The Short Answer
If you're replacing a washing machine like for like, the cheapest route is the retailer's own installation: Currys and AO both charged £30 when we checked in October 2026, but only on the day they deliver. A local installer charges about £50 to £100 on our estimates.
The price jumps when there's no water supply, waste or socket where you want the machine. New connections can cost £300 to £750 and take a day.
Installation prices
| Job | Typical cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Freestanding, existing connections | £50 to £100 | 1 to 2 hours |
| Integrated (behind a cupboard door) | £75 to £130 | 2 to 3 hours |
| With some extra plumbing or electrical work | £150 to £350 | 3 to 6 hours |
| New water, waste and electrical connections | £300 to £750 | a day |
| Retailer service (with delivery only) | Price |
|---|---|
| Currys: washing machine or washer dryer | £30 |
| Currys: integrated washing machine | £115 |
| Currys: dishwasher | £30 |
| Currys: integrated dishwasher | £115 |
| AO: washing machine or washer dryer | £30 |
| Currys: recycling the old machine | £25 |
Retailer installation: what you get
Both big retailers only install on the day they deliver. Currys says it will disconnect the old appliance, unbox and set up the new one, connect it to the water supply, check the connections are safe, test it and take the packaging away. AO's service connects the machine to the water supply, plugs it into a standard socket and runs a test cycle. With AO, disconnecting the old machine is a separate service you pick in the basket.
Before they come, make sure:
- there's a socket close by: within 1 metre for AO, and water and electricity within 1.5m for Currys;
- there's a cold water supply and a waste connection nearby;
- you have a Y piece if the washing machine and dishwasher share one cold supply (AO's advice);
- the old machine is out of the way if you haven't paid for disconnection, and there's clear access.
What the retailers won't do
AO lists the jobs its installers can't take on. They won't:
- hardwire a machine, or install it without a socket in reach;
- swap an integrated machine for a freestanding one;
- install if there's a problem with your plumbing, or make any changes to it;
- install in a bathroom, or on top of another appliance;
- fit vented tumble dryers or stacking kits.
Any of those means booking your own installer. Retailer services are for like-for-like swaps; if you need extra pipework or a new socket, have no machine now, or want it in a different spot, get a professional.
Plumbing in a machine for the first time
A machine in a new spot needs the things AO lists: a cold water supply, a waste connection and a socket nearby. Putting those in is where the bill climbs to £150 to £350 or more. I'd use a plumber for the pipework and an electrician for any new socket.
I'd get the plumbing done before the new machine is delivered, so the retailer's fitter can connect it on the day. See plumber rates and new sockets.
Integrated machines
An integrated washing machine or dishwasher sits behind a kitchen cupboard door. Fitting one costs more than a freestanding machine and takes 2 to 3 hours, on our estimates. Currys charged £115 for an integrated washing machine with delivery. Planning a whole new kitchen? See kitchen renovation.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to have a washing machine installed?
With delivery, Currys and AO charged £30 when we checked. A local installer charges about £50 to £100 on our estimates, more if new plumbing is needed.
Can a handyman plumb in a washing machine?
A straight swap, where the water supply, waste and socket are already there, is a simple connection. Get a professional if extra pipework or a new socket is needed, or the machine is going somewhere new.
How long does it take to install a washing machine?
About 1 to 2 hours for a straight swap, 2 to 3 hours for an integrated machine, and up to a day if new connections are needed.
Will the retailer take my old washing machine away?
Usually, for a fee: Currys charged £25 to recycle one when we checked. AO's disconnection is a separate service you choose in the basket.
How we priced thisView sources (3)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- IndustryAppliance delivery, installation and recycling pricing, Currys. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- IndustryHome installation, Currys. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- IndustryFreestanding laundry installation, AO. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
