Flat pack kitchen vs built units

The_Blue_Hatter

Im having my kitchen fitted later this month and I just wanted some opinions on flat pack or ready built units. My fitter has told me he is happy for me to supply him with a flat packed kitchen whereas another fitter told me he much prefers ready built. My suspicion is he preferred ready built to save him some time!! Can any fitters out there tell me if there is a difference between the quality of flat packed vs ready built kitchen units?

Thanks in advance.

Flibbertygibbet

Not a fitter, but have done a few. Swings and roundabouts, some thoughts I have. One way or another you will be paying for assembly.

Assembled
Pay more to come assembled
Pay more for transport, more likely to have damage probs and hold ups while reordering bits.
Where do you put them all, do you enjoy playing 3d tile puzzles?
Quicker on site job
Flatpack
Easier to pick off right unit and assemble as you go in right order
cheaper but need to pay fitter extra time.
less storage issues
If you have a fair bit of cut outs to make for sinks, wall oddities, pipe runs etc it is often better done on a flat packed piece than trying to manouevre and assembled unit

27col

I suspect that your suspicions about his motives might well be correct. There is no reason why a properly assembled flat pack unit should be any worse than pre-assembled one.
Flat pack has to be more practical from a space saving point of view. A lot of houses are so small that it would be quite difficult to use pre-assembled units. I speak, not as a kitchen fitter, but as someone who has fitted kitchens for myself.

Steve_the_fitter

You will generally find the rigid carcasses are better quality but im sure there are always exceptions.

The_Blue_Hatter

Steve_the_fitter wrote: »

You will generally find the rigid carcasses are better quality but im sure there are always exceptions.

Better quality product or put together better than an on site fitter?

Steve_the_fitter

Better quality product id say.
One of the best quality carcasses out there is made by Ultima aka diy-kitchens.co.uk. The doors they sell with them are Second Nature which are also a very nice mid range door.

phill99

I agree with Steve the fitter. Factory assembled units are set in jigs and are therefore square. They don't rely on camstuds for strength.

In terms of cost differential - a rigid carcass from Howdens is not significantly different price to a flat packed one from b & q.

I don't agree with flibbertygibberts comments in terms of transport damage to rigid carcasses. I have had both flatpacked and rigid that have been damaged in transportation so these comments are a myth. And if you buy from the right place, getting them swapped is a same day occurence. If yoiu buy flatpack from the internet, then getting things changed can be hassle.

ryder72

Rigid carcases are generally going to be better that flat pack. However this is only if the carcase manufacturer has sufficiently high quality tooling to enable accurate drilling for dowels followed by precise jigs to allow them to be assembled accurately with even pressure all round.

Not a lot of carcase manufacturers have this kind of investment.