A new kitchen is one of the larger things you will spend money on in your home, and the quality of the fitting matters as much as the quality of the cabinets. Two identical kitchens can look completely different once installed, depending on who measured the room, who made the units and who fitted them. This guide sets out what to look for when comparing kitchen fitters in Peterborough and the surrounding towns.
What a kitchen fitter actually does
On a straightforward refit, kitchen fitting means removing the old kitchen, levelling and scribing units to uneven walls and floors, hanging doors, cutting and joining worktops, and fitting appliances, sinks and taps. On a fuller project it also means coordinating plumbing and electrics, moving services, plastering and making good, and sequencing the trades so the room is not left half-finished waiting for one visit.
The practical question to ask is how much of that list sits with the person quoting you, and how much you are expected to arrange yourself. That single answer explains most of the price difference between quotations.
Supply-only, fit-only, or one team for both?
There are three common arrangements locally. Supply-only means a retailer designs and delivers the kitchen and you find your own fitter. It can work well if you already have a joiner you trust, but nobody owns the outcome. Fit-only means you buy units elsewhere and hire a fitter to install them; standard-size units rarely fit older Peterborough housing stock cleanly, so alcoves, chimney breasts and out-of-square walls all need filler panels and compromise.
The third route is design, manufacture and installation by one team. The measurements taken at survey are the measurements the cabinets are made to, and the people who made them are accountable for how they go in. At ABJ, every kitchen is designed, manufactured in our Peterborough workshop and installed by our own team, which is why we can build around awkward spaces rather than working around them.
Questions worth asking before you accept a quotation
Do you manufacture the cabinets yourselves, or order them in? Who takes the final measurements, and when? Are plumbing and electrical works included, or quoted separately? What is the lead time from design sign-off to installation? Will the same team be on site throughout?
Be wary of a quotation produced without anyone visiting your home. Room dimensions taken over the phone are the single most common cause of a kitchen that nearly fits.
What a clear kitchen quotation should include
A good quotation is itemised. You should be able to see cabinets, doors and finishes, worktops, handles and hardware, appliances, installation labour, and any associated trades listed separately. If a quotation is a single figure with no breakdown, you cannot compare it fairly against another, and you have no way of knowing what has been assumed rather than agreed.
Ask what happens to the price if the survey reveals something unexpected, such as a hidden soil pipe, an unlevel floor or a wall that will not take fixings. A fitter who has thought about this will tell you straight away.
Guarantees, lead times and who you call if something goes wrong
Guarantees vary widely, and the length matters less than what it covers and who honours it. A guarantee from the company that manufactured the furniture is more useful than one passed through from a supplier you have never dealt with. ABJ offers a 10-year manufacturer guarantee on the furniture we make, covering materials and workmanship, with the specific terms confirmed in your quotation.
On timings, be realistic. Bespoke manufacture takes time, and a very short lead time usually means standard-size units are being ordered in. Ask for the expected programme in writing before you commit.
Booking a free design visit in Peterborough
We have designed, manufactured and installed fitted kitchens from our own Peterborough workshop since 2017, serving homeowners across Peterborough and towns within roughly an 80-mile radius, including Stamford, Market Deeping, Huntingdon, Oundle, Ely and Cambridge. Our design survey is free and carries no obligation: we measure the room, talk through how you use it, and prepare a 3D design and an itemised quotation so you can see exactly what is included. Finance options may be available subject to status.
Call 01733 686767 or book your free design visit at abjkitchensandbedrooms.co.uk/bookingform
What a kitchen fitter actually does
On a straightforward refit, kitchen fitting means removing the old kitchen, levelling and scribing units to uneven walls and floors, hanging doors, cutting and joining worktops, and fitting appliances, sinks and taps. On a fuller project it also means coordinating plumbing and electrics, moving services, plastering and making good, and sequencing the trades so the room is not left half-finished waiting for one visit.
The practical question to ask is how much of that list sits with the person quoting you, and how much you are expected to arrange yourself. That single answer explains most of the price difference between quotations.
Supply-only, fit-only, or one team for both?
There are three common arrangements locally. Supply-only means a retailer designs and delivers the kitchen and you find your own fitter. It can work well if you already have a joiner you trust, but nobody owns the outcome. Fit-only means you buy units elsewhere and hire a fitter to install them; standard-size units rarely fit older Peterborough housing stock cleanly, so alcoves, chimney breasts and out-of-square walls all need filler panels and compromise.
The third route is design, manufacture and installation by one team. The measurements taken at survey are the measurements the cabinets are made to, and the people who made them are accountable for how they go in. At ABJ, every kitchen is designed, manufactured in our Peterborough workshop and installed by our own team, which is why we can build around awkward spaces rather than working around them.
Questions worth asking before you accept a quotation
Do you manufacture the cabinets yourselves, or order them in? Who takes the final measurements, and when? Are plumbing and electrical works included, or quoted separately? What is the lead time from design sign-off to installation? Will the same team be on site throughout?
Be wary of a quotation produced without anyone visiting your home. Room dimensions taken over the phone are the single most common cause of a kitchen that nearly fits.
What a clear kitchen quotation should include
A good quotation is itemised. You should be able to see cabinets, doors and finishes, worktops, handles and hardware, appliances, installation labour, and any associated trades listed separately. If a quotation is a single figure with no breakdown, you cannot compare it fairly against another, and you have no way of knowing what has been assumed rather than agreed.
Ask what happens to the price if the survey reveals something unexpected, such as a hidden soil pipe, an unlevel floor or a wall that will not take fixings. A fitter who has thought about this will tell you straight away.
Guarantees, lead times and who you call if something goes wrong
Guarantees vary widely, and the length matters less than what it covers and who honours it. A guarantee from the company that manufactured the furniture is more useful than one passed through from a supplier you have never dealt with. ABJ offers a 10-year manufacturer guarantee on the furniture we make, covering materials and workmanship, with the specific terms confirmed in your quotation.
On timings, be realistic. Bespoke manufacture takes time, and a very short lead time usually means standard-size units are being ordered in. Ask for the expected programme in writing before you commit.
Booking a free design visit in Peterborough
We have designed, manufactured and installed fitted kitchens from our own Peterborough workshop since 2017, serving homeowners across Peterborough and towns within roughly an 80-mile radius, including Stamford, Market Deeping, Huntingdon, Oundle, Ely and Cambridge. Our design survey is free and carries no obligation: we measure the room, talk through how you use it, and prepare a 3D design and an itemised quotation so you can see exactly what is included. Finance options may be available subject to status.
Call 01733 686767 or book your free design visit at abjkitchensandbedrooms.co.uk/bookingform
