Start with a kitchen that works for you
Decide what you want to keep or change, test the layout and choose the products before comparing quotes. Get the work, payment terms and programme in writing, and check the permissions and trades needed for your home.
Don't book from an incomplete quote
A headline price is hard to compare when products, preparation or trade work are missing. Give every contractor the same brief and ask them to separate confirmed work from allowances.
| Mistake | A better plan |
|---|---|
| Leaving work out of the budget | List removal, waste, preparation, repairs, products and trade work. Include any temporary kitchen arrangements you need. |
| Comparing different products | Name the selected models and finishes, and check whether each quote includes supply and installation. Identify selections still covered by an allowance. |
| Counting only the on-site weeks | Confirm product delivery dates and trade bookings. Agree when the kitchen will be unavailable and what could affect the programme. |
| Changing decisions after booking | Get the cost and timing of changes agreed in writing before they proceed. Keep a reserve suited to the assessed work and unresolved selections. |
QBCC quote-comparison guidance is a useful Queensland example. For budget context, our kitchen cost guide provides published examples with different inclusions; a complete quote is needed for your kitchen.
Design around how you use the room
Use a plan and the actual appliance dimensions to walk through storing food, preparing meals, cooking and cleaning up. Have the designer check the proposed layout for your room and access needs.
| Mistake | What to check before ordering |
|---|---|
| Copying a fixed layout rule | Check movement between work areas, appliance and cupboard doors, seating and access. Have the designer confirm clearances for the proposed kitchen. |
| Adding cupboards without a storage plan | List the pots, pantry items, appliances and bins you want to store. Check reach, drawer openings and where you will use each item. |
| Leaving lighting until installation | Discuss the tasks and overall lighting you want with the designer and licensed electrician. Agree fittings, positions and controls before the work starts. |
| Choosing appliances after cabinetry | Confirm exact models, installation dimensions, service connections and ventilation requirements with the cabinetmaker and relevant trades. |
| Guessing rangehood performance | Have the installer confirm the selected rangehood, cooktop compatibility, exhaust arrangement and current installation instructions. |
Get the agreed dimensions and exact products included in the drawings and quote. Let the designer and relevant trades specify the requirements for this kitchen.
Choose the product, not a broad label
Bring samples together and compare how the exact products will work in your kitchen. Put the benchtop, cabinetry, flooring and hardware selections in the specifications.
| Mistake | What to ask for |
|---|---|
| Buying on colour alone | Compare samples in the room and ask about the exact finish, cleaning and maintenance. Choose a look you enjoy rather than assuming one style suits every home. |
| Assuming a material is heatproof or maintenance-free | Get the manufacturer's care instructions, limitations and warranty for the selected product, including heat, moisture and stain precautions. |
| Copying generic thickness or overhang advice | Have the fabricator and designer confirm the selected product, supports, edge details and installation requirements for your design. |
Benchtops and the engineered-stone ban
Safe Work Australia explains the ban on engineered-stone benchtops, panels and slabs. The legal definition includes an artificial product with at least 1% crystalline silica that combines natural stone with other constituents and hardens. Exclusions include resin-free porcelain and sintered stone. Ask the supplier to identify the exact product and confirm it can lawfully be supplied and installed.
For an existing stone benchtop, get qualified advice before removal or alteration. Permitted work with legacy engineered stone has specific rules. A low- or no-silica marketing label does not mean processing a product is free of health risks. WorkSafe Victoria provides a regional example of the rules for existing products.
Check the people, paperwork and work
Before hiring
- Check the business and the licence class required for the work where your home is. Confirm who will carry out any specialist trade work.
- Ask for relevant insurance details and discuss the proposed renovation with your own insurer.
- Look at previous work and ask about projects similar to yours before choosing a contractor.
Before doing work yourself
- Agree any work you want to do with the contractor, including hazards, permissions and how it affects the rest of the job.
- Have possible asbestos assessed before materials are disturbed. Get qualified advice before altering walls, services or an existing stone benchtop.
- Use appropriately licensed trades for regulated work. Leave electrical wiring and installations to a licensed electrician.
Before paying a booking deposit
- Get the scope, selected products, exclusions, programme, payment stages and change process in writing.
- Check local deposit and contract requirements before paying. Agree what completion records, warranties and care instructions you will receive.
- Confirm applicable council, building and strata permissions for the actual work before it starts.
NSW renovation licensing, contract guidance and strata rules are regional examples to check alongside requirements where your home is. The official asbestos guidance and electrical safety advice explain why work around these hazards needs the right professional involvement.
Sources and further reading
- Safe Work Australia: engineered stone ban
- QBCC: seeking and comparing quotes
- NSW: contracts for residential building work
- Asbestos guidance for householders and renovators
- NSW: electrical safety in the home
- NSW: kitchen, bathroom and laundry renovation work
- NSW: strata renovation rules
- WorkSafe Victoria: working with engineered stone
Checked 13 October 2026. NSW, Queensland and Victoria references are regional examples. Check the relevant regulator and the current instructions for the products and work specified for your home.
