Costs
What affects the price of a new boiler
The appliance is often less than half the bill. Where the rest of the money goes, and how to compare two quotes that look nothing alike.
Written by the ARA Services engineering team · Updated August 2026
The short answer
Six things move the number: the type of boiler, whether it stays where it is, the flue route, the gas supply and pipework, the controls and system cleaning included, and access. A like-for-like combi swap in the same position is the cheapest job on the list. Converting from a cylinder system to a combi, or moving the boiler to another room, is the most expensive. Published quote data for 2026 puts a typical like-for-like combi swap at around £2,300 nationally, with London and the South East higher.
1. Like-for-like, or a change of system
This is the biggest single swing in the price. Replacing a combi with a combi in the same place reuses the existing pipework, flue penetration and condensate run, and is normally a one-day job.
Converting a regular system with a loft tank and a hot water cylinder to a combi means removing all of that, capping and draining the old feeds, running new pipework, and making good afterwards. It is two or three days’ work and the price reflects it. Sometimes it is the right decision for the space and the household; sometimes keeping the cylinder is better, particularly with two bathrooms in use at once.
Not sure which system suits the property? We set out the options with a price against each.
New boiler installation2. Where the boiler goes
Moving a boiler from the kitchen to the loft or into a cupboard adds a new gas run, a new condensate route, a new flue and the making good afterwards. It is the second largest variable after the system type, and it is worth being clear about whether the move is a preference or a necessity.
Ask what is included. Making good — filling, plastering, a tidy cupboard and boxing where needed — is included in some quotes and not others. It is the most common reason two prices for the same boiler differ.
Thinking of moving the boiler? Ask us what the move adds before you commit to it.
077 2715 47463. Flue, gas supply and pipework
A standard horizontal flue through an outside wall is straightforward. A long run, a vertical flue through a roof, a flat roof or a position needing scaffolding all add cost, and in flats the flue route is often the constraint that decides which boiler can go in.
Underneath that, the gas supply has to be capable of feeding the new appliance. Older properties are frequently fed by a pipe sized for a smaller boiler, and upgrading it means lifting floors. Microbore heating pipework and a system full of debris both need addressing too, because a new boiler pushed through an old dirty system fails early.
We check the gas run and the system before quoting, not after starting.
Pipework and cylinders4. What a complete price should cover
Comparing quotes only works when they contain the same things. Ours are itemised so you can see what is in and what is not.
The boiler, the flue and all fittings, plus removal and disposal of the old appliance.
Labour, commissioning, and the Gas Safe certificate with Building Regulations notification.
Controls — programmer, room thermostat or a smart control — and the magnetic filter that protects the new appliance.
System cleaning and inhibitor, and warranty registration with the manufacturer in your name.
The brand matters less to the total than people expect, but the warranty varies a lot: the same installation can carry anything from two to twelve years depending on the appliance chosen. That is worth more than a small difference in the headline price.
Comparing quotes? Send us the other one and we will tell you what it leaves out.
Call 077 2715 47465. Timing
Engineers are busiest from October to February, which is also when boilers fail. If the appliance is limping rather than dead, replacing it in the summer means more choice of dates and a calmer job. If it has already failed in January, we attend as an emergency and can usually get heating back on temporarily while the replacement is booked.
Send the make, model and a photo of the boiler and pipework, and we will price the job properly.
Get a fixed quoteNew boiler questions
How long does an installation take?
A like-for-like combi swap is normally one day. A conversion or a relocation is two to three, and we tell you which before booking so you can plan around the water being off.
Do you take the old boiler away?
Yes, along with the packaging and any tanks or cylinders removed as part of the work.
Is there any funding available?
Some households qualify for support under government energy efficiency schemes, based on benefits and property criteria. We can tell you whether it is worth applying before you pay for anything.
Does the price include a filter and a system clean?
In ours, yes. Both protect the new boiler and most manufacturers expect them for the warranty to stand.
Get a fixed price
Send us the details of the property and the existing boiler and we will quote the whole job in writing.