Cost of TV Aerial Installation

Want to find out how much it costs to install a TV aerial?

To fit a TV aerial you'll pay around £50-£150 depending on the type of aerial you need and where it's being installed.

So, what information can this cost guide offer you?

In this guide we look at TV aerial installation prices for different house types and scenarios. We also cover how long installation takes, supply costs for aerial if you wish to fit it yourself and any additional costs you may encounter.

If you'd like to get a quote from tv aerial installers, we can point you in the right direction!

We have a range of local aerial fitters that can give you a free quote for any aerial installation job!

Want some further information?

Take a look below at our guide...

How Much Does TV Aerial Installation Cost?

How can you tell if you need a new aerial?

If you’ve had issues with the strength or quality of your TV signal in the past, it may be time that you considered installing a TV aerial to improve the clarity of your TV picture and the consistency of your TV signal.

How much will it cost to fit an aerial and how long will it take?

On average, the cost of installing a new TV aerial is £200 and takes around 3-6 hours to complete by a trained and licensed professional. Aerial installation is most likely to be required for you to make the most out of your TV or TV services.

What can affect the overall costs?

Some factors can affect this installation price, for example, if your home has tricky access points, preventing the worker from reaching the parts of your home to wire or install the aerial, further costs could be induced for additional resources.

Another factor is...

If there is a larger than usual distance needing to be covered around your home, there could be additional costs for extra wiring.

Location is a major cost affecting factor. Busy capital cities and some southern areas with a higher cost of living incur higher trade fees. This is standard across all jobs and trades.

Why is it better to hire a professional?

To install an aerial, an engineer is required to work above the ground to connect cables from your home to an aerial somewhere up high on your home.

We always encourage homeowners to enlist licensed and trained professionals to carry out this type of work, to ensure they carry out the work to the highest standard while maintaining safe working at height ideals.

Also...

Depending on your current service provider, there are different cable thickness options for you to choose from, something which a licensed professional will be able to advise on to assure you make the best choice for your home.

TV Aerial Installation Prices

Here's a table of the different types of aerial installation, their costs, and how long they take to fit:

Supply Costs Only

Want to install a TV aerial yourself?

The supply costs for TV aerials are reasonably priced across the board, with each type retailing at anything between £20-£50, so there will be an option to suit all budgets.

Of course, the main cost incurred when having a professional install the aerial is the actual labour fees, as opposed to the cost of the materials and supply.

There are several different types of TV aerial available on the market, and the type you need will depend on whereabouts in the country you are, how strong your current signal is and how much of an improvement you need.

We’ll go over the different types of aerial in more detail further along in the article, but here’s a handy table to show how much each type will cost:

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Additional Costs

When you are quoted for the installation of a new TV aerial, this will be for the materials and labour, but there are sometimes additional costs that can be added to your quote if unforeseen circumstances crop up that require a fix.

For example...

If your home has accessibility issues, the workers may need to utilise scaffolding to work safely at height, in line with regulations from governing bodies.

This scaffolding cost would be attributed to the overall cost of the job. You can explore scaffolding costs in full here.

What other additional costs might there be?

Your aerial may also need to be secured with an aerial mast if the tradesmen deem it necessary, these masts aren’t expensive, so it’s always worth using one to ensure that the aerial is entirely safe and stable.

How much are aerial masts?

Masts are priced between £5-£10, with aluminium being priced higher than their cheaper steel counterparts.

One of the main additional may be extra aerial cables, especially if your home is quite large. The job may also involve securing brackets and cable clips to assure a neat and orderly finish and maybe even a signal booster if your home is in a low coverage area.

Again...

All of these things are inexpensive but worthwhile additions. Signal boosters cost around £20-£40 depending on the number of rooms that require coverage, cable clips cost around £2 for 100, aerial cables cost about £40 for 20m, and a bracket is about £5.

The last additional cost is...

Commonly overlooked is the possibility that you may need to redecorate, touch up your décor after the installation of a new TV aerial, as cables will need to be run from outdoors, into your home in some cases.

So, you may need to re-plaster and paint!

Labour Costs and Timescales

Working with the average cost of £200 for a standard TV aerial installation, the labour fees will account for around 75% or £150 of that cost.

What does the cost include?

That’s for the installation of the aerial, the metal bracket and the aerial mast.

What does the cost of labour depend on?

Contractors will charge more or less depending on whereabouts in the UK you are, with big cities and London generally seeing contractors charge above average as standard.

This can also change if the work extends over the estimated 2-4 hours for whatever reason, or if there’s additional work to be completed like the installation of signal boosters around the home.

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Cost Factors of Installing a New TV Aerial

Several factors can affect the cost of installing a new TV aerial from the type of aerial being installed, to the location of your property. Here we’ll delve into these factors in a little more detail:

Type of Aerial

As we’ve illustrated in the previous pricing table, there is quite a difference in the pricing of aerials depending on which you’ll need for your home.

For example, an indoor loft aerial will cost just £15 at the low end, while a Yagi aerial would cost £35. In addition to the cost of the aerial, different types require different configuration and adjustments. This can add to the timeframe and overall cost of labour.

Location of Property

The location of your property will play a large part in the pricing of trade jobs. Big cities like Manchester, London and Birmingham will naturally have higher labour prices than small towns and villages. Be prepared for receiving quotes that exceed the average by a little.

Ease of Access

Some homes are naturally tough to manoeuvre around, whether down to the shape or size of the house, or the layout of neighbouring properties.

If your property does have some issues with access, there may be a requirement for a different structure to safely access the space that the aerial will be installed. Usually, this is in the form of basic scaffolding, but some tradesmen have been known to use small cherry pickers as well.

What is a TV Aerial?

A TV aerial, or antenna, is a designed to receive television broadcasts from TV stations, transferring them through the tv cables and into your TV where it’s transformed into picture and audio.

They come in two main types, indoor and outdoor, and both are used in different ways. Indoor aerials tend to be placed atop tv sets or in loft spaces, whereas outdoor are typically found on the roof, or high up on your home. Aerials are made from different types of metal, which therefore makes them look different in appearance.

What's Involved in Installing a New TV Aerial?

If you already have an aerial or had one in the past, and there is an internal cable fitted to the home, the job will be much quicker and easier. However, if this isn’t the case, or you require relocation of this internal cable, the job will take much longer and will likely be much messier.

First, the fitter will locate a position on your home in which the aerial will be fitted. This will be in a space where your aerial will be best suited to receive the TV transmissions and is usually between 10-20 feet off the ground.

Once the installation area has been chosen, the antenna will be mounted to the wall or roof, it will be mounted to a metal bracket and an antenna mast, to assure complete structural stability.

Next, the cable will be installed at the best entrance point for your TV, usually at the front of your home, where your living room is likely to be.

Once the cable is safely connected from the aerial to the inside of your home, and the cable has been safely clipped to the wall for neatness and to ensure a safe lay, it will be plugged into your home to test the system. Once your TV is working fully, the added step of adding a ground to the aerial will be completed to protect it from static and indirect lightning hits.

This is the typical, straightforward way to install a TV aerial; however, if your home has any particular requirements, additional steps may be added or removed as required.

Can I Install a New TV Aerial Myself?

A lot of people are completing more tasks themselves, rather than hiring a professional. However, installing a TV aerial isn’t on a par with a simple flatpack assembly.

Working at height is incredibly difficult, especially if you have no prior experience working at height. Additionally, the intricacies of choosing the right aerial, coupled with the decision on the location of the aerial on your property can be very tough. After all, the location is paramount with TV aerial installations.

The dangers of working from height are very apparent and can become very scary when conditions turn on a whim. Falls from height make up the majority of fatal accidents across all industries in the UK, and that’s from trained professionals. The layman will find it even more difficult, as it’s likely they won’t have the correct equipment to work safely and efficiently.

Now, there are some aspects of TV aerial installation that you can complete yourself. Indoor aerial installations are very straightforward and pose no threats or dangers to your safety, along with the configuring of your TV set.

The clipping of TV aerial cables to your home, to ensure it’s neat, tidy and safe is another task that can be done very quickly. However, we would always suggest using a trained professional to install the actual aerial and mast.

Types of TV Aerial

Yagi Aerial Cost

This aerial is the most commonly used in the UK and resembles the typical TV antenna. The Yagi has a long boom-rod on it, and a right angle that shows several metal pieces that act as semi-conductors, which will actually pick up the TV signal and transmit it down the boom. These aerials are faced in direction and receive a wide beam of signal in order to achieve better signal strengths.

High Gain Aerial Cost

A high gain aerial is designed to increase and boost the TV signal received from the TV stations to provide a more stable and clearer connection. It’s perfect for those areas that struggle with TV signal and is usually the best choice for those locations.

The high gain aerial is a lot larger than others in size and requires a longer boom section to work fully. It also requires a more robust aerial mast to avoid bending over time.

Grid Aerial Cost

Grid aerials are quite unique in which they are flat panels, with all the elements hidden inside. It’s relatively uncommon to come across a grid aerial as they don’t work very well with digital TV’s. They also don’t have a significant gain on them, making them virtually useless in poor signal areas.

Indoor Aerial Cost

An indoor aerial is a digital box that sits close to your TV, providing a signal boost to your TV services if you’re suffering from a fuzzy or weak picture. These aerials come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from a variety of providers, they’re not renowned for being revolutionary devices. Still, they could provide the extra bit of power you need.

Loft Mounted Aerial Cost

Loft mounted aerials are cheaper than outdoor aerials, despite working in a similar fashion. Due to them being under cover, they don’t need to be as heavy-duty as aerials left out to battle the elements, making them cheaper and very effective.

Building Regulations & Planning Permission for TV Aerial

You won’t need planning permission for the installation of a TV aerial as it is covered under the permitted development rights on your home. But there are some restrictions on the type and size of aerials you are allowed to install.

For houses up to 15 metres high:

• There can’t be more than two aerials on the property
• If you’re installing just one antenna, it can’t be more than 1m wide, if your installing 2, the additional aerial can’t be wider than 60cm
• The cubic capacity of the aerials must be less than 35l
• If you’re mounting the aerial on your chimney stack, it can’t extend more than 60cm above the stack
• If you’re mounting it on the roof, it can’t extend past the highest point of the roof

For houses over 15 metres high:

• There can’t be more than four aerials on your home
• Each aerial cannot be wider than 130cm
• Each aerial must have a cubic capacity of 35l or less
• An antenna mounted to a chimney stack cannot exceed 60cm in width
• An antenna cannot extend more than 300cm from the highest point of the roof

When you hire an installation expert, ensure that these rules have been followed; otherwise, it will be you that has to pay any fines or cautions for breaching the regulations.

Cost of Removing a TV Aerial

You may want to remove your TV aerial to take it to a new home, take it down as you don’t use it or remove it after fearing it has become unsafe over time.

Simply removing an aerial instead of replacing it is much cheaper and more straightforward. However, we still wouldn’t recommend it as a DIY project as it still involves working at height with heavy materials.

If you did need an aerial removed, you can call the same people that would fit one, and they can typically take it down and dispose of it for less than £100, that is of course if you don’t want to keep it for any reason.

Hiring Contractors to Build Install a TV Aerial List

You should first speak to friends, family and neighbours to see if they have any recommendations for an installer. Word of mouth is often more reliable than any online review.

But, if you can’t find any recommendations, take to the web and explore the installers in your area. It would be best if you asked some questions to ensure that they are fully qualified and experienced enough to take on the job. Ask them:

• Are they a member of the CAI (Confederate of Aerial Industries)?
• Is aerial installation their primary trade?
• How much experience does their team have?
• Have they done any recent work in your area that you could have a look at?

You should also take a look at their reviews online to see how other people have found them. Try and get a few different quotes and speak to a few different companies before settling on one.

FAQs

Sources

https://www.adsdigital.co.uk/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-outdoor-tv-aerial-for-your-home
https://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/help-guides/freeview/what-type-of-aerial-do-i-need