What should a kitchen quote include?
Most kitchen disputes start with a vague quote. An itemised one lets you compare fairly and see exactly what you are paying for, and what you are not. Here is the full checklist.
A proper kitchen quote is itemised, never a single lump sum. It should list the cabinets and their spec, the worktops with templating, cut-outs and fitting, which appliances are supplied and by whom, the sink and tap, the fitting labour separated from materials, plumbing, electrics and any Gas Safe connection, tiling or splashback, removal and disposal of the old kitchen, and making good and decorating afterwards. It should also state delivery, whether VAT is included, the timeline and the payment schedule. The costs most often left out, and the reason a cheap quote can look cheap, are making good, electrical and plumbing work, worktop fitting, appliances, waste removal and VAT. To compare fairly, give every supplier the same written brief, ask each to itemise on the same basis, and compare line by line rather than headline to headline. This is general information for UK homeowners.
The checklist: what a full quote itemises
- Cabinets and units: the range, carcass and door spec, and every unit listed, not a single lump sum.
- Worktops: material, edge profile, cut-outs, upstands, and templating and fitting.
- Appliances: which are supplied by the fitter and which you provide, listed by model.
- Sink, tap and waste: supplied and connected.
- Fitting and labour: the installation itself, separated from materials.
- Plumbing: moving or connecting the sink, dishwasher and any water supply.
- Electrics: sockets, lighting, appliance connections, and any certification.
- Gas: connecting a gas hob, by a Gas Safe registered engineer, if relevant.
- Tiling or splashback: supply and fit, or noted as excluded.
- Removal and disposal of the old kitchen, and waste from the new fit.
- Making good: plastering, filling and decorating where units and services have moved.
- Delivery, VAT (or a note that the price includes it), the timeline, and the payment schedule.
The costs most often left out
A cheaper quote frequently looks cheaper only because these are missing.
- Making good and decorating after the fit, often quoted separately or left to you.
- Electrical and plumbing work, sometimes priced by a separate trade.
- Worktop templating and fitting, occasionally billed on top of the worktop itself.
- Appliances, when the headline price assumes you supply your own.
- Removal and disposal of the old kitchen and waste.
- VAT, when a low headline figure quietly excludes it.
How to use it
Give every supplier the same written brief and ask each to itemise against this list. Then compare line by line, not headline to headline. Two quotes that look £5,000 apart often differ by exactly the items one has quietly excluded.
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Find a vetted kitchen specialistKitchen quotes: common questions
What should a kitchen quote include?
A proper kitchen quote is itemised, not a single figure. It should list the cabinets and their spec, worktops (with templating, cut-outs and fitting), which appliances are supplied and by whom, the sink and tap, the fitting labour, plumbing, electrics, any gas connection, tiling, removal and disposal of the old kitchen, and making good afterwards. It should also state delivery, whether VAT is included, the timeline and the payment schedule. If it is one round number, ask for it broken down.
What is most often left out of a kitchen quote?
The costs most commonly missing are making good and decorating after the fit, electrical and plumbing work priced by separate trades, worktop templating and fitting, appliances when you are assumed to supply your own, removal and disposal of the old kitchen, and sometimes VAT hidden by a low headline figure. A cheaper quote often looks cheaper only because these are excluded.
How do I compare kitchen quotes fairly?
Give every supplier the same written brief and ask each to itemise on the same basis: cabinets, worktops, appliances, fitting, plumbing, electrics, tiling, waste, making good and VAT, separately. Then compare line by line, not headline to headline. A quote that looks the cheapest may simply have left more out; itemising is what makes them genuinely comparable.
Should a kitchen quote include VAT?
It should be clear one way or the other. Most kitchen companies and fitters that are VAT registered include VAT in the quoted price or state it separately; a smaller trader below the VAT threshold may not charge it at all. The important thing is that the quote says clearly whether VAT is included, so a low headline figure is not hiding a 20 percent addition.
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