Kitchen design and planning · England
Kitchen design and planning in Dorset
Our kitchen design and planning work covers the whole of Dorset, including Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth.
Is kitchen design and planning right for your Dorset kitchen?
If you are about to order a kitchen online for your Dorset home, a measured plan can catch sizing errors before the order is placed.
If your Dorset kitchen is a narrow galley in an older terrace, a measured plan shows whether one run, two runs or moving the door works better.
What does kitchen design and planning in Dorset include?
Every kitchen is different, so we confirm the scope in writing. Most jobs of this kind include:
- Measured survey of walls, windows, doors, ceiling height and floor levels
- Positions of water, waste, gas, power and radiators recorded on the plan
- Layout options such as galley, L-shaped, U-shaped, island or peninsula
- Working zones planned for preparation, cooking, washing and storage
- Appliance positions, housings and ventilation gaps checked against real sizes
- Socket, switch, lighting and extraction positions marked for the electrician
- Elevations and 3D views for larger or open-plan kitchens where chosen
- A final plan and specification to order from and fit to
How much does kitchen design and planning cost in Dorset?
Use these ranges to plan your budget. They include VAT, reflect costs in the South West, and are firmed up once we have seen your Dorset kitchen. Costs in the South West sit close to the national guide.
| 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%.
Kitchens in homes across Dorset
You will find thatched cottages, Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows throughout Dorset. 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.
Most of Dorset has hard water, so limescale on taps, sinks and boiling water taps is common, and a scale-reducing filter can help. Flats in converted villas may have no lift and shared hallways, and narrow village lanes can make delivering long worktops difficult.
Converted villa flats often mean fitting a full kitchen into a small room while keeping neighbours and shared services in mind. Many bungalow owners choose to open the kitchen into the dining room, so the layout and new lighting need planning together.
Rules for kitchen design and planning in Dorset
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.
Before you start
- Plan landing space either side of the hob and next to the oven and fridge, so hot pans and shopping always have somewhere to go.
- Mark radiators, the boiler, stopcock and meters on the plan early, as moving them adds cost and changes what can go where.
- Leave clear walkways; common guidance is around a metre between facing runs or around an island, and more if two people cook together.
- Keep the sink, hob and fridge reasonably close; the classic work triangle is a useful check, not a rule every kitchen must follow.
- If you are extending or knocking through in Dorset, finalise the kitchen plan before the builder fixes drainage and power points.
- Ask for the plan for your Dorset kitchen to show socket, switch and light positions as well as units, so the electrician can follow it.
Questions about kitchen design and planning in Dorset
How much does kitchen design and planning cost in Dorset?
Guide prices in Dorset are about £310 to £930 including VAT for measured drawings and a layout plan for a kitchen bought elsewhere. The final price depends on the size of the kitchen and what is moving, and is set out in an itemised written quote.
Do you cover the whole of Dorset?
Yes. We carry out kitchen design and planning across Dorset, including Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth and Christchurch. Every job starts with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote.
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 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.
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.
Kitchen design and planning in towns across Dorset
Choose a town for local guide prices and postcode coverage:
- Kitchen design and planning in Bournemouth
- Kitchen design and planning in Poole
- Kitchen design and planning in Weymouth
- Kitchen design and planning in Christchurch
- Kitchen design and planning in Dorchester
- Kitchen design and planning in Bridport
- Kitchen design and planning in Blandford Forum
- Kitchen design and planning in Swanage
- Kitchen design and planning in Sherborne
- Kitchen design and planning in Shaftesbury