Wickes kitchen installation cost

cranford

B&Q became a supply only company for kitchens and bathrooms last July.

simplysounds

hi, had 2 fitters assigned by wickes cancelled. they then appointed another fitting company who wanted to charge £2000 for framing up a doorway. fitting a lintel and opening up a doorway (i live in a bungalow with thermalite block walls internally that are not structural) then a beam above to tie up ceiling joists. i did it all myself at a cost of £120 and 2.5 days work. they then wanted me to pay £225 plus vat for an electrical test which i said no to. they were then saying i need a new consumer unit. my mate came over who is an electrician and advised me that wasn't needed and he rewired for me with same consumer unit. i said no to the quotes and did the work myself. he is now being difficult. i'm yet to hear back from wickes but i wan't either another fitter or to cancel and get a refund and fit myself and get somebody in to fit the worktops as i don't have a suitable router and jigs. anyone know where i stand?

MarcTJTD

As someone who used to work for a certain large retailer that shall remain nameless, here's how it works.

Take the price that the fitter would usually charge for the installation.
Double it.

If you pay for installation via a major retailer (Wickes, Wren, Courts, formerly-B&Q) then they have liability for the installation and any issues (deliveries, etc) that affect it. They also have to pay people to administrate the process, pay for premises to house those people, and pay managers to manage them, etc, etc.

That's a big risk for them, because if the installation goes badly or they fail to deliver crucial items it can cost them an absolute fortune. That's why B&Q became a supply only company; the installation process was so convoluted and their deliveries were so flawed that it was costing them more than it was worth.

It's far simpler to do what we do; supply only kitchens and if you need a fitter we'll give you a list of local tradesmen that you can choose & pay directly. No involvement from us, no mark-up and if the installation goes badly it's between you and the fitter you chose. Cleaner and better for everyone.

At the end of the day, choosing a fitter can be a bit risky .. if you're not careful you might get a cowboy .. but if you do your homework, make sure the fitter you choose is solid, you can save an absolute fortune.

Do yourself a favour mate, get a supply only quote from Wickes, take it to a high-end independent kitchen retailer and say "can you beat this style/price" (they will) and ask them for a list of names.