Kitchen fitting quote checklist for UK builders

1. Record the survey and the drawing version

Reference the site address, survey date and dated drawing revision. List any areas you could not inspect and decisions still outstanding. Keep the supplier's item schedule alongside the plan: a changed layout can affect panels, appliance spaces, worktops and other trades even when the cabinet count stays the same.

• Record the client's chosen layout and who confirms the final supplier order.
• Identify visible wall, floor and access conditions; distinguish observations from assumptions.
• Note whether your quote is supply-and-fit, fit-only or a defined dry-fit package.

2. Count units, finishes and appliances

Describe cabinet numbers and types, not just ‘units’. Include base, wall and tall units, drawer packs, end panels, fillers, plinths, handles and trims where relevant. Name the worktop material and what your fitting allowance covers. List appliances, sink and tap separately, distinguishing positioning or fitting from connection. Reference the item schedule so omissions are easy to spot.

3. Agree supply, delivery and missing-item responsibilities

Client-supplied does not mean responsibility disappears. Record the agreed handover points. Do not promise uninterrupted fitting while essential pieces remain unconfirmed.

• Who orders and pays for cabinets, fittings, worktops and appliances?
• Who confirms delivery dates, receives the delivery and checks it against the schedule?
• Who reports damaged or missing items and chases replacements?
• Where will items be stored securely, and who provides that space?
• What happens to the programme and any additional visits if parts arrive late?

4. Define protection, strip-out and preparation

Specify protection to retained floors and adjacent rooms, what existing units and worktops are removed, and who clears waste. Separate packaging removal from disposal of the old kitchen. State who arranges waste collection and whether your allowance includes it. Record preparation, plaster repairs, decorating, tiling and flooring as included tasks or named exclusions, with dependencies agreed before fitting.

5. Separate worktops and services from cabinet fitting

For a separately supplied worktop, identify who measures or templates, who orders, who fits and who coordinates any return visit. Do not treat a stone worktop as interchangeable with a laminate fitting allowance. Record the stage at which the specialist needs access and which later tasks depend on that visit.

Give electrical, gas and plumbing work their own scope and responsible trade. State whether disconnection, alterations, reconnection, testing and relevant records are included in your quote or arranged separately. Do not describe a kitchen as ready to use when those tasks are outside your scope.

• IKEA UK's published service distinguishes cabinet, appliance, sink and tap fitting from excluded electrical, gas and plumbing connections. It also excludes stone worktops and makes waste removal optional. This is one provider's example, not a universal rule: check the actual supplier and trades' scope for your job.

Example: IKEA UK's kitchen installation inclusions and exclusions

6. Set access, programme and change boundaries

Agree working hours, parking, carrying routes and use of the room during the work. Give a proposed programme subject to confirmed deliveries, preparation and separate-trade availability. List excluded work and hidden conditions that could require a revised scope. If defects appear or the layout changes, record the issue, photos, proposed work, price and time impact; seek written variation approval before proceeding with the extra work.

7. Tie payments and handover to defined milestones

Separate fitting labour, builder-supplied materials and included subcontract work in your calculation. Set out agreed payment milestones, amounts and due terms without choosing an arbitrary deposit percentage. Check the stage amounts add up to the quoted total. At handover, record snags, responsibility for outstanding items and any return date. Keep the accepted quote, drawing revision, variations, photos and relevant supplier or separate-trade records together.

Fictional worked quote: a defined dry-fit package

Check the wording before sending

Read the quote as if you were the client: can you tell what is supplied, what is fitted and what remains somebody else's job? Use the general quoting and variation guides below to check the record. The job pack demo shows an example document layout; the four-question business guide offers a curated editable draft, not live AI. Compare current plans before choosing; public pricing remains confirmed at launch.