Kitchens look like a cabinetry project, but under the benchtops they are a plumbing and gas project, and the sequencing matters as much as the work. Get a plumber involved at design stage, before the cabinet maker locks in positions, and the whole job runs cheaper. Here is what actually happens and when.
Kitchen renovation plumbing tasks and pricing
| Task | What is involved | Price with us |
|---|---|---|
| Disconnect and cap at strip-out | Isolate and cap water, waste and gas so demolition is safe | Quote on inspection |
| Sink staying in place | New tapware and waste connected at fit-off | Quote on inspection |
| Sink moving to a new wall or island | New water and waste rough-in, possible floor or slab work | Quote on inspection |
| Dishwasher connection | Water supply, drainage, isolation valve | Quote on inspection |
| Fridge water line | Tee-in with proper isolation valve | Quote on inspection |
| Gas cooktop, like-for-like swap | Disconnect, reconnect, test | $260 to $480 plus compliance |
| New gas point for a relocated cooktop | New line, test, certification | $480 to $820 plus compliance |
When does the plumber come during a kitchen reno?
Twice, minimum. The first visit is at strip-out, where we disconnect and cap the water, waste and gas lines so the demolition crew is not swinging hammers around live services. If anything is moving, the rough-in happens next, while walls and floors are open: new pipework run to the new sink, dishwasher or cooktop positions, pressure tested and left ready. Then the trades you can see do their thing, and we return at fit-off to connect the sink, tapware, dishwasher, fridge line and cooktop once benchtops are in. The renovations that go wrong are the ones where the plumber is called for the first time at fit-off and discovers the cabinet maker has built over the waste position. A ten minute phone conversation at design stage prevents that entirely.
Can I move the kitchen sink, and what does it cost?
Almost always yes, and it is the biggest single cost lever in kitchen plumbing. Keeping the sink on the same wall within a metre or so of its old position usually means modest pipework changes. Moving it across the room or into an island means running new water lines and, more expensively, new drainage at the correct fall, which on a slab floor can mean cutting concrete. That is why we quote sink relocations on inspection rather than off a price list: the difference between a same-wall shuffle and an island with slab cutting is enormous, and anyone quoting it sight unseen is guessing. Bring us the plan before it is final and we will tell you which sink position is the cheap one.
Who connects the gas cooktop, dishwasher and fridge line?
The gas cooktop must be connected by a licensed gas fitter in Queensland, no exceptions, and the job ends with testing and a compliance certificate, which is why our cooktop pricing is listed as plus compliance. A like-for-like swap in the same position is $260 to $480 plus compliance; relocating the cooktop means a new gas point at $480 to $820 plus compliance. Dishwasher and fridge water connections involve cutting into the water supply, which is regulated plumbing work, and the failure mode is ugly: a DIY push-fit tee weeping behind a fully installed cabinet run, unnoticed until the floor swells. We fit a proper isolation valve on every appliance connection so future faults are a turn of a tap, not a flooded kitchen.
Do I need certificates for kitchen plumbing work?
For the gas work, yes, always: a compliance certificate follows any cooktop connection or new gas point. Water and drainage changes in a renovation are regulated work that must be done by a licensed plumber, with notifiable work lodged where the scope requires it. Keep every certificate with your renovation records, because they matter at sale time and for insurance. If a quote for your kitchen does not mention compliance paperwork at all, that is your cue to keep shopping.
Planning a kitchen renovation on the Gold Coast? Call Hills Plumbing & Gas on 0472 657 042 or book through /services/bathroom-renovations/ for renovation plumbing done in the right order at fixed prices, gas compliance included.
Sources: Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 (Qld); AS/NZS 5601 gas installations; QBCC notifiable work requirements; Petroleum and Gas (Safety) Regulation 2018 (Qld).