Fitted kitchens: design, supply and fitting

Some kitchen companies design, supply and fit everything. You deal with one business, which is responsible if units arrive damaged or the worktop does not fit. Others supply only, and you hire an independent fitter. That can cost less, but when a cabinet is missing or a measurement is wrong, the supplier and fitter may each point at the other. A third route is a fitter who works from your own design and orders, which suits people who have already planned the kitchen in detail.

Whichever route you choose, agree in writing who measures the room, who checks deliveries, who orders the worktop and when, and who deals with shortages. The final survey measurement should be taken by whoever is responsible for the fit.

Good kitchen design starts from how you cook and how many people use the room, not from a catalogue. The designer needs to know where the water supply, waste pipe, gas pipe and consumer unit are, where windows and doors fall, and whether walls can take wall units or tall housings. Moving the sink or the hob is possible but brings plumbing, drainage and extraction work with it.

Ask for a plan and elevations with dimensions, a list of all units and appliances, and the positions of sockets, switches and lighting. A kitchen makeover, replacing doors, handles and worktops on existing carcasses, is a cheaper option if the units are sound and the layout works.

Connecting or moving a gas hob or cooker must be done by an engineer on the Gas Safe Register, qualified for that appliance. Electrical work matters too: a kitchen is not a special location under the Building Regulations for England, but a new circuit, such as a dedicated circuit for an induction hob or oven, or a new consumer unit, is notifiable. A registered electrician can self-certify it; otherwise Building Control must be notified.

Cooking produces a lot of moisture, and Building Control expects adequate extract ventilation where a kitchen is created or significantly altered. A recirculating hood filters grease and smells but does not remove moisture from the house, so ask how the design deals with it. Opening up a wall to create a kitchen-diner is a separate structural question: if the wall is load-bearing it needs a beam, calculations and Building Regulations approval.

Laminate and wooden worktops are usually cut and fitted on site. Stone and quartz worktops are templated after the base units are installed and level, then made and fitted later, which adds a gap of some days or weeks with no worktop. A replacement worktop on an existing kitchen needs the same care: the sink, hob and splashback all have to come off and go back.

A typical sequence is strip-out, first fix of plumbing and electrics, plastering, flooring where it runs under units, unit installation, worktops, then second fix, tiling or splashbacks and decoration. Ask for a programme that shows when you will be without a working sink and cooker.

Kitchens are often sold at home or in a showroom with a large deposit. If you sign at home, you usually have a cooling-off period, but goods made to your specifications can be excluded from it, so read the terms before signing. Paying at least part of the price by credit card can give extra protection under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, fitting must be carried out with reasonable care and skill, and goods must match their description.

Source: legislation.gov.uk

• the room size, or a sketch with doors, windows and radiators marked
• whether you want design, supply, fitting, or a combination
• what stays and what goes: units, appliances, flooring, tiles
• whether the sink, hob or boiler position changes
• gas or electric cooking, and any appliances you already own
• worktop material, if decided
• your budget range and when you would like to start

Once your phone number and email address are confirmed, kitchen companies near you see your request without your name or contact details. One company can buy it, and it is then removed so no other company receives it. The company pays for the request; the service is free for you.

We email you the company's name, address and phone number before it gets your details. Nobody is guaranteed to take your request, and it is withdrawn if unsold after 21 days. Offrano checks that buyers are registered businesses, not the quality of their kitchens, so ask who will carry out gas and electrical work and see finished installations.