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What a kitchen quote is actually telling you

A quote is one supplier's answer to a specific set of measurements, a specific range and a specific list of appliances. Change any of those inputs and the quote changes with it, so two quotes that started from different information are not really being compared, however close the totals look on paper.

That is the main difficulty buyers run into. A showroom visit often produces a friendly verbal figure long before any measurements have been taken, and it is tempting to treat that figure as a like-for-like comparison with a written quote from another supplier who has seen the room. The two are not doing the same job. A number given before the room has been measured cannot account for an awkward corner, an extra socket, or a run of pipework that needs moving, and it will move once the supplier does look properly.

Getting quotes you can actually set against each other means giving every supplier the same starting point: the same room measurements, the same range or specification if you have chosen one, the same appliances, and the same answer on whether you want supply and fit or fit only. What each supplier does with that information, and what they charge for it, is then a genuine comparison.

Once quotes are in hand, the work shifts from collecting them to reading them. A written quote should let you check what is included line by line against what was discussed in the showroom, and against what the appliances and the room actually need.

How to get quotes you can put side by side

A single quote tells you what one supplier thinks the job costs. Two or three, built from the same information, tell you what the job actually costs and where each supplier's price differs.

  1. Ask more than one supplier

    One quote gives you a number with nothing to weigh it against. Asking a small independent joiner, a kitchen retailer and, where you're considering it, an online supply-only range means you're seeing how the same job is priced by different kinds of business.

  2. Send every supplier the same information

    Quotes only compare if they're answering the same question. Give each supplier the room measurements, the range and appliances you've chosen or are considering, and any access details that change the cost of getting the kitchen in, such as a flight of stairs or a tight parking gap for deliveries.

    Supply and fit

    Say so plainly and ask the supplier to itemise labour separately from the units, so you can see what the fitting itself costs.

    Fit only

    Tell the fitter exactly what they're fitting, including whether appliances, worktops and any electrical or plumbing work are included in their price or arranged separately.

  3. Decide when to see the showroom

    A showroom visit does two different jobs depending on when you make it, and it's worth being clear which one you're after before you go.

    Visiting before you ask for quotes

    Lets you see the doors, worktops and hardware in person and settle on a range before any figures come in, so the quotes you get back are for something you've actually chosen.

    Visiting after a quote arrives

    Lets you check the specification against what the quote describes: the same board thickness, the same hinge and runner hardware, the same guarantee terms.

What to give every supplier before they quote

Every supplier needs the same starting information to give you a quote you can actually compare against the others. Send each one the same set, in writing, so nothing gets left to memory on either side.

  • Room measurements

    Wall lengths, ceiling height, window and door positions, and the position of existing services, drawn or photographed.

  • The range and appliances you have chosen

    Name the specific range and each appliance by model, because carcass sizes and door styles differ across a maker's own ranges.

  • Supply and fit, or fit only

    State which one you want before you ask for a price, because the two are priced differently and a quote that mixes them up cannot be compared to one that does not.

  • Access details that affect cost

    Parking, stairs, lift access, and whether the property is occupied during the work, since these change how long the fit takes and what it costs to get materials in.

  • Existing kitchen removal and disposal

    Say whether the old kitchen needs to be stripped out and taken away, so the cost of that work appears on the quote.

  • Any structural or plumbing changes

    Moving a sink, hob or radiator, or taking down a wall, needs to be flagged before the quote is written, because it can involve trades and paperwork beyond the kitchen fit itself.

Send the same information to every supplier on the same day, so the quotes that come back are answering the same question.

How to compare quotes line by line

Two quotes for the same kitchen rarely arrive at the same total, and the gap is usually not in the price of the units. It sits in what each supplier has decided to include, or leave out, before they wrote the number down.

Put the same items next to each other

Before you compare totals, check that both quotes describe the same job. Line up each of the following across every quote you hold:

  • Product codes for every unit and appliance, checked against what you were shown in the showroom
  • Whether the figure covers supply and fit or supply only, and what fitting includes if it does
  • Delivery, old kitchen removal, and anything tied to access, such as parking or a skip
  • The worktop material, its edge profile, and whether a separate templating visit (the fabricator's visit to take an exact measurement of the finished carcasses before cutting the stone) is priced in or billed later
  • Guarantee terms broken down by part: cabinet, doors, hinges and runners, worktop, workmanship
  • The payment schedule, including the deposit amount and when the balance falls due

Why a lower total can cost more

A quote that leaves out second fix work (connecting appliances and fitting sockets and switches once the units are in) will read as cheaper on the page, but that work still has to happen and someone still has to pay for it. The same goes for waste removal, appliance delivery, and any making good to walls or flooring disturbed during the fit. The only fair comparison is one where every line covers the same scope, priced by each supplier on the same terms.

Where this sits alongside the rest of your search

Getting to this stage assumes you already know what you sent each supplier and what you checked about them before asking. If a figure on a quote looks wrong once you've lined everything up, the supplier is the one who can explain it, so put the question to them directly and ask for a written answer before you sign.

Ready to ask suppliers for quotes?

Check the checklist first if you haven't picked who to ask yet.