How A Worktop Installation Actually Runs
Worktop installation is the part of a kitchen refit that most often goes wrong, usually because of something that was not agreed at template stage. This guide walks through the process so you know what to check and when.
Where this works
- New kitchen installations
- Worktop only replacements in an existing kitchen
- Overlaying an existing worktop with a poured finish
- Commercial and hospitality counter installations
- Phased works where the kitchen must stay usable
How we install it
- 1Survey and templating are two different visits
The survey happens before you order and checks that the cabinets can carry the material, that the run is level, and that access allows a large slab into the room. Templating happens after the cabinets are fitted and levelled, and it is the point at which every detail is fixed: overhangs, joins, cutouts, reveal type, edge profile and upstand heights. The sink and hob must physically be on site at template, because the fabricator templates from the actual products, not from a specification sheet.
- 2What to have ready on template day
Cabinets fitted, levelled and secured. Sink, taps, hob and any waste disposal on site and unboxed. Any appliances that affect cutouts in position. Decisions made on edge profile, reveal and upstands. If you are not certain about a detail, say so and get it drawn rather than agreed verbally. A template visit takes about an hour for a normal kitchen and the drawing you sign at the end is what gets cut, so read it before you sign it.
- 3Fitting day and the gap in between
For slab materials there is a three to six week gap between template and fit during which you have no worktop, no sink and no hob. Plan for that. On fitting day the pieces are carried in, dry fitted, joins bonded and polished, the sink bonded and supported, and everything sealed to the wall. Expect dust from any on site cutting, and expect the fitters to need clear access. Plumbing and electrical reconnection is usually a separate trade booked for the following day.
- 4How poured finishes differ
A microcement worktop is built in place over several days rather than delivered finished. Day one is preparation and priming, days two and three are basecoats and finish coats with drying time between, and the final days are the sealer schedule. The kitchen is out of action for that period but there is no template gap beforehand, so the total time without a worktop is often shorter than the slab route. Full chemical cure of the sealer takes about a week, during which we ask you to go easy on it.
Common pitfalls we prevent
Frequently asked
How long will I be without a kitchen?+
With slab materials, three to six weeks between template and fit, then a day for fitting. With a poured microcement finish, three to five consecutive days on site with no template gap beforehand.
Do the cabinets need to be perfect?+
They need to be level and square. Stone does not bend, so a run that dips five millimetres over three metres will either rock or need packing that shows at the wall line. Levelling is far easier before the worktop arrives than afterwards.
Who reconnects the plumbing and electrics?+
Normally your plumber and electrician, booked for the day after the fit. Some fitters offer it, but check rather than assume, because a kitchen with a beautiful new worktop and no working sink is a familiar situation.
Can worktops be fitted in an occupied kitchen?+
Yes, and it is common for worktop only replacements. Expect dust and a day or two of disruption. For poured finishes we mask and protect the cabinetry and the room, and you get the kitchen back progressively as coats cure.
What should I check at sign off?+
Walk the run with light raking across it and look at the joins from a low angle. Check every cutout edge is finished, the sink is firmly supported, the upstands are sealed, and the overhang matches what was templated. Raise anything on the day rather than a week later.
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