Most homeowners want one thing before the work starts: a realistic date for cooking a proper meal again. A standard kitchen fit typically runs one to three weeks, but the honest answer depends on the size of the room, the state of what is behind the old units, and how many trades need to pass through.
For a typical London terrace or flat with a small to medium kitchen and no structural changes, the fitting itself usually takes one to two weeks. Larger kitchens, or jobs where walls come out or an island goes in, tend to run two to four weeks.
These figures assume the units and appliances have already arrived and the room is empty. The single most common cause of a delayed start is materials landing late, so we confirm every delivery date before booking labour in.
A kitchen fit is a sequence of trades, and each one has to finish before the next can start. Rushing that order is what causes callbacks later, so the timeline is built around drying times and inspections rather than simply working faster.
Worktops are the step people underestimate. If you choose quartz or granite, the template is taken only after the base units are fixed and level, then the stone is cut off site. That fabrication commonly adds 7 to 14 days, during which the kitchen sits without a solid surface or a connected sink.
Older London housing throws up surprises once the old units are off the wall. Uneven Victorian walls, perished pipework, and undersized consumer units are all common, and each can add a day or two once uncovered.
Access matters more here than most places. A third-floor flat with no lift, a shared stairwell, or a narrow street with a controlled parking zone all slow deliveries and waste removal. It is worth checking your council's parking bay suspension rules early if you live somewhere like Wandsworth, Merton, or Richmond.
The smoothest jobs are the ones where everything is on site before day one. We ask clients to have units, appliances, taps, and handles delivered and checked against the order, because a single missing appliance can hold up second fix.
Plan for the room to be out of action a few days longer than the fitting itself. A short overlap for paint touch-ups, silicone curing, and a snagging visit is normal, and it is better to build that in than to promise a date that leaves no room for the unexpected.
Not usefully. Expect no working sink, hob, or oven for most of the fit, so set up a temporary spot with a kettle, microwave, and washing-up bowl elsewhere in the home.
That pause is almost always the worktop. Stone surfaces are templated only once the units are fixed and level, then cut off site, which typically adds one to two weeks before tiling and final connections can follow.
Yes, we regularly install kitchens supplied by clients from high street and trade showrooms. We just ask to see the plan and delivery dates in advance so we can check for missing parts before the fitting begins.
Tell us what needs sorting. Same-day quotes most of the time.