Kitchen fitting on a fit-only basis means the client supplies the kitchen units, whether from a big-name supplier, an online retailer or a local showroom, and we handle the installation: setting out, fixing carcasses, scribing to walls and floors, hanging doors, fitting worktops and coordinating the trades that need to touch the room along the way. It is a different arrangement to a full design-and-supply kitchen company, and it suits people who want to choose their own units and finishes but want the installation done properly by someone who does joinery for a living.
The most common source of confusion on fit-only jobs is sequencing: who does what, in what order, and who is responsible for what arrives on site. This article sets out how a typical fit-only kitchen installation runs from first enquiry through to handover, and what you need to have sorted before fitting day so the job runs smoothly rather than stalling on site.
It also covers where electrical work fits in, since a kitchen almost always involves new socket positions, appliance circuits or lighting changes, and that work sits with a qualified electrician rather than being done in-house.
The short version
- Fit-only means you supply the kitchen units and appliances; we handle setting out, fitting, scribing and worktop installation.
- A written fixed-price quote within 72 hours covers the fitting labour once the kitchen design and unit list are confirmed.
- Good sequencing matters: first fix, then units, then worktops, then electrics finishing, then final snagging, usually in that order.
- Electrical work is carried out by the qualified electrician we work with, not in-house, and needs to be booked in alongside the fitting programme.
- Preparing the room properly before fitting day, clearing it, confirming deliveries and finalising the layout, avoids delays once we are on site.
What fit-only actually covers
Fit-only kitchen installation covers the physical work of turning a room full of flat-pack or pre-built units into a finished kitchen: levelling and fixing base units, building and fitting wall units, scribing end panels and fillers to walls that are rarely perfectly straight, fitting doors and adjusting them so gaps are even, templating and fitting worktops, and fitting plinths, cornice and pelmet if the design calls for them.
It does not cover supplying the units themselves, which is on the client, and it does not cover the electrical connection of appliances and new circuits, which sits with the electrician. Plumbing for a sink or dishwasher connection is similarly usually a separate trade unless agreed otherwise as part of the wider project.
This split works well for people who have already chosen a kitchen they like, whether that is a flat-pack range or a more expensive supplied kitchen, and simply want it installed to a standard that a general handyman or the supplier's own fitting service might not reach, particularly around scribing to uneven period walls.
What you need to supply and confirm before we start
Before a fitting date is booked, we need the full kitchen design confirmed and, ideally, delivered or on a confirmed delivery date. That means the final unit list, worktop material and template date, appliance sizes and specifications, sink and tap choice, and any handles or hardware.
- Confirmed final kitchen design and unit list, not a provisional layout
- Appliance model numbers and dimensions, since these affect housing sizes
- Worktop material chosen, with a template date agreed if it is stone
- Sink, tap and hardware selected, since these affect cutouts and fixing points
- A confirmed delivery date for units, ideally before the fitting start date
How the sequencing usually runs
A typical fit-only job runs in a fairly fixed order, and jumping the sequence is where most delays come from. First, any structural changes, wall removal, new stud walls or flooring work, need to be finished before units go in. Electrical first fix, running new cables to socket and appliance positions, generally needs to happen before units are fixed against the wall, since chasing a wall behind an installed run of cabinets is far harder than doing it before.
Once first fix is done, base units go in first, levelled and fixed, followed by wall units. Worktops are templated once base units are fixed in their final position, since a worktop template taken from a drawing rather than the actual installed units risks small inaccuracies that show up as an uneven gap at the wall.
After the worktop is fitted, electrical second fix happens: sockets, switches, under-cabinet lighting and appliance connections. Doors are hung and adjusted last, since handling during the earlier stages risks marking them, and a final snag walk-round with you closes out the job.
Where electrics fit into the programme
Electrical work on a kitchen job is carried out by the qualified electrician we work with, not in-house, and it needs to be booked in alongside our fitting programme rather than as an afterthought. First fix cabling has to happen before cabinets go up, and second fix, sockets, switches, lighting and appliance connections, has to happen after the worktop is in but before final snagging.
If you are sourcing your own electrician separately, the important thing is getting the two schedules to line up, since a fitting programme that is waiting on an electrician who has not been booked, or an electrician turning up before cabinets are in position, both cause delay. We coordinate this as part of the programme where the electrician is the one we usually work with.
Dealing with uneven walls and floors
Kitchens in older South Oxfordshire houses rarely have a perfectly flat wall or a perfectly level floor, and this is where fitting quality actually shows. Base units are levelled independently of the floor using adjustable feet, with any gap at the floor covered by the plinth rather than packed unevenly under the unit. End panels and fillers against a wall are scribed to the actual wall line rather than fitted flush and left with a wedge-shaped gap that widens toward the ceiling or floor.
This is more time-consuming than fitting into a perfectly square modern room, but it is the difference between a kitchen that looks fitted and one that looks placed. It is worth allowing a little flexibility in the programme for a room known to have significant wall or floor irregularity.
Worktops: material and timing
Worktop choice affects the programme directly. Solid surface, laminate and some engineered options can often be cut and fitted within the main fitting window, sometimes on the same visit as the units. Natural stone and some engineered stone worktops need to be templated after base units are fixed and then fabricated off site, which typically adds one to two weeks between templating and installation, during which the kitchen will be usable without a permanent worktop in place, or with a temporary surface if agreed in advance.
Building this lead time into your expectations from the outset avoids the frustration of assuming the kitchen will be fully finished the same week as fitting starts.
Preparing the room and your household
Before fitting day, the room needs to be completely cleared: old units removed if applicable, appliances disconnected, and the space swept and accessible. Households usually need a temporary kitchen setup, a kettle, microwave and fridge in another room, since a kitchen fit generally takes the main kitchen out of action for the bulk of the installation period.
We sheet floors and routes through the house, run dust extraction on tools, and clear down at the end of each working day, but a kitchen fit is inherently disruptive to daily life for its duration, and planning around that in advance makes the process considerably easier on the household.
Frequently asked
- What does fit-only kitchen fitting mean?
- Fit-only kitchen fitting means the client supplies the kitchen units, worktop material and appliances, while the carpenter handles installation: setting out, fixing carcasses, scribing to walls, hanging doors and fitting worktops, without supplying the kitchen itself, which suits people who want to choose their own units but have the installation done to a proper joinery standard.
- Do you do the electrical work for a new kitchen?
- No, electrical work for a kitchen, including new socket positions, appliance circuits and lighting, is carried out by the qualified electrician we work with rather than in-house, and this is coordinated as part of the overall fitting programme so first fix happens before units go in and second fix happens after the worktop is fitted.
- What do I need to have ready before kitchen fitting starts?
- Before fitting starts you need a confirmed final kitchen design and unit list, appliance model numbers and dimensions, your worktop material chosen with a template date agreed if it is stone, sink and tap selections made, and a confirmed delivery date for the units, ideally arranged before the fitting start date to avoid delays on site.
- How long does it take to fit a kitchen?
- Fitting time depends on kitchen size and complexity, but the main installation of units and worktop typically runs over several working days to around two weeks, with an additional one to two weeks if a natural or engineered stone worktop needs templating and off-site fabrication after the units are fixed in place.
- Can you fit a kitchen bought from an online retailer or a big-name supplier?
- Yes, fit-only kitchen fitting works with units from any source, whether a flat-pack range from a large retailer, an online kitchen company or a local showroom, provided the design is finalised and the units and appliance specifications are confirmed before the fitting programme is booked in.