How Many Kitchen Fitting Quotes Should I Get?

For customers

Three is a sensible starting point for most kitchen installations. It gives you enough information to see whether the prices are broadly in the same area and gives you a chance to compare different installers without turning the process into a competition involving half the fitters in town.

But I wouldn't treat three as a magic number. If you find an installer through a strong recommendation, check them properly, feel comfortable with them and receive a detailed quotation that represents good value, you don't need to keep inviting people into your house simply because somebody once told you that you must collect three prices.

Likewise, getting three quotations doesn't automatically mean you have done all the checking you need to do. The important part is what you compare once you have them.

Three prices can describe three completely different jobs

This is one of the biggest problems with comparing kitchen fitting quotes. You get: £4,800 £6,200 £7,100

The natural reaction is to start comparing the three numbers. But first you need to establish whether the three installers are actually offering to do the same work.

One may include the electrician, plumber, waste removal and making good. Another expects you to arrange all of those yourself. One may include the return visit after your worktops are installed, while another charges separately.

The cheapest quotation may simply contain the least work. Until you understand the scope, you don't really have three comparable prices.

Don't automatically choose the middle one

There is an old idea that you should get three quotations, throw away the cheapest and most expensive and choose the one in the middle. I've never thought that makes much sense.

What happens if the best installer happens to be the most expensive? What happens if one company is VAT registered and another isn't? What if the highest quotation includes considerably more work and takes responsibility for organising all the other trades?

Equally, being expensive doesn't make somebody good. You need to understand what sits behind each number rather than assuming the middle number must somehow be the safe choice.

Give each installer the same information

If you want quotations you can genuinely compare, give the installers the same starting point.

Show them the same kitchen plans. Explain which products are being supplied, who is handling the worktops, what trades you expect the installer to arrange and whether things such as removal of the old kitchen, waste and decorating are required.

If Installer A thinks they are quoting a complete managed installation and Installer B thinks they are fitting the cabinets and leaving, their prices will obviously be different.

That isn't one fitter being expensive. They've been asked to price different jobs. A good installer will normally ask plenty of questions themselves, but the clearer you are from the beginning, the better the comparison will be.

The survey matters as well

I would be cautious about putting too much weight on a detailed fixed quotation from somebody who has never properly looked at the room. Plans are important, but kitchens go into existing houses and existing houses have a habit of not matching drawings perfectly.

A proper survey allows the fitter to understand access, existing services, walls, flooring, the proposed design and some of the practical issues that could affect the installation.

They still can't see everything before the old kitchen comes out, but they can make a far more informed assessment than somebody pricing from a photograph and a cabinet list.

The quotation isn't only a number. Part of what you're assessing is the process that produced it.

A very cheap quotation deserves another look

A low price doesn't automatically mean there is something wrong with it. The installer may have lower overheads, work alone or simply price differently from a larger installation business.

But if two quotations are around £7,000 and one comes back at £3,800, I'd want to understand why. Has something been missed? Are the other trades included? Is VAT being treated differently? Is waste included? Has enough time been allowed?

The answer may be completely legitimate. Just don't assume you've found a bargain until you understand the difference. The same applies to a quotation that is much higher than the others. Ask what is included that you may not have spotted.

How the fitter communicates while quoting tells you something

You aren't only assessing the number during the quotation process. You're getting your first experience of dealing with the business.

Did they turn up for the survey when they said they would? Did they ask sensible questions? Did the quotation arrive when they said it would? If there was a delay, did they tell you? Can they explain the scope clearly when you ask a question?

None of those guarantees the installation will be perfect, but you are potentially inviting somebody into your home for several weeks. How they communicate before they've got the job is useful information.

Don't expect every good fitter to quote immediately

Good kitchen quotations can take time. The fitter may need to work through drawings, speak to other trades and make sure the scope and price are correct.

That doesn't mean you should wait indefinitely with no communication, but I wouldn't automatically choose the installer who sends a price ten minutes after leaving the house simply because they were fastest.

Likewise, a fitter taking three weeks to send every quotation isn't necessarily a sign of quality either. What you want is a reasonable process and communication around it.

Be fair to the installers you're asking to quote

There is another side to getting multiple quotations that customers don't always think about. Producing a kitchen fitting quotation takes somebody's time. They may travel to the property, spend an hour or more surveying, go through plans, speak to subcontract trades and then spend another evening or several hours working out the price.

If you've already decided who you're giving the job to and you're only inviting two more installers because you want their prices to negotiate your preferred fitter down, I don't think that's particularly fair.

Get comparisons because you genuinely need them. You don't need six people to spend their time quoting a job when you were never seriously considering five of them.

What if you've already found someone you trust?

There are situations where one quotation may be enough for you. Perhaps the installer previously fitted your bathroom and you were delighted with them. Maybe they have worked for several members of your family and you know how they operate.

You may still want to check that the current price and scope make sense, but there's no rule saying you must abandon a trusted relationship and run a tender exercise every time you improve the house.

Price matters. Trust, track record and knowing how somebody works have value as well.

What if the quotations are miles apart?

Don't immediately go back to everybody and ask them to match the cheapest one. Go through the scope first. Ask each installer what is included and excluded. Look at plumbing, electrics, waste, flooring, plastering, worktops, appliances and any other parts of the project that could explain the difference.

Then consider the businesses themselves. Are they providing the same level of service? Who is managing the project? Who takes responsibility if something goes wrong? Are you comparing an individual fitter with a larger company that has additional overhead and support?

You may eventually decide one is simply expensive or one is unusually cheap. At least by then you'll know what you're comparing.

Tell people when you've made your decision

This is a small thing, but it is appreciated. If three installers have spent time quoting your project and you appoint one of them, let the others know.

You don't owe anybody a lengthy explanation. A quick message saying you've decided to go in another direction is enough. It stops the installer wondering whether the project is still live and means they don't need to keep following it up.

If you were impressed by them but chose somebody else for a specific reason, there's nothing wrong with saying that either. Good tradespeople understand they aren't going to win every quotation.

So how many quotes should you get?

For most customers starting from scratch, I think around three proper written quotations is a very sensible approach. That also lines up with current Citizens Advice guidance, which recommends trying to obtain written quotations from at least three contractors when considering home-improvement work.

But don't become obsessed with reaching the number three. The purpose is to give yourself enough information to make a good decision, not to collect quotations for the sake of it.

Three badly prepared quotations for three different scopes aren't much use. Two excellent, properly comparable quotations from businesses you've checked carefully can tell you far more. What matters is that you understand what you're buying, who you're trusting to do it and why the price is what it is.

If you still need to find businesses to quote, the Every Install Trade Directory lets you search by location. Member profiles are a starting point; check insurance, relevant qualifications and references before appointing anyone.