Appliances and extraction
Sink and tap installation
Kitchen sink and tap installation is fitting a new sink and tap and connecting them to the water supplies and waste. It covers inset, undermount and ceramic farmhouse-style sinks, isolation valves, flexible tap tails, the waste and trap, and the dishwasher and washing machine waste connections. A boiling water tap adds a tank in the cupboard below, a power supply and often a filter.
When do you need sink and tap installation?
A sink is the hardest-working part of a kitchen and one of the first to show its age, with dripping taps, stained bowls and slow drains. People replace one on its own, as part of a refurbishment, or when a new worktop calls for a different style of sink, such as an undermount bowl in stone or a deep ceramic sink. Boiling water taps are a common upgrade too, and they need more planning than an ordinary tap.
At the survey we check the supplies, the waste route, the cupboard space under the sink and the water pressure. We confirm what your sink needs: an inset sink is cut into a laminate or wood worktop on site, an undermount sink in stone is cut and polished by the fabricator, and a ceramic sink needs a base unit built to carry its weight. You get an itemised written quote before anything is ordered.
What is included?
- New sink fitted, sealed and connected to the existing supplies and waste
- Isolation valves on the hot and cold supplies, with flexible tap tails connected
- Waste, overflow and trap fitted, with dishwasher and washing machine waste connections
- Inset sink cut-outs made on site in laminate and wood worktops
- Ceramic farmhouse-style sinks set on a suitable supporting base unit and sealed
- Boiling water tap fitted with its tank, filter and power supply in the cupboard
- Sink moved to a new position with new supply and waste runs
- Every joint leak tested, with water flow and drainage checked before handover
How much does sink and tap 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 |
|---|---|
| Sink and tap plumbed inIsolation valves, waste and trap | £200–£400 |
| Boiling water tap installedTank under the sink, filter and power supply | £150–£350 |
| Sink moved to a new positionNew supplies and waste run | £400–£1,000 |
| Undermount sink in a stone worktopCut-out and polishing are done by the stone fabricator | Priced with the worktop |
Guide ranges cover labour and fittings such as valves, tails and wastes; the sink and tap themselves are extra, and undermount cut-outs in stone are priced with the worktop by the fabricator. Your price is confirmed after a free survey visit.
How long does it take?
Typical timescale: Half a day to 1 day. 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:
Replacing a sink and tap needs no approval in England, but the plumbing should meet the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, including isolation valves and backflow protection. Connecting to an existing waste is routine, while a new connection to an underground drain involves building control. A new spur for a boiling water tap on an existing kitchen circuit is not notifiable under Part P, but it must meet BS 7671.
In Wales, sink plumbing should meet the water fittings regulations, and a new connection to an underground drain involves building control. Electrical rules differ from England: adding a spur or socket for a boiling water tap extends a kitchen circuit, which is notifiable under Part P in Wales, so it is certified through a competent person scheme or building control. Swapping a sink and tap on existing pipework needs no approval.
In Scotland, replacing a sink and tap does not need a building warrant, but water fittings should meet Scottish Water's byelaws. Changing how waste water is discharged, such as a new connection to an underground drain, needs a warrant first. Power for a boiling water tap does not normally need a warrant, but it must meet the building standards and BS 7671, and you should receive a certificate.
In Northern Ireland, a like-for-like sink and tap replacement needs no building control application, and water fittings should meet the water fittings regulations that apply there. New connections to underground drains go to council building control. There is no Part P-style notification for domestic electrics, but a supply for a boiling water tap should be installed and tested to BS 7671 and certified.
What should you think about before starting?
- Check a boiling water tap's minimum water pressure and cupboard space before buying, as the tank, filter and power supply all sit under the sink.
- An undermount sink in a stone worktop is cut and polished by the fabricator, so choose the sink before the worktops are templated.
- Ceramic farmhouse-style sinks are heavy and need a base unit designed to carry them, with the worktop planned around the sink.
- Moving the sink means new supply and waste runs, so check the waste can fall properly to the drain or stack from the new position.
- Keep isolation valves reachable under the sink, so the tap can be serviced or a leak stopped without turning off the whole house supply.
- If a dishwasher or washing machine sits next to the sink, plan their waste connections and the trap layout together with the sink.
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 sink and tap installation
How much does it cost to fit a kitchen sink and tap?
Plumbing in a sink and tap with isolation valves, waste and trap is typically £200 to £400 including VAT. Installing a boiling water tap with its tank, filter and power supply is about £150 to £350, and moving a sink to a new position with new supplies and waste is £400 to £1,000. Undermount sinks in stone are priced with the worktop. Prices are confirmed after a survey visit.
What do I need for a boiling water tap?
A boiling water tap needs a tank in the cupboard under the sink, usually a socket or fused spur to power it, and often a filter, particularly where the water is hard. Some models have a minimum water pressure, so check yours before buying. The tap also needs a correctly sized hole in the sink or worktop and enough clear cupboard space for the tank and pipework.
What is the difference between an inset and an undermount sink?
An inset sink drops into a cut-out from above, with its rim resting on the worktop, and suits laminate, wood and stone. An undermount sink is fixed beneath the worktop so the edge of the cut-out is exposed, which usually calls for a solid, water-resistant material such as stone or solid surface. Undermount cut-outs in stone are cut and polished by the fabricator.
Can a kitchen sink be moved to a different wall?
Usually, yes. Moving a sink needs new hot and cold supplies and a new waste run with enough fall to reach the drain or stack, typically £400 to £1,000 including VAT. Runs across a solid concrete floor or out to an island cost more, and new connections to an underground drain involve building control, or a building warrant in Scotland.
Can a dishwasher and washing machine drain through the sink waste?
Yes, in most kitchens. The sink trap can take an appliance connection on a spigot, or a separate standpipe can be fitted. The appliance hose needs to rise to the height its manufacturer specifies before it drops to the waste, so dirty water cannot siphon back. Two appliances can usually share a double-spigot trap, which we plan with the sink.
Do I need isolation valves under my kitchen sink?
They are strongly advised, and we fit them as standard. An isolation valve on each supply to the tap, and on each appliance supply, lets you turn off the water to one fitting without shutting off the whole house. That makes changing a tap cartridge or dealing with a leak far simpler. The valves are left where they can still be reached once the cupboard is in use.
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Where do we carry out sink and tap installation?
We take on sink and tap 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