What a kitchen quote should and should not include

The fourteen lines

A quote that fits on half a page is not a simple quote, it is an incomplete one. This is what you should be able to read, line by line:

• Units, one by one. Not "kitchen units €5,400". Each unit with its size, its type (base, wall, tall) and whether it has drawers or doors.
• The carcase. Thickness in millimetres and whether it is moisture-resistant. 16 or 19 mm; the sink base always moisture-resistant.
• The hardware. Make and model of the runners and hinges, and whether they are soft-close. It is the part that decides how long the kitchen lasts.
• Worktop. Material, thickness, metres, edge detail and who pays for the cut-outs for sink and hob.
• Sink and tap. Model, and whether the sink is undermounted, flush-fitted or inset. The price and the work are different for each.
• Appliances. Make and full model number of each one. "Multifunction oven" is not a model number.
• Lighting. Whether there is light under the wall units, how many metres and with what driver.
• Plinth, trims and edging. The pieces that close the gaps. They look like details and they are €150 to €400.
• Strip-out and disposal of the old kitchen, including taking it to the tip.
• Delivery and carrying up. If there is no lift or the street is pedestrianised, it should say so.
• Fitting. Who fits it: an in-house team or a subcontractor. And how many days.
• Building work. Plumbing, electrics, plastering and paint, each one separately.
• Final clean and removal of packaging.
• A written guarantee. Years, what it covers and what it does not, and who stands behind it: the retailer or the manufacturer.

The seven that are usually missing

These are the ones that turn a cheap quote into an expensive one once it is too late to compare.

None of these is sharp practice: they are real work somebody has to do. The problem is not charging for them, it is not mentioning them beforehand.

Five questions that tell you everything

If you would rather not read fourteen lines, asking these five things will tell you who you are dealing with.

1. Does this price include taking out the kitchen I have and removing it?
2. Who fits it, your own team or a subcontractor? And who comes out if something fails in two years?
3. What happens if, once the units are out, a pipe turns out to be wrong or a wall is out of true? Is that allowed for, or quoted separately?
4. What make and model are the drawer runners?
5. Will you give me the guarantee in writing, with what it covers and what it does not?

What to get in writing before paying a deposit

• The plan or render of the approved kitchen, with dimensions.
• The itemised list with a reference for every unit.
• The estimated delivery date and the fitting date.
• The payment schedule, with percentages.
• The guarantee, with its length and its scope.

With those five documents, one quote can be compared with another. Without them, all you can compare is two numbers, which is exactly what you should not do.