Checklist Before Finalizing a Modular Kitchen Contractor in Hyderabad
A modular kitchen is one of the largest single purchases in a home interior, and almost everything that determines its quality is invisible once installed. The board grade, the edge banding method, the hinge brand — all hidden behind shutters you cannot open up later. The only real protection is what you verify before signing.
AlcorOne Solutions is an execution-first interior contracting firm delivering turnkey residential and commercial fit-outs across South India. It is headquartered in Chennai, with offices in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Rajamahendravaram. All work is manufactured in-house and assembled on site — no subcontracting, no surprise substitutions mid-project.
Check 1: The quotation itself
How a contractor quotes tells you most of what you need to know. A lump sum is not a quotation; it is a hope.
- Is it a bill of quantities, with every cabinet as its own line showing size, quantity, rate, and amount?
- Does each line name the board grade and IS standard — "18mm BWP IS 710," not "18mm ply"?
- Does each line name the board brand?
- Is the shutter substrate stated separately from the finish?
- Is the edge banding method stated — machine PUR, machine hot-melt, or manual?
- Are hinges and channels named by brand and model, with quantities?
- Is the accessory list itemised, or hidden inside "standard accessories"?
- Is GST shown as a separate line with the rate?
- Does the quotation state explicitly what is excluded?
- Is there a written validity period?
If a contractor resists itemisation, that is your answer. Compare against the sample BOQ lines in the 2026 cost guide.
Check 2: Drawings before money
- Will you receive a plan drawing with dimensions before payment?
- Will you receive elevations of every wall? Plan-only approvals are how tall units end up blocking windows.
- Does the drawing mark every electrical point, water inlet, and drain?
- Does it show the chimney duct route, verified against your tower's actual construction?
- Are appliance dimensions taken from your actual appliance models?
- Is the corner solution shown and named?
- Has someone physically measured the site, or is the drawing based on the builder's plan? Builder plans are routinely 50 to 100mm out.
Check 3: Material verification
- Will the BIS licence number be visible on delivered boards?
- Will panels be oriented so at least one stamp per cabinet stays visible after installation?
- Will you receive the material delivery challan, naming grades and brands?
- Can you keep an offcut of each board type for your own boil test?
- Is BWP IS 710 specified for the sink cabinet and both flanking units, not just the sink box?
- Is MDF excluded from all structural carcass work in the kitchen?
- What happens, in writing, if a delivered grade does not match the BOQ?
Material Grades: Choosing the Right Plywood
Selecting the wrong wood grade for a specific area is the primary cause of premature interior failure. Here is the full hierarchy:
| Grade | Standard | Water Resistance | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|---|
| BWP (Marine Ply) | IS 710 | Boiling water — no delamination | Kitchen sink cabinet, utility storage, bathroom vanities, wet-wall units |
| BWR Plywood | IS 303 | High humidity + splashes | Kitchen wall cabinets, dining crockery units, dry overhead storage |
| Commercial / MR | IS 303 (MR) | Humidity only — no direct water | Bedroom wardrobes, TV units, study desks |
| HDHMR | — | High moisture resistance | Wardrobe shutter doors, kitchen shutters (high-gloss / PU finishes) |
| MDF / Particle Board | — | Poor — swells permanently | Low-wear vertical partitions only; avoid in kitchens entirely |
Rule: BWP IS 710 for any unit within 1 metre of a water source. BWR IS 303 for wall cabinets above the splash zone. Commercial MR for all dry rooms.
Check 4: Manufacturing and hardware
- Is the work factory-manufactured or cut on site? Ask to see the factory.
- What machine applies the edge banding? Manual contact-adhesive banding will peel — the most common long-term failure.
- Are cabinet backs grooved into the carcass or stapled on?
- What is the carcass joinery method — dowel and cam-lock, or nails?
- Are hinges 3D-adjustable? You will need this after six months of settlement.
- Are drawer channels rated by load and cycle count?
- Are the specified hardware brands genuine, with boxes and part numbers retained for you?
Hardware: Blum vs Hettich vs Häfele vs Ebco
| Brand | Origin | Best Known For | Price Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blum | Austria | Tandem drawer systems, Servo-Drive, Legrabox | Premium |
| Häfele | Germany | Concealed hinges, synchronised sliding systems, full fit-out catalogue | Premium |
| Hettich | Germany | InnoTech drawer systems, Quadro runners, soft-close hinges | Mid–Premium |
| Ebco | India | Channel slides, budget hinges, wardrobe accessories | Mid |
| Godrej | India | Locks, storage accessories, basic drawer channels | Entry–Mid |
Practical rule: Invest in Blum or Hettich for the kitchen (daily-use drawers and pull-outs). Ebco or Hettich is adequate for bedroom wardrobe hinges and shelves.
Check 5: Warranty and service
- What is the warranty period, and is it written into the contract rather than promised verbally?
- Does it cover carcass, shutters, hardware, and installation separately? Hardware often carries the manufacturer's own longer warranty — get that documentation.
- What specifically voids it?
- What is the response time for a service call, and is there any consequence for exceeding it?
- Is there a registered business entity behind the warranty — GST number, address, years in operation?
- Can you visit a kitchen they built three or more years ago? Recent work proves nothing about durability.
Check 6: Payment and timeline
- Is the advance 40% or less?
- Are payments tied to verifiable events — drawing sign-off, panel delivery, installation, snag clearance?
- Is a retention of at least 5% held until the snag list is closed in writing?
- Is the timeline in working days, with a stated start date?
- Is there a defined consequence for delay?
- Are society charges, service-lift fees, and debris removal inside the quotation or billed later?
- Are payments made to a registered business account against a GST invoice?
The staging logic is set out in how to plan a modular kitchen budget.
Check 7: Red flags
| Signal | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Quote 30%+ below the others | Carcass grade or hardware is being substituted; the difference reappears as failures |
| Refuses to itemise the BOQ | Wants freedom to substitute materials after payment |
| "All our ply is marine only" | Grade is not specified per cabinet; expect BWR or worse in the wet zone |
| Demands 60–70% advance | Cash-flow problem; your money is funding another project |
| Only shows renders, no built kitchens | Design outsourced; execution capability unproven |
| No GST invoice offered | No enforceable warranty and no legal recourse |
| Pressure to sign today for a "discount" | The price was inflated to allow the discount |
| Vague about edge banding | Manual application. Edges will peel within two to three years. |
Common Hidden Costs to Clarify Upfront
Most interior quotations exclude these items. Ask your contractor to address each one in writing before signing:
- Electrical modifications — extra points, conduit runs inside false ceilings, distribution board shifts: ₹40,000–80,000.
- Civil & wall changes — partition demolition, door-frame relocation, replastering: priced per running foot; budget ₹500–900/rft.
- Kitchen countertop slab — quartz or granite purchase + laying is almost always excluded from the kitchen quote: ₹50,000–1,20,000.
- Utility enclosure — weather-resistant BWP cabinet for the utility/service balcony: ₹18,000–35,000.
- GST — 18% on all materials and services. Confirm whether the quoted price is inclusive or exclusive.
- Transport & packing — factory-to-site delivery charges for large joinery panels: ₹8,000–20,000 depending on distance.
What to have in hand before you pay anything
- Itemised BOQ naming grade, brand, and IS standard per line
- Plan and elevation drawings, signed by both parties
- Written exclusions list
- Written warranty terms, with the business entity named
- Payment schedule tied to verifiable milestones
- Timeline in working days with a start date
- GST invoice against every payment
Read alongside: modular kitchen mistakes to avoid and BWP vs BWR vs MDF.
Written by Gogineni Kalyaan Kumar
Kalyaan is Principal at AlcorOne Solutions, the interior contracting firm he co-founded in 2022. He has overseen 80+ turnkey residential, villa, and commercial fit-outs across Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Vizag, with a focus on itemised BOQs, heavy-duty modular execution, and durable interior systems built for South India’s climate.
Sources & references.
Standards, regulatory registries, and manufacturer references that back the material grades, pricing framework, and compliance points in this guide:
What the warranty actually covers
Almost every kitchen quotation in Hyderabad says "warranty included," and very few say who is giving it. A modular kitchen is four or five manufacturers' products assembled by a contractor, and the warranty is structured the same way. AlcorOne states its cover in three tiers rather than one number, because the tiers cover different things and expire at different times.
| Tier | Term | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Carcass — plywood | 10 years | Delamination, borer attack and manufacturing defect in the board of modular kitchens, wardrobes and fixed joinery built by AlcorOne. Conditional on the board grade specified in the signed BOQ being the grade supplied and installed — BWP to IS 710 in wet zones, BWR to IS 303 above splash lines. This tier covers the board itself and nothing else. |
| Installation and workmanship | 1 year | Defects attributable to how the work was built and fitted — alignment, levelling, fixing, edge-banding and similar. |
| Hardware, fittings and appliances | Manufacturer's own term | Hinges, channels, drawer systems, electricals, sanitaryware and appliances carry the vendor's own warranty — Hettich, Blum, Häfele and Ebco each publish their own mechanism terms. AlcorOne registers that documentation in the client's name at handover and facilitates the claim. |
Not covered under any tier: water ingress originating from base-building or plumbing defects outside AlcorOne's scope; damage from misuse, unauthorised modification, or third-party work carried out after handover; and normal wear to finishes. The full terms are on the Terms of Service page.
Read a headline warranty number in this category the same way. A ten-year figure quoted on its own is almost always the carcass tier alone, with installation sitting at one to two years beneath it. Ask any contractor which of those years are theirs and which are the brands'.
Frequently asked questions.
How much advance is reasonable for a modular kitchen in Hyderabad?
Forty per cent on drawing sign-off is standard and reasonable, because the contractor buys material against it. Above 50% you are financing their operation. Always hold at least 5% until the snag list is closed in writing.
How do I verify the plywood grade actually delivered?
Three ways: insist the BIS licence number stays visible on delivered boards, keep the delivery challan naming grade and brand, and retain an offcut to boil-test yourself. Genuine BWP IS 710 is unchanged after an hour in boiling water.
Is a company with a showroom safer than an independent contractor?
Not automatically. A showroom proves marketing spend, not execution quality. What matters is the same for both: an itemised BOQ, factory manufacturing with machine edge banding, a registered entity behind the warranty, and a three-year-old kitchen you can go and inspect.
What warranty should I expect on a modular kitchen?
Typically 5 to 10 years on the carcass, 1 to 2 years on installation and workmanship, and the manufacturer's own warranty on hardware — Blum and Hettich both offer long mechanism warranties. Get the hardware documentation in your name, not just the contractor's assurance.
Should I hire separately for the countertop?
It is simpler to keep it in the same contract so one party owns the fit between cabinet and slab. If you buy separately, agree in writing who measures the template, who cuts the sink and hob openings, and who bears breakage during installation.
What warranty does AlcorOne give on a modular kitchen?
Three tiers, stated separately because they cover different things and expire at different times. Ten years on the plywood carcass from the date of handover, against delamination, borer attack and manufacturing defect in the board — conditional on the grade specified in the signed BOQ being the grade supplied and installed. One year on installation and workmanship: alignment, levelling, fixing, edge-banding and similar. Hardware, fittings and appliances carry the manufacturer's own term, and AlcorOne registers that documentation in the client's name at handover and facilitates the claim. Not covered under any tier: water ingress originating from base-building or plumbing defects outside AlcorOne's scope; damage from misuse, unauthorised modification, or third-party work carried out after handover; and normal wear to finishes.
Every question on this list exists because someone in Hyderabad did not ask it and paid for the omission two years later — a swollen sink cabinet, peeling edges, a warranty nobody would honour.
AlcorOne answers all forty-one in writing before you pay anything: itemised BOQ with grades and brands, plan and elevation drawings, visible BIS stamps, machine-applied edge banding, and payments tied to milestones you can verify yourself.
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