Kitchen design and planning · England
Kitchen design and planning in Kent
We carry out kitchen design and planning across Kent, from Maidstone to the smaller towns, with a free survey visit and an itemised written quote as standard.
Why kitchen design and planning for a Kent home?
Homeowners in Kent often ask for a design when the kitchen layout no longer suits how they live, even though the room itself is a reasonable size.
If your Kent 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 Kent include?
Here is what usually goes into kitchen design and planning, adjusted to your Kent kitchen after we have measured it:
- 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 Kent?
Typical kitchen design and planning prices for homes in Kent, including VAT and adjusted for the South East. Your own figure depends on the size of the kitchen, the layout and what is moving. Labour in the South East generally costs more than the UK average, which lifts these ranges a little.
| 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 | £340–£1,000 |
| Detailed design with 3D views and elevationsFor larger or open-plan kitchens | £690–£1,700 |
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 Kent
The housing mix across Kent includes Victorian terraces, weatherboarded cottages, 1930s semis and oast house conversions, so no two kitchen fits are quite alike. Victorian terraces in the Medway towns and along the coast often have a narrow back-addition kitchen, while 1930s semis usually have a small kitchen beside a separate dining room.
Water across Kent is hard, so limescale builds up quickly on taps and boiling water taps, and a scale-reducing filter is worth considering. Seaside terraces, permit parking and narrow village lanes can each make deliveries slower, so the route for long worktops is best checked at the survey.
Many Victorian terraces have a narrow back kitchen that owners open into the dining room to make a family space. Oast and barn conversions can put the kitchen in an unusual room shape, which calls for careful planning of units, extraction and lighting.
Rules for kitchen design and planning in Kent
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.
Listed weatherboarded and timber-framed cottages, oast conversions and homes in conservation areas such as historic Canterbury may need consent for new external vents.
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.
- Keep the sink, hob and fridge reasonably close; the classic work triangle is a useful check, not a rule every kitchen must follow.
- 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.
- If your home in Kent has a boiler in the kitchen, ask for service access to be designed in rather than boxed in tightly.
- Ask for the plan for your Kent 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 Kent
How much does kitchen design and planning cost in Kent?
Guide prices in Kent are about £340 to £1,000 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 Kent?
Yes. We carry out kitchen design and planning across Kent, including Maidstone, Gillingham, Chatham and Tunbridge Wells. 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 Kent
Choose a town for local guide prices and postcode coverage:
- Kitchen design and planning in Maidstone
- Kitchen design and planning in Gillingham
- Kitchen design and planning in Chatham
- Kitchen design and planning in Tunbridge Wells
- Kitchen design and planning in Folkestone
- Kitchen design and planning in Margate
- Kitchen design and planning in Ashford, Kent
- Kitchen design and planning in Canterbury
- Kitchen design and planning in Sittingbourne
- Kitchen design and planning in Gravesend
- Kitchen design and planning in Dartford
- Kitchen design and planning in Ramsgate
- Kitchen design and planning in Dover
- Kitchen design and planning in Tonbridge
- Kitchen design and planning in Strood
- Kitchen design and planning in Whitstable
- Kitchen design and planning in Deal
- Kitchen design and planning in Sevenoaks
- Kitchen design and planning in Rochester
- Kitchen design and planning in Herne Bay
- Kitchen design and planning in Broadstairs
- Kitchen design and planning in Faversham
- Kitchen design and planning in Swanley
- Kitchen design and planning in Longfield
- Kitchen design and planning in Hartley
- Kitchen design and planning in Swanscombe
- Kitchen design and planning in Hythe, Kent
- Kitchen design and planning in Edenbridge
- Kitchen design and planning in Tenterden