Supply Only vs Supply and Fit — Which Kitchen Route Is Best?

What Is Supply Only?

Supply-only means you purchase your kitchen from a retailer — whether a consumer brand like Wren or Magnet, a trade supplier like Howdens or Benchmarx, or an independent kitchen designer — and arrange the installation yourself, through a separately hired kitchen fitter. The retailer's responsibility ends when the kitchen is delivered. The fitter's responsibility begins when they survey the space and agree a quote.

Supply-only is the most common route for homeowners who are working with an independent kitchen fitter. It gives you full control over who installs your kitchen, when installation takes place, and how much you pay for the fitting work.

What Is Supply and Fit?

Supply-and-fit means the retailer takes responsibility for both supplying and installing your kitchen as part of a single package. You sign a contract with the retailer, and they arrange for an appointed fitter to carry out the installation. This is the model used by most consumer kitchen retailers when they offer an installation service.

Supply-and-fit is attractive to homeowners who want simplicity — a single contract, a single point of contact, and one party responsible for the entire outcome. In practice, the experience can be more complicated than this suggests, because the retailer and the fitter remain separate parties with potentially different interests.

Cost Comparison

Supply-and-fit packages typically cost more than equivalent supply-only kitchen plus independent installation. The retailer adds a margin to the installation element of the package to cover their administration, subcontractor management, and warranty obligations. This overhead is not unreasonable, but it does mean you are paying more per day of installation than you would by hiring an independent fitter directly.

The cost premium varies by retailer and kitchen size. As a rough guide, supply-and-fit packages from consumer retailers may add 20–35% to the installation element compared to independent fitting. Over a large kitchen installation, this can represent a meaningful sum — often £500–£1,500 more than the equivalent supply-only route.

Choice of Fitter

With supply-only, you choose your fitter based on your own research, recommendations, and assessment. You can ask for references, check previous work, and interview multiple fitters before deciding. This means you take on the responsibility of vetting the fitter yourself — but it also means you have complete control over who works in your home.

With supply-and-fit, the retailer selects the fitter. You will typically be told who your fitter is close to the installation date, with limited opportunity to check their background or request a change. The retailer's fitter may be excellent — but you have no meaningful ability to verify this before they arrive.

Scheduling and Flexibility

Supply-and-fit schedules are set by the retailer, typically linked to the kitchen delivery timeline. You will usually be offered a narrow window of installation dates with limited flexibility. If your delivery is delayed, or if you need to postpone for personal reasons, rescheduling may involve significant delay and administrative friction.

Supply-only gives you full control over timing. You book your fitter independently and schedule installation to suit your circumstances — after associated trades have completed any preparatory work, at a time that minimises disruption to your household. Changes are agreed directly between you and your fitter, without a corporate intermediary.

Which Route Should You Choose?

For homeowners who value control, transparency, and cost-effectiveness, supply-only with an independent fitter is generally the better route. You know exactly who is fitting your kitchen, you agree a fixed price before work begins, and you deal directly with the person responsible for the outcome.

Supply-and-fit makes sense if simplicity is your overriding priority and you are comfortable paying a premium for a single-point-of-contact arrangement. It can also be a sensible choice if you are less confident in your ability to source and vet an independent fitter. In all other cases, supply-only with a carefully selected independent fitter will deliver better value and a more personal service.