Cost of Moving a Kitchen
Last updated 27th February, 2024
Do you want to know the average cost of fitting a kitchen but in another room?
If you want to know the cost of moving a kitchen then this guide is for you! We run through all you need to know from building regulations, planning permission, supply costs and labour fees.
Let's get moving!
How Much to Move a Kitchen?
How we use our homes changes over time. The layout of your kitchen may make it unsuitable for modern living. A problem that could be solved if you could move the kitchen to another location better suited to contemporary living.
If you are thinking about moving your kitchen, read this useful guide to learn about what you can expect if you decide to move a kitchen.
What will be involved in moving your kitchen?
If your kitchen is too small or in an awkward place it can be an inconvenience that affects you daily. Moving a kitchen to a more suitable location can give you a kitchen that the whole family can enjoy, with more space to dine, cook, store your appliances and relax together in comfort. A change that will completely rejuvenate your home and enable the family to spend more quality time together.
Kitchens are a great selling point in any home, so an improved kitchen area will also add value to your home.
What should you expect if you are planning to move a kitchen?
To move a kitchen you will need to remove the existing kitchen, which will include taking out all of the kitchen cabinets and disconnecting all of the appliances and plumbing.
The former kitchen space will need to be renovated so that it can be turned into the alternative space that you want. Work to overhaul the space will include repairing the walls and updating the flooring.
To transform the new area for your new kitchen you will need new plumbing pipes laid, new fittings for your kitchen installed and the walls, flooring and any other necessary areas repaired and decorated.
What professionals will I require?
Moving your kitchen is a complex job that will involve many different tasks. You will need an experienced and licensed plumber to carry out a range of plumbing and drainage works for you, as well as a plasterer and painter and decorator to repair the walls. You may also need an electrician during the renovation.
Plumber
Plumbing and drainage is obviously a crucial area to be done correctly. Depending on the location of the new kitchen from the pipes available, this can affect the costs proportionally; the further the pipes are from the would-be kitchen, the more time and effort required, incurring a cost increase in accordance.
Given the crucial requirement of good quality plumbing for a kitchen, you may wish to discuss the options available for the pipes and receive multiple quotations from plumbers.
Electrician
Similarly, electrical work requires good quality work, albeit as a safety and functional concern. Depending on the room for the new kitchen, there may be fewer major changes if there are already electrical sockets in the room - which may already be sufficient for your requirements as is, or require modifications/relocations for the new kitchen fittings or some additional sockets installed.
For rooms without existing electrical options however, there is a greater likelihood of the additional expense of these major electrical additions.
Gas Safe Engineer
If you currently use gas in your kitchen, or intend to in the new kitchen location, the work to allow this will require a gas safe engineer also – which could be quite costly to have done professionally and safely, as this would likely be quite difficult work.
If you currently use gas but think you could switch to electric appliances instead, this may bring the cost down for the kitchen’s relocation. Discussing the approximate costs with a Gas Safety engineer can help determine if retaining the gas options are worthwhile for you.
Anything else I need to think about?
Depending on the relocation of your kitchen, if changes are significant enough, this may include work involving the walls or floors. Wall or floor work will generally be additional difficulty and effort for the tradespeople to complete, so the cost will likely increase proportionally to this, unfortunately.
Discussing the possible wall or floor changes in the quotation stage will clarify the likelihood of any changes being required and the approximate costs involved. This is particularly worthwhile in the event that the work may end up being required unexpectedly, during the relocation stages and you can be aware of the potential price increase that would be incurred.
Another important factor involved in the changes to the former and future kitchens will be the scale of the rooms – the larger the room will be, the more expensive it will be to fit as a new kitchen or renovate to another type of room accordingly.
With additional material required for larger rooms, you should discuss altered costs involved for the changes.
It is also worth comparing the companies and tradespeople that would be involved. Being aware of the price differences between the work involved and the options that are available, particularly for kitchen fitters who may have vastly different kitchen fittings to choose from.
While the prices between different companies and tradespeople may be distinct, consider that they will likely vary in terms of the quality of work or quality of materials. It can be hard to judge these factors, so the best advice would be to get multiple quotations to compare them as best you can.
Relocating a kitchen often involves moving a window or door, so it could be the case that extra hands may be required on site on particular days. You will want to consider all of these additional tasks when you are costing the work, because the additional tradesmen will increase the final costs of the job.
Do I require planning permission?
You may find that you need planning permission to relocate your kitchen and there may be specific building regulations that you need to follow. Contact your local council for further information before you carry out any work.
Moving a kitchen is a complicated job that involves a lot of work, many different tasks and the involvement of a number of different tradesmen, so it is probably not a job that you would want to carry out yourself.
During the relocation of your kitchen you may find that: there is additional repair work needed for the walls or floor, extra pipework needs to be laid by your plumber, your electrician is needed for unexpected wiring works or more carpentry is required from your carpenter than you first expected. All of these extra jobs will affect the final cost of the work.
Kitchen Relocation Prices
The average cost of moving a kitchen is around £14,000 - £19,000, dependant on the amount of work involved.
Your builder will usually work at a cost of around £150 per day.
Below are some estimated costs of hiring a specialist to move a kitchen to another part of the house, done to a sufficiently safe and regulated standard.
| Description | Avg. Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Small kitchen relocation incl. sink and drainage | £14,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| Medium kitchen incl. electical changes, sink and drainage | £16,000 | 2-4 weeks |
| Larger kitchen with significant wall/floor work, electrical changes, sink and drainage | £19,000 | 3-5 weeks |
Cost Breakdown Calculator for moving a kitchen
Individual costs of moving a kitchen within a property - Total Cost: £16,000
