Buy from IKEA and you have four realistic routes to getting the boxes turned into furniture. They differ more in how you buy than in what happens on the day — the same wardrobe gets built either way. Here’s an honest comparison.
Option 1: IKEA’s own assembly service
Assembly bought as an add-on in the IKEA checkout (or booked later), carried out by a TaskRabbit tasker.
Good: one transaction, IKEA’s customer service behind it, no research needed. Predictable formula pricing. Less good: you don’t choose the person; formula pricing can be uncompetitive for large or multi-brand jobs; extras like disposal of old furniture or non-IKEA items usually aren’t covered. Best for: single-item orders where convenience beats everything.
Option 2: TaskRabbit directly
IKEA-owned marketplace of independent “taskers” with hourly rates you can see, filter and choose.
Good: transparent hourly rates, reviews per person, often same-week or even same-day availability in cities. Less good: quality varies tasker to tasker — the platform vets lightly, so the reviews are doing the real work; hourly billing needs the usual care (see hourly vs fixed); coverage thins outside big cities. Best for: small urban jobs, fast turnarounds, people happy to do their own vetting.
Option 3: A local independent assembler or handyman firm
The traditional route: a person or small firm who assembles furniture (often among other handyman work) in your area.
Good: the most flexible — multi-brand jobs, wall-anchoring, disposal, “while you’re here” extras; often the best price on multi-item jobs; you can build a relationship with someone you’d rehire. Less good: finding a good one takes effort — reviews, insurance checks, a few quotes. That vetting is on you; our hiring guide is the checklist. Best for: multi-item jobs, whole rooms, anything involving your walls.
Option 4: A quote-matching service (that’s us)
You describe the job once; the service passes it to vetted local assemblers who quote directly. It’s Option 3 with the finding-and-filtering done for you.
Good: a few comparable quotes without the legwork; enquiries only go to assemblers who actually cover your postcode; free to use. Less good: we currently cover a limited set of regions — we’d rather be honest about that than pretend national coverage. And as with any route, the contract is between you and the assembler you pick. Best for: anyone who wants independent quotes without doing the outreach. How it works explains the details, or just request quotes.
What each option costs (October 2026)
Prices from IKEA and TaskRabbit are their own published figures, checked on 16 October 2026; follow the links for the current ones. Our figures are indicative ranges from our price estimator, not quotes.
| Route | What you pay | Source |
|---|---|---|
| IKEA service | From £33; total set at checkout from the products you buy. Wall-fixing included | IKEA UK |
| TaskRabbit direct | Hourly, from about £26/h on average. London £34/h (average job £109), Birmingham £31/h (£95), Manchester £28/h (£83) | TaskRabbit cost guide, updated 1 Oct 2026 |
| Local independent | Per item or per hour. Typical minimum charge £30–£50; double bed £40–£80; single PAX frame £90–£150 | Our price estimator (indicative) |
| Quote-matching (us) | Free to use; you pay the assembler you choose, at the price they quote | How it works |
Three things make these hard to compare at a glance:
- Hourly vs per item. A TaskRabbit rate becomes a price only once you know the hours. The average job totals above are a better guide than the rate.
- Wall-fixing. IKEA includes it. Elsewhere it may be extra: Airtasker’s IKEA cost page (updated 23 Sep 2026) puts plasterboard fixings at £20–£50 and brick or concrete at £30–£80 when they aren’t included. Ask before you book.
- One item vs many. Minimum charges and travel weigh heavily on a single small item and hardly at all on a full room, so comparing quotes pays off most on a multi-item list.
The fair test is the same list priced two ways: the IKEA checkout total for your order, and a quote or two from local assemblers.
The comparison in one table
| Booked via | Pricing | You choose the person? | Multi-brand / extras | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEA service | IKEA checkout | Formula | No | Limited |
| TaskRabbit | TaskRabbit app | Hourly, per tasker | Yes | Sometimes |
| Local independent | Direct | Quote (fixed or hourly) | Yes | Yes |
| Quote-matching | One enquiry form | Compared quotes | Yes, from quotes | Yes |
Whichever route you take, the same two rules apply: know your item list before you ask, and make sure the price you accept says what it includes.
Frequently asked questions
Does IKEA assemble furniture in the UK?
Yes — IKEA offers assembly as a paid add-on, carried out by TaskRabbit taskers. You can add it at checkout online or in store, or book later. Availability and pricing vary by location and change over time, so check the current terms in the IKEA checkout for your postcode.
How much does IKEA’s assembly service cost?
IKEA’s UK site says assembly starts at £33 (checked October 2026), with the final price worked out at checkout from the products you are buying. IKEA says securing items to the wall is included at no extra cost; electrical and plumbing work is not. For a larger order, compare that checkout price with a quote from a local assembler for the same list.
Is TaskRabbit the same as IKEA’s assembly service?
They overlap: IKEA owns TaskRabbit and routes much of its assembly work through it. Booking via IKEA gives you IKEA’s process and formula pricing; booking a tasker directly on TaskRabbit lets you choose the person and hourly rate yourself, with quality varying tasker to tasker.
Which option is cheapest?
It depends on the job. Formula-priced services are competitive for single items; independents usually win on multi-item jobs because travel and setup are spread across the batch. The only reliable answer is to compare a real quote for your actual list — which is the point of getting more than one.
Prices and timings on this page are indicative, based on typical quotes we see across the UK. Your job may cost more or less — the only way to know is to get quotes for your specific items and location. This site earns a fee when we pass enquiries to assembly firms; this never changes what you pay.