1. Turn the customer's request into a kitchen brief
Start by separating what will be retained, replaced and moved. Ask which aspects of using the kitchen cause problems: inaccessible storage, insufficient worktop space, an undersized appliance, an obstructed passage or difficult cleaning. Record who uses the kitchen, their preparation habits and their priorities. A rental kitchen, an occupied home and a full refurbishment require different site arrangements, even with a comparable run of units.
Clarify which appliances have already been bought, the finishes wanted and who will buy each item. Record the stated budget as a project constraint, not permission to remove essential work. Explain choices explicitly: keeping a compatible appliance, changing the storage or postponing an option. The nobilia planning tools include a questionnaire and technical information; they help prepare the discussion but do not replace your site survey.
2. Produce a survey that remains understandable after the visit
Give each wall a letter and identify doors, windows and fixed features. Use the same unit of measurement throughout the file and identify the reference level. Put the lengths, heights and positions actually measured onto an orientated sketch. A photograph helps explain a layout; it does not replace a measurement. Keep the raw measurements and survey conditions rather than rounding them to make the drawing match the intended unit.
Distinguish current dimensions from those expected after the work. If flooring, lining or plaster will change, record the thickness to be confirmed, who will approve it and the date of the second survey. Note accessible variations in level or plumb and any obstacles, without promising a universal tolerance. The available length near the floor may differ from that at worktop height. Document that difference before approving the layout instead of discovering it during fitting.
3. Check supporting surfaces and openings before finalising the layout
Record what is known about the walls and what information about their construction is missing. Identify concealed areas, visible signs of damp, necessary repairs and anything that needs checking. Fixing selection and the capacity of the supporting surface require validation appropriate to the product and the building. The general nobilia guide notes that installation requires qualified professionals and that the condition of walls, ceilings and floors must be considered.
Draw the opening arcs of doors and windows, followed by those of unit fronts, drawers and appliances. Look for conflicts with handles, radiators, window sills and passageways. Arrange checks using the chosen product references, particularly in corners and near return walls. Do not confuse a closed front with the space needed for use or maintenance. A layout that looks appealing from the front can become unusable when the dishwasher and neighbouring unit are opened together.
4. Map the services and assign preliminary work
Record the visible locations of water supplies, waste outlets, sockets, controls, any gas supply and ventilation outlets. Note what has merely been observed and what a competent professional has checked. The presence of a socket does not establish that the circuit suits the intended appliance; a visible connection does not prove that moving it will be feasible. Avoid selling a simple connection when the job actually depends on altering the services.
Prepare a list of interfaces: who alters the electrics, who moves the plumbing, who prepares the walls and who checks everything before delivery. For each task, specify the document expected and when it must be completed. Check applicable qualifications, requirements and inspections locally. This guide provides neither a connection diagram, a regulatory distance common to all countries nor a procedure for working on gas or electricity.
5. Show appliances using their actual model references
Ask for the full reference of every appliance, including those supplied by the customer. Obtain its current installation documentation and compare it with the proposed unit, worktop and services. Advertised dimensions do not necessarily describe the recess, opening clearance, cable routes or ventilation conditions required. If unsure, ask the suppliers to confirm the combination before adopting a manufacturing dimension.
The nobilia documentation refers to specific instructions for appliances, sinks, lights and specialist equipment. Organise the file around a schedule: identifier, make, model, supplier, instructions and approved decision. If the customer changes the refrigerator after approval, review the affected layout. Treat the change as an identifiable revision, with its effects on supply, fitting and timing, rather than a simple substitution assumed to have no consequences.
6. Separate the worktop, cut-outs and final measurements
Describe the material, finish, edges, joints and proposed cut-outs. Identify who is responsible for templating, manufacture and fitting. Depending on the solution, a final measurement after the units are installed may be necessary: ask the manufacturer to confirm the sequence. A dimension taken from the old worktop is not automatically the size of the new one, especially if supporting surfaces, appliances or finishes change.
Explain what happens between visits: any temporary sink, protection of the units and the stated lead time subject to supplier confirmation. Also distinguish the splashback, sealing at junctions and wall finishes. Have the technical characteristics of the selected solution checked without borrowing a value intended for another material. A quote should explain the sequence and included work; it should not hide a second visit behind a vague phrase such as complete fitting.
7. Cost access, removal and coordination
Measure and document the delivery route: parking, possible time slots, stairs, lift, doors and storage area. Ask the person responsible for delivery to check that bulky items can pass through. Add the protection and handling equipment actually needed. A large worktop may require different arrangements from the carcasses; the difficulty does not disappear simply because the home is on the ground floor.
Then break down removal of the old kitchen, planned waste removal, preparatory making-good and assembly. Identify tasks requiring authorised professionals and dependencies between trades. For internal costing, distinguish elapsed attendance hours from person-hours, travel, purchases and file preparation. Use your actual costs and supplier quotations. The times in an illustrative example are neither an industry rate schedule nor a promise of duration for every kitchen.
8. Present a clear quote and manage options
Group line items by identifiable result: units and equipment, appliances, worktop, delivery, removal, fitting and finishing. Specify quantities, references and the limits of the service. Detail options so that the customer can see what changes: choosing another door front should not quietly remove preparation work. Contract information, taxes and payment terms must be checked for your activity and the customer's jurisdiction before issue.
Keep a version of the plan linked to each quote and a list of unresolved points. Examples include the extractor model to confirm, the expected new floor level or the plumber's scheduled visit. Assign an owner and deadline to each point. After approval, compare any change with this baseline and obtain approval of its consequences before an irreversible order. A signature on a sketch does not by itself resolve a technical incompatibility that has never been checked.
9. Organise approval and handover of the file
Before ordering, check that the final plan, product schedule and quote agree. Check retained items, instructions, appliance availability and completion of the expected preliminary work. Then prepare receipt of the supplies, identification of any outstanding issues and handover of useful documents to the customer. The manufacturer's installation recommendations also require relevant instructions to be passed on after installation.
When following up a sales enquiry, ask for the missing decision rather than merely sending a price reminder. Would you also like to reduce the time spent retyping survey notes and preparing quotes and invoices? Discover Vocalys to dictate observations from your smartphone and prepare your documents. Then check every reference, quantity and exclusion: drafting assistance supports the kitchen fitter, while approving the layout remains a professional task.
Fictional worked example
Ireland — Worked example: replacing a kitchen while keeping some appliances
Fictional example: a customer wants to replace the units in an L-shaped kitchen, retain the dishwasher and change the worktop. The fitter surveys the openings, identifies a planned floor change and requests the retained appliance's model reference. Final height approval is withheld until the finished floor level is confirmed, and checking the connections is assigned to a competent professional.
The offer separates removal, preparation, units, delivery, fitting and any visit by the worktop manufacturer. This file method can be used in the country of this page. The cited instructions remain specific to the products described; local rules, qualifications and responsibilities are not inferred from an overseas example.
Fictional workload calculation: 2 hours surveying + 3 hours preparing the file + 8 hours fitting with 2 people = 21 person-hours. Add the tasks and journeys actually planned, without double counting. This is not a standard fitting time.
An example of commercial organisation; no universal safety dimensions, fixing specification or tax rule. · nobilia — outils de planification et questionnaire cuisine · nobilia — consignes générales de montage, livre 1
Reusable job sheet
- Needs, retained items and customer purchases identified.
- Dated sketch, consistent identifiers and units.
- Current dimensions and finished levels distinguished.
- Supporting surfaces, openings and opening clearances checked.
- Visible services and necessary checks documented.
- Appliance references and instructions collected.
- Worktop, template and fitting sequence confirmed.
- Access, removal, waste handling and preliminary work assigned.
- Final plan, product schedule and quote carry the same revision.
File outline: room and identifiers; dated survey; current and finished condition; units; appliances and instructions; services and responsible people; worktop; delivery; removal; preparation; fitting; finishing; options; exclusions; local conditions; points to confirm before ordering.
A reliable kitchen quote connects the survey, product references and responsibilities. The best time to resolve an incompatibility is while the project can still be changed before ordering.
FAQ
Is a plan supplied by the customer enough to order?
It is a starting point. Have the relevant measurements, finished levels, supporting surfaces and product references confirmed before manufacture; an old drawing may describe a condition that is about to change.
Should retained appliances be surveyed?
Yes, with their full model reference and instructions. Their apparent width is insufficient to check the recess, opening clearances or integration conditions.
How should a service that needs moving be handled?
Identify the requirement, responsible professional and approval needed before fitting. Do not describe a service alteration as a straightforward connection already confirmed.
Why separate the worktop in the quote?
The material and process may require separate templating, manufacture and a further visit. Confirm the sequence with the manufacturer and explain it to the customer.
How do you count eight hours of fitting by two people?
That represents sixteen person-hours of fitting. Add other tasks separately without counting the same time twice.
Sources and references
Sources checked on .
- nobilia — outils de planification et questionnaire cuisine · Méthode de préparation commerciale ; pas de prescription réglementaire locale
- nobilia — consignes générales de montage, livre 1 · Principes généraux ; vérifier la notice actuelle du modèle avant montage
Requirements depend on the country, region, business status and contract. Check what applies before sending a document. These practical guides are not journalistic news.
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