Carcasses complete, finishing short
The units are in and look good. Then the fitter goes to finish: the plinth runs are short by one length, there is no filler for the gap next to the wall, the tall housing has a bare side because the end panel was never ordered, and there is no cornice for the wall units. None of it is expensive, but each missing part is a separate order, a separate delivery and a return visit to finish.
Where sundries fall out
Design software is very good at carcasses and doors. How it handles finishing pieces varies with the software, the supplier catalogue and how the designer drew the plan. Many showrooms then retype the schedule into a supplier order form, and finishing pieces are the easiest lines to miss.
- Plinth lengths are calculated for straight runs and miss returns and islands.
- Fillers are drawn as gaps but not added as items.
- End panels on exposed sides are added visually but not always scheduled.
- Cornice, pelmet and light rail are left off when the design is revised.
- Fixing kits, plinth clips and panel brackets are assumed to come with the units.
The cost of small missing parts
Finishing parts are cheap but the return visit is not. The customer sees an unfinished kitchen at the point they thought it was done. Some suppliers charge delivery on small orders, and the replacement often comes from a different batch, so a panel or plinth can be a slightly different shade from the rest. The balance payment waits for the finish.
An order check with your rules
- The schedule is read from your design software's export, rather than retyped.
- Your rules for finishing pieces are set up with your designers and fitters, such as every exposed tall unit side needs an end panel, every run needs plinth to cover its length including returns, and every wall unit run needs cornice if the design style uses it.
- The check compares the schedule with the rules and lists anything that seems missing or short, with the reason.
- The designer confirms each flag, adding the part or marking why it is not needed, before the order is released.
- Rules are updated when fitters report a new kind of shortage, so the check improves over time.
- The approved order is sent to the supplier in their format, with no retyping.
| Rule | What it catches |
|---|---|
| Exposed tall side needs an end panel | Bare sides on housings and larders |
| Plinth covers run length plus returns | Short plinth on L-shapes and islands |
| Gap to wall needs a filler | Fillers drawn but not ordered |
| Wall units need cornice in this style | Missing cornice after a revision |
| Hinged doors need soft close fitting | Missing hardware for some ranges |
The rules come from your fitters and designers. We turn them into checks and do not invent requirements your kitchens do not have.
After the check goes live
Orders reach the supplier complete more often. Fitters stop finishing kitchens with gaps. Return visits for a single plinth or panel become rare. And designers learn what is commonly missed, because the check tells them each time.
The check also helps new designers. A designer who has joined from another showroom, or is new to one of your supplier ranges, learns your finishing rules through the flags rather than through a fitter's phone call from site. The knowledge that used to sit with your most experienced fitter becomes something every order benefits from.
Signs your orders need a check
- Fitters regularly report missing plinths, fillers or panels.
- Orders are retyped from the design into a supplier form.
- Small follow-up orders to suppliers are routine.
- Kitchens wait for finishing pieces before the balance is paid.
- Mismatched panel shades have appeared on finished kitchens.