Is a staircase first fix or second fix?

Both. The flight usually goes in at first fix and gets boarded for protection during the build, then the balustrade, handrail and finishing are fitted at second fix.

Can second fix start before the plaster is dry?

It should not. Fixing timber against damp plaster invites movement and swelling, so a joiner asking for drying time is protecting the finish.

Does a joinery quote for an extension include skirting and doors?

Not always. Some cover only the structural first fix stage. Ask for the second fix items to be listed explicitly rather than assumed.

Who fits kitchen units, a joiner or a kitchen fitter?

Either can, and on bespoke cabinetry the joiner who made the units normally fits them, since the scribing and end panels are part of the same piece of work.

First fix and second fix: what the terms mean

First fix joinery is the structural timber work done before plastering, such as stud walls, floor joists, roof timbers, door linings and window frames. Second fix is everything fitted after the plaster dries: skirting, architrave, doors, window boards, stairs parts and built-in furniture. Quotes often cover one and not the other.

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Two stages, one trade

Builders talk about first fix and second fix because a house is built in layers. Anything that must be in place before the plasterer arrives is first fix. Anything fitted once the walls are finished and dry is second fix. The same joiner may do both, but they happen weeks apart, and confusing them is the single most common reason a homeowner reads a quote and expects the wrong work.

What counts as first fix

Structural timber: stud partitions, floor joists, noggins, roof timbers and trimming around openings.
Door linings and frames: fixed plumb and square so the plaster can be finished against them.
Window frames: where timber windows are being installed rather than replaced units.
Flooring decks: chipboard or ply laid to take traffic during the build.
Staircase carcass: the flight itself installed early and boarded over for protection.

What counts as second fix

Skirting and architrave: cut, scribed and fixed once the walls are decorated ready.
Doors: hung, gapped and fitted with handles, latches and locks.
Window boards and sills: cut into the reveals.
Balustrades: newels, spindles and handrail fitted to the protected flight.
Built-in furniture: wardrobes, alcove units, kitchen cabinetry and panelling.

Why the split affects your price

Three practical reasons. First, sequencing: second fix cannot start until plaster is dry, so a delay earlier in the programme pushes the joiner's date and may cost you a slot in a booked diary. Second, scope: an extension quote that says "joinery" may mean only the structural stage, leaving skirting, doors and trim to be priced later, which is an unpleasant surprise at the end of a build. Third, condition: second fix quality depends on what first fix left behind, since linings fixed out of square make every door harder to hang well.

Questions worth asking

Ask which stage the quote covers, whether door linings and door hanging are in the same figure, who supplies the trim, and whether filling and caulking before decoration is included. Those four answers usually reveal whether two quotes are actually the same job. For the trim stage itself, see skirting, architrave and second fix, and for the numbers behind a whole project the Teesside joinery cost guide.