What Should a Kitchen Fitting Quote Include?
A line-by-line checklist for kitchen fitting quotes: what should be included, the extras often missed, fixed price vs day rate, VAT and payment terms.
Fit-Only vs Supply and Fit Kitchens: Which Is Better?
Fit-only is usually better if you've found a kitchen you love at a good price and you're happy to manage the order. Supply and fit is usually better if you want one company responsible for the whole kitchen, from measuring to the final handover. With us, fit-only starts at £795 and supply and fit at £4,495, with no VAT added to either.
What does fit-only mean compared with supply and fit?
The difference is who buys the kitchen. With fit-only, also called labour-only, you choose and buy the kitchen from a retailer and pay a fitter to install it. With supply and fit, one company surveys the room, plans the layout, supplies the units, worktops and sink, and fits the whole kitchen under a single quote. The fitting work itself is the same in both cases.
Which is cheaper: fit-only or supply and fit?
Fit-only is often cheaper in total, because you can buy the kitchen in a sale and choose exactly what to spend on units. Supply and fit can come out closer than expected once you count delivery charges, return visits and your own time. This is how the costs build up with us:
| Cost | Fit-only | Supply and fit |
|---|---|---|
| The kitchen units, doors and worktops | You pay the retailer directly | Included in our quote |
| Fitting | £795 to £2,200 for up to 15 units | Included in our quote |
| Flat-pack assembly | £25 a cabinet, if the range is flat-pack | Not needed for the units we supply |
| Removing the old kitchen | From £195 | From £195 |
| Typical total | Kitchen price plus fitting | Most kitchens £6,500 to £11,000 before appliances |
Fit-only prices for a typical kitchen of 9 to 15 units are £1,250 to £2,200. For comparison, Checkatrade's Glasgow listings show fit-only installation at £870 to £2,331 and supply and installation at £4,841 to £11,721 (November 2026).
Who is responsible when something goes wrong?
The biggest difference between the two isn't price, it's who sorts out problems. With fit-only, the retailer is responsible for the kitchen and the fitter for the fitting. With supply and fit, one company is responsible for both. This table shows what that means in practice.
| Problem | Fit-only: who deals with it | Supply and fit: who deals with it |
|---|---|---|
| A unit is the wrong size for the room | You and the retailer, unless your fitter checked the plan | We do, because we measured |
| A door arrives scratched | You report it to the retailer | We report it to our supplier |
| The delivery comes late | You rebook with your fitter | We move our own fitting date |
| A hinge pack is missing | You chase the retailer | We chase the supplier |
| A worktop joint opens a year later | Your fitter, under their guarantee | We do, under our guarantee |
| A cabinet fails years later | The retailer, under its product guarantee | Our supplier's product guarantee, which we help you claim |
Fit-only risk drops a lot if your fitter checks the plan before you order. We do that as part of every fit-only job, so missing panels and wrong sizes are caught before money is spent.
Which is quicker?
The time on site is similar for both: 3 to 5 days for most kitchens of 9 to 15 rigid units, plus 1 to 2 days if a fit-only kitchen is flat-pack. The difference is in the weeks before. With fit-only, you order and track the delivery, then match it to your fitter's diary. With supply and fit, we order the kitchen and time the delivery to our start date ourselves.
Which gives you more choice?
Fit-only gives you the widest choice, because you can buy from any retailer: IKEA, DIY Kitchens, Wren, B&Q, Wickes, Magnet or a local showroom. You can also wait for a sale. Supply and fit narrows the choice to the ranges your fitter can supply, but you get help with the layout and someone checking every item against the room before it's ordered.
When is fit-only the better choice?
Fit-only is the better choice when the kitchen itself is the thing you care most about choosing. It suits you if:
- You've already found a kitchen you love, or you've already bought it
- There's a good sale on at a retailer you like
- You enjoy planning and are happy to check the delivery when it arrives
- You want IKEA or DIY Kitchens, which sell direct to homeowners
- You want to spread costs, paying the retailer and the fitter separately
Our fit-only kitchen fitting page explains how we check your plan and fit any brand.
When is supply and fit the better choice?
Supply and fit is the better choice when you want the kitchen sorted rather than managed. It suits you if:
- You don't have time to plan, order and chase deliveries
- You want one company responsible for measurements, the order and the fit
- You'd like a Howdens kitchen, which only tradespeople can buy
- You're doing a bigger job, such as a renovation or a new layout, where the kitchen and the building work must fit together
- You want help with the layout from someone who has measured the actual room
See our supply and fit kitchens page for what's included and how the process works.
Can you mix fit-only and supply and fit?
Yes, and many people do. A common mix is buying the units yourself from a retailer while we supply items that are hard to get right online, such as worktops cut to your room, or a sink and tap. Another is buying a Howdens kitchen through us while you buy your own appliances. Tell us at the survey what you'd like to buy yourself, and we'll quote for the rest.
Not sure which suits you?
Book a free survey, and we'll price both options for your room so you can compare them side by side.
Fit-only and supply and fit questions
Is buying my own kitchen and paying a fitter cheaper?
Often, yes. Buying from a retailer such as IKEA or DIY Kitchens, especially in a sale, and paying for fit-only is usually cheaper than a showroom kitchen. With us, fitting costs £1,250 to £2,200 for 9 to 15 units. The trade-off is that you manage the order, check the delivery and deal with the retailer if anything is wrong. We check your plan first, which removes much of that risk.
What does supply and fit include?
With us, supply and fit includes the home survey, layout plan, units, doors, handles, laminate worktops, sink and tap, delivery timed to your start date, and fitting the whole kitchen, including integrated appliances. Appliances, solid wood or quartz worktops, removing the old kitchen and any gas or electrical changes are priced separately, so you only pay for what you choose.
Who guarantees the kitchen with fit-only?
Two guarantees apply. The retailer or manufacturer guarantees the units, doors, worktops and appliances, and we guarantee our fitting for 2 years in writing. If a cabinet fails, you claim from the retailer; if a worktop joint we made opens, we put it right. We'll help you show the retailer exactly what's wrong if a product fault appears. Keep your retailer's receipts and guarantee paperwork somewhere safe.
Can I buy some things myself with supply and fit?
Yes. Many customers buy their own appliances, or a particular tap or sink, and ask us to supply and fit the rest. Send us the model numbers before we order the units, so the housings and gaps suit exactly what you've chosen. Anything you buy yourself is covered by its own manufacturer's guarantee, and our guarantee covers the fitting. It's a simple way to keep control of the parts you care about most.
Does fit-only take longer than supply and fit?
The time on site is about the same, typically 3 to 5 days for 9 to 15 rigid units. Fit-only can take longer overall, because you order the kitchen and wait for the retailer's delivery date before we can start. Flat-pack ranges also add 1 to 2 days on site for assembly, which ready-built units don't need. Order early, so the delivery date matches your fitting date.
Will you fit a kitchen someone else designed?
Yes. Retailer designers, online planners and showroom designs are all fine. We check the plan against our own measurements of your room before you order, and flag anything that won't fit or is missing, such as end panels, fillers, plinths or a cornice. It's free as part of our fit-only service and saves expensive surprises on fitting day. Send us the plan before your survey and we'll bring it with us.
Is supply and fit more expensive?
The headline price is higher because it includes the kitchen as well as the fitting, but the gap is often smaller than it looks. Supply and fit removes delivery charges, return visits for missing parts and the time you'd spend chasing a retailer. Most of our supply-and-fit kitchens cost £6,500 to £11,000 before appliances, with no VAT added. We'll happily price both options so you can compare them side by side.
Which option is best for a tenement flat?
Either works, but supply and fit takes the access risk off you. In a tenement, rigid tall and corner units have to fit through the close and round the stair, so measuring the access before ordering matters. With fit-only, we check your plan and your access at the survey; with supply and fit, we plan the order around them from the start.
Sources
Our prices are from our November 2026 price list, with no VAT added. Market figures were checked on 11 November 2026.
- Checkatrade: kitchen fitters in Glasgow, for local fit-only and supply-and-installation price ranges
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, which sets out your rights for goods and for services such as fitting
Related: What should a kitchen fitting quote include?, IKEA vs Howdens vs DIY Kitchens and our Glasgow kitchen fitting price guide.
Related guides
Keep planning with these, or see every kitchen fitting guide.
IKEA vs Howdens vs DIY Kitchens: Which Should You Choose?
IKEA, Howdens or DIY Kitchens? A Glasgow kitchen fitter compares how you buy them, flat-pack vs rigid, guarantees, fitting time and fitting cost.
Kitchen Fitting Cost in Glasgow: 2026 Prices
2026 Glasgow kitchen fitting prices: fit-only from £795, supply and fit from £4,495, renovations from £7,950. Worked examples, no VAT added.