Actual Cost to buy and install a boiler?

Jack_Smith_2

Hi Guys

We’re looking to buy a new boiler for our home but Im struggling to understand the cost of a new boiler

I understand there is the cost of buying the actual boiler and then there is the cost of installing it.

I am getting all sorts of different quotes for buying and installing.

There are companies like British Gas who do both purchasing and installing is this cheaper?

I have looked online and found various websites such as http://www.boilersprices.co.uk/ - they give an idea of prices but only give rough idea of installation costs.

Can anyone help?

Thanks
Jack

kcopp

there are additional parts, fittings that also need to be purchased. Typically there will be mark up added to the cost of the materials. Fees and cost for permits and inspections. Then the labor.

Danny Scully

@Jack_Smith, overhead costs can be very hard for a customer to understand, but believe me, they are immense.

Ironman

You're on a U.S. site so procedures may be different over here, but one thing is the same anywhere: a business has to make enough money not only to pay for materials and labor, but also to cover the cost of "doing business" - aka overhead. On top of that, they expect to make a profit. Usually, it's 5% or less around here.

No one goes into business to break even or loose money. There are huge risks involved, and for that, one expects a profit.

Ironman

Danny Scully said:

@Jack_Smith, overhead costs can be very hard for a customer to understand, but believe me, they are immense.

Let them be on the other side of the counter, and they will understand them very quickly.

delta T

One of the most important things if you getting multiple bids, is to make sure that they are bidding the same thing. Did one company bid only the boiler replacement, and another bid the boiler, expansion tank, pump/s, air separator etc. Are they bidding the same boiler, or even the same type of boiler (Cast iron vs mod con for example?). This can be difficult for the consumer to manage if you have little knowledge of what goes into a system. Make sure you do a little research before you accept a bid, both to educate yourself on what you are getting, and to know if you are getting BSd. Give us an idea of what the specific circumstances of your situation are and we can help you learn about what should be looking for to the best of our abilities.

As a rule, we do not discuss actual pricing on this forum, however we would be glad to help you understand more about what you should be looking for if you can give us some more info.

DanHolohan

Ironman said:

You're on a U.S. site

We actually have a large audience in the U.K. and in other countries as well. I get what you mean, though. There are different rules in the U.K.

Ironman

DanHolohan said:

Ironman said:

You're on a U.S. site

We actually have a large audience in the U.K. and in other countries as well. I get what you mean, though. There are different rules in the U.K.

No doubt, with those added rules, taxes, etc, the cost will be higher over there than what it is here most of the time.

I wanted the O.P. to understand that if he's on other U.S. sites and seeing "cheap" boiler prices.

As others have stated above, there's a whole lot more involved than just the cost of some labor and the boiler.

DanHolohan

Thanks, Bob. Good points, well made.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Find the price of the boiler, double it and multiply x1.3. If it's a replacement that should get you in the ballpark, but it's only a ballpark or a cricket yard, whatever.

Danny Scully

That's a dangerous road @EBEBRATT-Ed, and I think you're way off. No ballpark is the same size, some seat 35,000 people, some seat 75,000 people. For that reason, I don't believe in ballpark pricing.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Danny Scully yup and the 75000 seats takes a bigger boiler than the 35000 seats so the price goes up.

for years around here replacements were take the price of the boiler and double it. I always felt that was way to low so I back checkd a few jobs and doubling the cost of the boiler x mark-up was close.

Never said above that I agreed with ballpark pricing. I believe every job gets figured on it's own and it takes what it takes...thats why I never guess a prices every time you do your always too low.

Some people insist on a # to kick around...that's all a ballpark is a # to kick around...not necessarly reality

Mark Eatherton

Ed, the problem is that 95% of those people who are in business for themselves has no idea how to properly price their job, and your formula looks REAL easy. It can also be WAY OFF.

My father, who taught me the business, used the same formula. I also used that formula, until the IRS showed up and demanded their money, which I didn't have... I had to shut my business down, absorb the corporate debt personally and start learning how to do business the RIGHT way. I see what you were attempting to do there in answering the consumers question, but you have to remember who else reads this stuff...

If a person doesn't know their cost of doing business, and that includes ALL costs of doing business, and they are not charging enough to recover ALL of those costs, then they should shut it down and go to work for someone who does understand the basic premises of doing business. The final out come is inevitable,and it isn't pretty.

To the person who is reading this that fits this profile, Dan sells a book titled "Where does the money go?" written by Ellen Rohr. You should own this book. It will change your life if you follow and do what she tells you to do.

ME

EBEBRATT-Ed

@Mark Eatherton I understand it completely and the correct number may be more than 95% I guess I was assuming that the professionals on this site know how to estimate a job. Same way that people figure jobs by square foot, cubic foot, day of the week, stand across the street and see how many fingers cover the house. I get it

DanHolohan

Gentlemen, this is why we don't discuss pricing on this site.

lchmb

if it heats the house for 20 years with reasonable usage with no issues..it was the perfect price...

SWEI

The total cost depends so much on the scope of work. It's quite rare for us to just swap a boiler and replace the expansion tank.

Normally we do significant repiping, upgrade the circulator and the air sep (adding dirt and possibly hydro sep to the mix), add drain and isolation valves, upgrade controls, and (probably 50% of the time) upgrade zone valves. The P&L on that alone typically costs more than the boiler does.

Tinman

The last boiler my company replaced by just cutting loose the supply pipe and the return pipe and then reconnecting them was NEVER. It's never happened. I've yet to do a boiler replacement where some major improvements couldn't be made. That's how we differentiate ourselves. There's a higher cost associated with it but also a much higher value.

Go big or go home.