How much does a new boiler cost?

Quotes for the same house can be a long way apart. Usually that’s because they’re quoting for different work.

What moves the price

The type of job. Roughly from simplest to most involved:

1. Straight swap. A new combi where the old combi was, with the existing pipework in good order
2. Moving the boiler. A different room means new pipework, a new flue route and making good afterwards
3. Converting to a combi. Taking out the hot water cylinder and loft tanks and reworking the pipework
4. Taking out an old back boiler. The kind that sits behind a gas fire

The boiler itself. There’s a real spread between cheaper and better-built boilers, and in how long parts stay available.

What else needs doing. A filter on the system, cleaning out old pipework, or upgrading the gas pipe if it’s too small for the new boiler.

My price for a straight swap

A combi to combi swap is roughly £600 labour, plus the boiler. I’m not VAT registered, so there’s no VAT on top of that. Anything more involved, I price once I’ve seen it.

What a written quote should include

• The boiler, with the make and model named
• Fitting and all the parts
• Taking the old boiler away
• Any system cleaning or filter
• Notifying the installation, which building regulations require
• Registering the boiler for its warranty
• Making good afterwards

If a quote is one number with none of that written down, ask for it properly. The things that aren’t written down are the things that turn into extras later.

Be careful of

• A firm price given without anyone seeing the job
• Most of the money asked for up front, before any work has happened
• Pressure to sign today. A good quote is still a good quote next week.