cost of having a combi boiler fitted.

[armour]

Hi There,
I'm in the process of refitting my kitchin and thought it'd be a good time to upgrade my (12 year old) conventional boiler.
I live in a small 2 bedroom house with 5 radiators.
Can any body tell me what kind of price I should be paying to supply & fit?

 

[Mark Br]

Impossible to say without seeing the job. Get a few RGI's in to quote would be the best way to get an idea

 

[kirkgas]

heard of a guy today who is self employed (so legitimate i think!!) who is doing supply and fit vokera combi for £750, like for like, same position etc. this guy is off his head and killing the trade,

 

[namsag]

kIRK
Get used to it as it will be happening more often in certain areas.
Newbies with high overheads and having to get some money in.
House repossesions shooting up
Sites not up and running yet so lot of people chasing work.
Look on this site and see what time off day everday some people post.

Lets see how many jump at the arch nemisis BG when the letters go out in next week or so offering contact work

 

[Jowo]

Can't be too competitive in south London - all four local engineers on the Gas Safety register that I left messages for enquiring about a quote to install a boiler never returned my call, a 5th gave a verbal quote but didn't follow it up in writing as promised.

 

[gas112]

According to you on another topic 2 guys responded and turned up to look at your boiler as well as the guy who actually attended your boiler today.

So which story is correct.

And as you only started quote hunting today i would be a bit surprised if you did have written ones already.

 

[namsag]

Armour .
The trouble now is it can be a bit awkward to give quotes without actually seeing job . All depends whether you are keeping normal boiler or going for a combi also boilers are now connected into the drainage system and this is not always straight forward, Do you need trvs /gas upgrading etc etc etc etc

 

[Jowo]

According to you on another topic 2 guys responded and turned up to look at your boiler as well as the guy who actually attended your boiler today.

So which story is correct.

And as you only started quote hunting today i would be a bit surprised if you did have written ones already.

All of my story is correct. I was roundly ignored by local plumbers and a promise to send through a written quote did not materialise. I do have 2 written quotes (just not from those in my immediate area).

The only guys that came out to view the property (apart from the emergency plumber that came out first thing this morning and who identified I needed a new boiler) were 2 Eastern European engineers

Virtually all local plumbers I contacted, the ones closest to me (my postcode) simply failed to return my calls. Therefore, it is clear that they don't need the work, there isn't much competition and they can't be feeling any kind of pinch. Clearly, the market must favour them.

 

[Agile]

Its also possible that your message indicated that you were doing what we call "collecting quotes".

I dont go along with that as its a total waste of time for six people to go round, give free advice when only one is going to get the job. Probably an East Euro who does not have a UK mortgage and can buy a six bedroom house for €35,000.

Instead I ask a lot of questions on the phone or by email and give a budgetary quote which only takes me about 20 minutes and leaves the others wasting hours going round. Although I prefer to do it by email I am often told that I sound as if I know what I am doing on the phone. Its also quicker on the phone but then its during premium hours.

Tony

 

[Jowo]

After many calls and emails, I hold just 2 written quotes and just have the basic standard desire to have 3 decent ones to compare and review.

Far from being a timewaster, I've got the money in the bank and am motivated to convert it into real work due to the fact my house is freezing and there's no hot water. I'm hardly browsing.

My original preference was to find a local independent guy rather than some big group with big overheads where I expected to get inflated quotes (not actually the case compared to one man bands as I'm starting to learn now).

The only reason that I've had to widen the net is failure of so many to respond.

So there must be a catch 22 at work - many engineers are indifferent to providing quotations either because work is plentiful or they are hostile to 'quote gatherers' meanwhile customers, noting a low response, cast their net wide because so few engineers respond...

Its a free market and if a local guy doesn't want to spend 30 mins viewing a property because there's only a 15% chance of securing the contract (based on your estimate that 6 might be providing quotes), then that's how markets operate.

But they'd probably increase the chance above 50% if they made a decent first impression and showed some enthusiasm.

 

[Agile]

Its a free market and if a local guy doesn't want to spend 30 mins viewing a property because there's only a 15% chance of securing the contract (based on your estimate that 6 might be providing quotes), then that's how markets operate.

But they'd probably increase the chance above 50% if they showed a made a decent first impression and showed some enthusiasm.

The problem for you is that the best guys are fully booked by private referals for weeks.

The worst have no work to do and turn up 30 min after you call them.

In London it takes 45 min to get there and park, an hour, because people always want to quiz me on all the possibilities, 30 min to get back so I have wasted TWO hours and they then have all the consultation info that I have given free to get the lowest quote from an East European or a newbe.

THATS why I dont give free quote visits.

I will spend lots of time free on the phone and give budgetary quotes instead.

Alternatively, I charge our standard £84 and give any information they like and if they give the job to someone else then at least I have been paid for my time spent on a visit.

I am not in a price war, I quote a reasonable price and if anyone chooses someone cheaper then thats their perogative. I go to lots of poor quality installations to correct installation faults.

Tony

 

[armour]

Hi all, Had a couple of guys round last night - no quotes as yet. I just wanted a rough idea of what a reasonable price would be.
They both suggested a small glow worm boiler, which I've seen advertised for£600.
The ceiling in the kitchin is down at the moment, the bathroom just above, so no probs with running pipes.
I'm told I'd need the gas feed pipe upgraded to 22mm (a clear run of about 20 feet) so no great problem there.
It seems to me that material costs would be well less than a thousand pounds (or am I missing something)
So I guess what I'm asking is how much I should be paying for installation.
Thanks for your replies guys.

 

[armour]

Hi again I've got the first estimate in. It seems a bit steep seeing as the specified boiler costs £600.
What do you all think?

ESTIMATE Re. Boiler Installation


• Remove existing boiler, cylinder and disconnect cold tank
• Utilise existing pipe work and install new to suite installation
• Install Condensing Combi Boiler to kitchen area
• Thermostatic Radiator Valves as required.
• Power-flush heating system.
• Install remote room-stat (location tba)
• Upgrade gas main as required.
• Install condense drain to gulley
• Utilise existing electrics



Total Price labour & materials Gloworm Flexicom 24cx £1890.00

Price above Inc VAT

 

[lawrance]

Too cheap unless the installer is desperate for the work, even if its an easy conversion in the london area. Personally would not fit a flexicom unless totally necessary, ie for a penny pinching customer.

 

[lawrance]

Too cheap unless the installer is desperate for the work, even if its an easy conversion in the london area. Personally would not fit a flexicom unless totally necessary, ie for a penny pinching customer.

The flow rate of hot water is crap on that kw boiler