Guide

What to look for in a kitchen renovation contract

A kitchen contract should tell you four things without you having to ask: exactly what is being supplied, exactly when each payment falls due, what happens when something changes, and who is doing the restricted work. If a document is vague about any of those, that is the negotiation you need to have before you sign.

Updated 15 September 2026

Key takeaways

A named, itemised scope beats a one-line description every time.
The payment schedule should be tied to events, not dates.
Variations should have a written process and a price before the work happens.
The contract should name who does the plumbing and the electrical work.
There are legal requirements for residential building contracts above a value threshold; check building.govt.nz for the current rules.

The scope has to be itemised

A scope that says 'supply and install new kitchen' is not a scope. You want cabinet quantities and finishes, the benchtop material and thickness, the sink and tap model, which appliances are supplied and which are yours, and what happens to the flooring and the painting.

Our design consult produces exactly that document, drawn to scale and priced line by line, before there is any contract to sign. You can take it to other companies and have them price the same thing, which is the point.

Payments should follow events

Tie each payment to something you can see happen: contract signed, cabinetry into manufacture, delivery to site, completion. Payments tied to calendar dates transfer the risk of a delay from the company to you.

For what the market asks, see our payment schedule guide. Ours is 20/40/30/10 and is published on the pricing page.

Variations need a process, in writing

Something will change: a wall will not be where the plan said, or you will see the samples and change your mind. The contract should say that variations are priced and agreed in writing before the work is done, and that no verbal instruction counts.

Who can approve a variation, and how.
How it is priced: a rate, a percentage, or a quoted sum.
What it does to the completion date.
How it interacts with the contingency you have already allowed.

Defects and hand-over

Agree what completion means, what you get at hand-over, and how long you have to raise defects. In practice the useful version is a walk-through with a written list, a period to fix the list, and the compliance records for the licensed work in your hands.

Hold enough of the money back to make that hand-over matter. Our final 10% is released once the plumber's and electrician's compliance records are handed over.

The legal requirements, and where to read them

New Zealand law imposes requirements on residential building contracts above a value threshold, including a written contract, a disclosure statement and a prescribed checklist, together with implied warranties. We are not going to restate the detail second-hand.

Read the primary source: MBIE's pages on contracts for your building project and consumer protection, disclosure and the checklist. We will publish our own contract, disclosure statement and the unedited MBIE checklist as worked examples once they have been through a lawyer, and we will link them here.

You also have rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act and the Fair Trading Act that a contract cannot sign away. Our terms of trade say so plainly.

Questions

Should a kitchen renovation contract be in writing?

Always, whatever the value. Above a certain contract value New Zealand law also requires specific documents to be provided; check MBIE's building.govt.nz pages for the current requirements and thresholds.

What is a disclosure statement?

A document a contractor must provide to a homeowner for larger residential building work, covering who they are, their qualifications, insurance and warranties. MBIE publishes the requirements and a prescribed checklist that goes with it.

What if the price changes during the job?

It should only change through a written variation you agreed in advance, or by spending the contingency you were told about. A contract that allows unilateral price increases is not one to sign.

Can I use my own contract?

You can propose one, and for a job of this size it is reasonable to have a lawyer look at whatever is put in front of you. The cost of an hour of legal advice is small against a $35,000 kitchen.

Sources

Checked 15 September 2026. We re-check every published figure quarterly.