Bespoke Joinery & Kitchens in Harwich

We're based in Harwich and cover across North-East Essex: Manningtree, Colchester, Dedham, Brantham, Lawford, Ramsey, Wix, Thorpe-le-Soken, Kirby-le-Soken, and the surrounding villages. If you're not sure whether you're in range, call us on 07581 090957 and we'll let you know.

Chris has been a joiner for over 20 years , a three-year apprenticeship, five years with the same firm, then Chris Jones Joinery in 2014. As the business grew, he formed Chris Jones Joinery and Carpentry Limited in 2022. He personally designs, builds, and installs every project , you deal with the same person from first visit to final touch-up.

Yes. We hold full public liability insurance and can send the certificate to you before the job starts if you'd like a copy. We're also VAT-registered and a full member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen (No. 127103), the independent trade-standards body.

The workshop and site work runs Monday to Friday 09:00 – 17:00, and Saturday mornings 09:00 – 13:00. We're closed on Sundays. If you need to reach us outside those hours, WhatsApp is usually the quickest.

Yes. Every project starts with a free written estimate from your photos and info: the more detail you send, the more accurate the estimate. If you want a formal quote based on a proper measure-up, that is a £60 home survey (home visit, accurate measurements, formal quote), and it is deducted from the final bill if you proceed. Detailed drawings are included free on projects over £10,000. On smaller projects, drawings are £40 and are also deducted from the bill. Either way you know exactly what the job costs before any timber is cut.

Most jobs are split: a 30% deposit to secure the workshop slot and cover materials, a payment on delivery to site, and the balance on completion. We accept bank transfer, card, and cash. Everything is written into the quote so there are no surprises.

From measure to installation is typically four to six weeks. Two weeks of that is design and manufacturing in the workshop; installation itself is usually one to two days depending on the size of the run.

Yes. Chris designs, builds, and installs every job personally. You'll have one person accountable from the first site visit to the final touch-up, not a supply-only firm handing the fitting to a subcontractor.

Both. Some customers arrive with sketches; most want us to help. We measure the room, listen to how you'll use the storage, and come back with drawings and a fixed quote before any timber is cut.

We warranty our carpentry work for two years against manufacturing defects. Hinges and runners carry their own manufacturer warranty (usually five years for the quality brands we specify).

Yes. A 30% deposit secures the workshop slot and covers materials, with the balance split between delivery-to-site and completion. Payment schedule is on the quote so there are no surprises.

The quote covers design, all cabinetry made in the workshop, spray finishing, delivery, and installation. Worktops, appliances, taps, and sinks are separate items you can either supply or ask us to source, so pricing is transparent.

Installation is typically one to two weeks on site depending on the size, plus any electrical and plumbing changes. Design and workshop build runs before that and takes another six to ten weeks.

We coordinate the trades - we have qualified electricians and plumbers we work with regularly, and they slot into the schedule at the right point. You get one job to manage, not five.

Yes, if they fit the new layout. We plan the cabinetry around what you want to keep. If you want to change any of it, we can quote for the new pieces too.

Yes. If the existing kitchen layout works but the doors, drawers, and worktops are tired, we can re-front the units, replace the worktop, and re-spray for a fraction of the cost of a full replacement.

A standard-size internal door supplied and hung with three hinges, a latch, and standard handles on an existing lined frame. We take door jobs with a minimum of four doors, so it suits a whole floor or full house rather than a single door. Oversize doors, glazed doors, new frames, and architraves are quoted separately.

Yes. Older houses rarely have anything standard about them. We measure the openings, order or make oversize/undersize doors to fit, and adjust the frames if the openings are out of square.

We spray-finish in the workshop wherever the job allows, which gives a far better finish than on-site painting. If the doors have to be finished in place (for example, in an occupied house we can't take away), we mask up carefully and use a good hand-brushed acrylic.

Included ironmongery is a solid, quality standard set. If you want a specific look - Corston, Croft, From The Anvil, black, chrome, brushed brass - bring us the reference and we'll source it and add the cost to the quote.

Yes. Fire doors need to be hung to the manufacturer's specification with certified hinges, intumescent strips, and the correct gap tolerances. We install them properly so they'll do their job if they ever need to.

A durable PU (polyurethane) paint system, colour-matched to any brand you like - Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Fired Earth, or a trade reference. PU is far more hard-wearing than the emulsion and eggshell most decorators use on cabinetry.

Yes. If the carcases are sound and the layout still works, re-spraying doors, drawer fronts, and end panels is a fraction of the cost of a full replacement and lifts the whole room. We collect, strip, prep, spray, and re-hang.

A small run of doors is around a week; a full kitchen refresh is one to two weeks in the workshop. That includes drying time between coats and proper cure time before we deliver them back.

Where possible we take pieces to the workshop - the spray booth gives a far cleaner, more consistent finish than any on-site setup. Site spraying is possible for larger fitted work but takes longer to mask and protect.

Not under normal use. PU paint is genuinely durable - that's why it's used on cabinetry and joinery. You'd have to hit it with something hard to chip it, and any small mark can be touched in.