In short: Ask a kitchen fitter four things above all: will you survey the room before I order, is fitting quoted separately from supply, who does the electrics and plumbing, and how are the worktops jointed. Most kitchen disasters trace back to one of those four.
What's in this guide 5 sections
01 Why kitchens go wrong
Kitchens are usually sold by one company and fitted by another. The showroom designs the layout from a floor plan, a self-employed fitter is booked for the week, and the electrician and plasterer are whoever is free. Nobody has stood in your kitchen before the units arrive.
That produces a familiar list of problems: a plan that does not fit the room, an appliance that cannot be plumbed where it is drawn, a gap at the end of a run, a two-week wait for a replacement panel, and a fitter who has moved on. Almost all of it is preventable by a survey before the order is placed.
02 The questions
- Will you survey the room before I place the order? A supplier plan is drawn from measurements, not from standing in the room. Problems found before delivery cost nothing; problems found on delivery day cost a fortnight.
- Is fitting quoted separately from supply? It should be. Two separate figures let you see exactly what your money buys and shop the supply side with your eyes open.
- Who does the electrics and plumbing? New circuits for an induction hob or an oven are notifiable under Part P and need certifying. If the fitter subcontracts, ask who and when.
- How will the worktops be jointed? Mason's mitres, bolted and sealed, are the mark of a proper job. A butt joint with a metal strip is not, in any material.
- How will you handle walls that are not straight? Every older house has them. The answer should involve scribing, not filling with silicone.
- Will the appliances be connected and tested, or just placed? Ask specifically about gas — a gas hob must be connected by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- What happens to the old kitchen? Removal and disposal should be in the quote, not an afterthought.
- How many working days, and will I have a sink during it?
- What is guaranteed and for how long — the fitting, and separately the units?
03 Fitting a kitchen you have bought elsewhere
Fitting supply-only kitchens from Howdens, Wren, Magnet, B&Q or an online supplier is entirely normal work, and it is often the most cost-effective route. Two things make it go smoothly.
- Have the fitter review the plan and unit list before delivery. Supplier layouts frequently do not account for real wall conditions, and a missing filler panel discovered on the day costs a week.
- Order everything at once and store it somewhere dry. Kitchens delivered in stages stall the fit.
04 Worktops: where the money and the craft are
| Material | What to know |
|---|---|
| Laminate | Cost-effective and durable. Cannot take an undermounted sink — the exposed core will swell. |
| Solid timber | Sandable and repairable, lasts decades. Needs oiling every few months in year one and once or twice a year after. |
| Compact laminate | Thin profile, very hard-wearing, takes an undermounted sink. More expensive than standard laminate. |
| Quartz / stone | Templated and fitted by a specialist, usually a week between template and fit. The most expensive and the most durable. |
Ask which of these the fitter has actually worked with recently. Templating and jointing stone is a different skill from cutting laminate.
05 Should you replace the kitchen or just the doors?
If the carcasses are sound — the bases dry, shelves flat, hinge fixings solid — replacing doors, drawer fronts and worktops changes everything you see and touch for a fraction of a full kitchen, in days rather than weeks.
If the sink base has swollen or hinges have pulled out of soft chipboard, refacing puts new doors on a failing frame. A fitter who opens every unit and tells you honestly which of the two you have is worth listening to, even though refacing is the easier sale.