Buyer guide · Updated August 2026

Kitchen Fitting: What Actually Happens, Week by Week

Most kitchen delays are not fitting delays. They are sequencing and lead-time delays. This guide sets out the real order of work so you can see where your project is likely to stall and plan around it.

Key takeaways

  • Survey against the real building, not just the design software
  • Keeping sink and appliance positions saves the most time
  • Stone worktops add a fixed templating-to-fitting lead time
  • Budget time for a proper snagging return visit

Before anything is ordered: survey and services

A proper survey checks wall flatness, floor level, existing service positions and whether the proposed layout is actually plumbable and wireable where it is drawn. Design software does not know where your soil stack is.

Getting this wrong is expensive later, because worktops and units are cut to the design, not to the room.

Strip-out and first fix

Strip-out is usually a day. First fix - moving water, waste and electrical circuits to the new positions, and any plastering that follows - is typically two to four days depending on how far services move.

Keeping sink and appliance positions unchanged is the single biggest way to shorten this stage.

Units, then worktop templating

Base and wall units go in once first fix is complete and walls are sound. Solid worktops are then templated onto the installed units, and there is a fabrication lead time between templating and fitting - commonly one to two weeks.

That gap is normal and unavoidable with stone or composite. Laminate avoids it because it is cut on site.

Second fix, appliances and snagging

With the worktop in, the sink, taps, appliances and final electrical connections go in. Expect a snagging list - door alignment, sealant lines, filler panels - and expect a genuine fitter to want to come back and clear it rather than rush it on the last day.

Quick questions

How long is a kitchen without a worktop gap?

With laminate worktops, a straightforward kitchen is often two to three weeks. Stone or composite adds the templating lead time.

Can I live in the house during a kitchen fit?

Usually yes, with a temporary sink or utility arrangement. Plan for at least a week without a functioning kitchen.

Do I need to be there for templating?

It helps. Overhang, upstand, drainer grooves and cut-out positions are all confirmed at templating and are hard to change afterwards.

Who connects the gas hob or the electrics?

Appropriately qualified trades only, with the relevant certification issued. Never accept an uncertified connection.

Need a real quote, not just a guide?

We provide free, written, itemised quotes for kitchen fitting across Gloucester, Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Stroud and Newent.