How much does underfloor heating cost in the UK?

The total cost of underfloor heating has three parts: the kit, the labour to fit it, and the running cost each winter. Kit is the easiest to pin down, so this guide prices it line by line from MaxHeatUFH's live prices. Labour depends on your floor and your installer, so we give only the published range and the things that push it up or down.

All kit prices below include VAT and were checked in October 2026. Trade account holders get trade pricing.

How much does underfloor heating cost per m²?

The floor layer of a wet system costs about £13 to £21 per m² on a solid floor, and about £73 per m² on a joisted floor using grooved chipboard. Electric costs about £22 to £41 per m² depending on room size. The table shows the heating layer only: boards or panels plus pipe, or the mat or cable.

How the wet figures are worked out: pipe at 150mm centres uses about 6.7m per m² (1,000 ÷ 150). 16mm pipe costs £0.59 a metre on a 200m coil of 3-layer PERT-EVOH (£118), or £0.65 a metre on 5-layer (£129), so pipe adds about £4 per m². Boards add the rest: a castellated panel covers 1.0m² for £9, a MaxHeatFix Plus pack covers 7.2m² for £79, and a 25mm routed XPS board covers 0.72m² for £12. On joists, a 2400 x 600mm grooved chipboard panel is £68 per 1.44m² and the 6mm fibre top board is £16 per 0.72m².

How the electric figures are worked out: a 150W/m² mat costs £41 for 1m², £104 for 4m² and £224 for 10m², so bigger mats are cheaper per m². Loose cable at 10W/m laid at 100mm spacing gives 100W/m² and uses 10m per m²: a 50m cable at £89 covers 5m². Add uncoupling membrane at £11.30 per m² if you lay over timber or new screed.

These figures leave out insulation, screed, adhesive and cut waste, so allow 5 to 10% extra on boards for cuts.

What fixed costs does a water system have?

A wet system has parts you buy once per manifold, whatever the floor area: the manifold, a pump pack and the controls. These are why wet underfloor heating costs more per m² in a small room and less in a large one.

A boiler runs hotter than the floor needs, so it uses a blending pump pack. A heat pump already runs at floor temperature, so it uses a cheaper non-mixing set. One room off a radiator circuit can use a single room mixing pack and skip the manifold.

Worked examples: what does a real project cost?

Here are three common jobs priced from the tables above. Kit only, inc VAT, October 2026.

1. 20m² kitchen extension, gas boiler, screed:

• 5-layer 16mm pipe, 200m coil: £129 (about 134m in the floor plus tails, in 2 loops)
• 22 castellated panels: £198
• Edge insulation 25m: £10
• 2-port Dualmix manifold £54, ball valve set £22, 4 Eurocone cores £5.68
• Blending pump pack with Grundfos UPM3 Auto: £266
• neoStat V3 £77, 2 actuators £24, UH4 wiring centre £64

Total about £850, or £42 per m².

2. 60m² ground floor, 5 rooms, heat pump, screed:

• 5-layer 16mm pipe, 400m and 200m coils: £375 (about 402m in the floor plus tails, 5 loops under 100m each)
• 66 castellated panels: £594
• Edge insulation, 2 x 50m: £34
• 5-port auto-balancing manifold £109, ball valve set £22, 10 Eurocone cores £14.20
• Non-mixing pump set with Grundfos UPM3 Flex: £207
• 5 neoStat V3 £385, 5 actuators £60, UH8 wiring centre £77

Total about £1877, or £31 per m². The fixed parts are shared over three times the area, so the cost per m² falls.

3. 4m² en-suite, electric, tiled: a 4m² 150W/m² mat (£104) and a Heatmiser Slimline-E (£56) come to £160, or £40 per m². Over a timber floor, add a 5m² roll of uncoupling membrane (£57) for £217.

For exact figures for your own rooms, our free design tool works out the loops, coil sizes and full kit list.

How much does it cost to install underfloor heating?

The Energy Saving Trust gives typical installed costs of £85 to £110 per m² for wet systems and £50 to £85 per m² for electric, using figures from Checkatrade. These include kit and labour. Get at least three quotes, and use a TrustMark registered installer.

Labour varies more than kit. These things push it up or down:

• New floor or existing floor: fitting while a floor is already up costs much less than lifting a finished one.
• Floor type: tile-direct boards are quick. Screed adds a pour and drying time. Joisted floors need boards cut and fixed to joists.
• Heat source connection: a heating engineer must connect the manifold and pump pack to the boiler or heat pump.
• Electrics: electric UFH needs a qualified electrician for the final connection, to BS 7671 with 30mA RCD protection. Wet systems need wiring for the stats, actuators and wiring centre.
• Laying it yourself: many self-builders lay the boards and pipe and pay only for the connection and testing.

What else adds to the cost?

The heating kit is only part of the floor. Budget for these as well:

1. Insulation under the heating: it stops heat going down into the ground or the room below. Tile-direct XPS boards include it. Castellated panels and screed need a separate insulation layer.
2. Screed or levelling compound: needed over castellated panels.
3. Tile backer or membrane: needed on some electric jobs, especially over timber.
4. Floor finish: tiles and stone give the best heat output. Carpet and underlay should total 2.5 tog or less.
5. Heat source work: a new heat pump or boiler changes are a separate cost. In England and Wales the Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump.

How much does underfloor heating cost to run?

Running cost depends mainly on what makes the heat. Under the Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, electricity averages 26.32p/kWh and gas 7.97p/kWh (direct debit).

The boiler efficiency and heat pump SCOP are example values. Divide the fuel price by your own appliance's efficiency to get your figure.

What this means for the extension in example 1: wet kit cost about £850 and electric mats for the same 20m² would cost about £531 with a neoStat-e thermostat. Electric saves £319 up front but costs about £174 more for every 1,000kWh of heat compared with gas. After about 1,800kWh of heat, wet is cheaper overall. See our running costs guide for more detail.

How can I reduce the cost of underfloor heating?

The biggest savings come from good design and buying the right quantities.

1. Design the loops first. Knowing each loop length lets you pick a coil size with little waste.
2. Use 150mm centres for most rooms. It uses about 6.7m of pipe per m². 100mm centres use 10m per m², so only use them where you need more heat.
3. Buy bigger coils and mats. A 500m coil of 16mm 3-layer pipe is £295, or £0.59 a metre. A 10m² mat is £22.40 per m² against £41 for 1m².
4. Fit it while the floor is up. New builds and extensions cost far less than retrofits.
5. Plan for a heat pump. A non-mixing set costs less than a blending pack, and the Boiler Upgrade Scheme helps with the heat pump.
6. Open a trade account if you are an installer, at /pages/trade-account.

Products for this job

• 3-Layer PERT-EVOH UFH Pipe, 80m to 500m coils
• 5-Layer PERT-EVOH UFH Pipe 16mm for screed and castellated panels
• MaxHeatUFH Castellated Floor Panel
• MaxHeatPanel tile-direct routed XPS board
• Dualmix Stainless Steel Manifold
• Blending valve pump pack with Grundfos UPM3 Auto
• MaxHeatUFH Electric Underfloor Heating Mat 150W/m²
• Thermostats and controls

Related guides: Water vs electric underfloor heating, How much underfloor heating pipe do I need? and Underfloor heating running costs explained.

Frequently asked questions

How much does underfloor heating cost for a 20m² room?

Wet kit for a 20m² screeded extension costs about £850 inc VAT, including the manifold, pump pack and controls. Electric mats for 20m² cost about £531 with a thermostat. The Energy Saving Trust puts installed cost at £85 to £110 per m² for wet, which is £1700 to £2200 for 20m².

Is underfloor heating more expensive than radiators?

Wet underfloor heating usually costs more to fit than radiators, because of the boards, pipe and floor work. It can cost less to run, because it heats the room at a lower water temperature, which suits condensing boilers and heat pumps.

Is electric underfloor heating cheaper to install than water?

Yes, in small rooms. A 4m² electric bathroom costs about £160 in kit, against about £376 for a wet single room pack, pipe and boards. Electric costs more to run, so the gap closes over time in large or heavily used rooms.

How much does underfloor heating cost per m² to run?

It depends on your heat loss, hours of use and heat source. A 150W/m² electric mat at full power costs about 3.9p per m² per hour at 26.32p/kWh. Wet systems on gas or a heat pump cost roughly a third as much per kWh of heat.

Can I get a grant for underfloor heating?

There is no grant for underfloor heating on its own. In England and Wales, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme gives £7500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump, and underfloor heating is a common way to make the most of one.

How much pipe and how many boards will I need?

At 150mm centres you need about 6.7m of pipe per m², plus the tails to the manifold. Divide the floor area by the board area (0.72m² for a 1200 x 600mm board) and add 5 to 10% for cuts.

Does the price include VAT?

Yes. All MaxHeatUFH public prices in this guide include VAT. Trade account holders see trade pricing.

Sources: Energy Saving Trust: underfloor heating, Ofgem: energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, GOV.UK: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, IET: BS 7671 Section 753 floor heating