The average professionally fitted kitchen floor in the UK costs somewhere between £400 and £800 once you factor in removal of the old floor, according to typical Checkatrade tradesperson quotes. Most of us don’t have that kind of budget sitting around for a floor nobody will really compliment. The good news is that a genuinely decent-looking kitchen floor is one of the more achievable weekend DIY jobs, especially if you’re willing to lay the new floor straight over what’s already there.

I did exactly this in a rented flat with a tired grey lino floor that had been down since before I moved in. Click-lock vinyl plank went straight over it in an afternoon, and eighteen months later it still looks fine. This post covers the two cheapest routes, how to handle an uneven old floor, and when laying over the top is genuinely a bad idea.

Key Takeaways

  • Click-lock vinyl (from £15/m²) fits straight over flat, sound lino or tile with no adhesive.
  • Peel-and-stick tiles from £1.50 each are the cheapest, most renter-friendly option.
  • Uneven floors need self-levelling compound first, or the new floor will crack or gap.
  • Skip laying over the top if the subfloor is soft, damp, or blocks appliance and door clearance.

For the styling layer once your floor’s sorted, see Kitchen on a Budget UK for cabinet paint, handles, and lighting ideas that finish the room off.

Quick Comparison: Which Budget Flooring Option?

Option Cost (3m x 3m kitchen) Goes Over Old Lino? Best For
Peel-and-stick vinyl tiles £50–£90 Yes, if flat and sound Cheapest option, renters wanting reversible flooring
Click-lock vinyl plank £150–£250 Yes, if flat and sound More durable, better for heavy foot traffic
Self-levelling compound (if needed first) +£12–£20 per 3–5m² N/A — prep step Uneven floors with dips/humps over 3mm
Professional fit (new floor + removal) £400–£800 N/A Damaged, damp, or badly uneven subfloors

What Is the Cheapest Kitchen Flooring in the UK?

Peel-and-stick vinyl tiles are the cheapest kitchen flooring option in the UK, costing £1.50–£2.50 per tile at B&Q, Wilko, and Amazon UK. A standard 3m x 3m kitchen needs roughly 30–35 tiles, bringing the total materials cost to around £50–£90.

These self-adhesive tiles need no glue, grout, or specialist tools. You peel the backing off and press each tile into place, working from the centre of the room outwards. Brands like ClickFix and Plank and Mill sell realistic wood, stone, and marble-effect designs that look far better in person than the price suggests.

They’re not indestructible. Peel-and-stick tiles can lift at the edges in high-moisture spots near the sink or dishwasher if the subfloor wasn’t properly cleaned first. Wipe the existing floor with sugar soap and let it dry fully before you start, and press every edge down firmly with a roller or the back of a spoon.

Peel-and-stick vinyl floor tiles cost £1.50–£2.50 per tile at UK retailers including B&Q and Amazon UK, making a full 3m x 3m kitchen floor achievable for £50–£90 in materials with no tools required.

How Do You Lay Click Vinyl Flooring Over an Existing Kitchen Floor?

Click-lock vinyl plank clips together edge to edge and floats over the existing floor without any adhesive, which is why it’s the go-to choice for laying over old lino or tile. Wickes and B&Q sell click vinyl from around £15–£25 per square metre, and a 10m² kitchen typically costs £150–£250 in materials.

The floor underneath needs to be flat, clean, and firmly stuck down. Sweep and mop first, then check for loose lino edges or hollow-sounding tiles by walking the whole floor slowly in socks. Stick down any lifting lino edges with double-sided flooring tape before you start, since click vinyl will telegraph small bumps but won’t survive over a genuinely moving surface.

Cutting planks to fit around cabinets and the kitchen door is the fiddliest part. A basic laminate cutter (around £25 to hire for a day from most tool hire shops, or £15 to buy a hand version at Screwfix) makes clean, straight cuts far easier than a knife or saw. Leave a small 5–8mm expansion gap around the room’s edges, since vinyl expands slightly with heat, and cover it later with a matching quarter-round trim.

In our experience, the planks that click together with a genuine locking mechanism (rather than a basic tongue and groove) are worth the extra £2–£3 per square metre. They stay tight at the seams even with heavy kitchen foot traffic, where cheaper systems can start to gap within a year.

For fully reversible options if you’re renting, see our rental kitchen upgrade guide.

Do I Need Self-Levelling Compound for an Old Kitchen Floor?

You need self-levelling compound if your existing kitchen floor has dips, humps, or uneven patches greater than about 3mm across a metre, which will telegraph through most click vinyl and cause premature wear at the high points. A 20kg bag of Ardex or Bostik self-levelling compound costs around £12–£20 at Screwfix or Wickes and covers roughly 3–5m² at a standard depth.

Old kitchen floors are rarely perfectly flat. Decades of foot traffic, appliance weight, and settling can leave dips near the sink, hob, or doorway that aren’t obvious until you check with a spirit level or a long straight edge laid across the room. It’s worth doing this check before you buy any new flooring, not after.

Mixing and pouring self-levelling compound is genuinely one of the more satisfying DIY jobs. You mix it to a thin, pourable consistency, pour it in a steady ribbon, and it self-levels within minutes, setting hard enough to walk on within 24 hours. It’s messy but forgiving of small mistakes, since the compound naturally finds its own level as it dries.

Skip this step on a floor that looks flat to the eye and passes a straight-edge check. Adding self-levelling compound where it isn’t needed just adds cost and a day of drying time for no real benefit.

When Should You Not Lay New Flooring Over an Old Kitchen Floor?

You shouldn’t lay new flooring over an old kitchen floor if the subfloor is soft, damp, or damaged, since new flooring laid over these issues will fail within months rather than years. A floor that flexes, feels spongy underfoot, or shows any sign of past water damage needs proper investigation before anything new goes down.

Press firmly on any suspicious patches, particularly near the sink, dishwasher, or an exterior wall. If the floor gives, feels soft, or smells musty, there’s likely damp or rot underneath that needs fixing first. Laying vinyl over a damp subfloor traps moisture and can make the underlying problem considerably worse.

Height clearance is the other big one. Adding even one layer of click vinyl (typically 4–6mm thick) can be enough to stop an integrated dishwasher, oven, or kitchen door from opening and closing properly. Check clearance under appliances and behind the door swing before committing, ideally by placing a sample plank or tile in the tightest spot and testing it.

I learned this one the hard way on a previous flat: a new floor layer meant the dishwasher door caught on the worktop edge every time it opened. Measuring first would have saved an afternoon of taking the appliance back out to trim the floor around it. If in doubt, measure twice and buy the thinnest suitable product rather than the thickest.

New flooring shouldn’t go over an existing kitchen floor if the subfloor is soft, damp, or if the added thickness (commonly 4-6mm for click vinyl) blocks appliance doors or the kitchen door from closing, according to standard UK flooring fitting guidance from retailers including B&Q and Wickes.

FAQ

Can you put new flooring over old lino in a kitchen?

Yes, as long as the lino is flat, firmly stuck down, and not damaged. Click-lock vinyl plank and peel-and-stick tiles are both designed to go directly over sound lino, saving the cost and mess of ripping up the old floor.

What is the cheapest flooring for a UK kitchen?

Peel-and-stick vinyl floor tiles are the cheapest option, from around £1.50–£2.50 per tile at B&Q, Wilko, and Amazon UK. A standard 3m x 3m kitchen costs roughly £50–£90 in tiles, with no adhesive or tools needed.

Do I need to remove old flooring before laying vinyl?

Not usually. If the existing floor is flat, dry, and structurally sound, most click vinyl and peel-and-stick products can be laid straight on top. Removal is only necessary if the old floor is damaged, uneven, or damp.

How much does it cost to redo a kitchen floor UK?

A DIY click vinyl or peel-and-stick floor for an average UK kitchen costs £50–£150 in materials, according to typical B&Q and Wickes pricing. A professionally fitted new floor with removal of the old one runs closer to £400–£800.

Whichever route you choose, the same rule applies: check the existing floor is flat, dry, and structurally sound before you buy a single plank or tile. That five-minute check is what decides whether your new floor lasts two years or ten.

For the rest of the room, Kitchen on a Budget UK covers cabinet paint, handles, and lighting swaps that pair well with a fresh floor and cost under £200 combined.

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