1. Name every part of the specification
- Product, colour, finish and thickness, with the approved slab or sample reference.
- Each worktop run, island, upstand, splashback and separate piece.
- Finished edges, corners, joints and any agreed pattern layout.
- Sink, tap and hob details, including their openings and any drainer features.
Ask for unclear wording to be clarified in the proposal. If an item is provisional, note what still needs deciding and how the price can change.
2. Assign the site work
- Who surveys or templates, delivers and installs the stone?
- Who checks and prepares cabinets or additional supports?
- Who disconnects appliances, removes the old top and disposes of it?
- Who reconnects plumbing, gas and electrics, and makes good wall finishes?
Record unloading and property access arrangements, particularly stairs and narrow turns. A verbal assumption about another trade can become a missing step when the kitchen is already out of use.
3. Check the commercial details
Confirm the total, VAT treatment, quote validity and payment stages. Ask what triggers an additional charge and what happens if templating reveals a change from the initial plan. Understand the approval point before fabrication begins.
Ask us to state the expected programme and the conditions attached to it. Check the quotation terms for changes, cancellation and delays before accepting. Keep a copy of the final accepted quotation and specification together.
4. Know who takes responsibility afterwards
Identify the business that will contract with you and the party responsible for fitting. Ask separately about workmanship and any manufacturer warranty, including registration and exclusions. A warranty headline is not a substitute for its terms.
Confirm the handover information you will receive and the contact for a problem after installation. Read the care guide for the records worth keeping. If the proposals still look difficult to compare, return to the cost guide and separate differences in material from differences in scope.