Utility room fitting in Bath

Is utility room fitting right for your Bath kitchen?

If the kitchen in your Somerset home is a narrow galley, a separate utility can take the appliances that would otherwise crowd the worktop and storage.

When a new kitchen is being planned in Somerset, moving the laundry to a utility often makes room for deep drawers or a dishwasher in the kitchen itself. Our Somerset coverage reaches every part of Bath (BA1) and out towards Keynsham.

What is in a typical job?

Here is what usually goes into utility room fitting, adjusted to your Bath kitchen after we have measured it:

Base, wall and tall units fitted, levelled and fixed to the wall
Extract fan fitted to clear moisture from washing and drying
Utility sink and tap plumbed in, with new supplies and waste where none exist
Washing machine supply, waste and isolation valve, tested for leaks
Worktop over the washing machine and dryer, supported clear of the appliances
A vent to outside for a vented dryer, or a drain hose for condenser models

Utility room fitting prices in Bath

As a starting point for Bath, these ranges include VAT at 20% and allow for typical labour costs in the South West. For the South West, these ranges are close to the national figures.

Utility room fitting prices in Bath
Typical project	Guide price
Utility units and worktop fitted (fit only)Three to six units, laminate worktop, panels	£1,200–£3,100
Utility room supplied and fittedUnits, worktop, sink, washer and dryer connections	£3,100–£7,200
New utility plumbing for a sink and washing machineSupplies, waste and valves where none exist	£410–£1,000

Fit-only and supply-and-fit ranges cover units, worktop and standard sink and appliance connections, with new plumbing where none exists as a separate line; extract fans, dryer vents and new circuits are quoted on top. Prices include VAT at 20%.

What kind of kitchens do we fit in Bath?

You will find Georgian townhouses, Victorian terraces, stone cottages and post-war estate houses throughout Somerset. Georgian townhouses in Bath often have kitchens at lower-ground level or in flats on upper floors, while Victorian terraces in Taunton and Yeovil tend to have a narrow back galley.

Steep streets and controlled parking in Bath, upper-floor flats without lifts and narrow village lanes can each make delivering worktops slower. Somerset's mains water is mostly hard, so limescale on taps and boiling water taps is common, and a filter or softener can help keep them working well.

Do you need approval for utility room fitting in Bath?

Fitting a utility room needs no planning permission in England, though a new dryer vent through the outside wall of a flat may need planning permission and the freeholder's consent. Adding sockets to an existing circuit is not notifiable, but a new circuit is, under Part P. Approved Document F sets an extract rate of about 30 litres per second for a utility room, so a new fan should be sized to meet it, and if an open-flued boiler shares the room, a Gas Safe registered engineer should carry out a spillage test once a fan is fitted.

Bath is a World Heritage city with many listed buildings, and homes in Exmoor National Park or conservation areas may need consent for new vents or internal changes.

Getting the most from your utility room fitting

In a Bath flat, check with the freeholder before a new dryer vent or extract fan is cut through an outside wall.
Before choosing a dryer for your Bath utility, check whether there is an outside wall close enough for a short, straight vent duct.
Leave room behind the washing machine for the hoses; pushing it hard against the wall can kink them and stop the water draining properly.
If there is no water or waste in the space, new plumbing has to reach it, which is simplest close to an existing kitchen or bathroom.

Questions about utility room fitting in Bath

How much does utility room fitting cost in Bath?

For fitting three to six utility units and a worktop you have bought, budget around £1,200 to £3,100 including VAT in Bath. That reflects typical costs in the South West; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.

Can you measure up in Bath before quoting?

Yes. Every quote starts with a free, no-obligation survey visit to your home in Bath. We measure the room, check the walls, floor and service positions, then send an itemised written quote.

Can a worktop go over a washing machine and dryer?

Yes, and it is one of the most common utility layouts. The worktop is supported by units, end panels or a rail at each side rather than resting on the machines, with a small gap above them for vibration and so they can be slid out for servicing. Standard front-loading machines usually fit under a standard-height worktop, but we check the appliance heights against the plan first.

Does a utility room need an extractor fan?

Yes, in most cases. Washing and drying put a lot of moisture into a small space, so extract ventilation is strongly advised: Approved Document F sets a rate of about 30 litres per second for utility rooms in England and Wales, and the building standards in Scotland and Technical Booklet K in Northern Ireland cover ventilation too. An extract fan ducted outside is the usual answer, with a window helping but not replacing it. A vented dryer needs its own duct as well.

Does a condenser or heat pump dryer need an outside vent?

No. Condenser and heat pump dryers do not need an outside vent, so they can go where a vented dryer cannot. They collect water in a container that has to be emptied, or they can be connected to the waste so they drain automatically, which is easy when the dryer sits beside the washing machine. They still give off some warmth, so the space needs air around it. A vented dryer needs a duct to an outside wall.

Utility room fitting in neighbouring towns

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