myjobquote

Home Cost Guides Box in Boiler CostArticle

Box in Boiler Cost

Last updated 9th September 2022 - Reading time: 12 mins

In this guide, we’ll look at what’s involved in this work, what it tends to cost and explore other related topics such as whether you can box in a boiler DIY.

Whether you want to box in a combi boiler, regular boiler or system boiler, we’ll give you a clear idea as to how you should go about this.

Average Cost of boxing in a box a boiler:

Depending on the complexity of the job, it usually takes: 3 – 6 hours

£320

How Much Does It Cost to Box in a Boiler?
- Box in Boiler Prices
Supply Only Costs
Additional Costs
Labour Costs and Timescales
Cost Factors of Boxing in a Boiler
What's Involved in Boxing in a Boiler?
Can I Box in a Boiler Myself?
Building Regulations & Planning Permission for Boxing in a Boiler
Hiring Contractors to Box in a Boiler Checklist
FAQs
Sources

How Much Does It Cost to Box in a Boiler?

Boxing in a boiler will have varying costs depending on the type of boiler. A modified kitchen cabinet would cost £140 to £240 whereas a custom-built unit would be priced at approximately £240 to £380. Having a utility space built would cost about £360 to £500.

The cost of boxing in a boiler depends on the type and size of the construction, ease of access to the work area, and where you live in the UK. The latter point is relevant since labour prices differ from region to region (more on this later).

Box in Boiler Prices

Job Description	Supply Costs	Labour Costs	Total Cost
Modified Kitchen Cabinet	£60 to £120	£80 to £120	£140 to £240
Custom-Built Unit	£90 to £180	£150 to £200	£240 to £380
Build a Utility Space	£210 to £300	£150 to £200	£360 to £500

Want a custom price?

Post your job

Supply Only Costs

The supply costs are a part of the overall costs to box a boiler in and exclude the price of labour.

The cost of supplies would land around £60 to £120 for a modified kitchen cabinet, £90 to £180 for a custom-built unit or £210 to £300 in the case of building a utility space.

Supply Costs of Boxing in a Boiler

Job Description	Supply Costs
Modified Kitchen Cabinet	£60 to £120
Custom-Built Unit	£90 to £180
Build a Utility Space	£210 to £300

Want a custom price?

Post your job

Additional Costs

We’ll now look at some extra jobs you may wish to pay for to go along with having your boiler boxed in.

Boiler Servicing

You may wish to have your boiler serviced at the same time as having it boxed in. In general, you should have your boiler serviced annually.

Of course, it’s possible that you could have your boiler serviced earlier than scheduled if you wish. This must be undertaken by a qualified gas safety registered engineer.

Boiler servicing costs about £50 to £70 for a regular combi boiler, £65 to £85 for an LPG boiler, or £70 to £90 for an oil boiler. An annual boiler service is critical to ensure that your boiler is safe and working correctly.

A heating engineer may also spot issues when servicing your boiler and would likely fix any issues present there and then, albeit this could increase your bill.

Bleeding Radiators

Bleeding a radiator involves draining water out gradually. This can lower moisture/condensation levels and enhance the overall performance of the radiator in question.

It would make a radiator more efficient, less noisy, and it would stop a pool of water from forming beneath it when in use (if this is occurring). Bleeding a radiator can also address issues like cold spots and this would likely lower running costs.

The cost of bleeding radiators would, of course, primarily depend on the number of radiators being bled. To have a professional bleed 5-10 radiators would be priced at about £80 to £100 with the cost reaching £100 to £150 for 10-15 radiators.

Move Radiators

Another task you may wish to have undertaken is to have various radiators (or even just one) relocated. To have one radiator moved would cost about £120 to £180 with the price rising to approximately £360 to £540 for three radiators.

To add a new radiator, you’d need to increase your budget by about £220 to £400.

Labour Costs and Timescales

We’ll now move on to the price of labour involved in boxing in a boiler. A tradesperson would set a labour price of about £150 to £200 per day whereas a relatively straightforward installation may cost between £80 and £120 (e.g., modified kitchen cabinet).

The labour cost is part of the overall price of boxing in a boiler.

It would take about three to six hours to install a modified kitchen cabinet but six to eight hours (or around a full workday) to have a custom-built unit or a utility space.

The labour cost and timeframe would depend on the extent of the work and ease of access to the workspace.

Ask a Trade

Got a question that only a tradesperson can answer? We have thousands of trades ready to answer any question you may have.

Ask your question

Cost Factors of Boxing in a Boiler

When it comes to boxing in a boiler, various cost factors are at play. While we’ve touched on these earlier, let’s take a closer look at the cost-affecting factors involved.

Type and Size of Construction

One of the main factors in determining the price of boxing in a boiler is the type and size of the construction.

Modifying a kitchen cabinet would be a simpler and relatively cheaper task than saying having a custom-built unit constructed around your boiler.

The size of the construction itself would also play a role in determining the supply costs as well as the labour price potentially (as this often relates directly to how long the work takes or/and the scale of the job).

Ease of Access

The level of accessibility a tradesperson has to your boiler would also matter. The easier they can access the workspace, the quicker and simpler the task should be. This would likely mean a lower labour cost as a result than would be the case otherwise.

Location of Property

In addition, the cost of labour would also depend on your location. Labour prices tend to below the UK average in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

On the contrary, trades costs are usually above the UK average in the southeast. London is especially known for its high costs in general.

What's Involved in Boxing in a Boiler?

In this section, we’ll look at the steps required to box in a boiler. The methods will vary depending on the way in which you want to have your boiler boxed in.

You should explore different box in boiler ideas before deciding the best way to go about it although you should consult a professional if you have any doubts as to whether your vision is suitable.

Hiring a Contractor and Obtaining the Materials

First and foremost, you need to decide whether you want to undertake the work yourself or hire a professional (more on this in the next section).

If you choose to hire a professional, they could obtain the materials for you. Otherwise, you’d need to get them yourself. It’s important that you secure all the correct materials and have the right tools needed.

Boxing in the Boiler

In most cases, the work will be relatively simple. A kitchen cabinet or the creation of a fresh cupboard is a popular way of achieving this. For a kitchen box in boiler job, a ready-made cabinet would suffice.

This can help to conceal your boiler and make it smoothly fit in with its surroundings.

In some cases, having a cupboard created would suit, though this would depend on location or/and size of the boiler. The exact process will differ from construction to construction.

For instance, you may need to box in pipes under the boiler or not depending on the nature of your boiler. If in doubt, you should hire a professional.

Final Checks and Clean Up

Lastly, you’d want to perform any final checks and clean up the space. Once everything is in good, safe and working order and everything is clean, you’re good to go.

Can I Box in a Boiler Myself?

Thankfully boxing in a boiler is a fairly straightforward job for a DIY enthusiast so long as you have the right skills and knowledge. It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. For example, there may be some more difficult elements of the job you may need to do like box in boiler pipes.

In terms of safety concerns, spatial ventilation surrounding a boiler space is particularly important. It is critical that enough room exists around the boiler for air circulation.

In addition, there needs to be sufficient clearance at the front of the boiler; this would be for maintenance and servicing purposes. If the boiler needs to be moved, however, you will need to hire a professional.

Boxing in a boiler DIY, if suitable, could save you somewhere in the range of £80 to £200 in labour expenses. However, it will likely take a DIY enthusiast longer to perform the work than a professional.

Hazards and dangers include straining yourself when carrying heavy materials. You also want to be sure you don’t do a botched job. You’ll need to know how to box a boiler in do this work DIY. If in any doubt, it’s best to hire a contractor to box in a boiler.

Building Regulations & Planning Permission for Boxing in a Boiler

You may be wondering whether any specific rules must be followed when boxing in a boiler. Of course, as mentioned, you want to ensure room for air circulation around the boiler and that there is sufficient clearance at the front for maintenance and servicing.

However, when it comes to planning permission rules in particular, none apply specifically to this work. In fact, building regulations do not directly cover boxing in a boiler either.

The only real expectation is that if your property is a listed building, you will need permission from your local building authority prior to having your boiler boxed in.

Of course, the manufacturer’s instructions will guide you as to what is required.

In general, you’d be looking at approximately the following gaps in the construction:

5cm gap from the box edge to the boiler sides
30cm gap at the top of your boiler
At least 10cm along the bottom of the boiler

Other work, if applicable, may be covered by planning permission or building regulations. Planning permission approval can take up to eight weeks and generally costs about £200 whereas the price of building regulations generally falls close to £100.

Hiring Contractors to Box in a Boiler Checklist

Should you wish to hire a contractor to perform the work, there are certain considerations worth taking on board.

Our recommended checklist when finding the right contractor for the job:

Are they qualified?
What experience do they have?
What is their previous work like?
Source multiple quotes before making up for your mind
Ask friends and family members for any recommendations they might have
Check out any online customer reviews they have such as on their website and social media (if any of this is applicable)
Find out if they are part of an accreditation

FAQs

Can I box in my boiler?

Usually, yes, you can. If you have the right skills and knowledge, it’s generally fine to undertake the work DIY. With that being said, if you have doubts that relate to where the boiler is located, etc. you should ask a professional to take a look.

How do you box in a wall-mounted boiler?

You can box in a wall mounted-boiler much in the same way as you would other options such as with a kitchen cupboard built around it. However, a customised construction may be necessary depending on the exact location of the boiler, its size and so forth.

What are some of the advantages of boxing in a boiler that I may have not realised yet?

Aside from the obvious visual benefits, boxing in a boiler can also naturally reduce how noisy your boiler is.

Does boxing in a boiler add value to a property?

Based on known research, it looks like it could add several thousand pounds to the value of a home, perhaps close to £5,000, in fact.

How much might it cost to unbox a boiler and make it exposed again?

If, for any reason, you decided that this was suitable, you would likely pay a total of £60 to £120 for this work. This cost would cover the waste removal expenses and the labour costs. In this case, it would probably be best to hire a professional to remove the construction around a boiler as this could be messy.

If you want to have your boiler boxing replaced, you should add £60 to £120 to the estimate for the sort of construction you want to have in its place. This would therefore cover the cost of removing the old construction and the price of the new one, to give you a sense of your overall bill.