Edinburgh Boiler Installation Costs: How Much Should You Pay for a New Boiler?
Looking for an idea of Edinburgh boiler installation costs? You’d think it’d be a fairly straightforward question, with a fairly straightforward answer…
This is why it can be extremely frustrating when that’s not always the case, and things aren’t always quite what they first appear.
If you’ve been looking into replacing your boiler, and have suddenly found you’ve received a quote that doesn’t line up with what your research on the internet has turned up, it’s understandably confusing.
You want value for money. Nobody likes to feel like they’re being misled, or that anyone’s trying to take advantage of them.
However, with the benefit of many years of experience fitting boilers, I aim to completely demystify the process for you.
In this post, I’m going to cover the biggest factors that can affect the cost of getting a boiler installed in Edinburgh, from basic labour and boiler location to the different types of boiler you might come across, and all of the associated costs.
So… where do we start?
For most people, it’s usually the internet – Google, to be precise.
One of the first mistakes anyone doing a bit of research might make while trying to answer this question is looking up just the unit price of the boiler they want to install – without considering things like labour costs or VAT.
Customers sometimes come to us over the moon thinking they’ve bought a bargain online, before realising they still have to pay for us to fit it, plus all the additional costs for pipes and any other wee extras that add up.
Not to mention, if you buy a boiler unit online yourself, it’ll be impossible to get a guarantee, as the manufacturer will have no way of knowing who installed it and what may have happened in between leaving the warehouse and being fitted.
You’ll also have no-one to fall back on it if it all goes wrong. Nightmare! So, please don’t do this if you can avoid it.
NOTE: There are also companies out there who’ll give you a quote for both the supply and installation of a boiler at an all-in price… but then there’s an asterisk and fine print, such as not including a flue or controls (which you’ll need).
To make things as transparent as possible for you, here’s a rough guide of things that anyone would need to consider when researching boiler installation costs that should save you from having any nasty surprises along the way.
A quick guide to the price of a new boiler (and everything that entails)
This is only a rough guide, as there will still be other things to consider such as the brand of boiler you choose. There’s also the unique specifications of your home to consider when installing a new boiler.
With all that out of the way, these are the costs you’ll need to consider:
- The boiler unit: £600 – £2,000
- Boiler controls: Anywhere between £80 – £600
- Boiler flue: £90 – £140
- Magnetic central heating filter: £130
- Extension flue pipe (if needed): £40 per metre
- Pipework and fittings (raw plugs, screws, cement, sand, dust sheets): Up to £450
- Rubbish removal from the site by a Sepa-registered contractor: £80 – £150
This rough guide also doesn’t take into account things like VAT, or the cost of the labour for the engineer to actually install your boiler. Obviously, you’ll need to consider that whoever you choose to install your new boiler is also running a business.
If you’re relocating your boiler, you might also need to consider the extra costs of running upgraded gas supply pipes and condensate pipes to drains, and the extra cost of coring a new hole for your boiler’s flue.
TIP: If you’re installing your boiler somewhere with sealed floors, it’s worth mentioning this to your engineer, as depending on the type of flooring, you might need to have this replaced. Be prepared to pay extra for it.
How different boiler types affect installation costs
The type of boiler you choose is another big factor that’s going to affect the overall cost. Are you going to be doing a straight, like-for-like swap of your existing boiler? Or are you installing a different type of boiler? Let me explain.
For example, if you’re going for a direct replacement boiler – say, swapping out one combi for another – you’ll most likely be using all the existing flue holes and pipework, like condensate pipes, gas pipes and radiators.
Or you might opt to go down another route, and completely switch out your old, regular boiler for something like a new combi boiler. You might be going from a combi boiler to a system boiler.
You might even finally be getting around to switching out your old back boiler for something more modern (although I’m seeing less and less of those nowadays).
Any of these options comes with its own set of challenges that can alter the price. System boilers for example will require more space for the separate water storage cylinder than a combi boiler, but less space than a regular boiler.
If you’re replacing a back boiler, you might be left with a hole that needs plastering over, or a complete replacement of a fireplace and mantelpiece.
TIP: Back boilers are old systems, and they typically need an engineer to flush debris and sludge from your pipes. Most companies offer this service free of charge.
Below is a rough guide to different types of replacement boilers, and what to expect price wise, assuming a mid-range priced boiler for a standard three-bedroom house and standard installation set up.
Replacing a storage cylinder boiler
The typical cost for replacing a regular, storage cylinder boiler can range from anywhere between £1850 – £3,500, and this includes sundry parts, pipes, labour and VAT.
A direct swap combi-to-combi boiler replacement
A straightforward, like-for-like combi boiler replacement should cost anywhere between £2,150 – £3,500.
From here on out, replacement boiler costs become a bit more tricky.
A regular boiler to combi boiler swap
Changing from a regular storage cylinder boiler to a combi boiler will typically cost between £2,450 – £3,800.
The price will be dependent on pipework runs and thickness of the wall to core through.
Replacing a regular or combi boiler with a system boiler
Replacing a regular boiler with a system boiler will cost up to £5,500, and replacing a combi boiler with a system boiler will cost up to £5,800.
Both of these scenarios assume that the boiler is going in the same location as the previous boiler.
Replacing a back boiler
Assuming the most likely scenarios for back boiler replacement, swapping one out for a regular boiler and retaining the water tank should cost up to £2,800.
However, swapping out a back boiler for a combi boiler should run up to £3,500.
Advice from an experienced engineer
Be wary of online quotes for boilers and installation/replacement costs. While it might seem like you got a bargain with an online quote, these don’t take into account the unique circumstances of your property, existing pipework and/or location.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t look at internet prices, as these will give you a ballpark figure of what to expect, but be aware that these won’t be 100% accurate. Home visits or video surveys will give any company or sole trader looking to install a boiler for you a much better idea of what they’re dealing with and should minimise the possibility of any extra costs snowballing from an initial quote.
PSSST! It’s a good idea to arrange 2 – 3 separate quotes, making sure that they are fixed price and inclusive before you have any work done. And don’t forget to look at their online reviews from Google, Facebook and TrustPilot.
As I mentioned earlier when talking about back boilers accumulating sludge and debris in their system, most companies will now offer flushing through of a boiler system free of charge, but it’s worth making sure or paying for it as an extra.
When it comes to Edinburgh boiler installation costs, investing in the best option that you can afford will save you headaches further down the line – and probably means you’ll probably spend less in upkeep later.
To sum it all up
Hopefully, this guide gives you a better idea of what to expect when researching Edinburgh boiler installation costs.
While it is frustrating that there’s no one simple answer to these questions, hopefully I’ve covered enough of the major points to give you a better idea of what to expect.
Remember, always get an engineer to conduct a home visit or at least show them around on your phone so that there won’t be any unexpected issues or extra costs on top of your original quote.
TIP: There’s also the latest controls to think about – so you can have full control of your heating from the bus, train, office – or anything else, really!
Do you have any questions about anything above, or is there something you’d like to ask that we haven’t covered here? Please get in touch.
I’ll be more than happy to answer any of your questions.
Written by: James Green, Founder of West Energy Services
To get in touch, visit our contact page, or give us a call on 0131 364 4256
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