Why kitchens slip programmes
Kitchens sit near the end of the build, which means every earlier delay lands on them — and they have their own long lead items. Made-to-order furniture, stone worktops that can only be templated once base units are fixed, and appliances that need commissioning all create chances for the kitchen to become the critical path.
The fix is to treat the kitchen as a package with its own mini-programme, planned back from each plot's completion date.
Order early, call off late
Made-to-order ranges — including most German kitchens — need a manufacturing window, so orders must be placed well ahead of fitting. But delivering too early means storage, damage and loss on site. The answer is to order against the programme and call off deliveries per plot, with an agreed notice period.
- Confirm lead times for furniture, worktops and appliances at order stage.
- Agree a call-off notice period with your site manager.
- Label every delivery by plot and room to prevent mix-ups between house types.
The typical sequence
- First fix — drainage, water, electrics and ducting installed to the kitchen drawings, dimensioned from finished walls.
- Plaster and second fix preparation — walls finished and dried; ceilings and bulkheads formed.
- Flooring decision — confirm whether flooring goes in before or after the kitchen, as it affects plinth heights and appliance clearances.
- Carcass and furniture installation — base and wall units fitted, levelled and fixed.
- Worktop templating — stone, quartz and ceramic tops are templated once base units are fixed, then fabricated.
- Worktop fitting — tops fitted, sinks and hobs cut in, upstands and splashbacks installed.
- Appliances, plumbing and electrical connections — appliances installed and connected, then commissioned.
- Finishing — plinths, panels, lighting, sealing, adjustment and clean.
- Quality check and protection — checked against the specification, then protected until handover.
Templating is the hidden critical path
With stone-type worktops there is a gap between templating and fitting while tops are fabricated. If templating slips because base units weren't ready, the whole kitchen slips. Plan templating dates into the programme explicitly, and consider laminate or compact laminate on plots where the programme is tight.
Protect what's been fitted
Fitted kitchens are vulnerable to following trades — decorators, flooring fitters and snagging teams. Agree who protects worktops, fronts and appliances, what protection is used, and when it comes off. Damage found at handover is the most expensive kind to fix.
Quality checks and handover
A good kitchen installation ends with a documented check, not just a clean. Each plot should be checked for:
- Door and drawer alignment and soft-close operation.
- Worktop joints, sealing and finish.
- Appliance operation and commissioning.
- Lighting operation and switching.
- Completeness against the specification — plinths, panels, handles, inserts.
Appliance documentation and care guidance should be left in each plot for the purchaser, and any items after completion should run through a defined aftercare process. This is how we deliver our new-build kitchen packages.
