What this job involves and what it costs
Cooker, oven and hob installation: straightforward replacements from £80/hour or fixed written quotes for new circuits, cabling or consumer unit upgrades. Serving Maidstone and surrounding areas, including nearby towns and villages. Work complies with Part P, includes appropriate certification where applicable, and we guarantee final bills will not exceed the written quote.
When you need it
- Your kitchen power trips when you switch the cooker or hob on.
-
This usually means the circuit can’t handle the appliance or a dedicated circuit is missing.
-
Your new built-in oven won’t turn on when plugged in where the old socket sits.
-
That often means there’s no suitable dedicated circuit for the oven.
-
You’re getting sparks, burning smells or the RCD trips when you change cooker position during a kitchen refit.
-
That typically indicates wiring is being disturbed or not correctly isolated.
-
You notice scorch marks, melted insulation or the area around cables feels hot.
-
This usually shows heat damage or poor connections that need replacing.
-
Your wiring looks old, with rubber insulation that’s cracked or cloth-covered cables exposed.
-
That commonly means the cables are aged (VIR or similar) and should be upgraded.
-
You’ve got aluminium-sheathed cable or non-standard old wiring visible in the kitchen.
-
That often requires special handling because aluminium and old systems can be unsafe.
-
You can’t find a switch or breaker that isolates the cooker, or the cooker control doesn’t seem to be rated for the appliance.
-
That generally means the isolation or control isn’t suitable and may need replacing or relabelling.
-
Your lights dim or flicker when you put the kettle on at the same time as the cooker.
-
This usually points to the supply capacity being marginal or shared circuits causing voltage drop.
-
You’re unsure whether the fuseboard labelling and isolation points match what’s actually in the kitchen now.
-
That often means consumer unit labels or safety signage are out of date and need updating.
-
You’re in a listed or period property and worried about damage from new wiring routes.
- That usually means routes must be carefully planned to minimise disturbance while meeting safety rules.
What it costs in Maidstone
In Maidstone we quote cooker, oven and hob installations per job after a free survey, with a fixed written price provided before work starts. Prices below show typical charges and what’s included.
| Job | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Installation (cooker/oven/hob) | Quoted per job after a free survey | Fixed written price, VAT, parts, labour, testing and certification as required for the agreed scope |
| Labour (where applicable) | £80 per hour | Skilled labour for installation and any on-site work billed hourly |
| Consumer unit replacement | £500–£700 | Supply and fit of new consumer unit, testing and certification |
| Partial circuit/rewire (where circuit upgrade required) | £1,200–£3,000 | Necessary safety and compliance wiring upgrades identified in survey |
Quotes exclude plastering, decorating, asbestos removal, DNO supply-upgrade charges, and scaffold or access equipment.
What is involved on the day
On the day, we’ll survey the existing circuit, confirm the appliance requirements and safely isolate the supply before work begins. We’ll install and connect your cooker, oven or hob in line with the manufacturer’s instructions and applicable electrical regulations. We’ll then test the completed work and provide the appropriate certificate where required.
Survey and isolation
Before fitting a cooker, oven or hob, we’ll survey the appliance location, confirm the circuit, cable size, protective device and local isolation are suitable, and check the manufacturer’s connection requirements. We’ll assess clearances from combustible surfaces, ventilation needs, accessible switching arrangements and the condition of visible cabling and accessories. A socket inspection may be needed where a plug-connected appliance is specified, including polarity, earthing and signs of heat damage.
We’ll carry out supply isolation safely, proving the circuit is dead with appropriate test equipment before any electrical work begins. We’ll identify whether the appliance is supplied by its own circuit or shares a suitable circuit, and check the consumer unit protection is appropriate. In older Maidstone properties, we’ll remain alert to deteriorated rubber, VIR or aluminium wiring.
Installation
Once the circuit has been safely isolated and confirmed suitable, we’ll install the cooker, oven or hob in line with the manufacturer’s instructions and BS 7671 requirements. We’ll position the appliance securely, maintain required clearances from combustible surfaces and guarantee accessible isolation where required.
We’ll use appropriately rated accessories, heat-resistant connections and suitable cable types for the load and installation route. For built-in appliances, we’ll protect cabinetry and avoid damaging surrounding finishes. Hobs are fitted to the worktop cut-out with the manufacturer’s seals and fixing clips, while ovens and cookers are secured within their housing or designated space.
Our safety checks during installation include confirming sound terminations, correct cable support and no strain on connections. We’ll keep the work area tidy and explain any installation limitations before proceeding.
Testing
After installation, we’ll test the circuit and appliance connection to confirm correct polarity, earthing, protective-device operation and safe isolation. This safety verification checks that the cooker, oven or hob is connected correctly and that its supply can disconnect promptly under fault conditions.
We’ll carry out electrical continuity tests on relevant protective conductors and verify insulation resistance where appropriate. At the consumer unit, we’ll confirm the circuit’s protective device is correctly rated and test any RCD protection serving the appliance. We’ll also check the isolation switch operates properly, label controls where needed, and make certain cable entries, terminals and covers are secure.
Finally, we’ll energise the appliance, check its basic functions and look for abnormal operation, heat or odours. If testing identifies an unsafe condition, we won’t leave the installation in service.
Certificate
Provided the work is notifiable under Part P, we’ll issue the appropriate electrical certificate and arrange Building Regulations notification where required. Your documentation confirms that the cooker, oven or hob circuit has been inspected, tested and left safe for use.
For straightforward replacement work, we’ll provide the relevant safety certificate or minor works record where applicable. This identifies the circuit, protective device, test results, installation details and any observations requiring attention. We’ll explain what you’re receiving before we leave, so you know what to retain with your property records.
Keep this compliance documentation safely: it can support future electrical inspections, insurance queries, alterations and a house sale. If testing identifies a fault, inadequate earthing, unsuitable cable or an overloaded circuit, we won’t certify unsafe work. We’ll clearly set out the remedial work needed before commissioning the appliance.
Options and what we recommend
The right installation option depends on the appliance type, its rated load and the condition of your existing circuit. We assess these before recommending a like-for-like connection, a dedicated cooker circuit or circuit alterations. Ceramic vs induction matters: induction often needs higher capacity, while ceramic models may suit an existing supply.
| Appliance choice | Our recommendation |
|---|---|
| Single electric oven | Check dedicated circuit and isolator |
| Ceramic hob | Confirm load and cable condition |
| Induction hob | Assess circuit capacity before fitting |
| Integrated extractor | Verify suitable supply and routing |
For older Maidstone homes, we pay particular attention to ageing cable types and signs of heat damage. We’ll also check that isolators are accessible, connections are correctly enclosed and appliance instructions are followed. Where capacity is uncertain, we recommend investigation first—not an unsafe connection.
Rules and certificates
Although many cooker, oven and hob replacements are straightforward, electrical work may fall under Part P of the Building Regulations and some work is notifiable. We will confirm before starting whether the specific work requires notification. New circuits, consumer unit replacements and electrical work in bathrooms or other special locations can be notifiable under the Building Regulations.
As NICEIC-approved, Part P-registered electricians working within a competent person scheme, we can self-certify eligible work and, where permitted, submit notifications to Building Control on your behalf; however, not all work is eligible for self-certification and Building Control may require an inspection in some cases.
The type of certificate issued depends on the scope of the work. We normally issue an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) for a new circuit or consumer unit, and a Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate for additions or alterations to an existing circuit; you will receive the relevant paperwork after testing so you have a record of the work completed and any safety checks carried out.
Older homes around Maidstone
In Maidstone we often find Victorian terraced homes, particularly in the Tovil and town centre conservation areas, that were wired in the late 19th to early 20th century and can still contain VIR (vulcanised India rubber) or other rubber‑insulated cable installed between about 1880 and the 1930s. When we work on a cooker, oven or hob in these specific Tovil and Maidstone town centre properties we inspect any accessible wiring, the dedicated cooker circuit, protective devices such as fuses or MCBs in the consumer unit, and the earthing and bonding arrangements for that property. In houses of this age and type in Tovil and the town centre we commonly encounter brittle insulation on old cables, undersized conductor runs for modern cookers, period accessories and other historic faults that can make a like‑for‑like replacement unsafe.
In post‑war housing estates built in the 1950s and 1960s in Shepway, Park Wood and Senacre we routinely check for aluminium service and circuit conductors installed during that post‑war boom. When working on cooker connections in those Shepway, Park Wood and Senacre houses we assess whether the existing aluminium conductors have compatible terminals and require the correct joint preparation to reduce the risk of overheating at joints.
When we attend listed buildings or other period properties in Maidstone’s town centre conservation area, the Fremlin Walk vicinity or the older parts of East Farleigh where properties date from the 17th to 19th centuries, we plan cable routes with sensitivity to the fabric of each named building while ensuring compliance with BS 7671 for that specific property. If we identify defects that affect safety in any individual property in Tovil, Maidstone town centre, Shepway, Park Wood, Senacre or the named listed‑building areas, we will explain the remedial work required for that particular property and provide a fixed written price before we proceed.
How long it takes and whether you lose power
Once we’ve confirmed that the existing circuit, earthing and connection point are suitable, a straightforward like-for-like cooker, oven or hob installation will usually take around one to two hours. We isolate the relevant circuit before work begins, so you should expect a short power interruption to the appliance and, in some properties, nearby circuits.
Our outage planning identifies what must be switched off and when, helping you protect chilled food, alarms and essential equipment. We’ll maintain clear customer communication before isolation and explain any change to timeline expectations if we find damaged cable, unsuitable protective devices or signs of overheating. We then complete required tests, verify polarity and earthing, secure connections, and restore supply only when the installation is safe. If wider isolation is needed, we’ll explain why before proceeding and minimise disruption throughout.