Appliances and extraction
Integrated appliance installation
Integrated appliance installation is fitting a built-in fridge, freezer, dishwasher, washing machine or oven into a kitchen housing so it sits behind or within matching kitchen doors. It covers checking the housing dimensions, fixing the appliance and its door, leaving the ventilation gaps the manufacturer asks for, and connecting water, waste and power safely, all following the manufacturer's installation instructions.
When do you need integrated appliance installation?
Integrated appliances give a kitchen a calm, continuous look, but they are less forgiving than freestanding ones. A housing a few millimetres too small, a door fixed with the wrong kit or a blocked vent behind a fridge can mean doors that clash, a dishwasher that will not close or a fridge that works too hard. This work is usually needed when a new kitchen is going in, an appliance has failed, or appliances have been bought separately.
We check before we fit. At the survey we compare each appliance's installation dimensions with its housing, confirm how the door will be fixed and look at where the water, waste and power connections will sit. On the day, appliances are fixed in place, doors are lined up with the fronts around them, and dishwashers and washing machines are run and checked for leaks. Where a new circuit is needed, an electrician installs and certifies it.
What is included?
- Appliance sizes checked against housings, door-fixing kits and ventilation gaps before fitting
- Integrated fridges and freezers fixed into tall or under-counter housings
- Furniture doors attached with the fixed-hinge or sliding-hinge kit and aligned
- Dishwashers anchored under the worktop, levelled and connected to the supply and waste
- Washing machines plumbed in on a stable floor with an accessible isolation valve
- Built-in ovens and microwaves fixed into housings with the required ventilation space
- Accessible switching for built-in appliances, such as a switched fused spur, where needed
- Leak checks, final door adjustments and each appliance switched on and tested
How much does integrated appliance installation cost?
These are national guide prices including VAT at 20%. Prices are higher in London and the South East and lower in much of the North, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Choose your area below for a local range.
| Typical project | Guide price |
|---|---|
| Integrated appliance fitted into its housing (each)Fridge, freezer, dishwasher or washing machine, door fitted | £40–£80 each |
| Dishwasher or washing machine plumbed inValve, waste connection and leak check | £80–£180 |
| Built-in oven fitted, like for likeOn an existing suitable circuit | £120–£250 |
| New cooker circuit from the consumer unitOften needed for a double oven or induction hob | £300–£700 |
Guide ranges cover labour on existing suitable supplies, apart from the new cooker circuit row; moved plumbing, new housings or units, door-fixing kits and the appliances themselves are priced separately. Your price is confirmed after a free survey visit.
How long does it take?
Typical timescale: Usually part of the fit; under a day for a single appliance. The programme for your kitchen is set out in the quote, and depends on the size of the room, what is moving, lead times for units and worktops and, after plastering, drying time.
Do you need permission or building regulations approval?
The rules differ across the UK. Choose your nation:
Fitting an integrated appliance needs no approval in England. Adding a socket or switched fused spur to an existing kitchen circuit is not notifiable under Part P, though it must meet BS 7671. A new circuit for a double oven or induction hob is notifiable, so it is certified through a competent person scheme or building control. Water connections should meet the water fittings regulations, with isolation valves and suitable backflow protection.
In Wales, the electrics behind integrated appliances are usually notifiable, because extending an existing circuit within a kitchen counts under Part P, not just new circuits. A new spur or socket for a dishwasher, fridge or oven is therefore certified through a competent person scheme or building control. Water connections should meet the water fittings regulations, and each manufacturer's instructions on fixing and ventilation must be followed.
In Scotland, fitting integrated appliances and adding appliance sockets or spurs in a house does not normally need a building warrant, but the electrics must meet the building standards and BS 7671, so ask for an electrical certificate. Water connections should follow Scottish Water's byelaws on water fittings, including isolation valves and backflow protection. Each manufacturer's instructions on fixing and ventilation still apply.
In Northern Ireland, there is no Part P-style notification for domestic electrics, so new appliance spurs and circuits are not notified, but they should be installed, tested and certified to BS 7671. Water connections should meet the water fittings regulations that apply in Northern Ireland, with isolation valves and backflow protection. Each appliance should be fixed and ventilated as its manufacturer specifies.
What should you think about before starting?
- Check the installation dimensions in each appliance manual against the housing before buying; a few millimetres out can stop a door closing.
- Integrated fridges use either fixed-hinge (door-on-door) or sliding-hinge fixing, and the housing and furniture door must suit the type you choose.
- Leave the ventilation gaps the manufacturer specifies for fridges and freezers, often through the plinth or above the housing, or they work harder.
- Check the furniture door is within the weight range the dishwasher hinges are designed for; the springs can usually be adjusted within that range.
- Washing machines need a firm, level floor; a springy timber floor or an unstable plinth can let the machine move and vibrate during a spin.
- Plan accessible switching for built-in appliances, such as a switched fused spur above the worktop, so they can be isolated without pulling them out.
How does the project run?
- Guide price. Use the online guide-price tool or call us for a realistic range for your area
- Free survey visit. We measure the room, check walls, floors and service positions, and look at the plan or delivery
- Itemised written quote. Broken down by stage and trade, with any worktop templating, engineer or approval costs listed
- Fitting in the right order. Strip-out, first fix, units, worktops, second fix and finishing, with the trades booked in sequence
- Final check and handover. A walk-round together, certificates for electrics and gas, and the manufacturers' documents
Questions about integrated appliance installation
How much does it cost to fit an integrated appliance?
Fitting an integrated fridge, freezer, dishwasher or washing machine into its housing with the door attached is typically £40 to £80 each including VAT. Plumbing in a dishwasher or washing machine is about £80 to £180, a like-for-like built-in oven is £120 to £250, and a new cooker circuit from the consumer unit is £300 to £700. Prices are confirmed after a survey visit.
What is the difference between fixed-hinge and sliding-hinge integrated fridges?
On a fixed-hinge, or door-on-door, fridge the kitchen door is fixed straight onto the appliance door, so both swing together on the fridge's own hinges. On a sliding-hinge fridge the kitchen door hangs on cabinet hinges, and the appliance door is linked to it by runners that slide as it opens. Fixed-hinge models generally carry heavier doors more securely; sliding-hinge ones need the right housing and hinges.
Do integrated fridges need ventilation?
Yes. Fridges and freezers give off heat as they run, so the housing must leave the airflow route the manufacturer specifies, often a gap behind the appliance and a vent in the plinth or above the housing. Without it the appliance works harder, uses more energy and may struggle to keep food cold. We check the gaps against the installation instructions before fitting.
Can you fit integrated appliances I have bought separately?
Yes. Appliances bought from any retailer can be fitted, as long as they match the housings. Send us the model numbers before the survey so we can check the installation dimensions, door-fixing method and connections. If an appliance does not suit the housing, it is far easier to exchange it unopened than to alter the units around it.
Why does an integrated dishwasher need fixing under the worktop?
Because a dishwasher can tip forward when the loaded door and racks are pulled out, and it moves slightly as it runs. It is anchored with the brackets supplied, usually to the underside of the worktop or to the side panels, then levelled so its door lines up with the drawer fronts beside it. Stone worktops usually need the side fixings rather than screws from below.
Do built-in appliances need their own switch?
It is good practice under BS 7671 for built-in appliances to have an accessible means of isolation, for example a switched fused spur above the worktop, so they can be switched off without being pulled out. Some layouts use an accessible socket in a neighbouring cupboard instead. Manufacturers' instructions often cover this too, and the electrician confirms the right arrangement for your kitchen.
Related kitchen services
Where do we carry out integrated appliance installation?
We take on integrated appliance installation across England, Wales, mainland Scotland and Northern Ireland. Choose your area for local guide prices and the rules that apply there.
England
- Bedfordshire
- Berkshire
- Bristol
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Cheshire
- Cornwall
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Devon
- Dorset
- County Durham
- the East Riding of Yorkshire
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Gloucestershire
- Greater London
- Greater Manchester
- Hampshire
- Herefordshire
- Hertfordshire
- the Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Lancashire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Merseyside
- Norfolk
- North Yorkshire
- Northamptonshire
- Northumberland
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Rutland
- Shropshire
- Somerset
- South Yorkshire
- Staffordshire
- Suffolk
- Surrey
- Tyne and Wear
- Warwickshire
- the West Midlands
- West Sussex
- West Yorkshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire