What Should a Kitchen Fitting Quotation Include?

A homeowner's checklist for reading a kitchen fitting quotation properly - what should be itemised, what's commonly left out, and what to ask first.

A proper kitchen fitting quotation should itemise units and delivery, fitting labour, electrical work, gas and plumbing, plastering, tiling, flooring, worktops, and removal of the old kitchen - each as a separate line, not folded into one total figure. If any of those are missing from a quote you've been given, that's not necessarily dishonest, but it usually means they'll appear later as an "extra" once the job is already under way.

We covered the general price ranges for a new kitchen in how much a bespoke kitchen costs in Warwickshire. This is the follow-on question: once you've got two or three quotes in front of you, how do you actually compare them?

Why quotes for the "same" kitchen can look so different

Two fitters can quote wildly different totals for what looks like the same job because they're not actually quoting the same job. One has included plastering and old kitchen removal; the other has assumed you'll sort those separately. One has priced a full rewire to bring sockets up to current regulations; the other has priced only what's strictly needed for the new appliances. Without an itemised breakdown, you can't tell which quote is genuinely cheaper and which one is just missing half the job.

What a proper quotation should include

Design and survey. Confirmation that the quote is based on an actual site visit and measurements, not a generic template. Out-of-square walls and uneven floors change both the price and the plan - a fitter who hasn't seen your kitchen in person can't have accounted for either.

Units and worktops, itemised separately. Cabinet carcasses, doors, handles and worktops should be broken out, not lumped as "kitchen supply." This matters if you later want to substitute a worktop material or door style - you need to know what each element actually costs.

Fitting labour. The cost of physically installing the units, doors, worktops and end panels. This is usually quoted as a day rate multiplied by the expected number of days, or as a fixed project price.

Electrical work. Sockets, under-cabinet lighting, extractor wiring and appliance connections should be specified individually, along with confirmation the work will be certified. If rewiring or a new circuit is needed, that should be priced as its own line, not assumed.

Gas and plumbing. Any gas hob, oven or boiler work must be carried out and signed off by a Gas Safe registered engineer - ask for the registration number and check it at gassaferegister.co.uk. Plumbing for the sink, dishwasher and washing machine connections should be listed separately from gas work.

Plastering. If walls need patching, skimming, or a full replaster after old units and tiling come down, this should be priced and, importantly, timed - plaster needs to dry before cabinets go against it, which affects your schedule as well as your budget.

Tiling and flooring. Splashback tiling, floor tiling or new flooring, priced per square metre where possible, with the material cost separated from the labour to lay it.

Removal and disposal of the old kitchen. This is one of the most commonly excluded items. Ask directly whether taking away the old units, worktops and any skip or waste transfer costs are included, or whether you'll need to arrange and pay for that separately.

Snagging and aftercare. A reasonable quote should say what happens if something needs adjusting after handover - a sticking door, a gap that opens up as a worktop settles - and over what period that's covered without a further call-out charge.

Payment schedule. Clear stage payments (for example: deposit, mid-project, on completion) rather than a large sum requested entirely up front before any work has started.

Questions worth asking before you compare quotes

• Is old kitchen removal and disposal included, or extra?
• Who's doing the electrics and gas work - the fitter directly, or a subcontractor, and are they named?
• Is the price fixed, or could it change once walls or floors are opened up?
• What happens if something's found mid-job that wasn't visible at the quote stage - out-of-square walls, old pipework, damp?
• How long is the job expected to take, and what's included in that estimate?
• What's covered if something needs fixing after you've moved back in?

What two quotes for the same job might actually look like

Say you get two quotes for the same kitchen. Quote A comes back noticeably lower than Quote B. On the surface, Quote A looks like the better deal - until you line them up:

• Quote A: Units, worktops and fitting labour only. No mention of electrics, plastering, tiling, or removal of the old kitchen.
• Quote B: Units, worktops, fitting labour, electrical work (itemised), plastering (itemised), tiling (itemised), old kitchen removal and disposal, and a stated snagging period.

Once you add the missing pieces from Quote A back in - because that work still has to happen, by someone - it's entirely possible the real total ends up higher than Quote B, and now you're coordinating three or four separate trades yourself instead of one. This is the exact scenario an itemised comparison protects you from, and it's why the total on its own is close to meaningless without knowing what's inside it.

How many quotes should you get, and how should you ask for them?

Two or three is usually enough to get a feel for the market without dragging the process out for weeks. When you request each one, ask for the same thing every time: a written, itemised breakdown covering the categories above, based on an actual site visit rather than a rough estimate given over the phone or from photos. A fitter who's reluctant to itemise, or who wants to quote sight-unseen for anything beyond a very simple like-for-like swap, is worth being a little cautious about.

A red flag worth knowing about

Be cautious of a quote that's significantly lower than others with no clear reason why. It's usually one of three things: something important has been left out (electrics, plastering, removal), a lower-spec product is being substituted without saying so, or the schedule has been compressed to a point that leaves little room for the inevitable snag that comes with almost every kitchen fit. None of those show up on the headline number - only in the detail.

Getting a quote you can actually compare

The most useful thing you can do with any quote is ask for it in writing, itemised, before you decide anything. A fitter who's confident in their pricing won't mind breaking it down - it protects both of you.

TLS Kitchens provides itemised quotes covering design, fitting, electrics, gas and plumbing, plastering, tiling and worktops as standard, as part of a fully managed installation across Coventry and the wider Warwickshire area - see the full services list for what's covered.

FAQs

Does a kitchen fitting quote usually include removing the old kitchen? Not always - it's one of the most commonly excluded items, so always confirm it specifically rather than assuming it's included.

Should electrics and gas work be priced separately from fitting labour? Yes. These are specialist, certified trades and should appear as their own line items, ideally naming who's carrying out the work.

Is a lower quote always worse value? Not necessarily, but it's worth checking exactly what's included before assuming it's the better deal - a lower price with fewer inclusions can end up costing more once the gaps are filled in.

Ready to compare a proper, itemised quote against what you've already been sent? Get in touch for a survey and a written breakdown of your kitchen project.