Kitchen design and planning · Scotland
Kitchen design and planning in the Highlands
Homeowners and landlords across the Highlands can book us for kitchen design and planning: measured surveys and layout plans that place units, appliances, sockets and services before you order.
When does kitchen design and planning make sense in the Highlands?
If you are about to order a kitchen online for your Highlands home, a measured plan can catch sizing errors before the order is placed.
If you are thinking about an island for a Highlands kitchen, a design check tells you early whether the room is wide enough for comfortable walkways.
What does kitchen design and planning in the Highlands 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 the Highlands?
The figures below are guide prices for the Highlands, including VAT and adjusted for typical costs across Scotland. The fixed price comes after we have measured up. Costs across Scotland tend to sit under UK averages, which these ranges reflect.
| 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 | £280–£850 |
| Detailed design with 3D views and elevationsFor larger or open-plan kitchens | £560–£1,400 |
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 the Highlands
Across the Highlands you will often find stone crofthouses, Victorian villas, post-war council-built houses and timber-framed kit houses, and each shapes the kitchen differently. Older crofthouses often have a small kitchen in a lean-to, while Victorian villas in Inverness and Nairn tend to have separate kitchens with room to open up.
Mains water across the Highlands is soft, though many remote homes rely on private supplies, which may need testing and filtering before a boiling water tap goes in. Long distances, single-track roads and winter weather can affect delivery and fitting days, so lead times and worktop lengths need planning well in advance.
Many rural Highland homes are off the gas grid, so the kitchen may be planned around induction, LPG or an oil-fired range. Crofthouses and older cottages tend to have thick walls and small windows that shape the layout and lighting.
Rules for kitchen design and planning in the Highlands
In Scotland, designing and fitting a kitchen does not normally need a building warrant, but removing a load-bearing wall or altering drainage needs one before work starts. Electrical positions must meet the building standards and BS 7671, and extract ventilation should meet standard 3.14 of the domestic Technical Handbook. Listed buildings may need listed building consent, so check with your local authority if your home is listed.
Homes in the Cairngorms National Park, listed buildings and conservation areas may need consent for a new external vent or changes to historic features.
Before you start
- Work out the route for cooker hood ducting to an outside wall before fixing the hob position, as long or bent runs reduce extraction.
- Mark radiators, the boiler, stopcock and meters on the plan early, as moving them adds cost and changes what can go where.
- Keep the sink, hob and fridge reasonably close; the classic work triangle is a useful check, not a rule every kitchen must follow.
- Leave clear walkways; common guidance is around a metre between facing runs or around an island, and more if two people cook together.
- Before the survey, list what frustrates you about your current Highlands kitchen; it is the quickest way to shape a better layout.
- Ask for the plan for your Highlands 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 the Highlands
How much does kitchen design and planning cost in the Highlands?
Guide prices in the Highlands are about £280 to £850 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 the Highlands?
Yes, across the mainland Highlands, including Inverness, Fort William, Thurso and Wick. We do not currently cover Skye or the other islands. Every job starts with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote.
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.
How long does kitchen design take?
Usually one to three weeks from the survey to a final plan, depending on how many layout options you want to compare and how quickly choices about doors, worktops and appliances are made. A replacement in the same layout can be settled quickly, while an open-plan room with an island or moved services often takes a few rounds of changes.
Kitchen design and planning in towns across the Highlands
Choose a town for local guide prices and postcode coverage:
- Kitchen design and planning in Inverness
- Kitchen design and planning in Fort William
- Kitchen design and planning in Nairn
- Kitchen design and planning in Thurso
- Kitchen design and planning in Wick
- Kitchen design and planning in Alness
- Kitchen design and planning in Dingwall