Freeze the decisions that affect fabrication
Measure the room after allowing for the final wall and floor finishes. Record openings, out-of-square corners, service points and access for large components. Put appliance model numbers and installation requirements on the drawing: two appliances described as 600 mm do not necessarily need identical cut-outs, ventilation spaces or electrical supplies.
This independent Sydney example replaces an existing kitchen without structural alterations. The owner approves the design, joiner supplies and installs cabinetry, benchtop supplier templates and fits the top, and appropriate trades complete connections. Appliances are purchased separately. A package that includes a sink must not also charge the owner for the same sink on a second supply list.
Assign every interface
| Interface | Confirm before ordering |
|---|---|
| Cabinetry and appliances | Actual models, openings, door travel and service access |
| Benchtop and sink | Material identity, cut-outs, support and templating sequence |
| Cooktop and electrical supply | Trade assessment of circuits, capacity and included work |
| Rangehood and building | Duct route, discharge, access and any required permission |
| Old and new flooring | Who repairs exposed edges and patches after removal |
| Deliveries and protection | Access, handling, storage and responsibility for damage |
A joinery drawing is not an electrical design. Have trades check their requirements while changes are still inexpensive. Use the NSW licensing categories to check the actual work and contracting entity. Give the trades coordinated plans rather than asking each to guess what the others will leave behind.
Check the benchtop product and the existing top
Do not specify “engineered stone” from an old catalogue without verifying the material. Safe Work Australia describes the ban on the manufacture, supply, processing and installation of prohibited engineered-stone benchtops, panels and slabs. Product form and composition matter; a marketing name such as “stone” or “silica-free” is not enough to decide compliance. Ask the supplier to identify the actual product and confirm it can lawfully be supplied and worked.
An existing legacy top is a separate question. It does not automatically need removal merely because a new product is banned. If alteration or removal is needed, use competent contractors and check SafeWork NSW’s legacy-material controls and notification requirements. Do not drill or cut a suspect top to make a new appliance fit. Other benchtop materials can also create hazardous dust during processing.
Build the whole-project allowance
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cabinetry, hardware and fitting | 22 000 |
| Verified lawful benchtop, templating, cut-outs and fitting | 6 500 |
| Appliance supply | 8 000 |
| Plumbing, sink/tap supply and connections | 2 200 |
| Electrical work and rangehood connection | 3 400 |
| Splashback supply and installation | 1 500 |
| Strip-out labour, excluding disposal | 1 200 |
| Floor patching outside joinery scope | 1 800 |
| Painting and making good | 750 |
| Delivery and special handling | 600 |
| Skip and ordinary-waste disposal | 900 |
| Subtotal before professional fee and contingency | 48 850 |
| Independent design/coordination fee | 1 500 |
| Temporary kitchen and additional meals provision | 1 200 |
| Fixed planning contingency | 5 000 |
| Funding provision | 56 550 |
All amounts are final and already include any applicable GST. The electrical allowance assumes the assessed work fits the agreed scope; a major supply upgrade remains excluded and must be checked before commitment. The benchtop line excludes hazardous legacy removal. If assessment identifies that work, price it explicitly and revise the total before proceeding.
Cost the consequences of a change
Suppose the owner accepts a final benchtop upgrade of AUD 2,200 and extra support of AUD 550, both outside the original scope. Keeping the AUD 5,000 contingency unchanged increases the provision to AUD 59,300. Alternatively, explicitly allocate AUD 2,750 from that contingency and retain a total provision of AUD 56,550 with only AUD 2,250 still unallocated. The upgrade costs money in both cases; using a reserve does not make it free.
Before approving, confirm that fabrication has not begun and include any remeasurement, remobilisation or disposal. A supply-price difference is not necessarily the total change. Get a written credit for a removed item and keep any refund pending until received rather than assuming it is already available cash.
Order in a sequence that supports completion
- Approve a coordinated layout and service requirements.
- Confirm permissions, material suitability and supplier responsibilities.
- Choose models and verify lead times with the actual suppliers.
- Arrange strip-out and service preparation before final fit-out.
- Template and install in the sequence the selected system requires.
- Test connections, collect records and resolve remaining defects.
Plan a usable temporary arrangement if the kitchen is unavailable. Keep payments linked to the applicable contract and actual progress. Reno Pro can show joinery, products, trades and temporary costs together, while drawings, supplier instructions and accepted changes remain the evidence behind the plan.
Sources, date and scope
- Safe Work Australia — Engineered stone ban
- SafeWork NSW — Work safely with crystalline silica and engineered stone
- Building Commission NSW — Categories and classes of building and trade work
Checked on 19 October 2026. Worked projects are in Sydney, NSW, unless stated otherwise. NSW rules are not national rules. All dollar amounts are Australian dollars (AUD); worked costs, quantities, margins and contingency percentages are invented teaching assumptions, not market prices, quotations or prescribed reserves. Each article describes a separate project. GST treatment is stated for the example; final amounts already include any applicable tax. Check the property, current approvals, insurance and contract with the appropriate professionals.