Fit a cooker hood in your kitchen
This kind of job takes around 4 hours for a standard cooker hood installation from new including the wiring and ducting but it can be more or less depending on how complicated the job becomes. The average hourly rate of an electrician is £34 per hour in the UK and a standard cooker hood costs approximately £100. So with call out and VAT you are looking to pay around £250 for cooker hood installation.
What is a cooker hood?
Having a cooker hood fitted in your kitchen is essential to remove steam, grease and fumes associated with cooking. Cooking is responsible for air pollution in your home. Burning gas creates fumes you don’t see and cooking creates water vapour, smoke, grease, and odours that are difficult to get rid of if you cannot ventilate the room naturally. Extracting waste gas including CO2 from your living areas using a cooker hood will keep you home safer and more comfortable. With a lot of homes adopting an open plan living area the cooker hood has become an essential feature of our kitchens.
The best way to extract fumes is to have a cooker hood installed directly over the stove so that it will extract all the air from cooking at source. The type and price of cooker hoods vary and you need to make sure you get the right hood for your kitchen. The types include chimney, canopy, integrated, visor, island, ceiling, downdraft and integrated in the hob itself, so there are plenty to choose from.
Cooker hoods operate in two ways, ducted to vent outside or ductless that recirculate the air. Ductless hoods use a filter to “clean” the air. If you have a gas stove you have to use a ducted system but if you have an electric hob you can use a ductless hood if a ducted system is not possible. The recommendation by most kitchen fitters and electricians is to get a ducted system because they are safer and more efficient and you don't need to change carbon filters periodically. On the downside they take longer to install and cost more to fit. Be sure to find a cooker hood that will compliment your kitchen.
How much does it cost to fit a cooker hood?
To fit a new cooker hood in your home you will need to hire a qualified electrician to install it correctly. If it's a straight swap or you already have the plug socket (power) and ducting in place you could maybe fit it yourself. But with any new electrical appliance in your home it is a good idea to make sure you have fitted it correctly. Completely new cooker hood installations and major modifications will require the hiring electrician to provide power and certify the installation.
The installation of a new cooker hood should not take an electrician longer than 4 hours to fit depending on access, the complexity of the wiring and the amount of ducting required to vent outside. This would be a basic installation with no issues, be prepared to pay more for more complicated installations like ceiling and island hoods.
The average rate for an electrician is £34 an hour so expect to pay around £150 including VAT if registered. Buying a cooker hood can be daunting with so many options out there, consulting the electrician about brands and suitability would be advised before you make a purchase.
How much do cooker hoods cost?
Cooker hoods for your home vary in price depending on materials used, the quality and noise of the fans, the features and design. You will also have to add on the price of the ducting and extra materials associated with powering the cooker hood. Which type of hood will also affect the price.
Ductless or recirculating hoods will not require ducting and less complicated hoods like visor hoods seem to be cheaper. Some visor hood manufacturers also have the option to choose to recirculate or extract air using the same product depending on your kitchen layout and type of stove.
Below is a guide to cooker hood prices, excluding commercial hoods which are more expensive.
Cost of visor cooker hood
Budget price: £35
Highest rated price: £149
Visor hoods appear to be the cheapest of all the hoods on the market. They are simple to install and are the most common type of recirculating hood. All sounds very appealing but they are also the least efficient and if not cared for correctly (ie change the filter) they can add to your electricity bill and your cooking area will not be properly ventilated.
Cost of chimney cooker hood
Budget price: £50
Highest rated price: £200
Chimney cooker hoods are the most popular type of extractor to vent outside. They are more efficient, consume less electricity and have higher extraction rates than most others. They are more difficult to install than recirculating hoods because of the additional ducting required to vent outside so will take the electrician or kitchen fitter longer to install.
Cost of integrated cooker hood
Budget price: £80
Highest rated price: £150
If you are purchasing the cooker hood as part of a new kitchen you will more than likely be offered an integrated hood that is built into the units. When you pull the handle on the unit you activate the hood. Aesthetically they work well with the other kitchen units and like the visor hoods they either vent externally or recirculate the air.
Cost of island cooker hood
Budget price: £200
Highest rated price: £700
Island cooker hoods are not the cheapest option but if you are using your kitchen island for cooking you will need to purchase one of these or a ceiling hood. They are the most efficient cooker hoods with powerful fans suitable for extracting air from larger kitchens and living areas.
Cost of ceiling hood
Budget price: £160
Highest rated price: £890
Ceiling cooker hoods are the most efficient and expensive cooker hoods on the market. The minimalist design coupled with discrete installation makes them a popular choice. They are only suitable if access to the ceiling cavity is possible because ducting is required to run to the wall and outside. They are particularly popular with open plan kitchens with cooker islands where island cooker hoods obstruct the view.
Hiring an electrician to fit a cooker hood
If you need a cooker hood fitted in your kitchen, post your job on HaMuch to local electricians and see their rates so you get the electrician who matches your budget. Get quotes from a couple of electricians listed so you know how much you have to pay in your area.