By Emily Rivers
Last updated 4th May 2023

Sink Waste Disposal Installation Cost Guide

Waste disposal units are common in the USA, but they're only just growing in popularity here in the UK. Want to be ahead of the curve? It’ll cost between £130-£550 to have a waste disposal unit fitted to your sink, but we'll break down the costs in this guide.

How much does it cost to get a sink waste disposal installed?

How much it costs to get a sink waste disposal unit installed mainly depends on the type of unit you choose and your location in the country, but these are the average costs:

Item

Average cost

Waste disposal unit

£80-£450

Waste disposal installation

£50 per hour

Plumbers and electricians can both fit waste disposals as long as they are Part P certified, and their hourly rates differ depending on where you live.

See further down the page for hourly and daily rates for tradespeople in your location for a more accurate idea of labour costs.

Cost to fit a sink waste disposal

What do waste disposal units do?

Waste disposal units, sometimes called food waste disposers, get rid of your food scraps through your plumbing without causing blockages. When you put food down the unit, it grinds it up into tiny pieces and mixes it with water, so it can be safely flushed away down your drains.

Waste disposal units are fitted under your sink. Usually you switch them on at the wall near your sink while the tap is running then drop your food in.

Top sink waste disposal brands

While not that popular in the UK yet, there are still a few good brands of sink waste disposal units out there:

Brand

Price range

InSinkErator

£100-£550

McAlpine

£100-£160

WasteMaid

£120-£270

Maxmatic

£330-£500

What are the benefits of sink waste disposal?

There are plenty of benefits of a sink waste disposal unit:

Saves time: There’s no need to remember to take the food waste out every day, giving you some of your time back.

Reduces odours: Dispose of food scraps straight away rather than leaving them to rot in a food waste caddy or bin.

More hygienic: Food waste out of the house means there’s less chance of attracting flies and other pests into your kitchen.

Who can fit a waste disposal unit?

Plumbers and electricians can fit a waste disposal unit. To keep your costs down, you could try to find a plumber that is Part P certified so they are qualified to work safely with electrics and can self-certify that the electrical supply to the unit meets Part P of the building regulations.

We wouldn’t recommend fitting a waste disposal unit yourself. Water and electricity don’t mix, and if you install it incorrectly you could shock yourself or cause a fire hazard. It’s best to leave it to the professionals who will ensure the unit is safe and free of leaks.

Can you fit a waste disposal unit to any sink?

Yes, you can fit a waste disposal unit to most sinks. While it might be slightly more cost effective to fit a waste disposal unit at the same time as you’re replacing your sink, you can easily retro-fit a unit to your existing sink. An electrician or plumber will be able to recommend the best unit for you.

Is a sink waste disposal worth it?

Whether or not a sink waste disposal unit is worth it will depend on your situation. You’ll need to weigh up how much you value the added convenience and how much you want to save time and reduce kitchen smells. While waste disposals can be pricey, they do make your life easier – you just need to decide how much you'd be willing to spend.

How do I know if my sink disposal is broken?

There are a few signs that your sink disposal is broken and may need replacing:

Strange noises

Food disposal units will naturally be a little noisy, but if yours seems louder than usual it might be time for a new one. It’s also a sign that something could have accidentally dropped down there, like cutlery or other metal items.

Intermittent power

If you find that your waste disposal doesn’t always turn on, there could be a problem with the connection. Don’t try to fix this yourself – leave it to a qualified electrician.

Odd smells

A waste disposal unit should usually eliminate odours from your kitchen since it’s carrying food waste away, so if you notice a smell coming from your sink there could be a problem with your unit.

Leaks

If your food disposal is leaking, keep it switched off at the wall and don’t use it until a plumber has inspected it. If water gets near the electrics you could end up shocking yourself, so make sure you leave it to the professionals to check out.

Bad performance

If you can tell that your waste disposal unit isn’t grinding food properly or seems to take longer than usual, it might be a sign that your unit needs replacing. Food waste disposals could last up to ten years, but cheaper models may last about five before they need changing.

Are you supposed to empty a sink disposal?

While sink disposal units reduce a lot of work, they do still require some maintenance. Even if you use your food waste disposal exactly as directed, you may still end up with some food lodged in it.

You can run small pieces of lemon peel through your waste disposal once a week to try to loosen any stuck food and reduce odours. If that doesn’t work, you may need to empty your sink disposal. There are three methods you can try:

  1. If you can see something stuck in your unit, like a utensil or large bone, you can carefully use kitchen tongs to reach in and pull it out. Make sure the unit is turned off first!
  2. If there’s a food blockage in your waste disposal, try filling up the sink with some washing up liquid. Then run the disposal unit and drain the water. Hopefully, the pressure should help dislodge the blockage.
  3. If those two methods don’t work, the last one you can try is using a plunger on the sink. The plunger should loosen the blockage and pass down, or you may be able to reach in to pull it out.

Post your job on HaMuch to get in touch with reliable tradespeople in your area who will be able to fit a new sink waste disposal for you.


Estimates for common plumber jobs;

Rates for other trades

Fit a sink waste disposal cost in the UK
Fit a sink waste disposal cost in the UK (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UKFit a sink waste disposal cost
Fit a sink waste disposal near Aberdeen£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Amber Valley£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Angus£82
Fit a sink waste disposal near Arun£90
Fit a sink waste disposal near Ashfield£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Aylesbury Vale£100
Fit a sink waste disposal near Barnsley£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Basildon£94
Fit a sink waste disposal near Basingstoke & Deane£108
Fit a sink waste disposal near Bassetlaw£70
Fit a sink waste disposal near Bath & North East Somerset£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Bedford£96
Fit a sink waste disposal near Belfast£64
Fit a sink waste disposal near Birmingham£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Blackburn£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Blackpool£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Bolton£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Bournemouth£86
Fit a sink waste disposal near Bracknell Forest£110
Fit a sink waste disposal near Bradford£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Braintree£92
Fit a sink waste disposal near Breckland£68
Fit a sink waste disposal near Bridgend£70
Fit a sink waste disposal near Brighton£98
Fit a sink waste disposal near Bristol£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Broadland£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Broxtowe£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Bury£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Caerphilly£68
Fit a sink waste disposal near Calderdale£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Cambridge£88
Fit a sink waste disposal near Canterbury£88
Fit a sink waste disposal near Cardiff£70
Fit a sink waste disposal near Carmarthenshire£62
Fit a sink waste disposal near Charnwood£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Chelmsford£94
Fit a sink waste disposal near Cheltenham£86
Fit a sink waste disposal near Cherwell£96
Fit a sink waste disposal near Chester£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Colchester£90
Fit a sink waste disposal near Conway£66
Fit a sink waste disposal near Coventry£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Crewe & Nantwich£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Dacorum£106
Fit a sink waste disposal near Derby£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Doncaster£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Dover£88
Fit a sink waste disposal near Dudley£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Dumfries & Galloway£66
Fit a sink waste disposal near Dundee£82
Fit a sink waste disposal near East Ayrshire£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near East Devon£70
Fit a sink waste disposal near East Dunbartonshire£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near East Hampshire£90
Fit a sink waste disposal near East Hertfordshire£104
Fit a sink waste disposal near East Lindsey£70
Fit a sink waste disposal near East Riding£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Eastleigh£84
Fit a sink waste disposal near Edinburgh£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Elmbridge£110
Fit a sink waste disposal near Epping Forest£108
Fit a sink waste disposal near Erewash£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Exeter£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Falkirk£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Fife£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Flintshire£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Gateshead£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Gedling£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Glasgow£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Gloucester£102
Fit a sink waste disposal near Guildford£110
Fit a sink waste disposal near Gwynedd£60
Fit a sink waste disposal near Halton£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Harrogate£70
Fit a sink waste disposal near Havant & Waterloo£82
Fit a sink waste disposal near Highland£66
Fit a sink waste disposal near Horsham£104
Fit a sink waste disposal near Huntingdonshire£88
Fit a sink waste disposal near Ipswich£90
Fit a sink waste disposal near Isle of Wight£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Kings Lynn & West Norfolk£68
Fit a sink waste disposal near Kingston-upon-Hull£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Kirklees£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Knowsley£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Lancaster£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Leeds£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Leicester£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Lisburn£64
Fit a sink waste disposal near Liverpool£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near London£110
Fit a sink waste disposal near Luton£104
Fit a sink waste disposal near Macclesfield£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Maidstone£92
Fit a sink waste disposal near Manchester£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Mid Bedfordshire£100
Fit a sink waste disposal near Mid Sussex£102
Fit a sink waste disposal near Middlesbrough£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Milton Keynes£96
Fit a sink waste disposal near Neath Port Talbot£70
Fit a sink waste disposal near New Forest£84
Fit a sink waste disposal near Newbury£108
Fit a sink waste disposal near Newcastle Upon Tyne£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Newcastle-under-Lyme£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Newport£68
Fit a sink waste disposal near North Ayrshire£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near North East Lincolnshire£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near North Hertfordshire£102
Fit a sink waste disposal near North Lanarkshire£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near North Lincolnshire£70
Fit a sink waste disposal near North Somerset£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near North Tyneside£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near North Wiltshire£86
Fit a sink waste disposal near Northampton£92
Fit a sink waste disposal near Norwich£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Nottingham£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Nuneaton & Bedworth£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Oldham£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Oxford£100
Fit a sink waste disposal near Pembrokeshire£52
Fit a sink waste disposal near Perth & Kinross£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Peterborough£82
Fit a sink waste disposal near Plymouth£64
Fit a sink waste disposal near Poole£86
Fit a sink waste disposal near Portsmouth£82
Fit a sink waste disposal near Powys£82
Fit a sink waste disposal near Preston£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Reading£110
Fit a sink waste disposal near Redcar & Cleveland£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Reigate & Banstead£110
Fit a sink waste disposal near Renfrewshire£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Rhondda, Cynon, Taff£68
Fit a sink waste disposal near Rochdale£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Rochester-upon-Medway£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Rotherham£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Salford£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Salisbury£84
Fit a sink waste disposal near Sandwell£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Scarborough£70
Fit a sink waste disposal near Scottish Borders£90
Fit a sink waste disposal near Sefton£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Sevenoaks£104
Fit a sink waste disposal near Sheffield£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Slough£108
Fit a sink waste disposal near Solihull£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near South Ayrshire£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near South Bedfordshire£96
Fit a sink waste disposal near South Cambridgeshire£90
Fit a sink waste disposal near South Gloucestershire£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near South Kesteven£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near South Lanarkshire£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near South Oxfordshire£104
Fit a sink waste disposal near South Somerset£66
Fit a sink waste disposal near South Tyneside£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Southampton£84
Fit a sink waste disposal near Southend-on-Sea£90
Fit a sink waste disposal near St Albans£106
Fit a sink waste disposal near St Helens£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Stafford£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Stockport£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Stockton-on-Tees£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Stoke-on-Trent£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Stratford-on-Avon£82
Fit a sink waste disposal near Stroud£86
Fit a sink waste disposal near Suffolk Coastal£90
Fit a sink waste disposal near Sunderland£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Swale£90
Fit a sink waste disposal near Swansea£70
Fit a sink waste disposal near Tameside£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Teignbridge£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Tendring£92
Fit a sink waste disposal near Test Valley£86
Fit a sink waste disposal near Thamesdown£100
Fit a sink waste disposal near Thanet£86
Fit a sink waste disposal near The Wrekin£102
Fit a sink waste disposal near Thurrock£98
Fit a sink waste disposal near Torbay£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Trafford£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Vale of Glamorgan£72
Fit a sink waste disposal near Vale of White Horse£100
Fit a sink waste disposal near Vale Royal£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Wakefield£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Walsall£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Warrington£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Warwick£78
Fit a sink waste disposal near Waveney£84
Fit a sink waste disposal near Waverley£108
Fit a sink waste disposal near Wealden£94
Fit a sink waste disposal near West Lancashire£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near West Lothian£82
Fit a sink waste disposal near West Wiltshire£86
Fit a sink waste disposal near Wigan£76
Fit a sink waste disposal near Windsor & Maidenhead£108
Fit a sink waste disposal near Wirral£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Wokingham£110
Fit a sink waste disposal near Wolverhampton£80
Fit a sink waste disposal near Wrexham Maelor£74
Fit a sink waste disposal near Wychavon£82
Fit a sink waste disposal near Wycombe£108
Fit a sink waste disposal near York£70