How Long Does It Take to Fit a Kitchen? A Realistic Week-by-Week Guide

Most kitchens take two to three weeks to fit once work starts on site. That covers everything from removing the old kitchen to the final clean, including the plumbing, electrics, plastering, worktops, tiling and decorating. Larger projects that involve knocking through a wall, moving the sink to the other side of the room or building an extension take longer.

The fitting is only the final stage, though. Before anyone arrives with a toolbox, your kitchen has to be designed, ordered and made, and that part of the process usually takes longer than the installation itself. This guide walks through what happens and when, so you can plan around it with confidence.

The short answer

For a typical kitchen replacement, expect:

• Design and decisions: one to three weeks, depending on how quickly you settle on a layout, style and finish.
• Manufacture and delivery: several weeks after the order is placed. Your designer will confirm the lead time for your chosen range when you order.
• Installation on site: two to three weeks for most kitchens.

So from your first design visit to cooking in your new kitchen, it is sensible to allow a couple of months, and longer if the project includes building work.

Before work starts: design, survey and ordering

Everything that follows depends on accurate measurements, so the first step is a detailed survey of the room. Walls are rarely perfectly straight, floors are rarely perfectly level, and pipes, sockets and boxing are never quite where the plans say they are.

From there, your designer develops the layout and you choose the range, colour, worktop, appliances and storage. We produce photo-realistic 3D designs before anything is ordered, so you can see how the room will work before committing. Once the design is signed off, the order is placed and the manufacturing lead time begins.

This is the stage where time spent pays off later. A decision changed after the order has gone in can add weeks to the project, while a decision changed on the design screen costs nothing.

Week one: strip-out and first fix

The first days on site are the noisiest and the dustiest.

Removing the old kitchen. Units, worktops, appliances and tiles come out and are taken away. This usually takes a day, sometimes less.

First fix. With the room stripped back, the plumber, electrician and, if needed, a gas engineer run new pipes and cables to where the new layout needs them. This is the point to add sockets, move the cooker supply or reposition the sink, because everything is still accessible behind the walls.

Plastering. Walls that have been chased for cables or damaged by the old kitchen are made good. Fresh plaster needs time to dry before it can be painted or tiled, which is one reason the trades have to be sequenced carefully.

Flooring. Depending on the floor you have chosen, it may go down now, before the units, so that it runs neatly underneath them.

Week two: units and templating

Fitting the units. Base units go in first, levelled and fixed, followed by wall units, tall housings and any island. On a typical kitchen this takes a few days. Panels, plinths and cornices follow.

Templating stone worktops. If you have chosen quartz, granite or sintered stone, the worktops cannot be cut until the units are in place. A templater visits to take precise measurements, including the exact position of the sink and hob, and the slabs are then cut to order. Laminate and solid timber worktops are usually fitted at the same time as the units, which shortens the programme.

Week three: worktops, splashbacks and finishing

Worktops go on. Stone worktops typically arrive around one to two weeks after templating. Once they are fitted, the sink, tap and hob can be connected.

Second fix. The electrician returns to fit sockets, switches, lighting and appliances. The plumber connects the sink, dishwasher and washing machine.

Splashbacks and tiling. Tiles or a stone upstand go on after the worktops, so they sit neatly on top.

Decorating. Walls and ceilings are painted, and any final trims are fitted.

Snagging and handover. A final walkthrough checks every door, drawer and appliance, and anything that needs adjusting is put right before you take over the room.

What can make a kitchen take longer

Two to three weeks is a realistic figure for most kitchen replacements, but a few things reliably extend it:

• Structural work. Removing a wall between a kitchen and dining room usually means a steel beam, building control sign-off and extra making good.
• Moving services. Relocating the sink to an island or moving a gas supply adds plumbing and floor work.
• Unexpected discoveries. Old wiring that no longer meets current standards, hidden damp or uneven floors only come to light once the old kitchen is removed.
• Drying times. New plaster and screeded floors need time before the next trade can follow.
• Changes once work has started. Even small changes can mean reordering parts.
• Gaps between trades. On projects where several separate firms are involved, the biggest delays are often the days spent waiting for the next one to turn up.

Why one team keeps the programme short

That last point is the one we hear about most often from people who have been through a kitchen project before. When the kitchen company fits the units but you have to book your own plumber, electrician, plasterer and decorator, every handover between them is a chance for the programme to stall.

We manage every trade ourselves, including the plumbing, electrics, gas, plastering, tiling, flooring and decorating, so there is one schedule and one point of contact. You receive a written schedule with your quote, and because the trades are all ours, the work follows on without gaps.

Living without a kitchen for a few weeks

A little preparation makes the fitting weeks far easier:

• Set up a temporary kitchen in another room with a kettle, microwave, toaster and a fridge if you can spare one.
• Plan simple meals and stock up on paper plates to cut down on washing up.
• Clear the room completely before the start date, including the contents of cupboards and anything on the walls.
• Protect the rest of the house. We use dust sheets and protection, but moving valuables and fragile items out of nearby rooms is still sensible.
• Agree access for each morning, including parking and where materials will be stored.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to fit kitchen units?

On a typical kitchen, fitting the units themselves takes a few days. The full installation, including first fix plumbing and electrics, plastering, worktops, tiling and decorating, usually takes two to three weeks.

How long after templating are stone worktops fitted?

Quartz, granite and sintered stone worktops are cut to the exact template taken once the units are installed, and are typically fitted around one to two weeks later. Laminate and timber worktops can usually be fitted at the same time as the units.

Can I use my kitchen while it is being fitted?

Not in any practical sense. The old kitchen is removed on the first day and the water and power supplies to the room are disconnected at times during the work. Setting up a simple temporary kitchen in another room is the best approach.

Does a new kitchen need building regulations approval?

A straightforward like-for-like kitchen replacement usually does not, but some of the work within it can. New electrical circuits, gas work and removing a structural wall all have their own requirements, and they must be carried out and certified by suitably qualified people. Your installer should handle this as part of the project.

Will I get a schedule before work starts?

You should. With us, you receive a written schedule with your quote, and a single point of contact throughout. Because we manage every trade ourselves, the programme does not depend on other firms fitting us in.

Planning your kitchen

If you are thinking about a new kitchen and want a realistic timeline for your own project, the first step is a free home design visit. We will look at the room, talk through what you want to change and give you an honest view of how long it will take. You can see typical kitchen prices in our guide, or get in touch to book your visit.