Questions to Ask a Kitchen Respray Company Before You Hire Anyone
Knowing the right questions to ask a kitchen respray company can save you from a poor finish, a broken promise, or a job that needs redoing within a year. The short answer: ask about their preparation process, the paint system they use, their guarantee, and whether they have a verifiable track record. If a company hesitates on any of those, walk away. Here’s exactly what to ask — and why each question matters.
Why the Right Questions Matter More Than the Lowest Quote
Kitchen respraying looks straightforward from the outside. It isn’t. The difference between a finish that lasts a decade and one that chips, yellows, or peels within months comes down to preparation, paint quality, and the skill of the people doing the work. A low quote usually means corners cut somewhere. I’ve been doing this since 2004, and I’ve seen the results of rushed, underprepared jobs. They’re not pretty.
Ask these questions before you commit to anyone.
The Essential Questions to Ask a Kitchen Respray Company
1. How Do You Prepare the Surfaces Before Spraying?
This is the most important question you can ask. Preparation is everything. If the surfaces aren’t properly cleaned, degreased, sanded, and primed, the finish will fail — it’s that simple.
At Ultimate Décor, we clean and degrease every surface thoroughly, sand by hand and machine to create the right key, apply a specialist primer, and only then spray the topcoats. It takes time. That time is what separates a factory-quality result from something that looks fine for six months and then starts to deteriorate.
If a company can’t give you a clear, detailed answer to this question, that tells you everything.
2. What Paint System Do You Use?
Not all paints are equal. The trade paints used by a professional spray finishing company are a world apart from anything available over the counter. Ask specifically what brand and type of paint they use, and whether it’s been tested for use on kitchen cabinetry.
We use water-based, low-VOC professional paints — including Tikkurila — that are formulated for durability, washability, and a smooth factory finish. They’re also better for your home environment during application. Always ask whether the paint is water-based and what the VOC level is.
3. Do You Remove the Doors, or Spray Them in Place?
This matters for quality. Doors sprayed in situ are harder to coat evenly and are more likely to stick or suffer dust contamination. We remove all doors and drawer fronts and spray them in our off-site workshop. That environment is controlled. The result is cleaner, more consistent, and more durable.
Ask any company you’re considering: where do the doors get sprayed, and why?
4. What Guarantee Do You Offer — and Is It in Writing?
A confident company backs its work. We offer a 10-year guarantee on our kitchen respray work. That’s only possible because we’re certain about our preparation, our paint systems, and our processes.
Ask for the guarantee in writing before you agree to anything. Check what it covers — does it include peeling, chipping, and yellowing? Are there conditions that would void it? A vague verbal promise isn’t a guarantee.
5. Are Your Team Qualified and Experienced in Spray Finishing Specifically?
Kitchen respraying is a specialist discipline. It’s not general painting work. Ask whether the people doing the job are City & Guilds qualified and how long they’ve been working specifically in professional spray finishing. Our team are City & Guilds qualified spray painters — not generalists who’ve picked up a spray gun.
6. Can You Match My Existing Colour — or Any Colour I Choose?
If you want to keep your current kitchen colour, or you have a specific shade in mind, ask whether they can match it. We colour-match to Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, RAL, and most major paint ranges. If a company can only offer a limited palette of standard colours, your options will be restricted.
7. Will I Need to Empty My Kitchen Cupboards?
This is a practical question many homeowners forget to ask until it’s too late. With our process, you don’t need to empty the cupboards — we mask and protect everything. Ask any prospective company what preparation they expect from you, and what disruption to expect during the job.
8. How Long Will the Job Take?
A typical kitchen respray with us takes around five days from start to finish. That includes preparation, priming, spraying, and reassembly. Be wary of anyone promising to complete it significantly faster — speed and quality rarely coexist in this work.
9. Can I See Examples of Previous Work and Read Reviews?
Any established company should have a portfolio of completed kitchens and a track record of verifiable reviews. Look for reviews on independent platforms — Checkatrade is a good place to check. Ask to see before-and-after photographs of real jobs, not stock imagery.
One More Thing Worth Asking About
If you have UPVC windows, doors, or a conservatory that could also benefit from professional spray finishing, it’s worth asking whether the company handles those too. We do — it can make sense to address multiple projects at once. Take a look at our full range of spray painting services in Surrey and South London if you want to know more.
Ready to Ask Us These Questions?
We welcome every one of these questions. If you’re considering a kitchen respray in Surrey or South London, speak to us first. You can explore what we do at Ultimate Décor’s kitchen respray service or call us directly on 0203 355 1495. We’ll give you straight answers — and a finish that lasts.
FAQ
Q: How do I know if a kitchen respray company is using professional-grade paint?
Ask them directly for the brand and product name of the paint they use, then look it up. Professional spray finishing paints — such as those from Tikkurila or similar trade-only suppliers — will have technical data sheets available online. These show the VOC content, application method, and recommended substrates. If a company is vague about what they’re applying to your kitchen cabinets, that’s a red flag. The paint system is one of the biggest factors in how long your respray will last, so it’s a completely reasonable thing to ask about before hiring anyone.
Q: Is a 10-year guarantee on a kitchen respray realistic, and what should it cover?
Yes — provided the company is using the right preparation process and professional paint systems. A credible guarantee should cover the finish against peeling, chipping, yellowing, and adhesion failure under normal household use. Ask for it in writing, and read the conditions carefully. Things like physical damage caused after the job or exposure to extreme conditions might reasonably be excluded. What shouldn’t be excluded is the paint simply failing because the preparation or product quality wasn’t up to standard. A company that offers a long written guarantee is demonstrating genuine confidence in its own work.
Q: What’s the difference between a specialist kitchen respray company and a general painter offering the same service?
The difference is significant. Specialist spray painters work with dedicated spray equipment, controlled environments for door finishing, professional paint systems formulated for cabinetry, and processes refined specifically for this type of work. A general tradesperson applying paint
