Kitchen design and planning in Bournemouth

Why kitchen design and planning for a Bournemouth home?

Owners of new-build homes in Bournemouth sometimes redesign the standard kitchen after a few years to add tall storage, an extra appliance or a breakfast bar.

Homeowners in Bournemouth often ask for a design when the kitchen layout no longer suits how they live, even though the room itself is a reasonable size. Kitchens in every part of Bournemouth are covered, and the survey visit is free wherever you are in Dorset.

What is in a typical job?

Every kitchen is different, so we confirm the scope in writing. Most jobs of this kind include:

Socket, switch, lighting and extraction positions marked for the electrician
Appliance positions, housings and ventilation gaps checked against real sizes
Positions of water, waste, gas, power and radiators recorded on the plan
Measured survey of walls, windows, doors, ceiling height and floor levels
Elevations and 3D views for larger or open-plan kitchens where chosen
Layout options such as galley, L-shaped, U-shaped, island or peninsula

What does kitchen design and planning cost in Bournemouth?

As a starting point for Bournemouth, these ranges include VAT at 20% and allow for typical labour costs in the South West. Costs in the South West sit close to the national guide.

What does kitchen design and planning cost in Bournemouth?
Typical project	Guide price
Design for a kitchen we supplyMeasured survey, layout plan and specification are part of the supply-and-fit price	Included
Measured drawings and layout plan for a kitchen bought elsewhereMeasured drawing, layout and service positions for your fitter and supplier	£310–£930
Detailed design with 3D views and elevationsFor larger or open-plan kitchens	£620–£1,500

Design is included in the supply-and-fit price; for kitchens bought elsewhere, the guide prices cover the measured survey, layout drawing and service positions, with 3D views and elevations in the detailed option. The survey visit to quote is free; the fee covers the measured drawings and layout plan you can take to any supplier. Prices include VAT at 20%.

Local homes and their kitchens

Typical homes in this part of Dorset include thatched cottages, Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows. Edwardian villas in Bournemouth often have a separate kitchen and scullery, while 1930s semis and bungalows tend to have a compact room at the back.

Flats in converted villas may have no lift and shared hallways, and narrow village lanes can make delivering long worktops difficult. Most of Dorset has hard water, so limescale on taps, sinks and boiling water taps is common, and a scale-reducing filter can help.

Do you need approval for kitchen design and planning in Bournemouth?

Designing and fitting a kitchen needs no planning permission in England, but a good plan allows for the rules that follow. New circuits are notifiable under Part P, a cooker hood extracting outside should achieve about 30 litres per second under Approved Document F, and removing a load-bearing wall needs a structural engineer and building control approval. Listed buildings and flats may need consent before a new outside vent is cut.

Thatched and listed cottages may need listed building consent for internal changes, and owners of flats in converted houses usually need the freeholder's consent before work starts.

Practical advice for Bournemouth homeowners

Count the small appliances you use every day, such as a kettle, toaster and coffee machine, so enough worktop sockets are planned for them.
Ask for the plan for your Bournemouth kitchen to show socket, switch and light positions as well as units, so the electrician can follow it.
Before the survey, list what frustrates you about your current Bournemouth kitchen; it is the quickest way to shape a better layout.
Work out the route for cooker hood ducting to an outside wall before fixing the hob position, as long or bent runs reduce extraction.

Questions about kitchen design and planning in Bournemouth

How much does kitchen design and planning cost in Bournemouth?

Kitchen design and planning in Bournemouth typically costs £310 to £930 including VAT for measured drawings and a layout plan for a kitchen bought elsewhere, based on prices in the South West. Larger or more involved jobs cost more, and your price is fixed in writing after a free survey visit.

Which parts of Bournemouth do you work in?

All of them. Our Dorset coverage takes in the whole of Bournemouth, including the BH1, BH2, BH7 and BH10 postcode districts, as well as surrounding towns such as Christchurch. If you are unsure, send us your postcode.

What is the kitchen work triangle?

The work triangle is a planning idea that links the sink, hob and fridge, keeping each within a short, unobstructed walk of the others so cooking takes fewer steps. It is still a useful check, but many kitchens are now planned in zones for preparation, cooking, washing and storage, which suits larger and open-plan rooms where more than one person uses the space.

Which kitchen layout suits my room?

It depends mainly on the shape of the room, where the doors and windows sit and how many people cook. Narrow rooms suit a galley, rooms with a corner suit an L-shape, and wider rooms can take a U-shape. An island needs space for walkways of around a metre on each side, and a peninsula gives similar worktop space where an island will not fit.

What are the standard sizes of kitchen units and worktops?

Base units are typically 600 mm deep, with worktops around 900 mm from the floor, though the plinth height can raise or lower this slightly. Unit widths come in standard steps, commonly from 150 mm up to 1,000 mm, and wall units are shallower, often around 300 to 350 mm deep. A plan built on real measurements uses filler panels to take up any leftover space.

Also covering nearby towns

The same service is available a short drive from Bournemouth, including: