Worktops, wall units and working solo
Kitchen fitters often work alone, carrying solid worktops, tall larder units and appliances in and out of houses. Hanging wall cabinets means holding weight overhead, and plinths and pipework mean kneeling and crouching. Back strain and shoulder injuries are common, as are cuts from saws and routers.
Bathroom fitters add heavy baths, shower trays and tiling to the mix. Working in someone's home also means tight deadlines, because a family without a kitchen wants it finished.
Many fitters also make the plumbing and electrical connections where qualified, or bring in other trades. The more you do yourself, the more varied your physical risks become.
Paid per kitchen
Many fitters work as subcontractors for kitchen retailers and showrooms, paid a set fee per installation. Others run their own business and sell direct. Either way, a booked diary turns into lost income the moment you are injured. Retailers may hand your fits to someone else.
Payment often comes in stages or at completion, so an injury mid-job can also delay money you have already partly earned. Income protection gives you a monthly income after your chosen waiting period.
- Subcontract fitters: one retailer may be most of your income
- Own business: deposits and stock still need managing
- Working alone: no one to finish the job if you are hurt
- Choose a waiting period that fits your cash buffer
How fitting is rated
Insurers place occupations into risk classes. Kitchen fitting is usually treated as manual work, close to carpentry. The class affects your premium and the definition of incapacity. Some insurers offer own occupation cover to fitters, while others use suited occupation.
If you also design kitchens, measure up or run a showroom, include it when you apply. A fitter with a share of design and sales work may be rated more lightly.
Most self-employed fitters choose a waiting period of one to three months. If you have a partner who earns, or a few months of savings set aside, a longer wait keeps the monthly cost down.
Life cover for fitters
A life policy pays your family a lump sum if you die during its term. The trade has little effect on life cover terms. Many fitters use it to clear a mortgage and leave their family secure.
Critical illness cover can be added to pay a lump sum on a listed serious illness, which can help if illness stops you running the business.
How Hi Tomorrow helps kitchen fitters
We find out how you get your work, what you lift and how your time splits between fitting, design and admin. Then we compare our panel for the best terms and explain each policy's definition in plain words.
Fitters who work for a retailer often ask whether the retailer covers them. Usually it does not, because you are a subcontractor rather than an employee, so personal cover is down to you. We help with the forms and back you up if you claim.