Before you pay
Kitchen deposit: how much is normal, and how to pay it safely
A normal kitchen deposit in the UK is 25–50% of the price for a fitted kitchen, because the units are made or ordered to your measurements before anything is installed. Independent suppliers sit at the top of that range; large retailers often take 10–25% and the balance before delivery. What decides whether the deposit is safe is not the percentage but who the company is and how you pay it.
Key facts
- Fitted kitchens: 25–50% up front is normal; building work attached to it (walls, electrics, plumbing) is normally paid in stages at 5–20% (SafeToPay deposit guidance, methodology v1.1).
- A deposit must be reasonable and refundable except for the supplier’s genuine costs; “non-refundable” terms that go further can be unfair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CMA guidance on unfair contract terms).
- Any part of a purchase between £100 and £30,000 paid by credit card brings the whole contract under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 — the rest can be paid by transfer.
- If the supplier fails, a deposit paid by bank transfer is an unsecured claim; small suppliers’ accounts often show net assets in the hundreds of pounds.
- The brand in the showroom and the company on the invoice are often different: many “kitchen studios” are a fitting company that orders units from a manufacturer.
What a normal kitchen deposit looks like
Deposits vary by the type of supplier, and the differences are about who carries the manufacturing cost, not about trust.
| Supplier type | Typical deposit | Why | On a £12,000 kitchen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent kitchen studio (bespoke or made-to-order) | 30–50% | Units are made to your plan; cabinets are ordered from the manufacturer at the point you sign | £3,600–£6,000 |
| Kitchen retailer / chain | 10–25%, balance before delivery | Stock ranges; the retailer carries the cost of units | £1,200–£3,000, then £9,000+ before delivery |
| Fitter supplying units from a trade supplier | 25–40% | The fitter pays the supplier on order | £3,000–£4,800 |
| Fitting only (you buy the kitchen) | 0–20% | No materials to fund; labour is paid as it happens | £0–£600 on £3,000 of fitting |
| Building work attached (walls, electrics, plumbing) | 5–20%, then stages | Paid against progress, not up front | — |
When the number itself is a warning
A deposit above 50%, a demand for the full price before delivery from a small firm, or a discount “if you pay it all today” — each of these moves the risk entirely onto you and is not how an established kitchen supplier funds its work. So is a request to pay the deposit to a personal account or a different company from the one on the quote.
Why kitchens carry a larger deposit than most trades
A kitchen is manufactured before it is installed: the supplier commits money to cabinets, worktops and appliances weeks before the fitter arrives. A 30–50% deposit covers those materials. That is the same logic as bespoke staircases and windows, and the opposite of building work, where nothing is bought until each stage begins. The large deposit is normal; what it means is that the supplier’s balance sheet matters, because your money is spent — on your kitchen — before you see it.
The three questions a kitchen supplier can answer in a sentence
- Which limited company will the contract and invoice be in? What is its company number?
- Who manufactures the units, and when is the order placed with them?
- Can I pay the deposit, or part of it, by credit card?
Who you are actually paying
“Aurelia Kitchens” on the showroom window is a trading name. The contract is with a limited company — perhaps a design-and-fit business formed last year, perhaps a manufacturer with a factory and 20 years of accounts. The showroom does not tell you which; the register does. What to check before paying a kitchen deposit:
- The company number on the quote, and that it leads to a company with the same name and trade on Companies House.
- How long it has existed, compared with what the website claims. “Established 1998” from a company incorporated in 2025 needs an explanation.
- The latest accounts: net assets and cash. Small studios often show a few thousand pounds — normal, but it means your deposit is not backed by anything.
- Registered activity: “manufacture of kitchen furniture” (SIC 31020) is a different business from “joinery installation” (43320). Neither is wrong; the first makes its own units, the second orders them.
- Reviews with age — kitchens take months, so reviews should go back years.
A free company check does all of this from the supplier’s website address in about a minute.
Kitchen studio asking £6,800 up front on a £13,600 kitchen
The website: “handmade in our Cotswolds workshop for 20 years”. The register: AK Fitting Services Ltd, incorporated eleven months ago, registered for joinery installation, net assets £2,100, one director. The 50% deposit is normal for a bespoke kitchen — if the firm makes it. This one orders units from a manufacturer, so the deposit funds someone else’s invoice. Guidance: 25% on order by credit card, 25% when the units are delivered to the studio, balance on installation.
Enter a website address, e.g. aurelia-kitchens.co.uk
A payment schedule to propose
Most kitchen suppliers will agree to stages if you ask before signing; the schedule below keeps the deposit within the normal range but ties each payment to something you can see.
| Stage | Share | Trigger | How to pay | On £12,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| On order | 25% | Signed contract naming the company and number; order placed with the manufacturer | Credit card (Section 75) | £3,000 |
| On delivery of units | 25% | Units delivered to your home or the studio; you have seen them | Card or transfer | £3,000 |
| Installation complete | 40% | Kitchen fitted, appliances working | Card or transfer | £4,800 |
| After snagging | 10% | Snag list cleared, 7–14 days after completion | Card or transfer | £1,200 |
If the supplier wants 50% on order
Offer 50% but split it: 25% by credit card on order, 25% when the manufacturer confirms the order or the units are delivered. The supplier gets its cash flow; you get Section 75 on the whole contract and a second payment that follows evidence.
How to protect the money whatever the percentage
- Put at least £100 on a credit card. For a kitchen priced between £100 and £30,000, Section 75 then makes the card issuer jointly liable for the whole contract, including the part paid by transfer. Ask for a card payment link; Stripe, SumUp and Square give any small firm one in minutes.
- Contract in the company’s name. Quote, contract and invoice should show the limited company and its number, not the brand.
- Check the register before each stage payment. A kitchen takes 8–16 weeks; companies change in that time.
- Never act on “new bank details”. Phone the number on the original quote before any transfer.
- Keep the last 10% for snagging. It is the only leverage you have after installation.
More on the legal side: bank transfer to a company that went bust and Bank transfer to a company that went bust: will the bank refund it?.
A second example: the established supplier
Fitted furniture manufacturer, on the register since 1983
Company number on the website, 43 years on the register, full accounts showing net assets of £1.8 million, 162 Google reviews, domain from 1997, TrustMark shown. A 40% deposit here is backed by a factory and a balance sheet. Guidance: pay the normal deposit, at least £100 of it by credit card, and keep 10% for snagging. The point of a check is not to find a reason to say no — it is to know which case you are in.
Trade schemes worth checking for a kitchen
A logo on a website proves nothing; a search on the scheme’s own register does.
- KBSA (Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Specialists Association) — members list on kbsa.org.uk; includes a deposit protection arrangement for members’ customers.
- BiKBBI (British Institute of KBB Installation) — registered installers.
- TrustMark — government-endorsed scheme; search by company or postcode.
- Which? Trusted Traders — assessed traders, searchable.
- NICEIC / NAPIT for the electrical work; Gas Safe if a gas hob or boiler is involved. Both have public registers.
Frequently asked questions
How much deposit should I pay for a kitchen?
25–50% for a fitted kitchen from an independent supplier, 10–25% from a large retailer, and 0–20% for fitting only. Above 50%, or the full price before delivery from a small firm, is outside the normal range.
Is a kitchen deposit refundable?
Partly. A supplier may keep genuine costs already incurred — units ordered to your measurements, for example — but a blanket “non-refundable” term can be unfair under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If nothing has been ordered yet, most of the deposit should come back.
Should I pay a kitchen deposit by bank transfer?
Not all of it. Pay at least £100 by credit card so Section 75 covers the whole contract, then the rest by card or transfer. A deposit paid only by transfer is unsecured if the supplier fails.
Does Section 75 cover a kitchen?
Yes, if the cash price is between £100 and £30,000 and any part was paid by credit card. Kitchens above £30,000 fall outside Section 75; consider paying the fitting and the units as separate contracts, each under the cap.
What if the kitchen company goes bust after I pay the deposit?
If you paid by credit card, claim under Section 75; by debit card, ask for a chargeback within 120 days. If you paid only by transfer, register a proof of debt with the liquidator — recovery from small suppliers is usually small. Check the company’s accounts before paying, not after.
Is a 50% deposit for a kitchen a scam?
No. 50% is common for bespoke and made-to-order kitchens because the units are manufactured before installation. It becomes a problem only when the company behind the deposit cannot be verified or has no assets — which is what a company check tells you.