How do you pay kitchen fitter? Part up front? At the end?

[Panickingpavlova]

What is the usual strategy please?

Usually at the end. Some will ask for a deposit or payments up front for materials. The main thing is to make sure you have a written quote and payment schedule so you don't have a situation where you're being asked for a bit more during the job.

I definitely wouldn't pay more than about a third before the job is finished satisfactorily.

If the fitter has an account with the kitchen supplier you shouldn't need to pay anything upfront, because fitter won't have paid upfront. I tend to avoid trademen who don't have accounts with their suppliers because it doesn't seem very professional.

Will, the only people who will do that are the in house fitters or if you choose through howdens and use a howdens fitter.

If I choose DIY kitchen how would an independent fitter have an account with them?

And then will, you never know exactly what you are paying because the costs and prices are hidden between your fitter and the company like howdens

At the end. I would never pay upfront

Most tradesmen will have accounts with the big suppliers.

I don't necessarily think you need to know exactly what each component costs, you just need to know that you're happy with the price of the overall job (by getting multiple quotes).

Drpet

Not even a deposit?

agree with PP, get a written quote with a clear distinction between labour and materials. I'd offer to pay for the materials up front.

Express I don't understand.

Imagine probably going for a DIY kitchen meaning I'm ordering it myself and I've got an independent fitter to quote me to do it.

OK, aside from the kixthen I'm buying, what other materials would they need?

My DH is a tradesman and we ask for a 50% deposit on big jobs to secure the space in the diary, if you check our accounts on companies house it's clear this isn't to bankroll the company.

We paid for the kitchen directly to the supplier (Howdens) and then 50% up front to fitter and 50% upon completion.

Ignore the comments from people regarding the tradesmen having credit accounts with companies. Yes they do, but it is their credit account and not yours. What’s to stop a tradesman fitting a kitchen perfectly and the client simply refuses to pay? He will still have to pay for your kitchen on the trade account leaving him out of pocket.

A good tradesman will ask for 50% up front which will reserve your slot in their diary then the balance 50% is payable upon satisfactory completion. That way they aren’t risking their credit account with an unknown payee (client).
The other option is you supply the kitchen and then pay a contractor labour only, that way you can pay 100% upon completion.

@Panickingpavlova

Express I don't understand.

Imagine probably going for a DIY kitchen meaning I'm ordering it myself and I've got an independent fitter to quote me to do it.

In that case, if you're buying the materials, why would you pay anything upfront?

I brought the kitchen units etc myself from DIY Kitchens, so obviously paid for them (several weeks - leadtime) upfront.
I then laid my fitter separately, he had about £500 after a week and the rest when it was totally finished - I kept offering but he said he didn't want any more until I was totally satisfied.

Some of this does depend on trading conditions where you live. But if you are buying your own kitchen, ideally, pay the fitter only on satisfactory completion of the work. You should check your kitchen is complete and undamaged well in advance of the fitters arrival date.

I paid a 20% deposit with the balance paid in instalments retaining 10% till all issues were resolved.

I generally use Howdens but I pay them direct - I've always seen the invoice and made adjustments even if the account is under my fitter's name.
I use the same guy over and over and pay after the job, but I think it's reasonable to pay a deposit, not somuch for materials as to reserve the time.

@Chasingsquirrels

Thanks, before you ordered with DIY did you run through your oder with DIY?

On the basis you've bought your kitchen and it is in bits at your house, I don't see any need to pay upfront.
Any other 'materials' he might need are drill bits, a bag of screws and some rawlplugs. I would regard those as 'consumables' for the job.
Note : I'm not a kitchen fitter so may be talking out of my 'oven housing'!

We had a lot of work done about three years ago, and made three payments. One upfront, one halfway through, one afterwards (and after the final snagging). We felt this was fair as there was an element for materials. We also asked that they did no other work between 9-5 for others, which got the job done faster and there was no disappearing to do other work! It was a big job though (new kitchen, two new bathrooms, new floors, decorating etc) ... So we had a bit of leverage.

At the end once satisfied with job.

we bought our kitchen from DIY kitchens so paid for that up front, then the electrician as we had to have the electrics redone when he had finished the job just paid for cables and plug sockets up front, the plasterer we paid for the plsater up front and then the rest when he had finished, the fitter was my son in law and my grandson who are both joiners so paid for bits that they had to go out and get up front and the main payment when they finished

We have had a small DIY kitchen fitted in our annexe a few months ago. We planned and ordered it direct through the DIY website and then our carpenter fitted it once it arrived.

As with other carpentry jobs, we paid him once the work was complete, no deposit or anything needed up front.

In contrast we placed our order for our kitchen and scullery for the main house from a local full service kitchen company on Friday, paying 25% deposit to enable the units to be ordered and secure our choice of installation date in early November.

[quote Panickingpavlova]@Chasingsquirrels

Thanks, before you ordered with DIY did you run through your oder with DIY?[/quote]
Nope, I checked, rechecked and checked again (and probably once more). Spent a lot of time in the planning!