Kitchen sink installation cost

Installing a kitchen sink costs $300 to $1,500 including the sink, typically around $650. Labor alone is $200 to $600. What moves it is the mounting style and whether the countertop has to be cut.

An undermount sink in an existing stone countertop is a different job from dropping a top-mount into an existing hole, and the price reflects it.

What it costs

The three mounting styles

Top-mount, or drop-in, has a rim that sits on the countertop. Cheapest to buy and fit, works with any countertop including laminate, and the rim collects crumbs and grime along its edge. It is the only option on laminate.

Undermount fixes beneath the countertop, so the worktop edge runs straight into the bowl and you can sweep crumbs in. It needs a solid-surface countertop — stone, quartz or solid surface — because the cut edge is exposed and laminate would swell.

Apron front, or farmhouse, replaces the front of the cabinet with the sink face. It looks excellent, it is heavy, and it needs the cabinet modified and usually reinforced. It is a cabinetry job as much as a plumbing one, which is why it costs three times a drop-in.

Material, honestly

Stainless steel is the default for good reasons: light, cheap, will not chip, and survives a dropped pan. Gauge matters — 16 or 18 gauge feels solid, 22 gauge drums and dents. Sound-deadening pads underneath are the difference between a sink that booms and one that does not.

Fireclay is beautiful, extremely hard-wearing on the surface, and heavy enough to need support. It will chip a dropped wine glass every time.

Cast iron with enamel is the traditional heavy option. Chips at the drain over decades and the enamel can be repaired.

Composite granite resists scratching and heat well, comes in colors other than silver, and shows limescale in hard water.

Copper patinates and needs specific cleaning. Lovely and a commitment.

Single bowl or double

Single bowl has become the default in new kitchens, and there is a reason: you can lay a full-size baking sheet flat in it. That is a genuine daily convenience.

Double bowl suits a household that hand-washes a lot, where one side is wash and one is rinse, or where a disposal on one side keeps the other free. In a small kitchen a double bowl means two bowls too small to be useful.

If you have a dishwasher, single bowl is usually the better choice.

Frequently asked questions

Can I fit a sink myself?

A like-for-like top-mount swap is realistic: disconnect, unclip, silicone, drop in, reconnect. Undermount is not a DIY job because it is clipped and glued to the underside of stone with the sink held up from below while the adhesive cures. Apron front is cabinetry.

Can I change from top-mount to undermount?

Only if the countertop is stone, quartz or solid surface, and the cut edge will need polishing, which usually means a fabricator on site for $300 to $900. On laminate it is not possible.

Do I need a new faucet at the same time?

Not necessarily, but the hole spacing may differ and the old one is already disconnected. Fitting it during the same visit costs $120 to $300 in labor rather than a second call-out.

What size sink fits my cabinet?

The rule is sink width plus about 3 inches. A 33 inch sink needs a 36 inch cabinet. Measure the cabinet interior, not the countertop cutout, before ordering anything.

Why does my sink smell?

Almost always the disposal or the trap. Run the disposal with cold water and ice, clean the splash guard, and if that fails the trap may be dry or partly blocked. A smell that persists after both is a venting problem and worth a plumber.