Start with a simple overhead sketch
You don't need architectural drawings to start a benchtop enquiry. Draw the kitchen as if you were looking down from above. Mark each separate run, the island, walls and appliances. An L-shaped kitchen can be drawn as two rectangles with the corner clearly marked. Label the pieces A, B and C so your measurements and photos can be matched without guesswork.
Use millimetres throughout and write the unit on the plan. Keep measurements consistent: don't mix centimetres for one piece with millimetres for another. A photo of your handwritten sketch is fine if the numbers are readable.
Record lengths and depths separately
For each run, note the overall length and depth. Measure the existing surface rather than assuming it matches the cabinet dimensions. Show whether a measurement runs wall to wall, finishes at an exposed end or continues into a corner. If you want to change the depth, write both the existing size and the proposed size.
For an island, provide its overall length and depth, then mark any seating overhang. Note the cabinet footprint separately where possible. If the new benchtop will extend beyond the cabinets, describe the intended use so support requirements can be discussed for the chosen product. Don't assume a particular overhang is suitable just because another kitchen has one.
Add every vertical piece
Waterfalls and splashbacks are separate pieces of the quote. For each waterfall, record the approximate height from the top of the benchtop to the floor and the depth of the panel. Say which island ends need a waterfall, and photograph any skirting or floor detail that might affect the finish.
For splashbacks, mark the length and height of each section. Include short upstands, window ledges and the space behind the cooktop. Show power-point locations on the sketch and in photos. These rough dimensions help describe the scope; they aren't instructions for cutting openings.
Make the fittings easy to identify
Mark the sink, cooktop and tap positions. State whether you're retaining them or buying new ones. Send the brand and model numbers of new appliances, plus their installation drawings if available. A catalogue's overall size is different from a manufacturer's required cutout, so a model number is more useful than an estimate of the hole.
- Sink: model, single or double bowl, and the intended mounting style.
- Cooktop: model number, existing opening if visible, and whether its position will change.
- Taps and accessories: number of holes, filtered-water taps, soap dispensers and other fittings.
- Edges: desired finished thickness, profile and any built-up edge width shown on the design.
Photograph the details a sketch misses
Take a wide photo of the whole kitchen and closer photos of corners, joins, existing edges and the underside of the benchtop. Include gaps against walls, uneven-looking surfaces, narrow clearances and anything attached to the old surface. Photograph the cabinets with doors open where useful, without dismantling fixtures.
Send your suburb, access details and preferred material with the plan. Stairs, lifts, parking and tight doorways can change how a job is organised. For a replacement, explain whether removal and disposal are required.
Final dimensions, appliance openings, joins and the fabrication layout need to be professionally confirmed before stone is ordered or cut. Don't cut, drill or remove an existing stone benchtop to obtain measurements.
Ready to send your plan? Explore our kitchen stone benchtops, request a project quote, or read our replacement planning checklist first.