Cost guide
How much does underfloor heating cost?
Wet underfloor heating costs £70 to £120 per square metre installed in a new screed, and £100 to £160 per square metre for a low profile retrofit. A typical kitchen extension of 25 square metres lands between £1,800 and £3,500.
Typical prices
Ranges, not quotes. A quote depends on your room.
| Work | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Wet system in new screed, per square metre | £70 to £120 |
| Low profile retrofit, per square metre | £100 to £160 |
| Kitchen extension, around 25 square metres | £1,800 to £3,500 |
| Manifold, pump and blending valve | £450 to £900 |
| Additional zone with thermostat | £150 to £350 |
| Whole ground floor of a three-bedroom house | £4,500 to £9,000 |
Check the finished floor height against your doors and thresholds before ordering anything. A screeded system adds 65 to 100mm, and a door that no longer opens is not a cheap thing to discover after the screed has gone down.
What moves the price
- Screeded against low profile retrofit. Retrofit boards cost more per metre but avoid raising the floor.
- Floor area and the number of zones, since each zone needs its own loop, actuator and thermostat.
- Whether the manifold position needs new flow and return runs back to the boiler.
- Insulation under the loops, which is required and is part of the build-up.
- Floor finish. Tile is straightforward; engineered timber and carpet have temperature and tog limits.
- Screed drying and commissioning time, which is programme cost rather than labour.
What the money buys: wet underfloor heating in extensions and new builds.
Who quotes for it
Questions about underfloor heating
What happens if a pipe under the floor leaks?
Modern loops are laid in continuous lengths with no joints under the screed, so leaks are rare and usually occur at the manifold. Where one does occur in the floor, thermal imaging locates it and a small section of screed is cut out.
Can I use it with carpet?
Within limits. The combined tog of carpet and underlay should stay under about 2.5, or the floor insulates the room from the heat it is producing.