Bespoke kitchens are the most complex item on this list because the joinery has to interlock with services that other trades install — plumbing, electrics, sometimes gas. A specification that treats the whole job as one lump sum makes it impossible to see where corners are being cut.
The strongest quotes break the job into carcass and door specification, worktop specification, appliance and services coordination, and the sequence in which each trade works, in that order.
Carcass and door specification
Carcass thickness (18mm is standard), whether carcasses are rigid pre-built or flat-pack assembled on site, and the door material (in-frame painted timber, spray-finished MDF, laminate) should all be named separately, because these three choices alone can account for a large share of the price difference between two quotes.
Drawer boxes matter as much as doors — state whether they're solid wood dovetailed boxes or laminated board with a plastic clip system, and confirm the runner brand and weight rating for pan drawers, which take real load daily.
Worktop material and tolerances
Stone worktops need the fabricator named, the joint locations shown on a layout drawing, and the edge profile specified (pencil round, half bullnose, square). Solid timber worktops need the species, the oil or lacquer finish, and confirmation of movement gaps around sinks and hobs to prevent splitting.
Whichever material is chosen, templating should happen after cabinets are fixed in position, not before — a quote that templates worktops from the drawing alone is accepting a higher risk of a poor fit.
Appliance and services first-fix
Appliance make and model should be listed with dimensions, because integrated appliances need cabinet apertures built to a specific size — a generic 'integrated oven housing' allowance can be wrong for the appliance you actually buy. Plumbing first-fix for sink, dishwasher and any water-fed fridge, and electrical first-fix for sockets, under-cabinet lighting and appliance circuits, should be listed as their own items with the trade responsible named.
If gas hob or gas cooker point work is involved, the quote must state that a Gas Safe registered engineer will carry out and certify that work — this is not something a kitchen fitter can legally sign off themselves.
Sequencing and trade interfaces
The order of works should be set out: strip-out, first-fix plumbing and electrics, flooring (if it goes under the units), carcass installation, worktop template and fit, then doors and appliances. Flooring sequencing especially needs agreeing up front, since fitting units before or after new flooring changes the finished floor level and skirting detail.
Tiling and splashback work interfaces with the worktop fit — tiling usually can't start until the worktop is in and the exact upstand line is known, so the quote should confirm who is coordinating that handover between trades.
What cheap kitchen quotes leave out
Making good to walls and ceilings after removing old units, disposal of the old kitchen, and any structural opening-up if a wall is being altered for the new layout are common omissions. Extraction ducting routes and where a cooker hood vents to outside are also frequently left vague, and a poorly routed duct run is a common source of condensation problems later.
Common questions
Should the quote name the exact appliance models?+
Yes. Integrated appliances need cabinet apertures sized to the specific model, so a generic allowance risks a mismatch that costs time and money to correct once appliances are ordered.
When should worktops be templated?+
After the cabinets are fixed in their final position, not from the design drawing alone. Templating early from a drawing carries a real risk of inaccuracy once the actual carcasses are in the room.
Who signs off gas work for a new hob or cooker point?+
Only a Gas Safe registered engineer can legally carry out and certify gas connection work. A kitchen fitter or joiner cannot do this themselves, and a quote should state clearly who is responsible for it.
Does the quote need to include disposal of the old kitchen?+
It should state clearly whether strip-out and disposal of the existing units and worktop is included, since skip hire or tip runs for a full kitchen strip-out add real cost that's easy to leave off a quote by omission.
Get your bespoke kitchen properly specified
One team coordinating joinery, electrics, plumbing and worktop fit, with every trade interface written into the quote.