Rate per running foot, and what that buys
Counter run is the total length of base units in feet. An L-shaped 8 × 10 ft kitchen is usually 14–16 running feet; a straight galley in a one-bedroom flat is 8–10. Every rate below covers base units, wall units, one tall unit, shutters, hardware, counter and installation.
| Construction | ₹ / running foot | 10 rft | 14 rft | 18 rft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate on BWP ply, hinged | ₹16,000 – 22,000 | ₹1.60 – 2.20 L | ₹2.24 – 3.08 L | ₹2.88 – 3.96 L |
| Membrane or matte acrylic on BWP | ₹23,000 – 30,000 | ₹2.30 – 3.00 L | ₹3.22 – 4.20 L | ₹4.14 – 5.40 L |
| High-gloss acrylic, premium hardware | ₹31,000 – 40,000 | ₹3.10 – 4.00 L | ₹4.34 – 5.60 L | ₹5.58 – 7.20 L |
| Veneer with PU, or lacquered glass | ₹42,000 – 58,000 | ₹4.20 – 5.80 L | ₹5.88 – 8.12 L | ₹7.56 – 10.44 L |
Counter run × rate. Ex-GST. Includes carcass, shutters, hardware, counter and installation. Excludes appliances, dado tiling beyond the backsplash and civil work.
Counter run by kitchen size and layout
If you do not know your counter run, measure the base-unit line on your plan — or use the table:
| Kitchen size | Typical counter run | Layout that fits | Wall-unit run |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 × 7 ft | 8 – 10 rft | Straight or a small L | 6 – 8 rft |
| 8 × 8 ft | 12 – 13 rft | L-shaped | 9 – 11 rft |
| 8 × 10 ft | 14 – 16 rft | L-shaped or parallel | 11 – 13 rft |
| 10 × 12 ft | 18 – 22 rft | U-shaped, island optional | 14 – 17 rft |
Kitchens priced by the running foot
Where the money goes in a ₹3.70 lakh kitchen
A 14 running foot L-shaped kitchen in membrane finish at ₹26,430 per running foot — broken into the eight lines a proper kitchen quote carries:
| Line item | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Shutters — membrane on 18mm MDF, edge-banded, 14 rft base plus 11 rft wall | ₹81,400 | 22% |
| Base unit carcass — 18mm BWP ply, 12mm backs, 14 rft | ₹74,000 | 20% |
| Wall and tall unit carcass — 18mm BWP ply | ₹59,200 | 16% |
| Hardware — Hettich soft-close hinges, tandem channels, baskets, lift-ups | ₹48,100 | 13% |
| Granite counter, 14 rft, with sink cut-out and 4-inch skirting | ₹40,700 | 11% |
| Electrical points, under-cabinet lighting, minor plumbing shifts | ₹25,900 | 7% |
| Dado tiling and backsplash above the counter | ₹22,200 | 6% |
| Fabrication, delivery, installation and site finishing | ₹18,500 | 5% |
| Total (ex-GST) | ₹3,70,000 | 100% |
Material and hardware rate card
These are the input rates behind every figure above. If a quote does not name the board, the brand and the thickness, it has not actually been priced — it has been guessed.
| Item | Option | Indicative rate | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carcass board | HDHMR | ₹90 – 120 / sq ft | Fine for dry upper units only |
| Carcass board | BWP plywood | ₹120 – 175 / sq ft | The sensible default everywhere |
| Carcass board | WPC | ₹150 – 200 / sq ft | Best under the sink and in wet zones |
| Carcass board | Marine-grade plywood | ₹165 – 220 / sq ft | Only worth it in coastal cities |
| Shutter finish | Laminate | ₹1,800 – 2,500 / sheet | Excellent value; matte hides fingerprints |
| Shutter finish | Membrane | ₹2,600 – 3,800 / sheet | Seamless, good for shaker profiles |
| Shutter finish | Acrylic | ₹6,000 – 9,000 / sheet | High gloss, high maintenance |
| Shutter finish | Veneer with PU | ₹8,500 – 14,000 / sheet | Genuine timber grain, long curing |
| Hardware | Hettich, Hafele, Blum or Ebco soft-close | 10 – 15% of kitchen cost | Spend here, always |
| Countertop | Granite | ₹250 – 600 / sq ft | Durable, heat-proof, best value |
| Countertop | Quartz | ₹700 – 1,800 / sq ft | Non-porous, uniform, stain-resistant |
| Countertop | Sintered stone | ₹1,600 – 3,200 / sq ft | Large formats, minimal joints |
City-by-city kitchen rates
Membrane finish, identical specification, priced across markets on the standard 14 running foot kitchen:
| Market | Membrane ₹ / rft | 14 rft total |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai | ₹28,000 – 36,000 | ₹3.92 – 5.04 L |
| Delhi NCR / Bengaluru | ₹25,000 – 32,000 | ₹3.50 – 4.48 L |
| Pune / Hyderabad / Chennai | ₹22,500 – 29,000 | ₹3.15 – 4.06 L |
| Ahmedabad / Jaipur / Lucknow | ₹20,000 – 26,000 | ₹2.80 – 3.64 L |
| Tier-3 towns | ₹17,500 – 23,000 | ₹2.45 – 3.22 L |
Where to spend and where to save
- Spend on the carcass. BWP ply at ₹120–175 per sq ft is the one component you cannot upgrade later without dismantling the kitchen. Under the sink, go further and use WPC.
- Spend on the hardware. Hinges and channels are touched twenty times a day. Unbranded soft-close typically loses its damping inside two years and the replacement labour costs more than the original saving.
- Save on the shutter finish. A good matte laminate at ₹2,200 a sheet looks excellent beside acrylic at ₹7,500 and costs a third. On a 14 rft kitchen that is ₹1.6 lakh you can redeploy.
- Save on the countertop, deliberately. Granite is harder, more heat-tolerant and a third of the price of quartz. Choose quartz only if staining from turmeric and beetroot genuinely worries you.
- Save on tall units where space is tight. A well-planned loft over the wall units does most of the same storage work at roughly half the rate per running foot.
- Never save on the dado or the waterproofing behind the sink. That is where a kitchen fails first, and repairing it means pulling out the base units.
Buy the box and the hinges. Shutters can be changed in ten years for a fraction of the kitchen. The carcass cannot be changed at all.
Greenbox principal designer
How to compare two kitchen quotes
- Convert both to rupees per running foot. Two lump sums are not comparable; two rates are.
- Check the wall-unit run separately. A quote that includes 11 rft of wall units and one that includes 6 are different kitchens at the same base run.
- Read the board specification line. Brand, grade, thickness and where each grade is used — 18mm sides and shelves, 12mm backs, WPC under the sink.
- Count the hardware pieces. Number of soft-close hinges, number of tandem drawer sets, corner unit type, lift-up mechanisms and their brand and series.
- Confirm the counter area and edge profile. Counter is priced in square feet with the skirting and cut-outs stated, not bundled into the running-foot rate silently.
- Ask what happens to the old kitchen. Strip-out, debris removal and making good are real costs, and the cheaper quote usually excludes them.
What the rate excludes
- 18% GST — ₹66,600 on the ₹3.70 lakh example, taking it to ₹4,36,600. Check yours with the GST on interior work calculator.
- Appliances — chimney, hob, built-in oven, microwave and dishwasher: ₹70,000–₹3 lakh. Cut-out sizes must be fixed before fabrication, not after.
- Chimney ducting beyond a short run, plus any core-cutting through an external wall.
- Civil work — moving the sink or the gas point, new waterproofing, wall demolition.
- Flooring inside the kitchen, and skirting where the old units are removed.
- Electrical upgrades — a dedicated circuit for the hob, oven or dishwasher.
- Water purifier, sink and mixer unless explicitly listed with a brand and model.
Price your own kitchen against these rates with the modular kitchen cost calculator, or read how a modular kitchen is made for the fabrication sequence. Mumbai kitchens sit about a fifth above these rates for reasons worth understanding before you compare quotes — see modular kitchen cost in Mumbai.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a modular kitchen cost in India?+
₹11,500–₹22,000 per running foot for laminate on BWP ply, ₹23,000–₹30,000 for membrane or matte acrylic, ₹31,000–₹40,000 for high-gloss acrylic and ₹42,000–₹58,000 for veneer or PU, excluding 18% GST and appliances. A typical 14 running foot kitchen is ₹2.24–4.20 lakh at the common finishes.
What is the cost difference between laminate and acrylic?+
Laminate runs ₹1,800–₹2,500 a sheet against ₹6,000–₹9,000 for acrylic — roughly three to four times. Translated to a finished kitchen, that is about ₹15,000 per running foot, or ₹2.1 lakh on a standard 14 running foot kitchen.
How much should I spend on kitchen hardware?+
Ten to fifteen per cent of the kitchen cost, which was ₹48,100 of the ₹3.70 lakh example on this page. Hettich, Hafele, Blum and Ebco soft-close hinges, tandem channels and baskets are worth it — hardware is the highest-touch component and the first thing to fail if you economise.
Is granite or quartz better for a countertop?+
Granite at ₹250–₹600 per sq ft is harder, more heat-tolerant and far better value. Quartz at ₹700–₹1,800 is non-porous, more uniform and more stain-resistant. For most Indian kitchens granite is the sensible choice unless staining is a specific concern for you.
Does the quoted price include appliances?+
No. Chimney, hob, built-in oven, microwave and dishwasher are separate and typically add ₹70,000 to ₹3 lakh. Appliance models must be fixed during design because cut-out dimensions, gas-point position and dedicated electrical circuits all depend on them.
How long does a modular kitchen take?+
Four to six weeks from final measurement: two to three weeks of off-site fabrication, three to five days of installation, then counter templating, cutting and fitting, followed by dado, electrical and snagging. Add two weeks if plumbing or the gas point is being relocated.