Kitchen and bathroom fitter
Kitchen and bathroom fitters install kitchens and bathroom suites in homes and businesses.
- Starter salary£24,000 a year
- Experienced£45,000 a year
- Typical hours40 to 45 a week
What you'll do
As a kitchen and bathroom fitter, you could:
- measure and set out work areas, following design plans
- mark the location of pipes and cables
- rip out and dispose of old units and suites safely
- install new units, kitchen appliances and bathroom suites
- tile walls and lay flooring
- work closely with other tradespeople, like electricians and plumbers
Working environment
You could work at a client's home, at a client's business or on a construction site.
Your working environment may be dusty and physically demanding.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of building and construction
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- knowledge of maths
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to work well with your hands
- physical skills like lifting, bending and carrying
- to be flexible and open to change
- design skills and knowledge
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a kitchen and bathroom fitter
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
College
You could take a college course, which would give you some of the skills needed to start as a trainee in this job.
Courses include:
- construction skills
- carpentry and joinery
- plumbing studies
- fitted interiors (construction)
- kitchen and bathroom installation skills
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Fitted Interiors Installer Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship to get into this job.
Apprenticeships in joinery, wall and floor tiling, or plumbing may also be acceptable.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
Direct application
You can apply for jobs if you've got experience and qualifications in a related construction trade like joinery, plumbing, tiling or plastering.
Career path and progression
You could find work with building companies, design agencies, kitchen and bathroom manufacturers and retailers. You could also set up your own business.
In a larger company, you might become a:
- site supervisor
- project manager
- estimator
- trainer
- business development manager
- area sales co-ordinator
You could also move into shop fitting, or train in computer-aided design (CAD) and work in kitchen and bathroom design.
Career tips
You may need to travel to other parts of the country for some jobs, especially on commercial and industrial contracts.
Guides for this industry
Related roles
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