Should you move a boiler and how much will it cost?

Paul Honeyman, head of product management at Vaillant, says that moving a boiler from one position to another is: “not a regular occurrence”. But there are some scenarios that might lead you to relocate your boiler.

It could be that you’ve been losing sleep over a noisy bedroom boiler. Or, perhaps you want to move yours out of sight from a convivial space in the home, such as the kitchen, as part of a renovation or extension. “If your extension is going to include a new utility room, you might want to move the boiler into it from the main kitchen, to keep it out of the way,” shares Honeyman.

Honeyman shares another typical scenario where moving the boiler would make sense. “For years, my mum and dad had a system boiler with a cylinder to provide our family home with plenty of hot water,” he says. “But when we left home and there was just mum and dad left, they had the cylinder removed to save space and switched to a combi boiler.” It then made sense to move the boiler from the airing cupboard, so that the space could be knocked through to create a bigger bedroom.

“Checkatrade estimates the cost of moving a new boiler to a different location to be around £800,” says Daniel Khanlarpour, verified Checkatrade member and gas engineer at Gas Guru.

This is the average cost of moving an existing boiler. It can start at £600 and rise to £1000, including VAT.

“It’s difficult to estimate the cost of moving a boiler to another position. That’s because all of the current pipework presently connected to the boiler and the electricity supply will also need to be re-routed,” says Martyn Bridges, director of technical communications at Worcester Bosch.

“It may well be that the new position is some distance from the existing one. Therefore the pipework may require an increased diameter. The longer the pipework run, the more the frictional resistance. So it might be that you get insufficient gas to the boiler in its new position if you don’t upgrade.”

These are the other main factors that will affect the cost:

How far you are moving the boiler, and whether it’s going from downstairs to upstairs, will significantly impact costs, as it means moving all of the pipework.

For example, if you need scaffolding to get a boiler up into the attic you’ll pay more than if you’re simply moving a boiler to a new location in a bungalow.

“One thing that you should bear in mind is that you want it to be on an external wall where possible, to minimise your flue routes. Ideally, you want to be going directly through the wall and out with your flue to minimise disruption,” says Honeyman.

Checktrade says a combi boiler is the cheapest to move, costing around £600. Bridges’ notes that if you do have a modern boiler, there might be an easier and likely cheaper route to take – particularly if you’re planning it into a new extension.

In 2005 it became a legal requirement to install a condensing boiler when replacing an old appliance. “These newer boilers can have quite long flue pipe runs, with optional bends and elbows to change its direction,” he says. “Some Worcester Bosch boilers have a horizontal flue that can run more than 10m.”

As such, it might be possible for the boiler to stay where it is and for the flue to extend through, say, a ceiling void so that it vents to the outside. “Before this is undertaken, a Gas-Safe- registered installer should check whether it is possible,” Bridges concludes.

A considerable amount of copper and raw materials may also be involved when moving your boiler, especially if it’s going from upstairs to downstairs.

Geography will play a part in the cost of moving a boiler. “Scotland is going to be a lot cheaper than Kent in terms of labour,” admits Honeyman.

To make sure you’re getting a good deal, get quotes from different, well-rated, local installers. Check if any neighbours have had similar work done on their house for comparison and ask for advice and recommendations where possible. If your neighbours aren’t forthcoming, your local Facebook group may be a good place to start.

Khanlarpour says that this isn’t a job where you can easily or safely cut costs. “Unfortunately, there is no real way to cut costs other than maybe reusing the existing flue, which I don’t recommend. Boiler flues are typically sealed with rubber seals, which deteriorate over time. So when moving a boiler, I would always quote for a new flue. A typical horizontal flue kit for an average combi boiler costs less than £150.”

If you’re moving a boiler that is out of its warranty period, it might make more sense to upgrade yours to a more energy-efficient one in the process. A modern boiler typically lasts 15 years, and if it’s any older than this, it is unlikely to be a condensing appliance.

“Let’s say the boiler is nine or 10 years old and there’s going to be a considerable cost to moving it,” says Honeyman. “You may as well upgrade the boiler to a much more efficient, condensing modern appliance that could overall save you money on your gas bill.”

According to Checkatrade, replacing a combi boiler with a new mid-range one, and moving it to a different location, costs around £2,650. It also notes that a new boiler will soon pay for itself through the savings you’ll make on your heating bill.

You might typically find a boiler in the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room, and sometimes you’ll find them in lofts. Honeyman tells us that it varies quite significantly in terms of where boilers are located. “We see quite a lot in kitchens, and we see a smaller number in lofts,” he says.

From labour to material costs, moving a boiler is likely to be more expensive now than in previous years. “As with most things, the cost has gone up on any plumbing and heating work over the years. The cost of fittings, copper pipework, flue systems etc have all increased over the years, as have installers’ labour charges, as their costs have all risen,” says Bridges.

Khanlarpour seconds this: “The costs of moving a boiler has increased in line with everything else. Your Gas-Safe engineer now spends more on insurance, tools and fuel for their van, and the cost of copper pipe is very high at the moment.”