How many days does it take to fit a kitchen?

A like-for-like kitchen typically takes around five to ten working days on site. Changing the layout or waiting for stone worktops can push the whole project to three weeks or more.

Can I use my kitchen while it is being fitted?

Usually not for most of the job. The sink and hob are disconnected at strip out and reconnected at second fix, so set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the home.

How long will I be without water in the kitchen?

The kitchen supply is normally isolated for most of the fit. Water to the rest of the home can usually be kept on, provided the isolation valves or stopcock work properly.

Why do stone worktops take so long?

They are templated only once the base units are fixed, then cut and finished to that template before they are fitted. The gap depends on the supplier.

Does moving the sink add a lot of time?

It adds first fix work: new waste runs with enough fall, new supply routes and sometimes a pump. Planned early, it usually adds days rather than weeks.

Do I need a plumber if I have a kitchen fitter?

Some fitters handle simple connections, but moving pipework, new waste runs and gas connections need the right trade. Gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Bathrooms, kitchens and pipework guides →

How long does it take to fit a kitchen?

As a planning guide, fitting a kitchen on the same layout usually takes one to two weeks on site, from stripping out the old units to the final connections. A kitchen that changes layout, moving the sink, hob or appliances, or that needs new walls, flooring or rewiring, normally takes three weeks or more. The joinery itself is rarely the slow part. What stretches the job is the gap between templating and fitting stone or quartz worktops, plaster drying, waiting for building control or freeholder approval, and discovering problems in the pipework, floor or wiring once the old units come out. Planning the plumbing and electrics before the units arrive is the best way to keep the timeline short.

Loyal Plumbers · Updated 28 September 2026

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Typical timescales by type of kitchen project

Every kitchen is different, so treat these as planning ranges rather than promises. The biggest single question is whether the sink, hob and appliances stay where they are. Once the sink moves, the waste and supplies need new routes, and the job changes character.

Rough on-site time for common kitchen projects
Project	Typical time on site	What usually decides it
Replace doors, worktops and tap on existing units	Two to four days, plus worktop lead time	Whether worktops are laminate cut on site or templated stone
Like-for-like kitchen on the same layout	One to two weeks	Condition of the walls, floor and existing connections
New layout with the sink or appliances moved	Two to three weeks	Waste falls, new supply and gas routes, making good
Kitchen as part of an extension or knock-through	Several weeks for the kitchen stage alone	Building work, plastering and drying, building control sign-off

The stages of a kitchen fit, in order

Most kitchen fits follow the same sequence. Knowing it helps you see where the time goes and where a delay in one trade holds up the next.

Strip out: the old units, worktops and appliances come out, and the water, gas and electrics are made safe. Usually a day.
First fix: new or moved pipework, waste runs, gas supply and electrical cables go in while the walls and floor are open. One to three days depending on how much moves.
Plastering and making good: walls are repaired or skimmed, then left to dry. Drying time is the part people forget.
Flooring: often laid before the units so it runs underneath, depending on the floor type and the fitter's preference.
Units: base and wall cabinets are fitted and levelled. One to three days for a typical kitchen.
Worktops: laminate and wood can be cut and fitted on site; stone and quartz are templated once the units are in, then made and fitted later.
Second fix: the sink, tap, waste, dishwasher, washing machine, hob, oven and extractor are connected and tested.
Tiling, splashbacks, decorating and final adjustments.

Where the time really goes

Stone and quartz worktops are the most common cause of a long gap in the middle of a kitchen fit. They cannot be measured until the base units are fixed, and the worktop company then needs time to make them before they come back to fit. During that gap the sink and hob often cannot be connected, so ask your supplier for their lead time and whether a temporary worktop or sink connection is possible.

Drying times come next. Fresh plaster needs to dry before it is painted or tiled, and a new screed floor needs longer still before flooring goes down. Deliveries matter too: a missing panel or a damaged unit can hold up the fit while a replacement is ordered.

The last big variable is what you find behind the old kitchen. Corroded pipework, a leaking waste, damp in the wall or an old gas pipe that does not meet current standards all need sorting before the new units cover them.

How the plumbing affects the timeline

Plumbing happens in two visits: first fix, while everything is open, and second fix, once the units and worktops are in. The more you settle before first fix, the fewer surprises later. Decide where the sink, dishwasher, washing machine and any boiling water or filtered water tap will go, and where their isolation valves will be reachable once the units are fitted.

Moving the sink is the change that adds most plumbing time. The waste needs enough fall to reach the drain, the supplies need new routes, and sometimes a pump or a new connection to the stack is the only option. Our guide to moving a kitchen sink explains the checks to make before you order units, and our guide to planning washing machine and dishwasher plumbing connections covers where appliances can go.

If you are adding a boiling water tap, the tank and socket need space in the sink cupboard. Read our guide, are boiling water taps worth it, before you finalise the sink unit.

Any work on the gas supply, including disconnecting and reconnecting a gas hob or cooker, must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Plan that visit into the programme so the kitchen is not finished and waiting for a gas connection.

Permissions and paperwork

A like-for-like kitchen in a house often needs no formal approval. Some parts of the work can: a new electrical circuit is notifiable under the Building Regulations, gas work is notified by the Gas Safe registered engineer who does it, and structural changes such as removing a wall need building control involvement. In a leasehold flat, check your lease, because moving pipework, drainage or flooring can need the freeholder's consent, and some blocks restrict working hours.

Build any waiting time for approvals into the start date rather than the middle of the job, so trades are not stood down part way through.

How to keep a kitchen fit on schedule

A few days of planning up front usually saves more time than anything done once work has started. If a bathroom is being done in the same project, our guide to how long does a bathroom renovation take sets out the timings for that room too.

Agree the layout, appliance positions and tap choice before the first fix starts
Ask the worktop supplier for the templating date and fitting lead time in writing
Have all units, appliances and fittings delivered and checked before the strip-out
Know where the stopcock and gas meter valve are, and make sure both work
Book the plumber, electrician and Gas Safe engineer against the programme, not after the units are in
Set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere with a kettle, microwave and access to a sink

Kitchen plumbing for your new kitchen

Loyal Plumbers carries out kitchen plumbing across London and inside the M25: first fix supplies and waste runs, moving sinks and appliance connections, and the second fix of the sink, tap, dishwasher and washing machine. Gas work is carried out by Gas Safe registered engineers. We work around your kitchen fitter's programme so the plumbing is ready before the units go in.

Call 020 4652 8585 or send an enquiry with your kitchen plan, where the sink and appliances are going and when the units are due. We will tell you what the plumbing involves and when we need to be on site.

Common questions

How many days does it take to fit a kitchen?: A like-for-like kitchen typically takes around five to ten working days on site. Changing the layout or waiting for stone worktops can push the whole project to three weeks or more.
Can I use my kitchen while it is being fitted?: Usually not for most of the job. The sink and hob are disconnected at strip out and reconnected at second fix, so set up a temporary kitchen elsewhere in the home.
How long will I be without water in the kitchen?: The kitchen supply is normally isolated for most of the fit. Water to the rest of the home can usually be kept on, provided the isolation valves or stopcock work properly.
Why do stone worktops take so long?: They are templated only once the base units are fixed, then cut and finished to that template before they are fitted. The gap depends on the supplier.
Does moving the sink add a lot of time?: It adds first fix work: new waste runs with enough fall, new supply routes and sometimes a pump. Planned early, it usually adds days rather than weeks.
Do I need a plumber if I have a kitchen fitter?: Some fitters handle simple connections, but moving pipework, new waste runs and gas connections need the right trade. Gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Sources and further reading

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