Questions to ask your kitchen company

A new kitchen is a big spend and a messy few weeks of your life, so the company you choose matters as much as the design. The good news: a handful of direct questions will tell you nearly everything. Here are the ones worth asking — and, so you can see what a straight answer looks like, the answers we give at Kitchen Beyond.

1. Who actually manufactures the kitchen?

Plenty of companies design and sell kitchens but send the making out to a third party. That adds a margin and a hand-off. Ask whether they build in their own factory. Our answer: we manufacture every kitchen ourselves, on our own CNC machinery, at our factory at 17 White Street, Fenton Park, Rotorua.

2. Is the quote fixed or an estimate?

This is the one that protects your budget. An estimate can move; "provisional sums" are where a cheap quote grows. Our answer: a fixed written quote before any work starts, so the price you agree is the price you pay. Our guide to reading a kitchen quote shows what a proper one includes.

3. Who installs it?

If the installers are whoever happens to be free, problems can fall between designer, maker and fitter. Our answer: one team designs, manufactures and installs, so there's no finger-pointing and one group owns the finished result.

4. What's included — and excluded?

The exclusions are where quotes quietly differ. Ask what's not in the price: plumbing, electrical, splashback, tiling, appliances, removal of the old kitchen, making good. Our answer: we spell out inclusions and exclusions in writing so you're comparing like with like.

5. Who does the plumbing and electrical?

Someone has to coordinate the trades, and gaps here cause delays. Ask whether they manage it or leave it to you. Our answer: we coordinate the build so the trades turn up in the right order and the kitchen comes together cleanly.

6. What hardware do you fit?

The hinges and runners are what you touch every day. Ask which brands and whether soft-close is standard or an upgrade. Our answer: quality hardware with soft-close as standard, not an extra — because it's the difference you feel for the life of the kitchen.

7. What's the guarantee, and the timeline?

Ask what's guaranteed and for how long, how long the job will take, and what happens if a benchtop is late or something isn't right on install. Clear, specific answers signal a company that stands behind its work; vague ones are a flag. Our timeline guide sets realistic expectations.

8. Can I see real, local work?

Photos are easy to borrow; finished kitchens in real homes are not. Ask to see recent projects and, ideally, honest reviews from local clients. A company that builds and installs its own work has kitchens it's proud to point you to. Our answer: we design, make and install across Rotorua and the Waikato, and our Google reviews and project photos are real jobs, not stock images.

Red flags to watch for

The answers matter, but so does how they're given. A reluctance to put the price in writing, a quote with lots of "allowances" or provisional sums, vague talk about "our installers" without naming who, no clear guarantee, or pressure to sign quickly to "lock in" a price — these are the signs worth slowing down for. A company confident in its work answers plainly and is happy for you to take the quote away and compare it. If you feel rushed or fobbed off before you've even signed, that rarely improves once the deposit is paid.

Ask us anything

We'd rather you asked the hard questions now than discovered the answers mid-build. Bring this list to us, see how our custom kitchen service stacks up, and get a fixed written quote with nothing hidden.