IKEA vs. custom kitchen: what Canadians actually pay

Cabinet brand is the line homeowners argue about, and it is rarely the line that decides the bill. Two kitchens with the same boxes can be $40,000 apart because one kept the sink where it was and the other moved plumbing, electrical, and a load-bearing wall.

Use the brand as a finish tier, not as a budget. The planning question is: are you replacing boxes in the existing layout, or rebuilding the room?

What 2026 kitchens actually cost

These are planning ranges, not quotes. They describe complete kitchens in Canadian cities in 2026, including demolition, trades, and finishing, not cabinets sitting in a box.

• Same layout, IKEA or similar ready-to-assemble cabinets, existing appliances reused: often $20,000 to $35,000 in Toronto, and a similar band in other large cities if nothing behind the wall moves.
• Full gut, mid-range stock or semi-custom cabinets, new counters and appliances: commonly $45,000 to $75,000 in Toronto.
• Custom millwork, stone, and layout changes: $80,000 and up, with no useful ceiling until you freeze the drawings.
• A cabinets-only quote north of $80,000 for a typical suburban kitchen is usually a red flag, not a market rate. Whole-kitchen quotes from general contractors in Ottawa more often sit in the $40,000 to $80,000 band for a complete job.

What the cabinet line actually buys

IKEA and other ready-to-assemble systems are cheap because you are buying a product, not a millwork shop. The boxes are consistent, the hardware is decent, and the lead time is short. You pay later in labour if the walls are out of square, the filler strips do not hide the gap, and nobody priced the installer who actually knows the system.

Stock and semi-custom Canadian cabinet lines sit in the middle: factory boxes, some size flexibility, longer lead times. Fully custom is a shop building to the room. That is the right product when the walls are crooked, the soffits are odd, or you want a specific wood and finish. It is an expensive way to get a flat white box.

The two things that blow the number

Moving the sink, dishwasher, range, or gas line is a plumbing and electrical project wearing a kitchen costume. Keeping the layout and replacing boxes, counters, and appliances is a finishing project. Those are not similar jobs.

• Plumbing and electrical relocation, including a new island circuit or a range hood ducted outside
• Structural work when a wall comes down or an opening is widened
• Flooring that has to run through the new layout, plus matching into adjacent rooms
• Drywall, plaster repair, and paint after demolition, which IKEA quotes often omit
• Appliance packages, which can add $4,000 or $20,000 without changing a single box

How to compare an IKEA quote to a custom quote

Do not compare the cabinet invoice to a general contractor's kitchen number. One is boxes. The other is a room.

1. Write one scope: demolition, plumbing, electrical, drywall, paint, flooring, counters, sink, faucet, backsplash, lighting, and who installs the cabinets.
2. Ask the IKEA path who is measuring, assembling, installing, and warrantying the install, and what happens if a door is damaged.
3. Ask the custom path what is included in the millwork price: assembly, delivery, fillers, panels, and hardware.
4. Add the missing trades to the cheaper quote at your own estimated cost before you decide it is cheaper.
5. Hold 15 percent contingency on a same-layout kitchen, and 20 percent or more if walls are moving or the house predates 1960.

When IKEA is the right answer

Keep the layout. The boxes are in good enough shape that you could have refaced them, but you want a different look. You can live without a perfect scribe to an 1890 plaster wall. You have a competent installer, not a first-time Saturday assembly.

When the room is being rebuilt, custom or semi-custom usually wastes less money, because the expensive part is already the trades. Saving $8,000 on boxes and then paying a carpenter to fight them into an irregular space is a false economy.