Getting an underfloor heating quote: what should be included and questions to ask

Two underfloor heating quotes for the same house can differ by thousands of pounds and still both be honest. One may include screed, insulation and a full design. The other may cover only the pipe and manifold. Unless you line the quotes up item by item, the cheaper one can turn out dearer once the extras are added.

This guide gives you a checklist of what a UFH quote should include, the questions to ask an installer, how VAT and grants apply, and your consumer rights before you sign.

What should an underfloor heating quote include?

It should cover every part of the job from design to handover, with a price for each part. Use this checklist when you read a quote.

Item	What to look for
Heat loss and design	Room-by-room heat loss and a loop plan
Floor system	Screed, overlay, routed board or joisted, per room
Insulation and edge strip	Type and thickness under the pipes
Pipe or electric mats	Pipe type, size, spacing; or mat output and sizes
Manifold	Number of ports, flow meters, isolating valves
Pump and mixing	Mixing or non-mixing set to suit the heat source
Controls	Thermostats per zone, wiring centre, actuators
Screed	Who supplies and lays it, type and depth
Electrical work	Who wires it, and Part P certificate if notifiable
Heat source connection	Boiler or heat pump, by whom
Testing and commissioning	Pressure test, balancing, first heat-up
Handover	Manuals, zone plan, controls guide, certificates
Warranties	Product warranties and workmanship guarantee
Exclusions	Floor finish, making good, door trimming, skirting
VAT and validity	VAT shown, how long the price holds

Citizens Advice says a quote should give a fixed total price, a breakdown of work and materials, the cost of each part, how long the price is valid, whether VAT is included, and when the price could change. Treat any line marked "TBC" or "provisional" as a cost you have not yet been told.

Why should the quote include a heat loss calculation?

Because the heat loss is what proves the floor will keep each room warm. Without it, the pipe spacing, flow temperature and loop count are guesses.

A designer works out each room's heat loss to BS EN 12831, then checks the floor can deliver it within the surface temperature limits in BS EN 1264, which is 29°C in occupied areas. For a heat pump, the MCS design standard goes further: before installation the customer must be given each room's heat loss in W/m², the type and size of emitters, the design flow temperature and the expected seasonal efficiency. If the quote is for a heat pump with underfloor heating and none of that is offered, ask why.

Ask for the loop plan too. It shows the pipe layout, spacing, loop lengths and manifold position. Our guide to heat loss and UFH output explains how to check the figures, and how many manifold ports do I need? explains loop lengths and zoning.

What questions should I ask an underfloor heating installer?

Ask questions that show how they will design, build and stand behind the system. Good installers will answer them without fuss.

1. Have you done a heat loss for each room? Can I see it, with the W/m² for each room?
2. What flow temperature is the system designed for? Lower is better for a heat pump, and new systems under Part L are designed for 55°C or less.
3. How many loops and zones, and how long is each loop? On 16mm pipe, about 100m per loop is a common upper limit.
4. What insulation goes under the pipes, and how thick? This affects heat lost downwards and warm-up time.
5. Who lays the screed, how deep, and how long will it dry before the heating goes on?
6. Which floor finish has the design assumed? Carpet, wood and tiles give different outputs.
7. Who makes the electrical connections, and will I get a certificate?
8. How will you pressure test, and will I get the record? BS EN 1264-4 asks for at least 6 bar.
9. How will you commission and balance the loops? Will you set each flow meter?
10. What guarantees do you give on workmanship, and what are the product warranties?
11. Are you insured, and which trade body or scheme are you registered with?
12. What is excluded from the price?

How do I compare underfloor heating quotes?

Line them up against the same checklist and fill in the gaps before comparing totals. Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three contractors and being cautious if one is much lower than the others, as it may not be for the same work.

Watch for these common differences:

• Screed or no screed. One quote may include supply and laying of screed; another may expect your builder to do it.
• Insulation. Some quotes assume the builder has already laid insulation to the right standard.
• Controls. A single thermostat for a whole floor is much cheaper than one per room, but gives less control.
• Heat source work. Mixing set, pipework back to the boiler, or heat pump connection may be in one quote and missing from another.
• Design. A quote with a full loop design and heat loss is doing more work up front.
• Floor finish and making good. Usually excluded, but check.

Our guide to underfloor heating costs in the UK gives typical kit and install costs so you can sense-check the totals.

How do VAT and grants affect an underfloor heating quote?

VAT depends on what is being installed and who supplies it. The quote should show VAT clearly so you can see which lines are zero-rated.

• 0% VAT on some energy-saving installs: HMRC zero-rates the installation of certain energy-saving materials in homes from 1 May 2023 to 31 March 2027, after which it goes to 5%. The list includes heat pumps, central heating controls such as thermostats and timers, and insulation for floors. Underfloor heating pipe and manifolds are not named on the list.
• The installer must install it: the relief covers the installation, and materials the installer supplies and fits as part of that job. Selling energy-saving materials without installing them is standard-rated.
• Supply-only kit is 20%: if you buy kit supply-only from a merchant, including MaxHeatUFH, it includes 20% VAT. MaxHeatUFH charges 20% VAT on every product it sells.
• Boiler Upgrade Scheme: in England and Wales, the grant is £7500 for an air or ground source heat pump, installed by an MCS certified installer. The installer applies and takes the grant off your quote. A temporary £9000 rate applies from 21 July 2026 to 31 March 2027 for eligible homes moving off oil or LPG.

Check the current rules on gov.uk before you sign, as rates and dates can change. See underfloor heating with a heat pump for the heat pump side.

What are my rights before and after I sign?

Once you accept a written quote it is binding, so read it first. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader must carry out a service with reasonable care and skill, and anything they say or write that you rely on can form part of the contract.

• Deposits: Citizens Advice advises not to agree to more than 25%, and to get a receipt.
• Stage payments: paying in stages means problems can be put right before the final payment.
• How you pay: card or bank transfer, not cash. A credit card payment between £100.01 and £30000 may give you section 75 protection.
• Cancelling: if you agree the contract in your home, you normally have 14 days to cancel, starting the day after the contract was made. If you want work to start sooner, you must ask in writing or another durable form.
• Insurance and memberships: check the installer's insurance and that they really are a member of any trade body they name.

What should I get at handover?

You should get the documents that let you run, maintain and prove the system. Building Regulations require information to be given to the people living in the home on how to use the system.

• The final loop plan and zone plan, matching what was built.
• The pressure test record and commissioning record, including flow meter settings.
• Manuals for the manifold, pump, mixing valve and thermostats.
• Electrical certificate, and building control or competent person certificate where the work was notifiable.
• For a heat pump: the MCS certificate and commissioning checklists. The installation must be registered within 10 working days of commissioning.
• Warranty registration details, with any deadline for registering.

MaxHeatUFH supplies the kit and does not install, but we pass installation enquiries to vetted, approved installers across the UK. Ask for an installation quote, or buy the kit supply-only from our water underfloor heating or electric underfloor heating ranges.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a quote and an estimate?

A quote is a fixed price for the work described. An estimate is a rough guess, and the final bill can be higher. Ask for a written quote.

How many underfloor heating quotes should I get?

At least three written quotes, compared against the same list of items. Be wary of one that is far cheaper than the rest.

Should the installer charge for a design?

Some do, some include it. A design with room-by-room heat loss and a loop plan is worth paying for, because it is what proves the system will work.

Is underfloor heating zero-rated for VAT?

Underfloor heating pipe and manifolds are not named on HMRC's list of energy-saving materials. Heat pumps, heating controls and floor insulation are, but only when a business installs them. Kit bought supply-only carries 20% VAT.

How big a deposit should I pay?

Citizens Advice says not to agree to more than 25%. Pay the rest in stages as work is completed.

What should be excluded from a UFH quote?

Commonly the floor finish, making good, trimming doors and refitting skirting. Make sure the quote lists exclusions so there are no surprises.

Can I buy the kit myself and pay only for labour?

Yes, many installers will fit customer-supplied kit. Agree in writing who is responsible if a part is faulty, and remember supply-only kit includes 20% VAT.

Sources: Citizens Advice: before you get work done on your home, HMRC VAT Notice 708/6, Energy Saving Trust: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, MCS MIS 3005-D heat pump design standard, PBC Today: UFH systems and building control, gov.uk: 2021 changes to Part L (55°C flow temperature), Bromley Council: Consumer Rights Act and services, Pembrokeshire Trading Standards: off-premises contracts, Planning Portal: electrics and Part P