Plywood Kitchens NZ
At least 16mm plywood on every panel. Cut for your room in our Wairau Valley factory.
Backs and drawer boxes are plywood too, not hardboard. Walnut or birch veneer, or 6 melamine colours. Have it installed by our own team in Auckland, or buy it flat-pack or assembled and delivered anywhere in New Zealand.
Get a free estimate
- 16mm plywood, every panel
- Walnut, birch or 6 colours
- 10-year hardware warranty
- 4.9 stars, 83 Google reviews
- Installed in Auckland
- Flat-pack delivered NZ-wide
Plywood kitchen prices
Four ways to buy the same plywood kitchen
Every UBS kitchen is designed for your space, then cut from the same 16mm-minimum plywood with the same hardware whichever option you pick. The price changes with how much of the work we do, and whether we make the stone top.
Flat-pack
Assembled cabinets
Made & installed
Installed with stone top
Edge finishes (available on all four options)
- Cut onlyStraight off the CNC, unsanded. Cheapest option if you're finishing the edges yourself.
- Sanded & oiledSanded and finished in Osmo oil so the ply layers show. Ready to fit.
- PVC-edgedColour-matched PVC tape over the edge. Sealed and easy to wipe. Usually goes with melamine faces.
Edge finish, face finish (walnut or birch veneer, or 6 melamine colours) and hardware are chosen per panel and priced on your estimate.
Worked example: the same kitchen
Same 16mm-minimum plywood on every panel, same 10-year hardware. The difference is assembly, edge finishing, installation labour and stone.
What affects the price
- Kitchen size and number of cabinets
- How complicated the layout is (corners, islands, tall units)
- Face finish: melamine or real-wood veneer
- Edge finish: cut, oiled or PVC
- Benchtop type and stone size
- Appliance integration and delivery option
*Typical ranges ex our Wairau Valley factory, reviewed September 2026 and refreshed quarterly. Auckland delivery adds a small fee; crated NZ-wide freight from about $500 depending on size and location. Your estimate is priced to your exact layout.
Why a plywood kitchen
And what ours is actually made of: 16mm plywood on every panel
Most kitchen companies sell you on the doors and hinges. The boxes behind them are where corners get cut: particleboard sides, a 3mm hardboard back, flimsy drawers. Ours are plywood right through.
- Every panel at least 16mm plywood, fronts 18mm
- Backs and drawer boxes in plywood too, not hardboard
- Moisture-resistant, hardwood core, low-emission glue
- 16mm or 18mm on any panel, your choice
| UBS plywood cabinetry | Flat-pack kitset cabinetry | MDF custom cabinetry | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back panel | 16mm plywood | 3mm hardboard | MDF or hardboard |
| Sides, shelves, tops | 16mm plywood, 18mm if you want | 16mm particleboard | MR MDF |
| Fronts | 18mm plywood, veneer or melamine face | Melamine particleboard | Painted or laminated MDF |
| Drawer boxes | Plywood, made to size | Particleboard or thin metal | MDF or metal |
| When it gets wet | Moisture-resistant, hardwood core | Swells and crumbles | Better than particleboard, still MDF |
| Strength and weight | Solid timber plies, strong and light | Weak and heavy | Moderate, heavy |
| Edge options | Cut, oiled or PVC, your choice | PVC only | Painted or PVC |
| Hardware warranty | 10 years on all hardware | Varies by brand | Varies by maker |
Kitset and MDF columns describe typical construction from the makers we compared. Yours may differ. Ask them what the back panel and drawer boxes are made of.
Pick your finish.
The cabinet construction stays the same.
photo coming
Walnut veneer
Real walnut veneer. Warm, and a step up in price. Exposed ply edge or a fully finished face.
Birch veneer
Real birch veneer, pale and clean. The classic ply kitchen look, edge on show if you want it.
6 melamine colours
Melamine faces in six colours on the same plywood boxes. Hard-wearing and easy to clean. Good for rentals, family kitchens and tighter budgets.
Any finish or thickness on any panel. Plywood drawer boxes made to size on undermount or sidemount runners. Hardware made to our own specification and sold by us for over ten years, with a 10-year warranty on all hardware. Stone benchtops are cut and installed by us.
How it works
Free design consultation
Send your measurements, plans or photos, or book a visit. We design the kitchen with you and confirm every dimension.
Estimate as quick as one business day
Priced to your exact layout, finish and the option you chose. Want to compare another option? Just ask.
CNC-cut in Wairau Valley
Every panel is cut to millimetre accuracy in our own Auckland factory, from plywood we import ourselves.
Delivered or installed
Flat-pack or assembled, picked up or freighted anywhere in New Zealand. In Auckland our own team can install it, and we walk through it with you before we leave.
Plywood kitchens we've made
What customers say
"We recently replaced an old MDF kitchen with a new plywood one from UBS. Some of our requirements were very tight to fit in but UBS were extremely helpful with advice on how to achieve what we wanted. What we really appreciated was the consultation during the 2 day installation process and the installer's experience. The plywood looks modern but human and best of all sustainable. We expect the kitchen to outlast us!"Les W
"Brilliant customer service, prompt delivery and great prices! Our kitchen quote came in at over 30% below any other plywood cabinetry manufacturer in Auckland."Michelle P
"Great product and service! And the price is comparable to a kit-set kitchen for a better product. I recommend you check them out."Eric M
Installed in Auckland, delivered anywhere in New Zealand
Where you are decides how you buy it
In Auckland
Our own team designs, makes and installs your kitchen from our factory at 15 Woodson Place, Wairau Valley, and signs it off with you on the day. You can also pick up, or have flat-pack or assembled cabinets delivered for a small fee.
Rest of New Zealand
Buy it flat-pack or as assembled cabinets. We crate and freight it anywhere in New Zealand, from about $500 depending on size and location. You or your builder install.
Come and see it
You're welcome to visit the factory and see the plywood, the finishes and the machines. Just book a time first.
Common questions
Why plywood instead of MDF or particleboard?
Plywood is layers of real wood. It holds screws better, weighs less, and resists moisture far better than particleboard, which swells when wet. We use moisture-resistant plywood with a hardwood core and low-emission glue, and we use it on every panel, including the backs and drawer boxes that kitset makers build from 3mm hardboard.
What does a plywood kitchen cost?
It depends on how much of the work we do. The typical ranges for a whole kitchen are above: flat-pack, assembled, installed, and installed with a stone top. Your estimate is priced to your exact layout and finish.
Do you design, make and install, or supply only?
Whichever you want. You can buy flat-pack, pick up assembled cabinets, have them delivered, or in Auckland have our own team install the whole kitchen. Same design, same construction, priced four ways.
Do you deliver outside Auckland?
Yes. Flat-pack and assembled kitchens are crated and freighted anywhere in New Zealand, from about $500 depending on size and location. Installation by our own team is available in Auckland.
Can a plywood kitchen look premium?
Yes. Walnut and birch real-wood veneer fronts, exposed layered edges or fully finished faces, quality soft-close hardware and stone tops. Or choose melamine colours for a hard-wearing, budget-friendly finish on the same construction.
What does the installed price include?
Design, all cabinetry, hardware, delivery and installation by our team. The "made & installed" range excludes the benchtop so you can choose your own; the "installed with stone top" range includes a stone top we cut and install. Appliances, plumbing and electrical are quoted separately or arranged by your tradies. Your estimate spells out what's included and what isn't.
What warranty do you give?
A 10-year warranty on all hardware. Runners and hinges are made to our own specification and we have sold them for over ten years. Installation is signed off with you on the day.
How long does it take?
It depends on the design, the finish and the delivery option. We confirm the timeline with your estimate rather than promise a number we cannot keep.
Want a price?
Tell us which option you are after and send your layout. We come back with a price, as quick as one business day. No obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 858 466. Ultimate Building Supplies, 15 Woodson Place, Wairau Valley, Auckland. Visits by appointment.