Kitchen layout
U-shape kitchens, costed
A U-shaped kitchen wraps bench around three walls. It gives the most bench and storage of any layout without an island, and it also carries two inside corners, so cabinetry cost per square metre runs higher than an L or a galley of the same area.
Updated
When does a u-shape kitchen work?
Square-ish rooms where you want maximum bench and storage: the layout for people who cook seriously. Three runs totalling 6.0–9.0 m give the most bench of any layout without an island, and you need about 1.2 m of clear floor between the facing runs for it to work.
When does it not work?
Smaller rooms: you will feel boxed in, and the two inside corners eat budget on specialty hardware. It also carries the most benchtop of any non-island layout, so choosing stone over laminate moves a U-shape total more than it moves any other layout.
What drives the cost of a u-shape kitchen?
Two inside corners rather than one, which doubles the corner problem in both hardware and wasted volume. A U-shape also carries the most benchtop of any non-island layout, so the laminate-or-stone decision moves the total more here. Three walls of cabinetry usually mean a taller extraction run and more lighting circuits.
| Driver | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Two inside corners | Twice the corner problem of an L-shape, in hardware and in wasted volume. |
| The most benchtop of any non-island layout | Choosing stone over laminate moves this layout's total more than it moves any other. |
| Ventilation and lighting | Three walls of cabinetry usually means a taller extraction run and more under-cabinet lighting circuits for the electrician. |
U-shape questions
How wide does a room need to be for a U-shape?
You need enough clear floor between the two facing runs for drawers, appliance doors and a person: about 1.2 m is a comfortable working minimum. Below that the U stops being a benefit.
Is a U-shape more expensive?
Per square metre of room, usually yes, because you are fitting more cabinetry and benchtop into the same floor area and paying for two corners rather than one.
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.