What's in a kitchen quote

Two kitchen quotes can look thousands apart and be for completely different jobs. The gap is almost never in the headline number — it's in what each quote quietly leaves out. Learn to read a quote properly and you'll compare them fairly, avoid the mid-build surprises, and know exactly what your money is buying. Here's what a good one contains, and where the cheap ones cut corners.

What should be itemised

• Cabinetry: carcasses and doors, with the materials and finishes named — not just "kitchen cabinets".
• Benchtop: the material, thickness and edge, and whether it's fixed or a provisional allowance.
• Hardware: hinges, drawer runners and handles, and whether soft-close is standard.
• Installation: who fits it, and whether it's in the price or extra.
• Terms: whether the price is fixed, the payment schedule, and the guarantee.

The exclusions that make a cheap quote cheap

This is where quotes really differ. A low number often means items have been left out — so check specifically for plumbing, electrical, the splashback and tiling, appliances, removing and disposing of the old kitchen, and making good the walls and floor afterwards. None of these vanish; if they're not in the quote, they're coming out of your pocket later. A quote that lists its exclusions clearly is doing you a favour, not hiding the ball.

Fixed vs provisional

A fixed written quote states the real price before work begins, and the company carries the risk of getting the measurements and specification right. A "provisional sum" is a placeholder that can climb once the true cost lands — so a quote stacked with provisionals looks cheaper than it will finish. Always check how much of a quote is genuinely fixed. At Kitchen Beyond, you get a fixed written quote before any work starts.

How to compare two quotes fairly

Put them side by side and match them line for line. Is the cabinetry the same spec? The same benchtop material and edge? The same hardware? Do both include — or both exclude — plumbing, electrical, splashback, removal and installation? Which parts are fixed and which are estimates? Once every quote covers the same scope, the honest price difference appears, and so does the value. A cheaper quote that excludes the benchtop and the install isn't cheaper at all.

A simple one-page comparison

Make yourself a quick grid: one row per item — cabinetry, benchtop, hardware, plumbing, electrical, splashback, appliances, removal, install, making good — and one column per quote. Tick what each includes and note fixed or provisional. In five minutes the real picture is in front of you, and the quote that looked dear often turns out to be the complete one. Pair it with our renovation cost guide to sense-check the numbers.

Deposits, payment stages and timing

A good quote also tells you how and when you pay. Expect a deposit to secure the job and book the manufacturing slot, then one or more stage payments tied to clear milestones — typically on manufacture and on completion of the install. Be wary of terms that ask for most of the money up front before anything is built, and check whether the quote holds its price for a stated period, since material costs can move. None of this needs to be complicated, but it should be written down so you know exactly what's due and when, with no awkward conversations once the job is under way.

Get a quote you can actually read

We write our quotes to be understood: itemised, with inclusions and exclusions spelled out and a fixed price before we start. Knowing the right questions to ask helps too — our questions to ask your kitchen company guide pairs neatly with this one. When you're ready, we'll measure up and quote your custom kitchen with nothing buried in the fine print.