How Much Deposit Should I Pay a Kitchen Fitter?

For customers

A kitchen fitter asking for a deposit is not automatically a red flag. If someone is reserving two or three weeks in their diary for your project, arranging other trades and perhaps buying materials before they arrive, it's reasonable that they don't want to carry all of that risk themselves.

But that doesn't mean you should hand over most of the job price without understanding what you're paying for. The percentage matters. The process around the percentage matters more.

Ask what the deposit is actually for

This is a very reasonable question. Is it securing your place in the diary? Is the installer buying materials? Have they committed an electrician, plumber or other trades to your project? Is some of it covering costs that have to be paid before the installation starts?

A good installer should be able to explain that. You shouldn't feel awkward asking. If you're transferring several thousand pounds to somebody, you're entitled to understand what happens next.

Look at the paperwork as well as the percentage

I'd be more comfortable with a properly documented payment structure than a random request for money, even if the percentage itself looked quite normal.

You should ideally have something in writing showing:

• what work has been agreed
• the total price
• what is included and excluded
• how much the deposit is
• what the deposit relates to
• when the remaining payments are due
• how additional work will be agreed
• what happens if either side cancels
• how completion and anything outstanding will be dealt with

Citizens Advice currently recommends that payment arrangements are included in the contract, that customers pay in stages where possible and that large upfront payments are avoided. Its guidance says that where a deposit can't reasonably be avoided, consumers should try to keep it as low as possible and not agree to more than 25%.

That is useful consumer guidance. It doesn't mean 25% is automatically the correct deposit for every kitchen project.

The installer is taking some risk too

There is a tendency with payment advice to talk as though all of the risk sits with the customer. It doesn't.

Imagine an installer has put three weeks aside for your kitchen. They've turned away other work for those dates, booked an electrician and plumber and perhaps ordered things specifically for your job. You cancel a few days before they're due to start. They may not be able to replace three weeks of work at short notice.

That does not entitle an installer to keep any amount they choose. CMA guidance says retained payments or cancellation charges should generally reflect the actual loss directly caused, allowing for reasonable steps to reduce it. A genuine diary loss may matter; dates that can be rebooked or costs that can be avoided matter too. A fair agreement recognises the commitment made by both sides.

You may also have a 14-day cooling-off right, depending on how and where the contract was agreed. Requested work starting within that period can affect what is payable, and exceptions can apply. Before assuming a deposit has been lost, read the Citizens Advice guidance on cancelling building work, which links to advice for each UK nation. A “non-refundable” label cannot simply remove your statutory rights.

What about paying most of the money before work starts?

That's where I'd be more cautious. There may occasionally be a good reason for a large payment before installation, particularly where significant products or materials are being supplied. But if you're being asked to pay 80% or 90% of a substantial labour bill before much work has happened, I'd want to understand exactly why.

The further your money gets ahead of the work, the more exposed you are if something goes wrong. For larger projects, agreed staged payments are often easier to understand because payments follow progress rather than simply following dates.

A professional payment schedule should be easy to explain

There isn't one schedule every kitchen installer has to use. A project might have a booking deposit, a payment when work begins, another payment at an agreed stage and a final balance when the installation is substantially complete. Another job might need something different.

What matters is that you know about it before you say yes. You shouldn't be standing in a half-fitted kitchen being told that another large payment is due tomorrow when nobody mentioned it in the quote. A good process removes that surprise.

The final payment needs to be fair too

You shouldn't be expected to make the final payment if a meaningful part of the agreed installation has not been completed.

But there is another side to that. A small outstanding snag doesn't necessarily justify holding back thousands of pounds relating to work that has been completed properly.

I've experienced that from the installer's side. In a previous installation business I ran, we once had £15,000 of final payment withheld on a large project because some china in a cabinet next to an integrated washing machine faintly rattled when the machine went into a high-speed spin. The electricians, plumbers and other subcontractors still had to be paid. That wasn't a particularly balanced situation either.

The amount being withheld should make some sense against what is actually wrong or still outstanding. Good payment terms should protect both sides, not simply move all of the risk from one person to the other.

There is another option worth knowing about

Trusted Payments is one of Every Install's trusted partners and is designed for both the customer and the tradesperson.

The service combines the agreement, payment stages and project record, with payments authorised against agreed progress and access to independent dispute resolution. Its current terms distinguish the 10% completion payment held by the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman from other payments processed through the platform. Do not assume the whole project price remains in escrow until the bathroom or kitchen is finished.

Warranty protection has conditions, exclusions, time limits and financial limits; it is not an unlimited refund guarantee. Read the current service terms and warranty details, check what applies to your project and understand any fees before deciding whether it suits you.

The installer can introduce it. You can ask about it as the customer too. If you're uncomfortable handing a substantial payment directly to a business you don't know, asking how they protect advance payments is perfectly reasonable.

Find out how Trusted Payments works →

So what's a reasonable deposit?

For a UK homeowner, the safest starting position is not to pay more upfront than you reasonably need to. But I wouldn't judge the installer on the percentage alone. Look at the whole picture.

Why are they asking for it? What does it cover? What paperwork have they given you?

How much of your money will be ahead of the work? What are the next payment stages? What happens if plans change or something goes wrong? And what do you know about the business itself?

A fitter asking for a sensible deposit within a properly documented project isn't the same thing as somebody asking you to transfer thousands of pounds with little more than a text message. That's the distinction I'd concentrate on.

Looking for an installer?

The Every Install Trade Directory lets you search for tradespeople and installation businesses by location.

Profiles are provided by individual members, so you should still carry out your own checks, confirm relevant insurance and qualifications where required and make sure the work, price and payment terms are agreed in writing.

Search the Every Install Trade Directory →

Why is Every Install answering this?

Every Install was created primarily to help installers build stronger businesses. Part of that is encouraging installers to run those businesses professionally.

Proper quotes, proper terms, clear payments and good communication aren't only better for the installer. They're better for the customer too.

This article provides general information for UK consumers and isn't legal advice. Consumer rights can depend on the circumstances of the job and how the agreement was made.