The Short Answer
On our estimates, a complete new gas central heating system (boiler, pipework, radiators and controls) costs about £4,000 to £6,500 in a semi-detached house, £3,500 to £5,500 in a terrace and £5,000 to £8,000 in a detached house. It takes four to eight days.
The number of radiators and how much floor has to come up drive the price. An oil system costs more again, and there's help for some households through ECO.
Central heating cost calculator
A complete new system (boiler, pipework, radiators and controls), priced by the home.
Estimated total
£4,300 to £7,700
| Semi-detached: boiler, radiators, pipework and controls | £4,000 to £6,500 |
| Making good | £300 to £1,200 |
Central heating prices by home
| Home | Radiators | Full gas system |
|---|---|---|
| Flat | 6 to 8 | £3,000 to £4,500 |
| Terraced house | 8 to 10 | £3,500 to £5,500 |
| Semi-detached | 10 to 12 | £4,000 to £6,500 |
| Detached | 12 to 15 or more | £5,000 to £8,000 |
| Bungalow | 6 to 8 | £2,500 to £3,500 |
What's involved, and how long
A typical install, broken into its parts (our estimates):
- Pipework: three to five days days, the longest part.
- Radiators: one to two days days for about nine.
- Boiler: half a day to a day.
- Hot water cylinder, if you're having one: two to three hours.
That's four to eight days in all. I'd do it before decorating or new flooring, not after, so the making good doesn't undo new work.
What a new system has to meet
In England, Approved Document L covers a new or fully replaced wet heating system:
- Low flow temperature: the boiler, radiators and pipes should be sized to run at a maximum flow temperature of 55°C or lower, where that's feasible.
- Room controls: thermostatic control in each room.
- Clean water: the system flushed, treated with inhibitor and commissioned to BS 7593.
- Efficiency: a gas boiler at least 92% efficient.
Fitting the boiler and gas pipework must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer: it's the law, not advice. Ask for their Gas Safe ID card: the back lists the kinds of gas work they're qualified for. See checking a gas engineer. A carbon monoxide alarm goes in the room with the boiler, and the engineer registers the job so you get a Building Regulations certificate.
Free central heating
If you get certain benefits and live in private housing, the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) can help pay for heating upgrades; owners need an energy rating of D to G, private tenants E to G. Apply through your council or an energy supplier. The current scheme, ECO4, runs until 31 December 2026. See ECO in full. In social housing rated E to G, ECO can also pay for a central heating system where there's never been one.
There's no general grant for a new gas system, and a gas boiler pays VAT at the standard rate.
Gas, oil or a heat pump?
Off the gas grid, an oil system costs about 15% more plus a tank (see oil boilers and oil tanks), and that's where a heat pump is worth pricing. In England and Wales the Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off an air or ground source heat pump, £5,000 off a biomass boiler and £2,500 off an air-to-air heat pump. Your MCS-certified installer applies for it. See the grant in full. The Energy Saving Trust says a heat pump's running costs depend on the radiators being sized for it, so I'd ask for a new system designed for 55°C either way.
Get central heating installation quotes
Full systems are priced by the size of the home, the number of radiators and how much floor has to come up.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to install central heating?
On our estimates, about £4,000 to £6,500 for a semi-detached house, £3,000 to £4,500 for a flat and £5,000 to £8,000 for a detached house, for a full gas system.
How long does it take to install central heating?
About four to eight days, most of it pipework (three to five days days).
Can I get free central heating?
Possibly, through the Energy Company Obligation if you get certain benefits and the home has a low energy rating. In social housing rated E to G it can pay for a first central heating system. Apply through your council or an energy supplier.
How many radiators does a house need?
As a guide, 8 to 10 in a mid-terrace, 10 to 12 in a semi and 12 to 15 or more in a detached house. I'd ask the installer to size each one for its room.
Is oil central heating more expensive to install?
Yes, about 15% more on our estimates, plus the oil tank.
How we priced thisView sources (10, 9 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialApproved Document L: Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1 Dwellings (2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments), GOV.UK. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialApproved Document J: Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems (2010 edition incorporating 2010, 2013 and 2022 amendments), GOV.UK. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, regulation 3, legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialThe Building Regulations 2010, Schedule 3: self-certification schemes (para 16, roof coverings), legislation.gov.uk. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- OfficialHelp from your energy supplier: the Energy Company Obligation, GOV.UK. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialExtending the ECO4 end date (consultation outcome, updated 23 January 2026), GOV.UK. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialApply for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: what you can get, GOV.UK. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
- IndustryAir source heat pumps (23 September 2026), Energy Saving Trust. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialEnergy-saving materials and heating equipment (VAT Notice 708/6), HM Revenue & Customs. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
- OfficialBuilding Regulations Certificate, Gas Safe Register. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
