How Long Does It Take to Fit a New Kitchen?
Most kitchens take around one to three weeks to fit. A simple replacement where the layout stays the same can be quicker. A full kitchen renovation involving new electrics, plumbing, flooring and decorating can take considerably longer.
The kitchen itself is rarely the only thing that determines the schedule.
Moving a sink across the room means plumbing changes. Adding an induction hob might require electrical work. Take the old cabinets off the wall and you could discover damaged plaster that needs sorting before the new units go anywhere near it.
That’s why two kitchens of exactly the same size can have completely different installation times.
How Long Does a Standard Kitchen Installation Take?
For a fairly straightforward kitchen replacement, you should usually plan for around one to two weeks.
That might involve removing the existing kitchen, preparing the room, fitting new cabinets and worktops, connecting appliances and completing the final details.
Keeping the same layout helps.
If your sink, oven and dishwasher are staying in roughly the same positions, there’s less plumbing and electrical work to deal with. The fitter can spend more time installing the kitchen and less time altering what sits behind it.
Change the entire layout and things take longer.
A full renovation could easily take two to three weeks or more, particularly if several trades are involved.
Our kitchen fitting service in Norfolk can cover the wider installation rather than leaving you to arrange different parts of the job yourself.
What Actually Happens During a Kitchen Installation?
There’s more involved than taking the old cabinets out and putting new ones in.
A typical installation starts with stripping out the existing kitchen. Cabinets, worktops, appliances and old flooring may need to be removed depending on what you’re replacing.
Once everything is out, the condition of the room becomes much clearer.
Walls may need plastering. Pipes might need moving. Electrical sockets could be in the wrong place for the new layout.
Those jobs need sorting before the new kitchen goes in.
Then comes the installation itself.
Base and wall units are positioned, levelled and secured. Worktops are measured and fitted. Cut outs are made for sinks and hobs. Appliances are installed and doors, handles, plinths and panels are added.
After that, there may still be flooring, tiling, painting and other finishing work to complete.
A Typical Kitchen Fitting Timeline
Every job is different, but it helps to know roughly what the process can look like.
Days 1 and 2: Removing the Old Kitchen
The existing cabinets, worktops and appliances are removed.
This can be fairly quick if everything comes out cleanly. Older kitchens sometimes take longer, especially where cabinets have been heavily fixed to walls or previous work has been built around them.
You may also uncover problems that weren’t visible before.
Water damage behind a sink is a good example. So are cracked walls hidden behind tall cabinets.
Those problems need dealing with properly rather than simply covering them with the new kitchen.
Days 2 to 4: Plumbing and Electrical Preparation
If you’re changing the layout, this stage can take a little longer.
Sockets might need moving. New appliance connections may be required. Pipes may need repositioning for the sink, washing machine or dishwasher.
Keeping your new kitchen close to the existing layout can reduce the amount of work required here.
Days 3 to 5: Preparing the Room
You can’t get a good finish by fitting expensive cabinets against poor walls.
Any necessary plastering, repairs or preparation should be completed before the main installation begins.
Fresh plaster also needs enough time to dry.
Rushing this part usually causes problems later.
Days 5 to 8: Installing the Kitchen Units
This is when the room starts looking like a kitchen again.
Base units go in first, followed by wall cabinets and tall units.
Accuracy matters. A small mistake at the beginning of a run of cabinets can become a much bigger problem by the time the fitter reaches the other side of the room.
Doors, drawers and panels are then adjusted so everything lines up correctly.
Days 7 to 10: Worktops and Appliances
Worktop installation depends heavily on the material you’ve chosen.
Laminate and timber worktops can often be cut and fitted on site.
Stone and quartz can work differently. Measurements or templates may need to be taken once the cabinets are installed, with the finished worktops manufactured afterwards.
That can add time to the project.
Sinks, taps, ovens, hobs and other appliances can then be fitted and connected at the appropriate stage.
Days 10 to 14: Flooring and Finishing Work
The final few days are usually about finishing the room.
That could include tiling, splashbacks, flooring, painting, sealing and fitting trims.
Doors and drawers are checked and adjusted. Handles are fitted. Small gaps and finishing details are dealt with.
This is also the stage where trying to rush the job becomes particularly noticeable.
What Can Make a Kitchen Installation Take Longer?
The biggest cause of longer installation times is usually the amount of additional work involved.
Changing the kitchen layout is one example.
Moving your sink from underneath a window to a kitchen island isn’t simply a case of putting the sink somewhere else. Water and waste pipes have to reach the new position.
The same applies to appliances.
Moving an oven, adding more sockets or installing different lighting can mean additional electrical work.
Then there are the things nobody knows about until the old kitchen comes out.
Damp. Damaged plaster. Rotten flooring. Poor wiring from an old installation. Leaking pipes hidden behind cabinets.
You don’t want your fitter ignoring those problems just to stick to the original schedule.
Fix them first.
Does the Size of the Kitchen Matter?
Yes, although size isn’t everything.
A small kitchen with a complicated layout can take longer than a large kitchen where everything is straightforward.
Think about the number of cabinets rather than just the floor area.
A large open kitchen with ten units could be relatively simple. A smaller kitchen with awkward corners, 18 units, integrated appliances and several worktop joints could require much more fitting.
Kitchen islands also add work.
They need to be positioned accurately and may require electrical or plumbing connections depending on how they’re being used.
Should You Stay at Home While Your Kitchen Is Being Fitted?
Usually, yes.
You don’t normally need to move out while a kitchen is being installed.
You do need to accept that cooking is going to be awkward for a while.
There may be periods when you don’t have a working sink, oven or hob. Your fridge might need to be moved temporarily too.
Setting up a basic temporary kitchen elsewhere in the house makes life much easier.
A kettle, microwave and small table can go a surprisingly long way for a week or two.
Just don’t expect to be cooking a Sunday roast in the middle of an installation.
Should You Arrange Different Trades Yourself?
You can, but think carefully about how much coordination you’re willing to take on.
A full kitchen renovation might require a kitchen fitter, plumber, electrician, plasterer, tiler, decorator and flooring installer.
They need to arrive in the right order.
If the electrician is booked before the old kitchen has been removed, there may be nothing useful for them to do. If the plasterer is delayed, the kitchen fitter may not be able to start.
One delay can push everything else back.
Using a company that can coordinate different parts of the project removes a lot of that responsibility from the homeowner.
KA Property Maintenance provides property maintenance services across Norfolk, including work that can form part of a larger kitchen renovation.
Can You Speed Up a Kitchen Installation?
Good preparation can save days.
Have the kitchen design finalised before work starts. Make decisions about appliances, flooring, worktops, handles, taps and lighting early.
Make sure the kitchen has arrived too.
It sounds obvious, but one missing cabinet door isn’t the problem. A missing corner unit or end panel can stop an entire section of the kitchen being completed.
Check the delivery before installation begins.
Appliances should also be on site or arriving when they’re needed.
Changing your mind halfway through the project is another easy way to add time. Moving the dishwasher after the plumbing has already been installed creates work that didn’t need to exist.
Make the big decisions before the first cabinet comes off the wall.
How Long Does a Complete Kitchen Renovation Take?
For a full renovation, I’d allow at least two to three weeks and be prepared for it to take longer if substantial building work is required.
Some projects go faster. Others don’t.
Knocking through a wall, changing doors or windows, moving plumbing and replacing the entire floor turns a kitchen installation into a larger renovation project.
That’s very different from replacing cabinets in their existing positions.
Your fitter should be able to give you a more realistic schedule after seeing the room and understanding exactly what you’re planning.
Planning a New Kitchen in Norfolk?
Don’t choose an installer based on who promises to finish fastest.
A kitchen is something you’ll use every day for years. Cabinets that aren’t level, poorly fitted worktops and rushed finishing will bother you long after you’ve forgotten whether the installation took eight days or twelve.
KA Property Maintenance provides professional kitchen fitting in Norfolk, covering Norwich and surrounding areas.
We can help with everything from straightforward kitchen replacements to larger installations involving several stages of work.
If you’re planning a new kitchen, contact KA Property Maintenance to discuss the project and get a quote.
