By The Electrical Outlets Team · Updated 9 Oct 2026 · 7 min read · UK guidance, England regs

There is no set minimum distance for a socket near a kitchen sink in BS 7671. The IET says so itself, and the familiar 300mm figure comes from the IET Electrician’s Guide to the Building Regulations. In practice, installers treat 300mm as the working standard, measured from the edge of the sink or draining board to the socket. Bathrooms are different and much stricter, so this guide covers both.

Is 300mm a rule or guidance?

It is guidance. The IET’s own BS 7671:2018 FAQ says BS 7671 does not give a distance for sockets near kitchen sinks. It then points to the Electrician’s Guide to the Building Regulations, 5th Edition, which recommends at least 300mm from the sink unit edge to the socket.

The distinction matters. BS 7671 is the standard that wiring is judged against. The Guide supports the Building Regulations, and Part P covers electrical safety in dwellings in England. Following the Guide is sensible and easy to defend, but it is not a clause you can quote back at an inspector.

So treat 300mm as the minimum you can justify. A closer socket is not automatically unlawful, yet you would need a reason and a written record. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate building rules, so check locally outside England.

How to measure a socket near a kitchen sink

1. Find the nearest edge of the sink bowl or draining board, whichever is closer to the socket.
2. Measure horizontally along the worktop to the nearest edge of the socket plate, not its centre.
3. Ignore the tap, the tile line and the centre of the sink. None of them is the reference point.
4. Confirm the gap is 300mm or more, then note the figure on the job sheet.

If the socket has to move, the British General range covers every common finish, so the new plate can match the old ones.

Sinks, hobs and bathrooms: what each location asks for

Bathroom rules use zones, and kitchens do not. If you need a socket in a bathroom, a dual-voltage shaver socket is the usual answer, because a 13A socket must stay out of the zones.

RCD protection matters more than the gap

Distance reduces splashes. An RCD protects a person if a fault does happen. Regulation 411.3.3 of BS 7671:2018 requires additional protection by a 30mA RCD for socket outlets rated up to 32A that ordinary people are likely to use. A socket near a kitchen sink needs it whatever the gap.

Do not read that as permission to ignore the gap. An RCD trips after a fault, but it does not stop a plug, a flex and water sharing the same corner of the worktop.

Worked example: moving a double socket beside a draining board

A rented kitchen has a double socket with its plate edge 150mm from the draining board. It feeds the kettle and toaster. The dishwasher plugs into a second socket inside the sink base unit. The electrician wants both to meet the 300mm standard.

A typical double plate is about 146mm wide, so its centre must sit at least 373mm from the draining board edge (300mm plus half the plate). The plate edge is 150mm away now, so the socket moves 150mm along the run.

The parts come to £12.63 before labour. Both new fittings now sit outside the splash path, and the dishwasher can be isolated without crawling into the cupboard.

Dishwashers and washing machines: use a spur, not a hidden socket

Appliances under or beside the sink are where most near-sink problems start. A socket tucked into the sink base unit sits in the splash path and cannot be reached to isolate the appliance. A switched fused connection unit above the worktop fixes both.

It gives a fuse matched to the appliance, a visible switch and a flex outlet for the lead. Check the appliance rating plate for its power, then choose the fuse to suit. Browse our switched fused connection units for finishes that match your sockets.

Common mistakes near sinks

• Measuring from the tap or the sink centre. Measure from the nearest edge of the bowl or draining board.
• Quoting 300mm as law. It is an IET recommendation, so write it that way on the paperwork.
• Hiding the socket in the sink base unit. It sits in the splash path and is hard to reach.
• Letting flexes hang towards the sink. Shorten the route instead of trusting the RCD.
• Mixing up distance and height. They are separate questions, and the Part M band runs 450mm to 1200mm to the accessory centre.

What to fit: sockets and units that suit a kitchen

• Plate edge at least 300mm from the sink and draining board
• Switched sockets for kettles, toasters and other worktop appliances
• One switched fused unit for each built-in appliance
• Finish matched across every plate in the room
• RCD protection confirmed at the consumer unit

FAQs