Are you wondering how much central heating installation costs?

Of course you are; when you’re making a considerable investment for your home (such as new central heating), it’s always prudent to get a good idea of your costs beforehand, so at least you won’t end up spending more than your budget!

However, as a heating engineer myself, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; the cost of getting a new central heating system installed can vary so widely, depending on the type and size of property you own – not to mention your current set-up, if you have sealed floors etc.

Perhaps you’ve already done your research and know that the average you can expect to pay is £4,200 – £4,800 – but unfortunately not every job is a bungalow where you can fit six radiators and a boiler within two days, having encountered no surprises or complications.

In fact, some people find the price above via Google and then ask me why, after a visit to their home, I’ve quoted them a lot more!

With that in mind, let’s take a look at four hidden central heating installation costs you ought to be aware of…

1. Your property has stone floors

If your property has stone floors, this can put a completely different slant on the job. This is because pipes have to be run from your radiators to the boiler, although these can often be run along the surface via skirting boards and down walls.

However, the can also mean the extra cost of a joiner to box them in, and possibly even a painter and decorator to finish the job nicely.

Alternatively, the pipes can be cut into the concrete floors – this is a very dirty, messy job, and some customers like to move out of the property while this is going on, or put some furnishing into storage. All at an added expense.

2. You need to remove an electric storage heater

This is usually more costly in top floor flats; the reason being that these heaters have to be dismantled and taken downstairs for disposal bit by bit. Then, a rubbish contractor has to uplift and dispose of it all. Nine times out of 10, the contractor has to make two trips due to the sheer weight.

This is a time and labour-consuming task, and some heating contractors will most likely include it in their overall cost – however, please check, as this can become really quite expensive!

3. Your property has polished or laminate flooring

If you’ve read point 1, you might have an inkling of why polished or laminate flooring could also be a problem. As previously stated, pipework has to be installed under the floors, and if there is no crawl space for engineers to gain access, the floors will have to be lifted.

When laminate flooring is lifted, it will not go back down. And because heating contractors don’t tend to do joinery, you’ll have to factor in the cost for a joiner to come and replace your flooring.

Polished floors are usually sealed, and sometimes have filler between the joints. If cut and lifted, unfortunately they’ll never go back exactly as they were. Please note that they can look bad when they are first relaid, which is where a floor specialist can help to fill, glue, re-sand and polish.

This will all have to be factored into your costs!

I’ve had a few jobs recently where the client has had laminate flooring, and we were able to recommend a joiner to replace the floors. The client was able to get a price from the joiner before proceeding with any work – something I always recommend doing, just to be safe.

4. Your power shower won’t work with a combi

Many people have a power shower installed in their home, which pumps the water to give a good flow rate. However, if you’re fitting a new central heating system with a combi boiler, the power shower will unfortunately not be compatible.

This means you’ll sadly have to replace your shower, and possibly also the tiles around it.

Advice from an experienced heating engineer

I always recommend thoroughly doing your homework when deciding to get a new central heating system installed, and getting 2 – 3 fixed price quotes is essential. However, if you have any of the above hidden costs to think about, remember they could add extra onto the cost of the work.

Discuss with your engineer how much heaval you can expect and what else you may have to do once the job is complete – this is really only something you can discuss once they have done a home visit.

If you see any indications your job is going to be a bit more difficult, reading blogs such as this one and asking engineers for advice can help. If all three engineers are saying the same thing, it’s probably correct. If one engineer points out more challenges, get another couple of quotes.

Conclusion

By now you should have a better idea of some of the hidden central installation heating costs you should be aware of before you commit to any work. And remember, if you’re ever in any doubt, ask a trusted engineer for advice.

If you have any specific questions about potential hidden central heating costs, feel free to leave a comment below – I’m often out on jobs, but will get back to you as soon as I can!