What an assembly service actually is
A flat-pack assembly service is a fitter who builds your furniture where it will live, anchors anything that could tip, adjusts the doors and drawers so nothing catches, and takes the packaging away. It is not a delivery service and it is not a joinery job — it is a known sequence performed by someone who has done it several hundred times.
That familiarity is the whole product. A first-time PAX build is a five-and-a-half hour afternoon with two people and a raised voice; the same wardrobe is two and a half hours for a fitter working alone with a cordless driver, a spirit level and the right plugs already in the van.
20 items
Priced in this guide
2–3×
Faster than a first-time DIY build
£30–£95
Fixed price for most single items
12 of 20
Need anti-tip anchoring by law-of-physics, not opinion
Prices and build times by item
Prices are fixed, per item, including anchoring and packaging removal. DIY times assume a first build with the instructions followed properly; the professional column assumes a fitter who has built the same unit many times before.
| Item | Fixed price | Fitter | DIY | People |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAX wardrobe, two frames with doorsPAX / KOMPLEMENT | £130–£210 | 2.5 hr | 5.5 hr | Two |
| PAX wardrobe, three frames with interiorsPAX / KOMPLEMENT | £190–£300 | 3.8 hr | 8 hr | Two |
| BILLY bookcase with extensionBILLY | £45–£70 | 0.6 hr | 1.3 hr | One |
| MALM bed frame with storage boxesMALM | £60–£105 | 1.2 hr | 2.5 hr | Two |
| HEMNES chest of drawers, eight drawersHEMNES | £85–£140 | 1.6 hr | 3.5 hr | One |
| KALLAX 4×4 shelving with insertsKALLAX | £45–£80 | 0.8 hr | 1.5 hr | One |
| BESTÅ TV unit with push-open doorsBESTÅ | £55–£95 | 0.9 hr | 2 hr | One |
| GODMORGON wall-hung vanity unitGODMORGON | £95–£165 | 1.5 hr | 3 hr | Two |
| METOD kitchen run, per base or wall unitMETOD | £35–£60 | 0.5 hr | 1 hr | Two |
| POÄNG armchairPOÄNG | £30–£45 | 0.3 hr | 0.5 hr | One |
| Three-seat sofa (KIVIK, VIMLE, FRIHETEN)Seating | £55–£95 | 0.8 hr | 1.8 hr | Two |
| Bunk or loft bed (MYDAL, KURA, VITVAL)Children's | £95–£160 | 1.8 hr | 4 hr | Two |
| Desk with drawer unit (MICKE, BEKANT, TROTTEN)Workspace | £40–£70 | 0.7 hr | 1.5 hr | One |
| Sliding-door wardrobe doors, per pairPAX | £70–£120 | 1.2 hr | 2.5 hr | Two |
| Dining table with four to six chairsDining | £55–£95 | 1 hr | 2.3 hr | One |
| Outdoor set (ÄPPLARÖ, NÄMMARÖ)Outdoor | £70–£130 | 1.3 hr | 3 hr | Two |
| Hallway storage bench and shoe cabinetsHallway | £40–£75 | 0.8 hr | 1.5 hr | One |
| Cot or cot-bed (SNIGLAR, SUNDVIK)Nursery | £40–£70 | 0.7 hr | 1.5 hr | One |
| Office storage wall, per metreCommercial | £50–£90 | 0.9 hr | 2 hr | Two |
| Dismantling for a move, per large itemAny | £25–£55 | 0.4 hr | 1 hr | One |
- PAX wardrobe, two frames with doors£130–£210
- PAX wardrobe, three frames with interiors£190–£300
- BILLY bookcase with extension£45–£70
- MALM bed frame with storage boxes£60–£105
- HEMNES chest of drawers, eight drawers£85–£140
- KALLAX 4×4 shelving with inserts£45–£80
- BESTÅ TV unit with push-open doors£55–£95
- GODMORGON wall-hung vanity unit£95–£165
- METOD kitchen run, per base or wall unit£35–£60
- POÄNG armchair£30–£45
Send your item list and we'll price it fixed — no site visit, usually back the same day.
Estimate your own build
Add what is stacked in your hallway. The estimator totals the fixed price, both build times, and tells you whether a day rate would work out cheaper than paying per item.
Assembly estimator
Add what is in your boxes and see the honest build time both ways, the fixed-price band and whether a day rate would be cheaper.
PAX wardrobe, two frames with doors
£130–£210 · pro 2.5 hr · DIY 5.5 hr
PAX wardrobe, three frames with interiors
£190–£300 · pro 3.8 hr · DIY 8 hr
BILLY bookcase with extension
£45–£70 · pro 0.6 hr · DIY 1.3 hr
MALM bed frame with storage boxes
£60–£105 · pro 1.2 hr · DIY 2.5 hr
HEMNES chest of drawers, eight drawers
£85–£140 · pro 1.6 hr · DIY 3.5 hr
KALLAX 4×4 shelving with inserts
£45–£80 · pro 0.8 hr · DIY 1.5 hr
BESTÅ TV unit with push-open doors
£55–£95 · pro 0.9 hr · DIY 2 hr
GODMORGON wall-hung vanity unit
£95–£165 · pro 1.5 hr · DIY 3 hr
METOD kitchen run, per base or wall unit
£35–£60 · pro 0.5 hr · DIY 1 hr
POÄNG armchair
£30–£45 · pro 0.3 hr · DIY 0.5 hr
Three-seat sofa (KIVIK, VIMLE, FRIHETEN)
£55–£95 · pro 0.8 hr · DIY 1.8 hr
Bunk or loft bed (MYDAL, KURA, VITVAL)
£95–£160 · pro 1.8 hr · DIY 4 hr
Desk with drawer unit (MICKE, BEKANT, TROTTEN)
£40–£70 · pro 0.7 hr · DIY 1.5 hr
Sliding-door wardrobe doors, per pair
£70–£120 · pro 1.2 hr · DIY 2.5 hr
Dining table with four to six chairs
£55–£95 · pro 1 hr · DIY 2.3 hr
Outdoor set (ÄPPLARÖ, NÄMMARÖ)
£70–£130 · pro 1.3 hr · DIY 3 hr
Hallway storage bench and shoe cabinets
£40–£75 · pro 0.8 hr · DIY 1.5 hr
Cot or cot-bed (SNIGLAR, SUNDVIK)
£40–£70 · pro 0.7 hr · DIY 1.5 hr
Office storage wall, per metre
£50–£90 · pro 0.9 hr · DIY 2 hr
Dismantling for a move, per large item
£25–£55 · pro 0.4 hr · DIY 1 hr
Fixed price
£190–£315
2 items built and anchored.
Our build time
3.7 hr
One fitter, protection down, doors adjusted.
Your build time
8 hr
First-time build, instructions followed.
That is a half-day visit — £150–£220 on a half-day rate, whichever is lower than the item total. 1 of these item needs anti-tip anchoring, which we fit and supply as standard.
Indicative UK pricing for 2026. Send your list for a fixed quote — the figure we send is the figure you pay.
Fixed price, hourly or day rate
There are three honest ways to buy assembly, and the cheapest one depends entirely on how much is in the pile. Anyone quoting hourly for a single known wardrobe is quoting for their own convenience.
| Model | Typical | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed price per item | £30–£300 | One or two known items | You send the product names, we send a price that does not move. The most common way our assembly jobs are booked. |
| Hourly rate | £45–£65 per hour | Odd mixes and unknown builds | Usually a one-hour minimum, then billed in half hours. Best where nobody is sure what is in the boxes. |
| Half day (up to 4 hours) | £150–£220 | A bedroom or home office | Better value than hourly the moment the list passes about three medium items. |
| Full day (up to 8 hours) | £280–£420 | A whole move-in or a flat refit | One fitter for a day. Two fitters on a day rate is the fastest way to clear a full house of boxes. |
What is and is not included
A price is only meaningful next to a scope. This is what a Hello Services assembly visit covers as standard, at every price point.
- Floor and carpet protection down before a single box is opened
- Full build to the printed instructions, torqued and squared
- Anti-tip anchoring to the correct fixing for your wall type, supplied as standard
- Doors, drawers and hinges adjusted so gaps are even and nothing catches
- Function test of every drawer, door, catch and soft-close
- All packaging flattened and taken away, or stacked for your recycling — your choice
- A quick hand-over showing you the adjustment screws you may want later
- Public liability insurance and a workmanship guarantee on the build
Not included — and why
These sit outside assembly because they are regulated trades or a different job entirely. Most can be booked alongside the build so only one visit is needed.
- Collecting your order from the store or a locker (available as a separate man-and-van job)
- Electrical connection of integrated appliances or lighting — that is a registered electrician's work
- Plumbing in a sink, tap or washing machine behind a kitchen run
- Cutting worktops, tiling or making good plaster
- Removing an old kitchen or bathroom — book that as a clearance job
- Wall repairs where previous fixings have blown out the plaster
If the old furniture has to go before the new goes in, that is a furniture removal job and should be booked for the morning of the same day.
Wall fixings and anti-tip anchoring
Every tall unit IKEA sells ships with a restraint strap, and the reason is grim: chests of drawers and wardrobes tip onto children when the top drawers are opened together or climbed. The strap only works if it is screwed into something that will hold, and that depends on your wall.
| Wall type | Correct fixing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Solid brick or block | 7 mm masonry plug and 5 × 60 mm screw | The strongest common wall. Drill on hammer setting, but never near a socket or above a switch. |
| Plasterboard on studs | Screw straight into the stud where possible | A found stud beats any anchor. Studs sit at 400 or 600 mm centres in most UK homes. |
| Plasterboard, no stud | Metal self-drive or spring-toggle anchor | Plastic plugs pull straight out of plasterboard. Rated toggles hold; plastic ones do not. |
| Dot-and-dab plasterboard | Long anchor reaching the masonry behind | There is a 20–40 mm void behind the board. Short fixings crush the board and feel solid until they fail. |
| Lath and plaster | Fix to the timber lath or a batten | Common in Victorian homes. Drill gently — the plaster keys break away if forced. |
Six mistakes that ruin a DIY build
None of these are about being bad at DIY. They are the specific, repeatable errors that turn a two-hour build into a weekend and, occasionally, into a replacement order.
Building in the wrong room
A finished three-frame PAX will not pass through a standard door. Anything over 1.5 m assembled gets built where it will live.
Skipping the anchor
Tall units and chests of drawers tip. Every unit that ships with a restraint gets one fitted, every time, to the right fixing for the wall.
Full torque too early
Tighten everything as you go and the carcass locks out of square. Leave fixings finger-tight until the back panel is on.
Losing the hardware bags
Open one bag at a time and count the contents into a tray. A missing cam lock at step 30 stops the build entirely.
Assembling on a hard floor
Foil-wrap and melamine mark instantly. Cardboard from the pack under the panels prevents almost every cosmetic complaint.
Ignoring the handedness
Drawer runners, hinges and side panels are handed. Mixing them is the single most common reason a DIY build takes twice as long.
Deciding between doing it yourself and booking it out? Our flat-pack DIY vs pro guide walks through the decision item by item.
How booking works
Assembly is one of the few trades that can be priced accurately without anyone visiting, because the product names tell us everything. Four steps, no survey.
- Send the item listProduct names or a photo of the labels is enough. We price from the list, not from a site visit.
- Get a fixed priceYou get a per-item price, an arrival window and the number of fitters — usually back the same day.
- We build and anchorProtection down, build to the instructions, anchoring to your wall type, doors and drawers adjusted.
- Test and clear upYou check every door and drawer, we flatten the packaging and take it away, then the guarantee starts.
Photograph the labels on the boxes and send them over — that is the whole quote process.
Frequently asked questions
Related services
- IKEA assemblyFixed-price builds for PAX, BILLY, MALM, kitchens and everything else in the catalogue.
- Flat pack assemblyAny brand, any instructions — built, anchored, adjusted and the cardboard taken away.
- Bed assemblyFrames, ottoman bases and bunks built safely, including the slats nobody enjoys.
- TV mountingBracket sized to the wall type, cables concealed, screen levelled and tested.
- Shelf installationFloating shelves and bookcases fixed into something that will actually hold them.
- Gym equipment assemblyMulti-gyms, treadmills and racks built to torque, in the room they belong in.
You might also find useful
- Flat-pack furniture assembly: when to DIY and when to hire a proWhen to build it yourself and when the maths says hand it over.
- Handyman hourly rate UK: real prices job by jobWhat handyman labour costs by the hour, half day and day across the UK.
- How to hang mirrors and artwork: the complete DIY guideFixings, heights and hanging systems for mirrors and artwork on any wall.
Boxes in the hallway?
Send the item list and we'll come back with a fixed price, an arrival window and the number of fitters. Built, anchored, adjusted and the cardboard gone the same day.