Kitchen Fitting in London 2025: What to Know Before Installing a New Kitchen

The distinction between kitchen supply and kitchen installation: in London, most kitchen projects involve two distinct suppliers: the kitchen designer and supplier (the company that measures, designs, and supplies the kitchen units, worktops, and appliances — examples: IKEA Kitchen, Wren Kitchens, Wren, Howdens, Magnet, Benchmarx, John Lewis Home Design, bespoke kitchen companies); and the kitchen installer or fitter (the tradesperson or company that assembles and installs the supplied units, worktops, and appliances). Some kitchen companies offer a complete design-supply-install service (Wren, Howdens with a trade account, bespoke kitchen companies) — but many homeowners who buy kitchen units from IKEA, B&Q, or a mid-range supplier need to separately source a kitchen installer. What the kitchen fitter typically includes: assembly of flat-pack kitchen carcasses (or delivery and assembly of pre-assembled units — if specified in the kitchen supply order); installation of kitchen wall and floor units onto prepared walls and floor; fitting of kitchen doors and drawer fronts; installation of kitchen worktops (including cutting openings for hob and sink, edge profiling, and if composite or solid timber — the fitter typically templates and orders the worktop to be cut by the worktop manufacturer to exact dimensions); connection of sink and waste (hot and cold supply, waste connection — the fitter connects the sink to the plumbing supply already installed to the kitchen, connects the waste to the drainage already in place); installation of built-in appliances (oven, microwave, dishwasher — the fitter installs the appliance into the cabinet opening; electrical connections are made by a Part P registered electrician unless the kitchen fitter holds their own domestic electrical installation certificate). What the kitchen fitter does NOT typically include: first-fix plumbing (running new hot and cold supply pipes to the kitchen, connecting to the boiler circuit — this must be done by the plumber in the first-fix plumbing stage before the kitchen installation); first-fix electrical (running new circuits for the kitchen: 32A ring circuit for sockets; 45A circuit for electric oven/range; 20A circuit for dishwasher and washing machine; 6A circuit for fridge, microwave, and under-unit lighting — all first-fix electrical must be done by a Part P registered electrician, before the kitchen installation); wall preparation (plastering and making good walls is done by the plasterer before the kitchen installation; tiling of the kitchen wall splashback — the tiler must typically wait until the kitchen units are installed and the worktop is fitted before tiling the splashback zone above the worktop); flooring (kitchen flooring installation is typically carried out either before or after the kitchen installation, depending on the flooring type: hard tile floors are usually laid before the kitchen units, as tiling under units is impractical after installation; LVT or engineered timber is often fitted after the kitchen units are installed, as it needs to be cut to fit around the kickboards and appliance kickplate areas). Correct installation sequence for a London kitchen installation: 1. First-fix plumbing (plumber): hot and cold supply to kitchen sink position; supply to dishwasher; supply for washing machine (if in kitchen); water filtration supply point (if specified); connection to gas (if kitchen has a gas hob — Gas Safe engineer for first-fix gas supply and isolation valve); 2. First-fix electrical (Part P registered electrician): 32A ring main circuit with socket outlets in required positions; 45A cooker circuit (if electric range or oven); 20A spur for dishwasher, washing machine; 6A ring for fridge and minor appliances; circuit for extractor fan (if ducted — the fan is installed by the kitchen fitter; the circuit is first-fix electrical); under-unit LED lighting circuit; 3. Wall and floor preparation (plasterer, tiler — floor tiles only): walls plastered and made good; floor tiles laid (if hard floor tiles are the specified kitchen floor finish — before kitchen units are installed); 4. Kitchen unit installation (kitchen fitter): unit assembly, wall fixing, levelling; worktop template (if composite or solid timber worktop — template sent to worktop manufacturer; 7-10 working days for cut worktop to return); worktop fitting; sink and waste connection; built-in appliance installation; kick board fitting; 5. Tile splashback (tiler): after worktop is fitted — tiles cut and laid to fit above the worktop; grouted and sealed; 6. Second-fix electrical (Part P registered electrician): socket faceplates and switches; oven connection; under-unit lighting connection; Part P Minor Works Certificate issued; 7. Gas appliances (Gas Safe engineer): gas hob connection (flexible pipe from isolation valve to hob); Gas Safe engineer tests connection; Building Regulations Part J compliance certificate issued; 8. Flooring (for floating hard floors — LVT or engineered timber, if not already installed before units): hard floor fitted after kitchen units and appliances; cut to kickboard line; 9. Decoration: touch-up painting above kitchen tiles and around kitchen edges.

Wall preparation for a London kitchen installation: the condition of the kitchen walls before units are installed is critical — any walls that are out of plumb (not vertical) or out of true (lumpy, uneven surface) will result in gaps behind the kitchen units, doors that do not close correctly, and visible cracks between units and the wall surface after installation. Correct wall preparation for a London kitchen: plaster walls to a scratch coat (Carlite browning or lightweight backing coat) and skim coat to a straight, plumb finish — the standard specification is that walls should not deviate from flat by more than 3mm in 2m; remove any existing tiles (the wall behind existing tiles must be assessed — original Victorian plasterwork behind tiles in a kitchen may have been weakened by the adhesive; re-plaster where required); where tiling the full height of the kitchen wall (typically a 2400-2500mm area from floor to ceiling in an extension kitchen), the skim coat is not strictly necessary if the tile adhesive is applied directly to the scratch coat or cement backer board — but a skim coat is cleaner and provides a better key for the adhesive; if the kitchen wall is an external solid brick wall (common in a London Victorian rear reception room or outrigger kitchen) with internal wall insulation (IWI), the plasterboard and skim coat must be on the warm (room) side of the IWI system — consult the structural and IWI contractor for the correct build-up. Floor preparation for a London kitchen: a flat, level floor is essential for a successful kitchen installation — particularly for the base units (which are adjusted with adjustable plinth legs to the correct height, but must start from a level floor). For a concrete screed floor (in a new extension): the screed must be: flat (not more than 3mm deviation in 2m using a 2m straight edge); fully cured (28 days for 75mm concrete screed before hard flooring is laid; 7-10 days before tiles can be laid over a rapid-set screed); at the correct finished floor level (coordinated with the kitchen designer to ensure the correct worktop height — standard UK kitchen worktop height is 890-920mm above finished floor level, adjusted to suit the household). For a suspended timber floor (in an existing kitchen): check the floor for flex (bouncy floorboards indicate joists that require sistering or bracing); lay 18mm WBP plywood on top of the existing floorboards (to reduce flex and provide a flat, solid base for tiles or hard flooring); ensure the combined floor height (plywood + tile or LVT) is coordinated with adjoining floor heights and door thresholds. Kitchen extractor fan — ducted vs recirculating: in a London Victorian terrace kitchen, an extractor fan must remove cooking vapour and moisture from the kitchen. As noted in the open plan living guide, a ducted extractor (drawing air out and exhausting externally) is significantly more effective than a recirculating filter extractor. Ducted extractor routing options: through the rear external wall (directly to the rear garden — most common for a kitchen in the rear outrigger or rear extension of a London terrace); through the flat roof (via a vertical duct to a flat roof terminal — standard for a new rear extension); through the roof void and out via the ridge or soffit (less common; longer duct run increases flow resistance and reduces effectiveness). Part F 2022 minimum extract rate for a kitchen: 30 l/s (litres per second) continuous extract rate (or 60 l/s for a kitchen not separated from a living room — for an open-plan kitchen-diner in a London terrace, 60-90 l/s is recommended). Duct specification: round duct — 150mm diameter (minimum for domestic kitchen extract; 200mm recommended for improved flow and reduced noise); rigid smooth-bore galvanised steel duct or rigid white uPVC extract duct (not flexible duct, which reduces flow significantly due to surface roughness and bends); maximum duct run: 3-4m with a maximum of 2× 90° bends (each bend adds approximately 1.5m equivalent length to the duct run — reducing effective extract rate). Building Regulations Part F compliance: the kitchen extractor fan must be specified to deliver the required extract rate after accounting for the duct run losses; the design must be confirmed by the contractor or M&E engineer before the fan is selected and the duct route is fixed.

Kitchen fitting costs in London 2025: kitchen fitting costs (labour only — not including kitchen units, worktops, appliances, or materials) vary depending on the kitchen size, layout complexity, and any first-fix plumbing or electrical works required. Kitchen fitting costs (labour only) in London 2025: small kitchen (up to 10 linear metres of units, no island — e.g., 3m × 3m galley or L-shaped kitchen): kitchen fitter (assembly and installation): £1,200-£2,500; first-fix plumbing (supply, waste — plumber): £400-£800; second-fix plumbing connection: included above; first-fix electrical (kitchen circuits — electrician): £500-£1,000; total labour for small kitchen fitting in London: approximately £2,100-£4,300. Mid-size kitchen (10-20 linear metres of units, island, open-plan extension — e.g., 5m × 4m kitchen-diner extension): kitchen fitter: £2,500-£5,500; first-fix plumbing: £600-£1,200; first-fix electrical (more circuits for island sockets, wine fridge, additional appliances): £800-£1,800; total labour for mid-size kitchen fitting in London: approximately £3,900-£8,500. Large or bespoke kitchen (20+ linear metres, large island, boot room and utility room, complex appliance array): kitchen fitter: £5,000-£12,000+; first-fix plumbing: £1,000-£2,500; first-fix electrical: £1,500-£3,500; total labour for large kitchen fitting in London: approximately £7,500-£18,000+. Additional kitchen installation costs: worktop template and supply by kitchen fitter (composite stone — Silestone, Caesarstone, Quartz): typically a separate cost — worktop measurement, template, and fitting: £300-£700 fitter charge (worktop materials additional: approximately £300-£800 per linear metre for composite stone supply, installed); tiling of splashback (tiler — 1-2 days labour): £400-£800 (materials additional — metro tiles £10-£30/m², Moroccan zellige £30-£150/m²); gas hob connection (Gas Safe engineer): £100-£200. Combined supply and fit (kitchen units + kitchen fitting) indicative budget ranges for London 2025: entry-level (IKEA, B&Q, Magnet kitchen units + standard fitting, laminate worktop): £6,000-£12,000 supply and fit. Mid-range (Howdens, Wren, John Lewis kitchen units + fitting, composite stone worktop): £12,000-£30,000 supply and fit. High-end or bespoke (German kitchen — Schuller, Nolte, Siematic, or UK bespoke — De Beauvoir, Plain English + fitting, granite or quartzite worktop): £30,000-£100,000+ supply and fit. How to manage a London kitchen installation project: the most common cause of delay in a London kitchen project is poor sequencing — the plumber or electrician has not completed first-fix before the kitchen fitter arrives, resulting in the fitter waiting (and rescheduling) while the M&E trades finish. Use a principal contractor (RCB Design & Build) to coordinate the sequence: first-fix plumbing, first-fix electrical, wall and floor preparation, kitchen installation, splashback tiling, second-fix electrical, gas hob connection. For a standalone kitchen replacement project (no structural works, existing kitchen in the same location): programme is typically 2-3 weeks from kitchen delivery to practical completion.