Utility room fitting in Pimlico

Why utility room fitting for a Pimlico home?

Larger households in Pimlico sharing a lot of laundry often want a stacked washer and dryer, a hanging rail and a clear worktop for folding.

Landlords letting larger family homes across Greater London sometimes add a utility so tenants have room for laundry, coats and cleaning kit without filling the kitchen with appliances. Kitchens in every part of Pimlico are covered, and the survey visit is free wherever you are in Greater London.

What is in a typical job?

Every kitchen is different, so we confirm the scope in writing. Most jobs of this kind include:

Stacking kit fitted where the washer and dryer sit one above the other
Extract fan fitted to clear moisture from washing and drying
Base, wall and tall units fitted, levelled and fixed to the wall
A vent to outside for a vented dryer, or a drain hose for condenser models
Free survey visit to check water, waste, power and outside wall positions
Washing machine supply, waste and isolation valve, tested for leaks

What should you budget for utility room fitting in Pimlico?

As a starting point for Pimlico, these ranges include VAT at 20% and allow for typical labour costs in London. Prices in London usually run above the national guide, mainly because labour and parking cost more.

What should you budget for utility room fitting in Pimlico?
Typical project	Guide price
Utility units and worktop fitted (fit only)Three to six units, laminate worktop, panels	£1,600–£3,900
Utility room supplied and fittedUnits, worktop, sink, washer and dryer connections	£3,900–£9,100
New utility plumbing for a sink and washing machineSupplies, waste and valves where none exist	£520–£1,300

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%.

Fitting kitchens in older and newer Pimlico homes

Typical homes in this part of Greater London include Victorian and Edwardian terraces, conversion flats, mansion block flats and 1930s semis. Victorian terraces often have a narrow galley beside the side return, while conversion flats and mansion blocks usually fit the kitchen into a small room or along one living-room wall.

Permit parking, red routes and flats without lifts are common, so parking suspensions, stair carries and lift bookings may need arranging before delivery day. London's mains water is hard, so limescale builds quickly on taps and boiling water taps, and a scale-reducing filter is worth planning in.

What rules apply to utility room fitting in Pimlico?

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.

Conservation areas are widespread across London, so a new extractor vent on a front wall may need permission, and leaseholders usually need the freeholder's written consent first.

Getting the most from your utility room fitting

If the utility will be in the garage of your Pimlico home, make sure the space stays above freezing in winter for the pipes and machines.
Plan the sockets in your Pimlico utility so each appliance can be switched off at an accessible switch without moving the machine.
Before choosing a dryer for your Pimlico utility, check whether there is an outside wall close enough for a short, straight vent duct.
Stacking the dryer on the washing machine saves width, but it needs a stacking kit that suits both machines and enough height for the pair.

Questions about utility room fitting in Pimlico

How much does utility room fitting cost in Pimlico?

For fitting three to six utility units and a worktop you have bought, budget around £1,600 to £3,900 including VAT in Pimlico. That reflects typical costs in London; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.

Which parts of Pimlico do you work in?

All of them. Our Greater London coverage takes in the whole of Pimlico, including the SW1 postcode district, as well as surrounding towns such as Westminster. If you are unsure, send us your postcode.

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.

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 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.

Also covering nearby towns

Close to Pimlico? We cover these nearby towns too: