How long does a kitchen refit take?
A worktop or door replacement is usually a day or two. A full kitchen refit including new units, worktop and appliance connections commonly takes 1-3 weeks — worth planning for reduced kitchen access during this time, particularly for cooking arrangements.
Understanding the labour vs materials split
Units, worktop and appliances are often the largest share of a kitchen's total cost, but fitting labour, old kitchen removal, and making good around new services add up too. A cheap quote is worth checking against the same unit/worktop spec as competing quotes, not just lower labour.
Common kitchen fitting myths, busted
"A bigger kitchen always costs proportionally more" — layout complexity and worktop material often matter more than raw size. "Flat-pack units are always lower quality" — carcass quality varies more by brand than by whether it's flat-pack or pre-assembled. "You need to replace everything to update a kitchen's look" — new doors and worktop alone can transform an existing layout.
What affects the cost
Cost depends on worktop material (laminate vs stone vs wood), whether the layout is changing (moving plumbing/electrics vs replacing in place), unit quality, and appliance integration. Moving a sink or hob position adds cost beyond the units themselves because of the pipework and electrical work involved.
Kitchen lighting layers
A well-lit kitchen usually combines general ceiling lighting, task lighting (under-cabinet lights over worktops, where most food prep happens), and sometimes accent lighting — a single central ceiling light alone often leaves worktops in shadow. Worth planning lighting circuits before, not after, unit installation.
What a good kitchen quote should include
A proper quote should specify unit and worktop brand/spec (not just "units, worktop"), whether appliances are supplied or just fitted, whether electrical and plumbing work is covered directly or subcontracted, and what happens if hidden issues are found once old units are removed.
Kitchen electrics need a registered electrician
A kitchen refit usually means new dedicated circuits for higher-draw appliances (oven, hob, dishwasher) rather than sharing a ring main, plus RCD protection near the sink — this is notifiable work under Part P. If your kitchen fitter isn't a registered electrician themselves, ask who handles this part and whether they're NICEIC or NAPIT registered.
Kitchen condition and selling your home
A well-maintained, reasonably modern kitchen is one of the strongest factors in buyer appeal, and any electrical certification from work done during a refit is worth keeping for buyers' solicitors. A dated or poorly maintained kitchen is one of the most common things buyers plan to immediately replace.