IKEA kitchen vs a made to measure kitchen: an honest comparison

26 September 2026 · The Home Upgrade Co.

If you are pricing a kitchen in Ireland, IKEA comes up in the first conversation. The questions people ask are always the same ones: are IKEA kitchens any good, should you use their fitters or look elsewhere, and why do some people love them while others say never again. One r/DIYIreland poster was quoted just under €4,000 for IKEA's service to fit their kitchen, and wanted to know if that was fair.

This page is a straight comparison of an IKEA kitchen and a made to measure one. IKEA does some things better than we do, and we say so. Everything about IKEA below is taken from IKEA Ireland's own website in September 2026.

Where IKEA is the stronger choice

Price, if you fit it yourself. A guarantee far longer than ours. And you can walk in and see everything.

• Price. A 60cm METOD base frame starts from €58. If you or someone handy is fitting it, you will not beat IKEA on cost for a new kitchen.
• The guarantee. METOD kitchens carry a 25 year guarantee on cabinets, fronts, hinges, drawers and more, for domestic use with the receipt. Ours is 2 years on wood. That is a real difference and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
• Planning. Free, in store or online, in 60 to 90 minutes, with a 3D design and an itemised list.
• Quality for the money. On boards.ie, a carpenter who has fitted kitchens from most of the main Irish suppliers described IKEA's quality as very respectable for the price.

If you are fitting it yourself and your room suits standard sizes, IKEA is a good kitchen and you should seriously consider it.

How do the two compare, side by side?

IKEA details from IKEA Ireland's METOD pages, its kitchen installation page and its kitchen guarantee brochure, September 2026.

Should you use IKEA's fitters or look elsewhere?

This is the question that comes up most, and the answer is in what the fitting service covers.

IKEA's installation is carried out by what it calls quality checked service providers, not IKEA staff, and their workmanship carries a 5 year guarantee. There is no published price. You pay a €100 non refundable pre installation visit, and the fitting is quoted from the size and layout of your kitchen. It covers assembling and fitting the cabinets, fillers, cornices and plinths, cutting IKEA laminate and custom worktops, fitting the sink and tap with the waste connection, plug in lighting and IKEA appliances.

It does not cover stone worktops, plumbing connections, or electrical and gas connections, and extra work is agreed directly with the installer, outside IKEA's responsibility. So on a typical Irish kitchen with a quartz worktop, you are organising a stone company, a plumber and an electrician as well. Many people use an independent kitchen fitter who handles more of that instead.

Once fitting, a stone worktop and the trades are added, the gap between an IKEA kitchen and a made to measure one narrows a lot. It does not disappear. Compare the full, fitted, finished price, not the cabinet price.

Why the carcase matters more than the doors

IKEA publishes its carcase material, which is more than most of the trade does: 18mm particleboard with melamine foil. That is chipboard, the same board most Irish kitchen companies use.

Chipboard is fine kept dry. Its weak points are water at cut edges, which makes it swell for good, and screws that loosen after repeated hinge adjustment. Ours is plywood throughout, with 9mm plywood backs. The full explanation is in is my kitchen chipboard?

Standard sizes or made to measure?

IKEA units come in set widths, from 20cm to 80cm, at set heights and depths. In a new build with square walls, that works well. In an older Irish house, with walls out of plumb, a chimney breast, or an awkward alcove, it means fillers and panels to close the gaps.

Made to measure means every unit is built to your walls. That is where most of the extra cost goes, and it is the main reason to choose it.

How should you decide?

• You are fitting it yourself or have a handy relative: IKEA, without much debate.
• You want the longest guarantee you can get: IKEA's 25 years is hard to beat.
• Your room is square and suits standard sizes: IKEA works well.
• You want one contractor supplying and fitting, stone worktop included: that is how we work.
• You want plywood carcases and units built to your walls: that is what we do.
• You are working to a tight budget: IKEA, and we are honestly not the right fit.

See it before you decide anything

We design and fit fitted kitchens across Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. Our kitchens start from €12,000 fitted including VAT, and a typical family kitchen with quartz runs €15,000 to €25,000. The design visit is free: we measure your kitchen and our designers create full 3D plans of your actual room, with an itemised quote. No cost, no obligation.

Frequently asked questions

Are IKEA kitchens any good?

For the price, yes. Fitters who have worked with most Irish suppliers describe the quality as respectable for the money, and METOD carries a 25 year guarantee. The carcases are 18mm chipboard in standard sizes, which is the main difference from a made to measure kitchen.

How much does IKEA charge to fit a kitchen in Ireland?

IKEA does not publish a fitting price. It is quoted at planning based on the size and layout, after a €100 non refundable pre installation visit. The service excludes stone worktops, plumbing and electrical connections.

Who fits IKEA kitchens in Ireland?

IKEA uses third party service providers, not its own staff, and their workmanship carries a 5 year guarantee. Many people use an independent kitchen fitter instead.

What are IKEA kitchen cabinets made of?

METOD frames are 18mm particleboard with melamine foil and plastic edging, with a painted fibreboard back panel, according to IKEA Ireland's product pages.

How long is the IKEA kitchen guarantee?

25 years on METOD kitchens for domestic use, with the receipt. It covers cabinets, fronts, hinges and drawers, but not knobs, handles, wear and tear or incorrect installation.

Is a made to measure kitchen worth it over IKEA?

It is worth it if your room is awkward, you want plywood carcases, or you want one contractor handling supply, fitting and a stone worktop. If you are fitting it yourself on a budget, IKEA is the better buy.