Can a Kitchen Fitter Charge More Than the Quote?

For customers

Sometimes, yes. But a kitchen fitter shouldn't simply be able to give you one price, finish the job and then decide they would like considerably more money.

The first thing to establish is whether you were actually given a quote or an estimate, because they aren't the same thing. A quotation is generally an agreed price for the work described. An estimate is a best indication of what the work is expected to cost and has more room to change.

Citizens Advice currently explains that if you have an agreed quote, the trader generally can't charge more simply because their costs increased or they underestimated the job. The position can be different when additional work is required and you have agreed to pay for it.

That's why the question isn't only “Did the price change?” You also need to ask “Did the job change?”

If you changed the job, expect the price to change

This is normally the straightforward one. Imagine the fitter quoted to install the kitchen shown on your original plans. Halfway through, you decide you'd like another set of sockets, additional tiling, an appliance moved and some extra shelving. Those weren't included in the job they priced. It's reasonable for the installer to tell you those changes cost more.

The important thing is that you understand the extra price before the work is carried out wherever possible. A conversation along the lines of “Yes, just do whatever it needs” can become surprisingly expensive when several trades and additional visits are involved.

Ask what the change costs. Ask whether it affects the completion date. Then agree it.

What if the fitter discovers something nobody knew about?

This is where kitchen installations become less predictable. Until the old kitchen comes out, nobody can see everything that's behind it. There might be rotten flooring, badly damaged walls, unexpected pipework or electrical work that needs attention before the new kitchen can be properly installed. A fitter cannot reasonably price every hidden problem in advance.

If something significant is discovered, I'd expect the installer to show or explain the issue, tell you why it needs attention and discuss the additional cost before carrying out the extra work wherever reasonably possible.

That doesn't mean “we found a problem” gives the fitter an unlimited right to add whatever they like to the bill. You should still understand what the additional work is and how much it's going to cost.

What if the fitter just got their original price wrong?

That's different. Suppose the kitchen is exactly as described, you've made no changes and nothing unexpected has been discovered. The fitter simply thought it would take eight days and it took ten. That's not the same as you asking for additional work.

A fixed quotation involves the installer making their own judgement about what it will cost them to deliver the agreed job. Citizens Advice says a trader generally can't increase a quoted price simply because their own costs have risen.

There can be unusual circumstances and contractual details that affect individual disputes, but “I underestimated how long it would take” is very different from “you asked me to do more work.”

Don't confuse a quote with an estimate

This is why the paperwork matters. An estimate is normally a guide to what the work is expected to cost rather than a fixed commitment to one exact figure.

If your paperwork says estimate rather than quotation, some movement may be expected. Even then, that doesn't mean the final bill can become anything the trader chooses.

Citizens Advice says that where only an estimate was given, the final amount should still be reasonable and the reasons for any changes should be considered.

If you're unsure what you've been given, ask before accepting the job: “Is this the fixed price for the work you've described, or is this an estimate that may change?” That's a useful question.

The original scope matters

Most disagreements about additional charges eventually come back to one thing: Was this work included in the first place?

Suppose the fitter says making good the walls is extra. You thought it was included. What does the quotation say?

If it clearly says plastering and making good excluded, the position is much easier to understand. If the quote simply says complete kitchen installation and nothing else, you've got much more room for disagreement. That's why we've encouraged both customers and installers to be clear about the scope rather than reducing the entire agreement to one number.

A variation should explain more than the new number

If the project changes, a good variation should tell you what has changed and what effect it has.

For example:

Additional electrical work: £380. Requires electrician to return for an additional visit. Completion expected to move by one working day.

That's much better than seeing Extras – £380 on the final invoice three weeks later. For more substantial changes, I'd want the agreement recorded in writing before the extra work begins.

It protects you as much as it protects the fitter. You know what you've agreed to pay, and they have evidence that the additional work wasn't part of the original price.

Small extras are different from a changed project

On most installations there will probably be tiny things nobody makes an issue of. A fitter may do something small while they're there and not charge you. Good tradespeople do that all the time.

But you shouldn't assume every extra is included simply because it only takes somebody a few minutes physically to do it. A small change can sometimes involve another journey, another trade or a change to work that has already been completed.

Likewise, a fitter shouldn't turn every extra screw into another line on the invoice. There needs to be some common sense on both sides. The best installations generally have it.

Your own trades can create additional costs too

This is another area worth understanding. Suppose you've decided to use your own electrician because they can do part of the work more cheaply. The electrician is supposed to complete on Tuesday so the kitchen fitter can continue on Wednesday.

They don't arrive. The fitter turns up on Wednesday and can't carry on.

Depending on what was agreed in your terms, that delay or wasted visit can potentially create an additional charge.

You're not necessarily being charged because the fitter is annoyed. Their working day has been lost because something outside their control wasn't ready. That is why using your own trades can save money but also transfers some of the coordination responsibility to you.

What if I don't agree with the extra work?

Don't be frightened to ask questions. Ask the fitter to explain what has changed from the original quotation, why the additional work is required and what it will cost.

If the issue means the kitchen cannot safely or properly continue without being dealt with, the fitter may need to pause until you agree how it will be resolved.

You might ask them to carry out the work. You might arrange another appropriately qualified person. Or you might need more information before making the decision. What neither side wants is the fitter doing substantial additional work without agreement and everybody arguing about it afterwards.

Be cautious of a quote that becomes cheap only because everything is an extra

There is another side to variations. A very low quotation isn't necessarily good value if normal, predictable parts of the job keep appearing as additional charges later.

Current UK consumer-pricing guidance puts an increasing emphasis on businesses being clear about the total price consumers can expect to pay and avoiding hidden unavoidable charges.

Unforeseen work is one thing. Something the fitter could reasonably see was needed when they quoted is different. If one quotation is substantially cheaper than the others, make sure it is actually covering the same scope.

The best time to discuss extras is before you have them

When you're agreeing the original kitchen installation, ask the fitter what happens if additional work is discovered.

Do they stop and price it? How will changes be agreed? What if you change the design? Does additional work affect the programme?

Those might feel like unnecessarily detailed questions when all you want is a new kitchen. But they're considerably easier to answer while everyone is sitting around a table than when the old floor has just come up and somebody is waiting for a decision. A professional installer should already have a process for it.

So can the price change?

Yes, if the job genuinely changes. You ask for additional work. Something genuinely outside the original scope is discovered. The design changes. Another part of the project creates work that wasn't in the agreed quotation. Those are all situations where an additional cost can be reasonable.

What shouldn't happen is the original job staying exactly the same while the price simply keeps increasing because the fitter didn't allow enough money or time to do what they originally promised. The clearer the original quote and the better both sides record changes, the easier that distinction becomes.

This article provides general information for UK consumers and isn't legal advice. Individual rights can depend on the contract, whether you received a quote or estimate and the circumstances of the particular job.