Services · East London & Eastern Cape
Kitchen Cupboards Made & Fitted in East London
Custom kitchen cupboards and cabinetry, designed and fitted for how you actually cook.
- Free site visit
- Fixed, itemised price
- 7+ years on the tools
- Warranty-backed work
Elite Home Finishes designs and fits custom kitchen cupboards, kitchen units and cabinets, and full kitchen renovations across East London and the surrounding suburbs — from a straightforward door-and-top facelift on an existing layout to a complete rebuild with new cabinetry, countertops and appliances built in.
An installation service, not a shop. We supply the materials as part of a job we do for you — we don’t sell kitchens or materials over the counter.
Every kitchen starts with how the space is actually used — where the fridge, stove and sink sit relative to each other, how much bench space you need, and how much you're willing to change versus keep. We measure and design around your existing layout first, and only propose structural changes where they genuinely improve the workflow.
Carcasses are built from moisture-resistant board as standard, not general-purpose chipboard that swells the first time a dishwasher leaks or humidity gets into an unsealed edge — this matters more in a kitchen than almost any other room in the house. Door finishes range from melamine through wood-grain and wrap doors to sprayed duco, and we'll talk you through where the extra cost of a premium finish is worth it and where it isn't.
Countertops, splashbacks, handles and lighting are planned as part of the same design, not added on afterward, so the finished kitchen reads as one considered space rather than cabinets with extras bolted on. We also coordinate the plumbing and electrical work a kitchen renovation needs, rather than leaving you to manage separate trades.
What's Included
What our kitchens service covers
- Full kitchen renovations — layout, cabinetry, countertops
- Kitchen facelifts — new doors, tops and handles on your existing layout
- Melamine, wood-grain, wrap and duco (sprayed) door finishes
- Moisture-resistant carcass board as standard
- Countertops — laminate, quartz and granite
- Islands, breakfast counters and pantry cupboards
- Plumbing and electrical coordination for renovations
Our Work
Real photos from our own jobs
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Our Approach
Why Homeowners Choose Elite Home Finishes
- 01
We design around your existing layout and workflow first, and only propose moving plumbing or walls where it genuinely earns its cost — not by default.
- 02
Moisture-resistant board is standard on every carcass we build, not an upsell — a detail that matters more in a humid coastal kitchen than almost anywhere else in the house.
- 03
Countertops, splashback and lighting are planned into the same design from day one, so your new kitchen looks finished, not assembled from separate decisions.
Your Options
Options & Finishes to Choose From
- 01Melamine doors
- The most cost-effective finish, available in a wide range of solid colours and wood-grain foils. Durable for everyday use, though less resistant to chipping at exposed edges than duco.
- 02Wrap (foil-wrapped) doors
- A seamless, moisture-sealed wrap over MDF, giving a smoother, more matte look than melamine at a moderate step up in cost.
- 03Duco (sprayed) doors
- A painted, seamless finish in any colour, giving the smoothest, most premium look of the standard options — at the highest cost and with more care needed to avoid chips.
- 04Countertops — laminate, quartz & granite
- Laminate keeps cost down; quartz and granite cost more but resist heat, staining and scratching far better over years of daily use.
How We Work
How Your Project Runs, Step by Step
- 1
Site visit & design
We measure your kitchen, talk through how you use the space day to day, and agree a layout and finish before anything is quoted.
- 2
Honest quote
A clear, itemised quote covering cabinetry, countertops, hardware and any plumbing/electrical coordination needed — with finish options where there are trade-offs worth knowing.
- 3
Manufacture & installation
Cabinetry is manufactured to your exact measurements, then old units are removed and new cabinetry, countertops and splashback are fitted.
- 4
Hand-over
A full walkthrough of the finished kitchen, soft-close hinge and runner adjustment where needed, and care advice for your chosen countertop and door finish.
Cost Guide
Kitchens: Typical Costs in East London
A kitchen facelift (new doors, tops and handles on your existing layout) typically costs R30,000 – R70,000. A full mid-range kitchen renovation typically costs R80,000 – R180,000, and high-end kitchens with stone tops and custom cabinetry cost more.
What moves the price
- →Facelift vs full renovation with new cabinetry
- →Door finish — melamine, wrap or sprayed duco
- →Countertop material — laminate, quartz or granite
- →Layout changes affecting plumbing and electrical
- →Kitchen size and number of cabinet runs
Worth knowing: Cabinetry and countertop choice drive most of the cost variation. We give a fixed, itemised quote after measuring your kitchen.
These are indicative ranges based on jobs we quote across East London and the surrounding Eastern Cape, to help you budget before you call. Every project is bespoke — the final figure depends on your site, materials and scope, and we give you a fixed, itemised quote after a free on-site assessment.
Planning Your Project
What Affects Cost & Timeline
We go through each of these at the free site visit, so the quote reflects your actual job.
- Layout changes — keeping the existing plumbing and electrical positions is faster and cheaper than moving the sink or stove to a new wall.
- Door finish — melamine keeps cost down; wrap and duco cost more but give a smoother, more premium look.
- Countertop material — laminate is the budget option; quartz and granite cost more but outlast laminate by years under daily kitchen use.
- Carcass board — moisture-resistant board is essential under sinks and near dishwashers in a humid coastal climate, and it's what we use as standard.
- Scope — a facelift (new doors, tops and handles on the existing layout) is a much faster project than a full rebuild with new cabinetry throughout.
No surprises
What you can count on before you spend a cent
7+ years on the tools
Our team has been building and installing for over seven years — you're not paying for someone to learn on your home.
Free site visit
We come to you, measure properly and talk it through, then send you a written quote. No call-out fee in East London suburbs, and no obligation.
Fixed, itemised price
Every material and labour line is written down before work starts, so the price you approve is the price you pay.
Warranty-backed work
Our workmanship carries a warranty, and manufacturer warranties on materials and products are passed on to you at hand-over.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
A facelift — new doors, tops and handles on your existing layout — typically costs R30,000–R70,000. A full mid-range kitchen renovation with new cabinetry throughout typically runs R80,000–R180,000, and high-end kitchens with stone tops and custom cabinetry cost more. We give you a fixed, itemised quote after a free on-site measure.
Answer 01
How much does a new kitchen cost in East London?
A facelift — new doors, tops and handles on your existing layout — typically costs R30,000–R70,000. A full mid-range kitchen renovation with new cabinetry throughout typically runs R80,000–R180,000, and high-end kitchens with stone tops and custom cabinetry cost more. We give you a fixed, itemised quote after a free on-site measure.
Answer 02
How much should kitchen cupboards cost per linear metre?
Kitchen cabinetry in East London typically runs R2,500 – R12,000+ per linear metre installed. Melamine carcasses with melamine doors sit at the lower end; wrap doors and soft-close hardware sit in the middle; sprayed duco doors with stone tops sit at the top. Because it's charged by the metre, a galley kitchen and an L-shaped kitchen of the same floor area can differ substantially — we measure the actual cabinet runs before quoting.
Answer 03
What is the average cost of a built-in kitchen cupboard in South Africa?
Nationally most built-in kitchen cupboards fall between R2,500 and R12,000 per linear metre installed, and East London sits in that range. Beware quotes far below it — they usually mean standard chipboard carcasses rather than moisture-resistant board, which is a false economy in a coastal kitchen where a single dishwasher leak or humid summer can swell an unsealed edge.
Answer 04
What's the difference between melamine, wrap and duco kitchen doors?
Melamine is the most cost-effective and comes in solid colours and wood-grain foils. Wrap doors give a seamless, moisture-sealed matte finish at a moderate step up in cost. Duco is a sprayed painted finish — the smoothest, most premium look, at the highest cost and needing more care to avoid chips.
Answer 05
Can you do a kitchen facelift without a full renovation?
Yes — new doors, countertops and handles fitted to your existing carcasses and layout is one of our most requested projects, and it's significantly faster and cheaper than a full rebuild.
Answer 06
Do you handle the plumbing and electrical work for a kitchen renovation?
We coordinate the plumbing and electrical trades a renovation needs — moving a sink or adding under-cabinet lighting — so you deal with one team rather than managing separate contractors yourself.
Answer 07
Why does board type matter for kitchen cabinets?
Standard chipboard swells and delaminates if it gets wet — a real risk under a sink or near a dishwasher, especially in East London's humid coastal climate. We build every carcass from moisture-resistant board as standard, not as an upgrade.
Answer 08
Are flat-pack kitchen cupboards from a hardware store cheaper than custom-built?
The cupboards themselves often look cheaper on the shelf, but that price doesn't include measuring, cutting, plumbing and electrical coordination, or fitting — and standard flat-pack sizes rarely match an existing kitchen's actual dimensions without gaps, filler panels or wasted space. A custom quote is itemised for your kitchen specifically, so it's a fairer comparison than it first looks, and you're not left assembling and fitting it yourself.
Answer 09
What are the current trends in kitchen cupboards?
Handleless and slimline-handle doors, matte and textured finishes over high-gloss, two-tone cabinetry (a darker island against lighter perimeter units), and integrated appliances are the strongest trends we're fitting in East London kitchens right now. We'll talk through which of these suit your layout and budget rather than pushing a single look on every kitchen.
Clients Often Add
Often Done in the Same Project
Built-In Cupboards & Wardrobes →Kitchen and bedroom cupboards come from the same joinery workshop — bundling them often means a better price and one installation visit.
Ceilings & Cornices →A kitchen renovation is a natural time to also refresh the ceiling above it, especially if cabinetry height or lighting positions are changing.
Windows →Replacing a kitchen window alongside new cabinetry means one disruption instead of two separate projects.
Carpentry & Custom Furniture →Matching pieces made to your spec — dressers, pantry units, shelving and other custom furniture.Service Area
Kitchens Across East London & Surrounds
We work on kitchens throughout East London and every suburb and town within roughly 60km — from the coast through to King William's Town, Bhisho and Berlin.
See all areas we serve →Explore more
Free site visit · No obligation
Get your free, itemised quote
Tell us what you have in mind. We'll visit, measure, and give you a fixed, line-by-line price — no obligation, no call-out fee in East London.