Guide
How long does it take to fit a new kitchen?
Fitting a kitchen usually takes three to twelve days on site: three to five days for a small kitchen, five to eight for a medium one and eight to twelve for a large one. Stone worktops are templated once the base units are fixed and fitted about one to two weeks later, and a supplied kitchen has a lead time of roughly four to twenty weeks before work starts.
How many days does a kitchen fit take?
The number of units, the amount of service work and the worktop material decide most of the timescale. These are typical days on site for the fitting itself, from strip-out to handover, when the sink, hob and appliances stay roughly where they are.
Flat-pack kitchens take longer because every carcass is built on site before it is fixed. Add new circuits, moved plumbing, plastering, tiling and flooring, and the whole job can run to one to three weeks overall, though not every day needs a full team.
- Small kitchen, around 5–10 units: 3 to 5 days
- Medium kitchen, around 10–15 units: 5 to 8 days
- Large kitchen, 15+ units, tall larders or an island: 8 to 12 days
Why do stone worktops add time?
Quartz, granite and sintered stone cannot be cut to fit on site the way laminate and wood can. Once the base units are fixed and level, the stone fabricator visits to make an exact template, including the sink and hob cut-outs. The worktops are then cut in the workshop and fitted about one to two weeks later.
During that gap the kitchen is not fully usable. On some jobs a temporary worktop goes in so the sink can be connected, which is worth asking about if the wait is long. Tiled and glass splashbacks wait until the stone is in, because they are measured from the finished worktop.
How long is the lead time for a new kitchen?
If you are buying a kitchen supplied and fitted, the delivery lead time often matters more than the fitting time. Rough lead times are four to six weeks for budget ranges, six to ten weeks for mid-range and twelve to twenty weeks for premium or made-to-order kitchens. They vary between suppliers and at busy times of year.
Design comes before the order: from survey to final plan typically takes one to three weeks. Appliances, sinks and taps have their own lead times, so order them alongside the kitchen. If you are buying the kitchen yourself, confirm every delivery date before booking a fitting slot, and allow a few days' margin in case a delivery slips.
What can make a kitchen fit take longer?
Most delays come from things that cannot be seen until the old kitchen is out. A survey reduces surprises by checking walls, floors and service positions, and in homes built before 2000 an asbestos survey before strip-out is sensible. These are the most common reasons a fit runs over:
- Missing or damaged units, which the supplier has to replace
- Walls that need re-plastering once the old tiles come off
- Uneven floors that need levelling before units or flooring go down
- Moving the sink, hob or extractor to a different wall
- Structural work, such as a knock-through, which has to come first
- Asbestos found during strip-out, which must be dealt with properly before work continues
How long do the individual trades take?
A full kitchen fit is a sequence of smaller jobs. Some happen within the fitting days and others add to them. Typical times on site for each trade in an average kitchen are below. Electrics and plumbing are split between first fix, before the units go in, and second fix, once the worktops are on.
- Strip-out of the old kitchen: usually 1 day
- Electrics: 1 to 3 days, split between first and second fix
- Plumbing: half a day to 2 days, split the same way
- Plastering: 1 to 2 days, then drying time
- Splashbacks and tiling: 1 to 2 days
- Flooring: 1 to 2 days, plus curing time for any levelling
How long does plaster need to dry?
Fresh plaster usually needs three to six weeks to dry before full decorating, although a mist coat can go on sooner. That drying time does not normally hold up the fit, because units can be fixed to sound new plaster, but it does affect when the room can be finally painted and when some splashbacks can be bonded.
If a lot of plastering is needed, it helps to do it at the start, straight after strip-out and first fix, so it has the longest possible time to dry while the rest of the kitchen goes in. A dehumidifier and gentle heat help; blasting heat can cause cracking.
How long will you be without a kitchen?
For a typical refit, expect your kitchen to be out of use for around one to two weeks. The sink and cooker are disconnected on the first day and reconnected near the end of the fit, once the units and worktops are in. Stone worktops can stretch this unless a temporary arrangement is made.
We plan the job so water and power are off for as little time as possible, and we tell you in advance which days will be the most disruptive. A temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house, with a kettle, microwave and access to a sink, makes the time much easier.
How can you shorten the time on site?
Have the kitchen delivered and checked before fitting starts, so nobody waits on missing parts. Decide on appliances, sink, tap, handles and splashback early. Clear the room and the route to it. Getting plastering and floor levelling done in the right order avoids a second visit from each trade.
Laminate or solid wood worktops remove the templating wait, as both can be cut and fitted in the same visit. If you choose stone, ask the fabricator to book the template visit for the day after the base units are finished, so the wait starts as early as possible.
Questions
Can a kitchen be fitted in a weekend?
Very rarely. Even a small kitchen with no service changes usually takes three to five days on site, because units need fixing and levelling, worktops cutting and jointing, and the sink and appliances connecting and testing. Smaller jobs, such as replacing doors or a laminate worktop on existing units, can often be done in a day or two.
When should stone worktops be ordered?
Choose the material and supplier early, but the template visit can only happen once the base units are fixed and level. The fabricator then cuts and fits the worktops about one to two weeks later. Booking the template date in advance, to follow straight on from the base units, keeps the wait as short as possible.
Does a fitter work every day of the job?
Not always. A kitchen fit involves several trades in sequence: electricians and plumbers for first fix, fitters for units and worktops, a Gas Safe registered engineer for any gas work, then tilers and decorators. There can be gaps, such as waiting for stone worktops or for plaster to dry, which we plan around.
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More guides
- Buying a kitchen yourself: what should you check before ordering?
- What happens during a kitchen installation, day by day?
- How much does a new kitchen cost in the UK?
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This guide is general information about kitchen fitting in the UK, not legal, tax, electrical or structural advice for your property. Rules differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; check with your local authority or a qualified adviser before relying on it.