How Much Does It Cost To Fit a Washing Machine or Dishwasher?
Cost to Fit a Washing Machine or Dishwasher
| job | Description | labour |
| 1 | To unpack and fit a new machine into the existing space where your old machine used to be. | £35 |
| 2 | To do the above plus dump your old machine. | £75 |
| 3 | For a sparks to fit a new socket, assuming there is a reasonably close electrical supply, with no plastering involved. Half a day | £100 |
| 4 | For a local plumber, (not AAAAAARDVARK KWIKIE PLUMB), to make totally new hot and cold supply connections, fit a waste pipe to an outside gully, remove the packaging and transit bolts and fit the machine in position ready for use, you are looking at a days work, plus materials. | £225 |
| 5 | To remove an existing kitchen cabinet, create a space for a machine, fit the water and wastes, unpack and fit the new machine as above. One and a half days plus materials etc. | £350 |
Information Sheet on Fitting a Washing Machine or Dishwasher
You must have just moved into a little old lady’s house (God rest her soul) and you want to fit your machine NOW. The new kitchen isn’t being fitted for three months and there’s no way you are going to the laundrette for that time.
(That scenario is the only one I can think of to explain why a kitchen today hasn’t already got machine connections). Unless – there is a gaping great hole left by the last person’s dishwasher or washing machine, with the relevant connections, and your husband has got that “you’ve come to the wrong man” look in his eyes. In that case, any builder, plumber, competent thirteen year old child will charge you to screw the taps on, shove the pipe into the waste and push it in under the worktop.
Aaaah, so that’s how it’s done!
For new connections, you will need a plumber. He will want to know if you want a hot connection as well as cold. Most machines will work off cold only because they heat the water themselves but as they use “on peak” electricity that’s expensive, especially when you have a hot water cylinder full of hot water upstairs in the bathroom, or better still a “combi” boiler. You will also need a drain reasonably close by, outside.
He may need to come and have a look first, he will tell you the place which is best for him. If you are changing the kitchen anyway soon, let him put it there. It will keep him happy. If not, put it where you want it. It will cost more but you are the one using it for the next ten years.
He will connect into the sink’s hot and cold supplies in one of 2 ways. Either feed the machine’s flexible red and blue supply pipes to a connection position he will make under the sink. Or, extend the under sink pipework to a point outside the cabinet and connect the flexible pipes at a convenient position, which will probably be behind the machine. Sometimes, all this is a lot easier said than done!
He may also need to fix a “stand pipe” to the inside wall, usually behind the machine somewhere. This is a standard fitting with a “U” bend in it, usually at the bottom, into which the machines “drain pipe” fits. From this he will have to drill through the wall and fit a waste pipe to the nearest drain. If he uses a diamond drill this will leave a clean hole on the outside. If not, there will be some making good to do. Make sure he does!
When you get your new swish sink, this will probably come with a connection or connections for machine wastes, so the standpipe will then be redundant, but you need it now.
You will also need an electrical socket. Legally in a kitchen, this can only be fitted by someone who is a member if an electrical “competent scheme”. The plumber is very unlikely to be! You decide.
If you are replacing a broken machine, the job is far simpler, as everything is there for you. Washing machines are heavy as they incorporate a dirty great block of concrete in the top for stability. If at all possible, get the delivery blokes to fit it, or at least get it into the kitchen for you. Who by the way is carting away the old one?
Did you notice that no matter how hard anyone tries, no matter what lengths they go to, to remove all the water from the old machine, it waits until you are passing through your nice hallway then empties about half a gallon of putrid vileness all over the carpet? No, then you haven’t tried to get one out of the house yet, have you?
New machines also have transit bolts fitted. These keep the drum steady on the van and must be removed before use.
If you are adding a dishwasher possibly alongside an existing washing machine, the hot and cold supplies can easily have a simple “T” fitting added, so no problem there. You will however require an additional stand pipe. Hopefully this can be connected to the same pipe going through the wall as no one wants to drill another blessed hole.
FAQs 'traffic light' guide
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What's easy about this job…
Open or CloseEverything except lifting the darn things!
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What's tricky about this job…
Open or CloseNot scratching your floor when moving these things into position.
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