Cooker hood installation · Scotland
Cooker hood installation in the Lothians
Homeowners and landlords across the Lothians can book us for cooker hood installation: ducted and recirculating cooker hoods fitted, with wall core drilling, ducting and an external grille.
When does cooker hood installation make sense in the Lothians?
If your Lothians house has thick solid walls, core drilling a neat hole for the duct takes the right equipment and careful positioning of the outside grille.
Cooks across the Lothians who fry, grill or stir-fry often find a recirculating hood leaves smells in the house, and look at ducting the air outside instead.
What does cooker hood installation in the Lothians include?
Every kitchen is different, so we confirm the scope in writing. Most jobs of this kind include:
- Survey of the hob position, duct route, outside wall and any open-flued appliance
- Hood fixed at the height set by the hood and hob manufacturers
- Core drilling through the outside wall and an external grille fitted and sealed
- Short, straight runs of rigid ducting wherever the route allows
- Island and ceiling hoods fixed into the ceiling structure by two people
- Recirculating hoods fitted with carbon filters, and their limits explained
- Power supply connected by an electrician and tested to BS 7671
- Spillage test by a Gas Safe registered engineer where an open-flued appliance is present
How much does cooker hood installation cost in the Lothians?
These guide ranges include VAT at 20% and are adjusted for prices in Scotland. We confirm your price in writing after a free survey visit. Labour rates in Scotland are generally lower than in London and the South East, so these ranges are a little below the national guide.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Like-for-like cooker hood swapSame position and ducting | £110–£230 |
| New ducted hood through an outside wallCore drilling, ducting run and external grille | £280–£850 |
| Island or ceiling hood installedTwo-person install, fixings to the ceiling structure | £280–£590 |
| Recirculating hood fittedNo ducting; carbon filters need replacing | £110–£280 |
Guide ranges cover fitting and connection with standard ducting through a straightforward wall; long or concealed duct runs, ceiling repairs, new electrical spurs, spillage tests and the hood itself are priced separately. Prices include VAT at 20%.
Kitchens in homes across the Lothians
Across the Lothians you will often find former mining village terraces, stone cottages, new town houses and new-build estates, and each shapes the kitchen differently. Livingston's new-town houses often have a compact L-shaped kitchen, while older stone cottages and mining-village terraces tend to have a small kitchen at the back.
Homes across the Lothians generally get soft mains water, so limescale is rarely a big problem and taps and boiling water taps tend to stay cleaner. New-build estates usually have good access for vans, while older village streets and terraced rows can have tight parking close to the front door.
Many newer homes across the Lothians have builder-grade kitchens that owners replace with better storage, integrated appliances and an island or peninsula. Older stone cottages and mining-village terraces bring thick walls, small windows and uneven floors, which usually mean careful scribing, levelling and a well-planned lighting scheme.
Rules for cooker hood installation in the Lothians
In Scotland, standard 3.14 of the domestic Technical Handbook expects kitchens to have extract ventilation, and a recirculating hood alone does not remove moisture. Fitting an extractor fan or a ducted hood does not normally need a building warrant. In a flat, a new vent through a shared outside wall may need the other owners' agreement and planning permission, and a listed building may need listed building consent. Where the room has an open-flued gas appliance, a Gas Safe registered engineer should carry out a spillage test after the hood is fitted.
Listed buildings and conservation areas in older towns such as Musselburgh and Linlithgow may need consent for new vents, and flat owners may need neighbours' agreement.
Before you start
- Keep the duct run short and straight with rigid ducting, because every bend and extra metre of flexible hose reduces how much air the hood moves.
- Check the minimum height above the hob in both the hood and hob instructions, and use the greater of the two figures.
- For an island or ceiling hood, find out what is above the ceiling, as joists or added timbers are needed to carry the weight securely.
- In a flat or a listed building, check what consents are needed before any hole is cut through an outside wall.
- Choose a hood at least as wide as your hob, and compare its stated extraction rate with the size of the room before you buy.
- Before choosing a hood for your Lothians kitchen, find the nearest outside wall to the hob, because the shorter the duct run, the better the extraction.
Questions about cooker hood installation in the Lothians
How much does cooker hood installation cost in the Lothians?
Cooker hood installation in the Lothians typically costs £110 to £230 including VAT for a like-for-like cooker hood swap, based on prices in Scotland. Larger or more involved jobs cost more, and your price is fixed in writing after a free survey visit.
Do you cover the whole of the Lothians?
Yes. We carry out cooker hood installation across the Lothians, including Livingston, Musselburgh, Bathgate and Bonnyrigg. Every job starts with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote.
Does a cooker hood need a hole in the wall?
A ducted hood does. The usual route is a core-drilled hole through the nearest outside wall, with rigid ducting from the hood and an external grille sealed into the wall. Where the hob is far from an outside wall, the duct can sometimes run above the wall units or through a ceiling void. A recirculating hood needs no hole, but it removes no moisture.
Why might a cooker hood need a spillage test?
Because a hood pulling air out of a room can draw fumes back down the flue of an open-flued gas appliance, such as some older boilers or gas fires. Where the kitchen, or a room open to it, has one, a Gas Safe registered engineer should carry out a spillage test with the hood running at full speed. Room-sealed boilers are not affected in the same way.
How high should a cooker hood be above the hob?
At least the minimum distance given by the manufacturers. Both the hood and the hob instructions set a minimum gap between them, and where they differ the greater figure should be used. Gas hobs usually need more clearance than induction. A hood fitted too low is a fire risk, while one fitted much higher than recommended captures less steam.
Cooker hood installation in towns across the Lothians
Choose a town for local guide prices and postcode coverage:
- Cooker hood installation in Livingston
- Cooker hood installation in Musselburgh
- Cooker hood installation in Bathgate
- Cooker hood installation in Bonnyrigg
- Cooker hood installation in Penicuik
- Cooker hood installation in Broxburn
