The essentials in 1 minute
- The electrical and plumbing plan belongs after the kitchen concept and before the electrician, never the other way round.
- In a new build the plan must be ready 6 to 10 weeks before the screed: after that every connection is fixed.
- Afterwards a wall connection costs €800 to €2,000, an island connection through the screed €3,000 to €10,000.
- At Kolev the plan is part of the architect’s planning and costs nothing extra.
- The specialist firm does the final connection and the testing. These costs are down to the client.
Rusi KolevArchitect & Founder
Real Estate Economist (ebs)
Questions in this guide 13
Why the plan comes before the electrician
A kitchen electrical and plumbing plan fixes three values for every connection: the position to the centimetre, the height above the finished floor level (FFL) and the circuit protection. All three come from the kitchen concept: only once the hob, sink, dishwasher, island and worktop height are settled does anyone know where the socket belongs. That is why the order in a new build is fixed: kitchen concept, electrical and plumbing plan, first-fix installation, then plaster and screed. After that the plan is set in stone: a cooker connection point 40 cm too far to the left means chasing, a new cable, plastering and decorating. In an existing property the same applies, except that there the electrician usually takes over the positions of the old kitchen.
Which connections a kitchen needs
A kitchen with an island has 12 to 18 connection points, without an island 9 to 12. Each has a position, a height and a circuit protection. The table is the checklist for the electrician and the plumber; the heights assume a 90 cm worktop height, and at a different height the splashback sockets move with it. The lighting belongs in the same plan. The lighting layers are explained in planning kitchen lighting.
| Connection point | Position | Circuit protection / cable | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hob (induction) | Cooker connection point, concealed behind the hob base unit, 30 to 50 cm above FFL | 400 V, 5 x 2.5 mm², 3 x 16 A, own circuit | Point behind the dishwasher instead of behind the hob unit |
| Oven / steam oven | Socket in the neighbouring unit or to the side of the recess, never centred behind the appliance | 230 V, 16 A, own circuit | Socket centred in the recess, so the appliance sits 3 cm proud |
| Downdraught extractor (BORA, Elica) | 400 V like the hob, and depending on the system 230 V for the fan unit in the base unit; on a wall run the extracted air passes through the roughly 10 cm plinth void under the carcasses to the external wall, with no duct needed in the screed; in a free-standing island a floor duct before the screed, or recirculation with a plasma filter | 230 V, 16 A | No floor duct provided in the island, so extraction is then only possible as recirculation |
| Sink | Isolating valves hot/cold at 50 to 60 cm, DN 50 waste at 40 to 50 cm above FFL | 1/2 inch; fall of 1 to 2 cm per metre | Waste at 60 cm, so the trap does not fit under the bowl |
| Quooker (boiling-water tap) | Socket in the sink unit for the reservoir, a second socket for the CUBE; without the CUBE one is enough | 230 V, 16 A, may share a circuit | Only one socket fitted, so the CUBE can later only be connected via Quooker’s load switch |
| Dishwasher | Socket and combined isolating valve in the sink unit, waste via the trap | 230 V, 16 A, own circuit | Socket behind the dishwasher, so the appliance does not fit in the recess |
| Fridge/freezer | Socket above the recess or in the neighbouring unit; 200 cm² in the plinth for air in and out | 230 V, 16 A, own circuit | Socket behind the appliance, no plinth ventilation |
| Worktop sockets | Lower edge 10 to 15 cm above the worktop, 30 cm to the side of the bowl | 230 V, RCD 30 mA, 2 circuits | 2 sockets for the whole run, one of them behind the coffee machine |
| Island | M32 conduits in the screed, outlet within the carcass footprint, 15 cm from the outer edge | 400 V hob plus 230 V fan/sockets; waste only with a fall in the sub-floor | Outlet in the walkway instead of under the carcass, so the island shifts 20 cm |
| Lighting | Switched cable to the 24 V driver in the wall unit or tall unit; ceiling outlet on the island’s axis | 230 V, switched cable, dimmable | Ceiling outlet in the middle of the room, so the pendant hangs 40 cm to the side of the island |
Positioning the sockets correctly
Modern kitchen sockets sit where the appliances will stand, not where the electrician had room: at least six above the worktop, on two circuits, lower edge 10 to 15 cm above the worktop. We fit them in groups of three at the coffee machine and the blender, and keep the strip behind the hob and 30 cm beside the bowl clear. With a ceramic or glass splashback, the 68 mm cut-outs must be fixed before the panel is cut: done afterwards it means diamond core drilling with a risk of cracking. Alternatives: a socket strip under the wall unit (Evoline), a pop-up socket set into the island top, a USB-C module where the tablet lies. An honest word on the strip: you see it from the side, and its cable has to be in place before the plaster.
High-power supply and circuit protection: who does what
The hob runs on 400 V with 3 x 16 A and 5 x 2.5 mm². The oven, dishwasher and fridge each get their own 230 V circuit with 16 A, and every socket runs through a 30 mA residual-current device (RCD) (DIN VDE 0100-410). A kitchen with an island therefore needs 7 to 9 circuits. In an old consumer unit with 12 ways the electrician sizes up the board at the same time. The division of labour is clear: we provide the plan with every point, every height and every circuit protection, and during installation we prepare the appliances, the cooker connection cable and the water hoses. The final connection at the cooker connection point and the isolating valves, and the testing to DIN VDE 0100-600, is done by the registered electrical and plumbing contractor. Electrical and plumbing work is reserved for these firms, and in the event of a claim the insurer asks precisely about that.
The mistake almost everyone makes
The commonest mistake with a kitchen electrical plan is the order, mistake number 5 in our 12 Kitchen-Buying Mistakes guide: the electrician has already been, the points sit according to the developer’s standard plan, and the kitchen is planned around the points. It always looks the same: the cooker connection point behind the dishwasher, the sink connections 80 cm from the window, the sockets exactly where the wall unit ends. The result is either a layout that bends to the electrician, or makeshift fixes that stay for 20 years: a 5 cm bundle of cables behind the carcass, a surface-mounted cable in the plinth, a cover panel in front of the wrong point. The standard plan itself, 5 sockets, the cooker connection centred, water on the internal wall, fits no kitchen that anyone has actually planned.
What it costs
At Kolev the electrical and plumbing plan costs nothing extra: it is part of the architect’s planning, worth €5,000, which is included in the first offer, and it goes directly to the developer, the electrician and the plumber, agreed before anyone cuts a single chase. The figures below are ones you will hopefully never pay: they only show what it costs to move or add a connection afterwards, once the flat is finished. That is expensive not because of the electrician but because of the trades that follow: chasing, plastering, decorating, flooring. A wall connection with a chase, cable, plaster and decorating then costs €800 to €2,000, an island connection through finished screed and floor covering €3,000 to €10,000, plus 2 to 4 weeks of delay. None of this is a line item from us. We plan precisely so that these costs never arise in the first place. Where the floor is still open, we therefore agree the plan before the screed in every project, because once the underfloor heating is in, no cable reaches the island any more: drilling between the heating pipes with a thermal camera only works in theory. What stays with the client’s own trades and appears in no kitchen offer: dry lining, chases, screed and the hours of the electrician and the plumber. A kitchen at Kolev starts from €14,999 incl. VAT, including planning, delivery and installation; the plan for the trades is included, the trades themselves are not.
How we do it at Kolev
At Kolev the electrical and plumbing plan is drawn after the video offer and before the workshop drawings: every connection point dimensioned, every height above FFL, every circuit protection. It goes directly to the developer, the electrician and the plumber. We agree it before anyone cuts a chase: in a new build an appointment with the site manager before first-fix installation, in an existing property a comparison with the electrician against the existing consumer unit. The positions come from the 3D site survey, planned to the millimetre. If the screed is already down in an existing property, we plan the island around the existing outlet, not the outlet around the island. During installation we prepare the appliances, the cooker connection cable and the water hoses. The final connection is done by your specialist contractor, and if you do not have one, we can name one from the Rhine-Main region.
I have learned myself how much depends on this coordination: about three years ago, in one project, the dishwasher moved to the other side of the sink. I sent new drawings and relied on the feedback that everything had been done. On installation day the connections were still in the old place, so we built a 6 cm deep false wall with the pipes running behind it and the wall units hanging on it: 6 cm less room depth, but no chasing and no plastering, and for us one more day on site. That was my mistake. I should have checked the connections myself before the installation.
Frequently asked questions
When does the kitchen electrical plan need to be ready?
Before first-fix installation, so in a new build 6 to 10 weeks before the screed. The kitchen planning therefore begins in the floor-plan phase of the house, not after the move-in date. With us the plan is drawn as part of the architect’s planning and goes directly to the site manager, the electrician and the plumber, agreed before first-fix installation. In an existing property the plan is enough before the electrician’s appointment, so 4 to 6 weeks before installation.
How many sockets does a kitchen need?
At least six above the worktop on two circuits, plus a dedicated socket on its own circuit for the oven, the dishwasher and the fridge, and the 400 V cooker connection point. A kitchen with an island thus comes to 12 to 18 connection points. An additional socket costs €40 to €80 at the shell stage, and afterwards, with chasing and decorating, ten times that.
Do I need connections in the floor for a kitchen island?
Yes, always for power, and for a sink only if the waste can run with a fall in the sub-floor. The hob and the downdraught extractor (a hob extractor) need 400 V and 230 V in conduit. How the extraction duct reaches the floor is covered in downdraught extractor, ceiling extractor or hood. The island’s dimensions, from 120 x 80 cm with 100 to 120 cm of walkway, are explained in planning a kitchen island.
Does Kolev connect the kitchen to power and water?
No, and that belongs in no kitchen offer either: electrical and plumbing work is reserved for registered specialist firms. We provide the plan, prepare the appliances, the cooker connection cable and the water hoses during installation, and agree the positions with your electrician and plumber. The final connection and the testing are done by the specialist firm. These costs are down to the client’s own trades.
Where does the cooker connection go?
Concealed behind the hob base unit, 30 to 50 cm above the finished floor, never behind the dishwasher or the oven. For an island it comes up as a conduit out of the screed, within the carcass footprint. The electrician runs the 5 x 2.5 mm² cable and connects the hob, not the kitchen fitter.
Next step: the first consultation
If your electrician is coming in the next few weeks and it is still open where the connections, sockets and high-power supply have to go, then let’s talk now, not after the screed. In the first consultation we look at your floor plan, your construction schedule and your budget, directly with the architect, 45 to 60 minutes, for Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region.
And a piece of advice no kitchen studio likes to give: get three offers and check who agrees the electrical and plumbing plan with your electrician before first-fix installation. We are one of them.