
- Superior Renovations, kitchen renovation cost Auckland (2026)
Checked 15 September 2026. We re-check every published figure quarterly.