Appliance installation cost

Installing a kitchen appliance costs $100 to $600, typically around $250. A dishwasher swapped into an existing space is at the bottom. A built-in wall oven, or anything needing a new circuit or a gas line, is at the top.

Retailers frequently include basic installation with a purchase and exclude exactly the things that cost money. It is worth knowing which is which before delivery day.

What it costs

What "free installation" usually excludes

Retailer installation typically covers connecting an appliance to existing, working, code-compliant connections in an opening that already fits. Everything below is normally extra, and it is normally discovered by the delivery crew:

• Any electrical work, including a new outlet or circuit
• Any gas work, including a new shut-off valve
• Cutting or modifying cabinets or countertops
• New water supply lines, and often even replacing an old one
• Ducting a hood or microwave to the outside
• Hauling the old appliance away, sometimes
• Anything at all if the crew judges the existing connection unsafe

That last one strands more deliveries than anything else. A gas range delivered to a kitchen with a corroded shut-off valve gets left in the box, because the crew is not permitted to touch it.

Measure before you buy

The single most common expensive mistake is an appliance that does not fit.

Width, depth and height of the opening, and the depth including the door handle if it is a fridge. Counter-depth and standard-depth refrigerators differ by five inches and it shows.

The path in. Doorways, corners, stairs. Fridges frequently need their doors removed to get through a 30 inch doorway.

Slide-in versus freestanding ranges are not interchangeable. A slide-in has no finished sides and overlaps the countertop; a freestanding has a back panel with controls. Swapping one for the other usually needs a filler strip or a countertop cut.

Wall ovens are the worst offenders. Cabinet cutout dimensions vary between manufacturers and a replacement often needs the cabinet modified, which is joinery, not appliance fitting.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install a dishwasher myself?

Into an existing space with existing connections, it is a realistic job: water supply, drain to the disposal or a standpipe, and a power connection. The two things people get wrong are forgetting the high loop or air gap on the drain hose, which lets waste water siphon back, and not leveling it, which makes the door drop.

Do I need a permit?

For a like-for-like swap, no. For a new circuit, a new gas line, or new ducting, yes in most jurisdictions.

Is an over-the-range microwave a good range hood?

It is a compromise. Recirculating models filter and blow the air back into the room, which does nothing for steam and grease. Ducted models are much better but are still low-powered compared with a proper hood, and they sit too close to the hob for a serious cooktop. If you cook a lot, a dedicated ducted hood is the upgrade.

Why does my new range not sit flush with the counter?

Slide-in ranges are designed to overlap the countertop by a small amount and need the counter cut precisely. If it was a freestanding range before, there is often a gap at the back. Filler strips or a small counter modification fix it.

Should I buy the extended warranty?

Generally no. Appliance repair costs are usually below the warranty price over the period, and many card issuers already extend the manufacturer's warranty. The exception is a high-end built-in unit where a single service call is expensive and the appliance is not easily removed.