Your First Year as a Kitchen and Bathroom Fitter: The Real Guide

‍‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍# Your first year as a self-employed kitchen and bathroom fitter

Year one you're mostly doing standard supply-and-fit or labour-only installs - not luxury German kitchens and spa bathrooms back-to-back. You'll be juggling flat-packs, plumbing, electrics coordination, tilers, and "didn't show" deliveries, while working out what you can realistically do in a day.

Done right, though, it's good money. Both kitchen and bathroom fitting sit towards the top end of domestic day rates, because you're bringing multiple skills together and the jobs are high-value to the customer. The catch is that one bad job can trash your reputation, so your first year is about systems, not speed.

This guide covers the kitchen/bathroom fitter-specific stuff for year one. SiteKiln has separate guides for the general self-employment basics.

The Improver Reality

You might be a decent chippy or plumber, but fitting kitchens and bathrooms is a different game. You're not going to walk into a full kitchen rip-out-and-refit and nail it solo on day one. That's normal. You're an improver. Own it. Don't pretend you know more than you do - a misaligned run of units or a leaking shower tray tells the customer everything. Watch how experienced fitters sequence a job, handle awkward walls and manage other trades. Ask questions. The good ones will share what they know if you show willing. This phase lasts months, sometimes a year. It's not a failure - it's how every good fitter starts.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask

You'll hit things you don't know - a boiler you've never seen, a worktop joint that isn't working, a wall that's so far out of plumb nothing fits. That's fine. Guessing isn't. Call a past employer. Call the unit or worktop manufacturer's tech line - they're free and they've heard it all before. Ask an experienced mate. Nobody worth working with judges you for asking. They judge you for winging it and leaving a customer with a kitchen that falls apart.

Written with input from Gavin Tutton - experienced kitchen and bathroom fitter and Howdens ambassador. Follow Gavin on Instagram: @gavintuttoncarpentry

1. Tickets and cards - what you actually need

There isn't a single "kitchen/bathroom fitter" licence. Most fitters come from carpentry/joinery or plumbing - and that trade background is your backbone.

Core trade qualification

NVQ Level 2 in carpentry/joinery or plumbing gives you a proper foundation and a route to a Blue CSCS Skilled Worker card if you go near sites. Domestic-only fitters can live without CSCS, but it helps if you want developer or commercial work.

Gas and electrics - the hard lines

• You must not do gas work unless you're Gas Safe registered. Disconnecting and reconnecting a gas hob or cooker is gas work. Don't touch it.
• You must not do notifiable electrical work unless you're properly qualified and registered with a competent person scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, etc.).

Most kitchen and bathroom fitters team up with a spark and a gas engineer rather than trying to do everything themselves. Know your limits and build a team you trust.

For the guide: be a proper chippy or plumber first, then add kitchen/bathroom fitting on top. Don't fudge gas or mains electrics.

Trade supplier relationships

Trade suppliers like Howdens, Magnet, Wren and Benchmarx all have recommended fitter schemes of various kinds. Rates and terms vary by branch - treat them as one income stream, not your only one. Howdens in particular is set up for the trade and supplies direct, but you should build your own customer base alongside.

2. Insurance

Public liability insurance (PLI)

£2 million minimum, £5 million recommended. You're working in the most expensive rooms in the house, often in occupied homes with furniture, flooring and personal belongings around you. One burst pipe in a new kitchen or a botched shower install flooding the room below - PLI covers the claim.

Water damage

Same warning as the plumber guide: check your policy explicitly covers water damage from your installations. Kitchen and bathroom fitting is where leaks happen. Read the policy, not just the certificate.

Tools insurance

Kitchen/bathroom fitting needs a broad toolkit (see section 4). Get proper tools-in-van cover - the kit adds up fast.

Employer's liability

If anyone helps you on a job - even a labourer carrying units in - you need EL insurance (£5 million minimum) from day one.

3. Day rates and job prices - what to charge in 2026

See Guides 14.T5 (carpentry) and 14.T10 (kitchen/bathroom fitting) for detailed pricing benchmarks.

Day rates

Regional kitchen fitting rates

Typical job prices

• Kitchen labour-only install: £2,200–£4,600 for typical jobs. Average around £3,500.
• Bathroom full install: £4,000–£8,000 total, with labour often 40–50% of that. Typical 7–14 days on site including all trades.

4. Tools and kit - what a fitter needs

You're effectively a chippy with some plumbing and finishing kit, so it's a mid-to-high starter cost.

Cordless kit

Drill/driver, impact, jigsaw or circular saw, multi-tool. £400–£800 for a decent 18V kit with batteries.

Cutting and fitting

Circular saw (preferably track/rail if you can swing it), jigsaw, hole saws, router if you're doing worktops. Several hundred more for decent units.

Hand tools

Levels, squares, chisels, clamps, planes, screwdrivers, pry bars. £300–£600 to get well set.

Plumbing basics

Pipe cutters, wrenches, adjustable spanners, PTFE and consumables. £100–£200 if you're handling basic connect-up and leaving heavy plumbing to a plumber.

Access and protection

Steps, small platform, dust sheets, floor protection, work lights. £200–£400.

PPE

Boots, goggles, hearing protection, masks, gloves. £100–£200.

Honest starter budget

• Coming from carpentry or plumbing and already own a lot: £1,500–£2,500 to round out a fitter-grade kit.
• From near zero with solid pro gear: £3,000–£5,000 once you add saws, router, cordless kit, hand tools and protection.

This is one of the more expensive starter bundles - the guide should say that clearly.

5. Bread-and-butter jobs in year one

Straight kitchen fits

Rip-out, adjust services (with your plumber/spark), install units, fit worktops, cut sinks/hobs, plinths, cornice/pelmet, silicone and finishing. This is the volume work.

Worktop swaps and upgrades

Replacing laminate worktops, fitting new sinks and hobs, maybe templating for solid surfaces via a specialist.

Standard bathroom refits

Replace bath/shower, basin, WC, new furniture, tile or panel, new towel rail. Usually 7–14 days including all trades if you're coordinating.

Landlord and social housing refreshes

Patch plastering, splashback tiling, unit swaps, basic plumbing, minor carpentry, patch decorating. Good training ground for speed and problem-solving.

These are exactly the jobs homeowners and housing providers buy constantly - and where you build your name.

6. Scope boundaries - what you do vs what you sub out

Kitchen and bathroom fitting is a multi-trade job. Knowing where your scope ends is as important as knowing what you can do.

The best fitters run the whole job - coordinate the other trades, manage the timeline, and deliver a finished room. That's what justifies the higher day rates.

7. Specialist areas that command premium rates

Spray-finished kitchens and furniture

Kitchen resprays commonly start around £1,500 and run up to £7,000 for very large kitchens - without ripping everything out. Fitters who can handle dismantling, adjustments and coordination with a spray shop make strong money compared to a straight refit.

Solid worktops and specialist surfaces

Quartz, stone and solid surfaces usually involve templating and specialist fitters. Being the fitter who understands how to prepare for them makes you more valuable. Spray-granite and worktop refinishing systems are another niche for premium rates.

High-end design-led bathrooms

Walk-in wet rooms, niches, large-format tiling, built-in furniture. More risk but more reward - your day rate needs to reflect the complexity.

You don't start here. But this is where income moves once you've got solid core skills and systems.

8. Seasonality and demand

Kitchen and bathroom fitting is less weather-bound than outdoor trades, but there are still patterns:

• Spring and autumn - good times to land full refits. People planning bigger work.
• Pre-Christmas - busy. Everyone wants a new kitchen or bathroom before guests arrive. Deadline-heavy.
• January/February - potentially quieter. Good for doing your own house, upgrading tools, or tackling smaller jobs while you rebuild the pipeline.
• Year-round demand - unlike landscaping or roofing, you're working indoors. Seasonality is more about customer budgets and life events than weather.

9. A route map for your first 12 months

Months 0–3

• Get insurance sorted. Check your competence gaps - solid carpentry and plumbing basics, and a plan to use qualified gas/electrical people where needed.
• Take on straightforward kitchens and bathrooms - smaller spaces, simpler layouts - where other trades coordination is straightforward.
• Build a photo portfolio: before/after rooms, detail shots (mitres, joints, silicone lines).

Months 3–6

• Tighten pricing towards the £250–£350/day kitchen fitter band or £200–£350/day bathroom fitter band for your region.
• Move into full-room projects: complete kitchens, complete bathrooms - not just "swap a door."
• Build relationships with local suppliers (Howdens, Magnet, merchants) and other trades so you've got a pipeline and a team you trust.

Months 6–12

• Decide on one or two specialisms: high-end kitchens, resprays, solid surfaces, luxury bathrooms, wet rooms.
• Start pricing work as projects, not just days, once you understand your timings.
• Plan your calendar so you're busy in key seasons (spring, pre-Christmas) and not relying on last-minute bookings.

Know Your Worth

The temptation in year one is to say yes to everything. Don't. Saying yes to every kitchen and bathroom means rushing, cutting corners and burning out. A full diary doesn't mean you're earning - five cheap landlord refreshes don't pay as well as two properly priced full refits. Learn when to say no, especially to customers who want a premium finish on a flat-pack budget. Quality work gets callbacks and referrals from Howdens, builders and happy customers. Rushing doesn't.

What to do next

• Read: Guide 14.T10 - Kitchen & bathroom fitting pricing benchmarks
• Read: Guide 14.T5 - Carpentry pricing benchmarks
• Read: Guide 15.4 - Your first year self-employed - what actually happens
• Read: Guide 15.7 - Setting up properly
• Read: Guide 15.9 - Your first quote

Sources (UK)

• Checkatrade kitchen fitting cost guide (2026) - fitter day rates £250–£350, average £300/day, labour-only install averages.
• Appliance City kitchen cost guide (2025) - fitter day rates £250–£350, ~£37/hour average.
• Regional kitchen fitting calculator (2025–26) - London £300–£400/day, Midlands £250–£310, North £240–£300.
• Bathroom fitting cost breakdowns (2026) - £200–£350/day fitter rates, £4,000–£8,000 total install costs, 7–14 day timelines.
• Kitchen respray pricing guides - £1,500–£7,000 range for professional kitchen resprays.
• HMRC Employment Status Manual (ESM) - self-employment status guidance.

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