Appliance installation - what "free" does not include

What is appliance installation?

Retailer "free installation" usually means uncrating the appliance, sliding it into an existing opening, and connecting it to services that are already there, already compliant, and already accessible. The exclusions are the interesting part: haul-away, new hoses and connectors, gas work, altering a cabinet opening, and anything electrical beyond an existing outlet. Establish them before delivery day, not during it.

Signs you need appliance installation

• The delivery confirmation says "hookup where existing connections permit"
• The new range or dryer is a different fuel type from the one it replaces
• The appliance has to come through a doorway narrower than it is
• The dishwasher space has no dedicated shutoff you can reach, or no obvious drain arrangement
• The laundry outlet does not match the plug on the new dryer

Seeing something not on this list? Browse appliance repair problems by symptom →

How appliance installation actually works

1. 1

   Measure the opening, and then measure the route to it

   Two measurements matter and people usually take one. The opening - width, depth including door swing and handle, and height including levelling feet. And the path - front door, hallway turns, stair widths, kitchen door casing. An appliance that fits the space perfectly and cannot reach it is the most avoidable delivery-day failure there is.

   Watch forCountertop overhang and cabinet stiles that shave a critical fraction of an inch off a nominal opening. Measure the actual gap.

2. 2

   Confirming what the delivery team is contracted to do

   Retail installation is fulfilled by a delivery crew working from a job sheet, and their remit is narrow. Ask specifically about haul-away of the old appliance, whether new hoses, cords and connectors are supplied, and whether they may touch gas at all. Crews decline work outside their remit, and they are right to.

   Watch forAssuming the crew will reuse your existing hoses and cords. Many are instructed to install new ones only, and if you have not bought them the appliance stays unconnected.

3. 3

   Electrical - 240 volts, cords and dedicated circuits

   Ranges and electric dryers run on 240-volt circuits, and dryer cords come in three-prong and four-prong versions - the appliance often ships with no cord so the right one can be fitted. Where a circuit does not exist or an outlet needs replacing, that is licensed work and must happen before delivery. See electrical services.

   Watch forDiscovering an outlet and plug mismatch with the crew standing in your kitchen. Photograph your existing outlet and check it against the new appliance's requirement when you order.

4. 4

   Gas, water and drain connections

   Gas appliances need a shutoff at the appliance, an approved flexible connector and a leak check, and in many jurisdictions only a licensed fitter may make that connection. Water-fed appliances need a serviceable shutoff, a sound supply line, and for a dishwasher an air gap or a secured high loop. See plumbing services.

   Watch forA shutoff valve that has not been turned in years. They frequently will not close, or will not reseal afterwards, and finding out on delivery day turns an installation into an emergency.

5. 5

   Anti-tip brackets, levelling and securing

   A freestanding range must be secured with an anti-tip bracket - a safety device that ships with the appliance and fixes to the floor or the wall behind. Dishwashers are fastened to the countertop or adjacent cabinets so they do not tip when the loaded door opens. Front-loading washers need transit bolts out and all four feet firm. None of this is optional finishing, and everything should be run and leak-checked before the crew drives away.

   Watch forA range slid into place with the bracket still in the box, or a delivery note signed before anything has been run. Once the crew has gone, an installation defect becomes a scheduling problem.

What does appliance installation cost?

Basic hookup is often bundled with the purchase where the connections already exist. Extras - haul-away, new lines and cords, gas connection, an added circuit, or altering a cabinet opening - are charged separately and are frequently the larger number. Get every exclusion priced before delivery day rather than on it.

See the full appliance installation cost guide - by material, size and region →

If the number is the problem, here are the ways people pay for it →