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What changes a heat pump installation quote?
In Cheshire, an air source heat pump still needs its own quote, and Ofgem's Boiler Upgrade Scheme report for April 2025 to March 2026 says those quotes were most commonly £10,001 to £12,500 before the grant was deducted [S8]. Prices vary by the job and the location, and QuoteZila does not set prices.
Last reviewed:What the quote is actually for
Ofgem's Boiler Upgrade Scheme annual report for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 says air source heat pump quotes were most commonly £10,001 to £12,500 before the grant was deducted, and the average total quote was £13,441 with the grant value included [S8]. Ground source quotes were most commonly £20,001 to £30,000, and the average total quote was £27,505 with the grant value included [S8]. Ofgem says those quotes include the system, labour and VAT where it applies, that it does not validate them, and that the averages leave out the highest and lowest 10% [S8]. The report covers installations in England and Wales, not a Cheshire price. Prices vary by the job and the location, and QuoteZila does not set prices.
A heat pump takes heat from the air, the ground or water and moves it into the house. The outdoor unit, the indoor unit or cylinder, the pipework, the radiators or the underfloor loops, and the electrical supply are all parts of one installation. A quote that names only the pump is not yet comparable with a quote that names the emitters as well.
This page does not print the grant amount. Underfloor heating as its own system is underfloor heating quotes and how an underfloor install is planned. An oil boiler, if that is what you have now, is oil boiler quotes.
QuoteZila starts in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the early towns. Anyone in the UK can post a job or register. Planning rules in the next section are the Planning Portal's rules for England. Ask the council where you live if the house is outside that scope. This page does not describe your street.
What moves one quote away from another
| Piece of the job | What to make the installer write | Why it changes the job |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Air source, ground source, or another system they name | The outdoor works are completely different |
| Emitters | Existing radiators, larger radiators, or underfloor heating | A pump that runs cooler may need more surface |
| Cylinder | New, existing, or none | Hot water is a separate vessel |
| Electrical supply | Whether the present supply is enough | A registered electrician may need to alter it [S4] |
| Position | Where the outdoor unit goes, and the volume | Planning limits sit on size and place [S1] |
| Noise and neighbours | How they have assessed it | The Portal requires compliance with MCS 020a [S1] |
| Insulation | What they assumed about the building | A leaky house and a tight house are different designs |
| Paperwork | MCS certificate, handover pack, building control route | You want these named before you accept [S2] [S5] |
| Grant | Whether they will apply, and on what scheme | The installer applies for the BUS grant [S3] |
| VAT | In the total or not | Turnover over £90,000 means VAT registration [S6] |
Planning limits for an air source unit
The Planning Portal says that from 1 December 2011, installing an air source heat pump on domestic premises is permitted development, with no planning application, only if all the limits and conditions on that page are met [S1]. This is a summary of limits that are on the page, not a shorter substitute for it.
- The installation must comply with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme planning standard MCS 020a. The page says that from 28 May 2026, MCS 020a will be the only permitted certification scheme [S1].
- The outdoor compressor unit, including its housing, must not exceed 1.5 cubic metres on a house, or 0.6 cubic metres for a block of flats [S1].
- On a house that is not detached, and on a block of flats, only the first air source heat pump is permitted development. On a detached house, the first two are [S1].
- There must be no existing wind turbine on the building or in the grounds. A further pump or turbine needs an application [S1].
- Installations on pitched roofs are not permitted development. On a flat roof, every part of the unit must be at least one metre from the external edge [S1].
- The right does not apply in the curtilage of a listed building or on a scheduled monument [S1].
- In a conservation area or a World Heritage Site, the unit must not be on a wall or roof that fronts a highway, and it must not be nearer to a highway that bounds the property than any part of the building [S1].
- Elsewhere, it must not be on a wall above the ground floor if that wall fronts a highway [S1].
- It must not be used solely for cooling. So far as is practicable, it should be sited to minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building and its effect on the amenity of the area, and removed as soon as reasonably practicable when it is no longer needed for microgeneration [S1].
The Portal says permitted development can also be removed by a planning condition or an article 4 direction, and that you may wish to discuss with the local planning authority whether every limit is met [S1]. Do that before you accept a quote that assumes no application.
MCS, the handover and the grant
MCS describes itself as a quality mark for small-scale renewables including heat pumps. On its air source page it says certified installers use MCS certified air source heat pumps, and it encourages you to check the installer's certification when you are quoted, again before you sign, and again before installation starts [S2].
It says the quote will be clear and provide a full breakdown of what you are buying, that the installer should explain products, timing and any subcontractors, and that you should receive an MCS certificate within 10 working days of completion plus a handover pack. The pack, on that page, includes a list of key parts, health and safety guidance, a recommended servicing schedule and the maker's instruction manuals [S2]. Ask for those items by name. This page does not call the installation a particular rank, and it does not repeat marketing lines from the MCS site.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, on the MCS consumer page, is administered by Ofgem and provides grants for property owners in England and Wales to replace fossil-fuel heating with low-carbon heating [S3]. MCS says the installer applies for the grant on your behalf and redeems the voucher once the work has been completed, and that Ofgem will contact you to confirm the installer is acting for you [S3]. Eligibility on that page includes owning the property, the property being a home or small non-domestic building in England or Wales, and the current heating being a fossil-fuel system or electric heating that does not already include a heat pump [S3]. The pound amounts are not copied here. They change, and a single trade-body page is not the place this guide takes a cash figure from. Read the scheme page for the current amount.
Electrics, heating approval and the paperwork around money
Electrical Safety First says that, with the exception of some minor tasks, electrical work must be reported to the local authority building control body or carried out by a registered electrician who is a member of a government-approved scheme [S4]. A heat pump is not a plug-in heater. Ask which electrician does the supply, and how you will get the certificate. Electrical Safety First: find a registered electrician; NICEIC; NAPIT. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Electrical Safety First sets out the building regulations route.
GOV.UK lists installing or replacing a heating system as work that might need building regulations approval, and says you do not have to make that application yourself if the installer is on a competent person scheme [S5].
Citizens Advice says to get written quotes from at least three traders, that a quote is a fixed price and an estimate is a rough guess, and not to agree a deposit above 25 per cent without a receipt [S7]. A business registers for VAT when taxable turnover passes £90,000 [S6]. Ask whether the headline number includes VAT and whether any grant is already deducted.
Where the unit goes, and what the house must give it
The outdoor unit needs a place that meets the planning limits above, a route for pipes that does not wreck a finished room, and a base the installer is willing to stand it on. Ask them to mark the position on a photo. A quote that says "position to be agreed" is not yet the same job as a quote that shows the side wall, the distance to the neighbour and the volume of the unit [S1].
Inside, the cylinder or the indoor unit needs a cupboard or a corner with a drain for condensate and a safe route for the electrics [S4]. If that cupboard is the airing cupboard and it is full, say so. Clearing it is your job or theirs, and the quote should pick one.
Ground-source and air-source should not be forced into one comparison. A ground array means trenches or a borehole and a garden that can take them. An air-source unit means the outdoor box and the planning limits. If you only want one of those, write it in the first line so the other is not priced "for completeness".
Neighbours hear outdoor units. The Planning Portal says an air source heat pump is permitted development only if the installation complies with MCS 020a [S1]. Ask the installer to show how that standard has been met for your wall and your boundary. This page does not print a noise figure, and it does not describe the contents of MCS 020a.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Detached house, oil boiler, radiators. Please quote an air source heat pump, say whether the radiators are large enough, and state the outdoor unit volume and where it would stand. MCS certified installer. No digging for a ground array."
- "Semi-detached house in a conservation area, front wall faces the road. Please say whether an air source unit would need a planning application before you price the kit."
- "Heat pump and new cylinder only. Underfloor heating is a separate quote. Please show the electrical work as its own line."
Asking for heat pump quotes
Say air or ground, and attach a photo of the boiler and of the place the outdoor unit might go. Up to five matched local businesses can send a quote [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See our heating engineers page and electricians page.
Questions about heat pump quotes
How much does heat pump installation cost?
Ofgem's Boiler Upgrade Scheme annual report for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 says air source heat pump quotes were most commonly £10,001 to £12,500 before the grant was deducted, and the average total quote was £13,441 with the grant value included. Ground source quotes on that report were most commonly £20,001 to £30,000, and the average total quote was £27,505 with the grant value included. Ofgem says it does not validate the installer quotes, and that the averages leave out the highest and lowest 10%. The figures are for England and Wales scheme installations, not a Cheshire price. Prices vary by the job and the location, and QuoteZila does not set prices.
Do I need planning permission for an air source heat pump?
Often it is permitted development, and often it is not. The Planning Portal says that from 1 December 2011 an air source heat pump on a house can be permitted development if every limit on that page is met, including compliance with MCS 020a. Listed buildings, conservation areas and a unit that is too large are among the cases that drop out of that right. Ask the council if you are unsure.
Why do installers talk about MCS?
MCS says certified installers use MCS certified air source heat pumps, and that you should check the installer's certification when you get a quote, before you sign, and before work starts. It also says you should receive an MCS certificate within 10 working days of completion, and a handover pack.
Is there a grant, and is the amount on this page?
MCS describes the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, run by Ofgem, as grants for property owners in England and Wales to replace fossil-fuel heating with low-carbon heating. The installer applies. This page does not print the grant amount. Read the current figure on the scheme page before you rely on it.
Who connects the electrics?
Apart from some minor tasks, Electrical Safety First says electrical work must be reported to building control or carried out by a registered electrician on a government-approved scheme. Ask who does that part of the heat pump job.
Does a heat pump need building regulations approval?
GOV.UK lists installing or replacing a heating system among work that might need approval. You do not need to arrange it yourself if the installer is registered with a competent person scheme. Ask how your installation will be signed off.
Does QuoteZila check installers?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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- Heated Skirting Boards Cost: What Changes the Price. What changes the cost of heated skirting boards: wet or electric systems, room lengths, pipework, controls, removing radiators, decorating, approvals and VAT.
- How to Change a Radiator: Cost Factors. What changing a radiator involves, why it is a job for a heating engineer or plumber, what changes the price in Cheshire, and how to compare quotes fairly.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Planning permission: air source heat pump, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/heat-pumps/planning-permission-air-source-heat-pump/
- S2: Air source heat pump, MCS. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://mcscertified.com/consumers/technologies/air-source-heat-pump/
- S3: Boiler Upgrade Scheme, MCS. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://mcscertified.com/consumers/consumer-grants-incentives/boiler-upgrade-scheme/
- S4: Building regulations, Electrical Safety First. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/find-a-registered-electrician/building-regulations/
- S5: Building regulations approval, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/building-regulations-approval
- S6: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S7: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S8: Boiler Upgrade Scheme annual report 2025 to 2026, Ofgem. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-07/BUS_Annual_Report_2025-26-20260730085029.pdf