Refits and makeovers
Kitchen worktop fitting
Kitchen worktop fitting is cutting, jointing, fixing and sealing worktops onto base units, along with the sink and hob cut-outs and upstands. Laminate and solid wood are cut and jointed on site, usually in a day. Quartz, granite, sintered stone and solid surface are templated once the base units are fixed and level, then made off site and fitted about one to two weeks later.
When do you need kitchen worktop fitting?
New worktops are often the quickest way to make a kitchen feel different, and they take more wear than any other surface. People replace them when laminate has swollen at a joint near the sink, when wood has blackened around the tap, or when they want quartz or granite on units that are still sound. Worktops are also part of every new kitchen fit, where they set the level and finish for the sink, hob and splashback.
We start with a free survey visit to measure the runs, check the base units are sound and level, and see how the sink, hob and tap will be fitted. You get an itemised written quote. Laminate and wood are cut and jointed on site, with every cut edge sealed. For stone, the base units are fixed and levelled first, then the fabricator templates, cuts the sink and hob openings and fits the worktops about one to two weeks later, while we reconnect everything afterwards.
What is included?
- Free survey visit to measure the runs and check the base units are level
- Old worktops removed and taken away, with the sink and hob disconnected safely
- Laminate jointed with a mason's mitre or joint strips, and every cut edge sealed
- Solid wood oiled before and after fitting and fixed to allow seasonal movement
- Quartz, granite or sintered stone templated once the base units are fixed and level
- Undermount sink and hob cut-outs cut and finished by the stone fabricator
- Sink, tap and hob reconnected, with gas hobs connected by Gas Safe registered engineers
- Matching upstands fitted and the joint to the wall sealed
How much does kitchen worktop fitting cost?
These are national guide prices including VAT at 20%. Prices are higher in London and the South East and lower in much of the North, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Choose your area below for a local range.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Laminate worktops, supplied and fittedTypical kitchen, joints, cut-outs and upstands | £500–£1,200 |
| Solid wood worktops, supplied and fittedOiled before and after fitting | £900–£1,800 |
| Granite, templated and fittedTemplate visit, cutting, delivery and fitting | £1,500–£3,200 |
| Quartz, templated and fittedTemplate visit, cutting, delivery and fitting | £1,800–£3,500 |
| Old worktops removed and taken awayMore for stone | £80–£250 |
Guide ranges are for a typical kitchen and include the worktops, cut-outs, upstands and fitting; removing old tops is a separate line, and new sinks, taps and splashbacks are priced on top. Your price is confirmed after a free survey visit.
How long does it take?
Typical timescale: 1 day for laminate or wood; stone is templated, then fitted 1 to 2 weeks later. The programme for your kitchen is set out in the quote, and depends on the size of the room, what is moving, lead times for units and worktops and, after plastering, drying time.
Do you need permission or building regulations approval?
The rules differ across the UK. Choose your nation:
New worktops need no planning permission or Building Regulations approval in England. Disconnecting and reconnecting a gas hob must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and an electric hob or oven goes back on its existing circuit. Moving or adding sockets above the worktop on an existing kitchen circuit is not notifiable, but it must meet BS 7671. In a listed building, check before removing any original fitted joinery.
In Wales, replacing worktops needs no planning permission or Building Regulations approval in itself. The electrics are where Wales differs: moving or adding a socket above the new worktop extends a circuit within a kitchen, which is notifiable under Part P in Wales, so it is certified through a competent person scheme or building control. Gas hobs are disconnected and reconnected only by Gas Safe registered engineers.
In Scotland, replacing worktops counts as replacing fitments, so it does not need a building warrant. Any electrical changes, such as new sockets above the worktop, must meet the building standards and BS 7671, and you should ask for an electrical certificate. Gas hobs must be disconnected and reconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and a sink needing a new underground drain connection would need a warrant first.
In Northern Ireland, new worktops need no planning permission or building control application. Gas hobs must be disconnected and reconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and any electrical changes should be installed and tested to BS 7671 and certified, even though there is no notification scheme for domestic electrical work. In a listed building, check before altering original fitted features, as listed building consent may be needed.
What should you think about before starting?
- Stone worktops are templated only once the base units are fixed and level, so allow one to two weeks between fitting and finishing.
- Have the sink, tap and hob on site for templating, so the fabricator can cut the stone to the exact items you have bought.
- Quartz and granite are heavy; the units must be sound, level and well fixed, and any swollen or weak carcasses replaced first.
- Solid wood needs regular re-oiling and should not be left with standing water around the sink, tap or kettle.
- Use trivets for hot pans on every type of worktop; sudden heat can scorch laminate and wood and mark or crack some stone.
- Plan the joints: keep laminate joints away from the sink where possible, while stone joints are positioned by the fabricator to suit the slabs.
How does the project run?
- Guide price. Use the online guide-price tool or call us for a realistic range for your area
- Free survey visit. We measure the room, check walls, floors and service positions, and look at the plan or delivery
- Itemised written quote. Broken down by stage and trade, with any worktop templating, engineer or approval costs listed
- Fitting in the right order. Strip-out, first fix, units, worktops, second fix and finishing, with the trades booked in sequence
- Final check and handover. A walk-round together, certificates for electrics and gas, and the manufacturers' documents
Questions about kitchen worktop fitting
How long does it take to fit new worktops?
Usually a day for laminate or solid wood in a typical kitchen, cut and jointed on site. Stone takes two visits: the fabricator templates once the base units are fixed and level, then cuts the worktops, the sink and hob openings and any drainer grooves, and fits them about one to two weeks later. In the meantime the sink is usually out of use, so plan meals around that gap.
How much does it cost to replace kitchen worktops?
For a typical kitchen, laminate worktops supplied and fitted cost about £500 to £1,200 including VAT, and solid wood about £900 to £1,800. Granite templated and fitted is usually £1,500 to £3,200, and quartz £1,800 to £3,500. Removing and taking away the old worktops adds about £80 to £250, more for stone. Prices are confirmed after a survey visit.
How are laminate worktops joined at corners?
With either a mason's mitre or a joint strip. A mason's mitre is routed with a jig so the front edge profile turns the corner, then glued, sealed and pulled tight with connector bolts underneath. A joint strip is a metal or colour-matched profile fixed and sealed between the two lengths. Either way, every cut edge, including the sink and hob cut-outs, is sealed so water cannot swell the core.
Can I put hot pans on a quartz worktop?
It is safer not to. Quartz contains resin that can discolour or crack under sudden heat, so pans straight from the hob or oven should go on a trivet or pan stand. Granite copes better with heat but can still be marked or cracked by intense heat in one spot, and laminate and wood scorch easily. A trivet kept next to the hob protects any worktop.
How do I look after a solid wood worktop?
Oil it regularly and keep it away from standing water. Wood is oiled on every face before fitting and given further coats once in place, then re-oiled more often in the first months. Wipe up round the sink and tap, and do not leave wet cloths or a dripping kettle on it. It is fixed with slotted brackets so it can expand and shrink with the seasons without cracking.
Will you fit stone worktops I have ordered myself?
Yes, alongside your stone supplier. Stone must be templated and fabricated by the supplier once the base units are fixed and level, so our part is getting the units ready, checking they are sound and reconnecting the sink, tap and hob after the stone is in. Laminate and wood worktops you have bought can be cut, jointed and fitted on site in the usual way.
Related guides
- How long does it take to fit a new kitchen?
- Which kitchen worktop material should you choose?
- Should you replace your kitchen doors or fit a whole new kitchen?
- What should landlords look for in a rental or HMO kitchen?
Related kitchen services
Where do we carry out kitchen worktop fitting?
We take on kitchen worktop fitting across England, Wales, mainland Scotland and Northern Ireland. Choose your area for local guide prices and the rules that apply there.
England
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- County Durham
- the East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- the Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- the West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire