How a book from 1788 explains your kitchen quote
How to compare kitchen quotes in the UAE: the seven lines every quote should show, what to ask before you sign, and a 1788 price book that got it right.
By the Ajusteur team5 minute read
How do you compare two kitchen quotes?
Put them side by side and match them line by line: cabinets, fronts, countertop, hardware, appliances, installation and exclusions. Where a line is missing, ask for it. Compare totals last, once both quotes describe the same kitchen.
That is the whole method. The rest of this piece is why it works, and a London book from 1788 that worked it out long before us.
Your problem is 238 years old
Picture a London workshop in the 1780s. Every customer wants something slightly different: another drawer, a shaped front, a bit of inlay. How do you price a piece nobody has made before, quickly and fairly?
With a book. In 1788 London's cabinet makers published The Cabinet Makers' London Book of Prices. It set charges for standard pieces and for the extras on them, and both the masters and the journeymen they employed agreed to it. So it was first a labour deal: it fixed what a journeyman earned for each piece and each extra, and masters built their own prices on top. Most of its engraved designs were by Thomas Shearer.
A set price, plus agreed extras
The logic was simple. A standard piece had its price. Each change had its own agreed charge on top. A unique piece could be priced from shared rules, and everyone could check the sum.
A fair kitchen quote should work the same way today. Cabinets are priced by size, fronts by material, hardware by the piece and hours by the job, and you can see every number.
Why lump sums are so hard to compare
Kitchen, supply and install, AED 38,000. Fine, but what is inside? Soft close hinges or basic ones? Drawers or doors under the hob? Is the countertop included, and the cut outs for the sink and hob? The plinth along the floor, the fillers that close gaps at the walls, the end panels on show? Removing the old kitchen?
Two lump sums can differ by a third and describe completely different kitchens, so you end up comparing guesses.
What about a price per running metre?
Plenty of kitchen companies in the UAE quote a rate per running metre. It is handy for a first idea of budget. It is a poor way to compare two offers, because a metre of drawers and a metre of open shelf cost very different amounts, and the rate rarely says which board, hinges or countertop it assumes.
If you get a metre rate, ask for the same kitchen broken into units and lines. A maker who can quote a rate can usually do that too.
Seven lines every kitchen quote should show
Put your quotes side by side and look for these. If a line is missing, ask about it before you compare totals.
What a cheaper quote usually leaves out
When one quote comes in far below the others, something is usually missing. Look for thinner or cheaper board, especially in the sink cabinet, where a leak in a humid UAE summer does the most damage. Look for basic hinges and runners, a countertop priced without its cut outs, or no plinth, fillers and end panels at all.
Appliances are another favourite. A vague allowance looks generous until you choose the oven you actually want. Hardware matters more than it looks on paper: here is what the holes inside your cabinets say about quality.
Questions to ask before you sign
Is this price fixed or an estimate, and what turns it into a fixed price? Who measures, and when? How are changes priced if I change my mind halfway? What do I pay to start, on delivery to site, and at the end of installation?
A good maker answers all of these in writing. Vague answers now usually mean surprises later.
How we price a kitchen at Ajusteur
We borrowed the 1788 idea and kept it simple. Materials, hours and hardware each get their own line. The price is fixed once we have measured, changes are priced before they are made, and new quotes use 50% to start, 25% on delivery to site and 25% at the end of installation. Nothing is paid before you confirm.
You can try the kitchen estimate now and watch each line add up as you change the shape and the walls, or send a photo and rough sizes and let us do the drawing. For the long story behind all this, read why custom kitchens cost more.
Quick questions
What should a kitchen quote include?
Each cabinet with its size and board, the fronts and their finish, the countertop with its cut outs, the hardware by brand or grade, the appliances or a clear note that they are excluded, installation with plumbing and electrics, and a written list of exclusions.
Why is one kitchen quote much cheaper than another?
Usually because it includes less: thinner board, basic hinges, no countertop, no installation or a vague allowance for appliances. Line the quotes up item by item before you judge the totals.
Should I pay a deposit for a kitchen in the UAE?
A deposit is normal once the design and price are agreed, because materials are ordered for your job. Make sure the payment steps are written down. New Ajusteur quotes use 50% to start, 25% on delivery to site and 25% at the end of installation.
Does Ajusteur charge anything online?
No. Nothing is charged online. We confirm every price before you pay.