How Much Does a Commercial Boiler Service Cost? What Sets the Price

A commercial boiler service does not have one standard price, because the cost is set by the plant rather than by the visit. The number of boilers, their output, the type of burner, how easy the plant room is to reach and whether a gas safety record is included all change the quote. That is why commercial servicing is normally quoted per site, and why two quotes for the same building can differ a long way if they are not pricing the same work. This guide explains what drives the price, so you can give an engineer what they need and compare quotes like for like.

Why Commercial Servicing Is Quoted Per Site

A domestic service covers one boiler of a familiar size in a kitchen or cupboard. A commercial service can mean anything from a single wall-hung boiler in a shop to several floor-standing boilers in a basement plant room, so a fixed price would be wrong for most customers.

What the engineer is really estimating is time on site, the qualifications needed and any parts that are routinely replaced. A quote built on a proper description of your plant will be close to the final bill. A price given without asking any questions usually means something has been left out or will be added on the day. Our pricing page explains how we quote before any work is booked.

The Boilers Themselves

The biggest factors are how many boilers there are, how big they are and what kind they are. Each boiler has to be opened, cleaned, tested and set up, so the time scales with the plant.

• Number of boilers. A cascade of four modules takes longer than one boiler, even if each module is small.
• Output. Larger boilers have larger heat exchangers, burners and flues to inspect and clean.
• Type of burner. Boilers with a separate pressure-jet burner need the burner stripped, cleaned and set up as well, which is a job in its own right.
• Age and condition. Older plant, or plant that has missed a service, usually needs more cleaning and more parts.
• Make and model. Some manufacturers specify parts to replace at every service, and the engineer will price those in.

The Rest of the Plant Room

A boiler rarely works alone in a commercial building, and what else is included in the service changes the price. Agree the scope in writing before you compare quotes.

Plant rooms often contain a pressurisation unit and expansion vessels, circulating pumps, a plate heat exchanger or a calorifier for hot water, controls and a building management system connection, and sometimes an unvented cylinder that needs its own annual check. Some of these are checked as part of a boiler service and some are separate items. A quote that includes the pressurisation unit and vessels is not comparable with one that covers the boilers alone. Our commercial boiler servicing page lists what a visit covers.

Access, Location and Timing

In London, getting to the plant can cost as much time as the service itself. Plant room location, building access and the hours the work can be done all affect the quote.

• Plant room location. A rooftop plant room reached by a fixed ladder, or a basement with restricted access, adds time and sometimes a second engineer.
• Building access. Security sign-in, permits to work, escorts and induction all take time before any tools come out.
• Parking and transport. Loading bays, parking restrictions and central London charges are real costs for any contractor.
• Out-of-hours work. If the heating cannot be off during trading or occupied hours, the work has to be done early, late or at weekends, which costs more.
• Isolation. Sites that cannot lose heating or hot water at all may need the boilers serviced one at a time over more than one visit.

Paperwork and Compliance

Check whether the quote includes the gas safety record and any other certificates you need, because these are sometimes priced separately. Knowing what paperwork you need before you ask for a quote saves a second visit.

A non-domestic gas installation is inspected against the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and the engineer records the result on a commercial gas safety record, often called a CP17 for boiler plant or a CP42 for a commercial kitchen. The inspection includes a tightness test of the pipework, a check of the flues and ventilation and a combustion analysis of each appliance. If you have a commercial kitchen on the same site, it is a separate inspection with its own record. The commercial gas safety certificate page explains which record applies to which part of your building.

One-Off Service or Maintenance Contract

Many sites pay less per visit on a planned maintenance contract, because the contractor can schedule the work and knows the plant. A one-off service is right if you only need one visit or are changing contractor.

A contract usually sets the number of visits a year, what each includes, response times for faults and how parts and labour for repairs are charged. Plant that runs all year, such as boilers that also make hot water for a hotel, gym or care setting, often has a second visit mid-year. Before signing, check what is excluded, whether remedial work is quoted before it is done, and how the contract ends.

What to Send for an Accurate Quote

The more of this list you can send, the more accurate the quote will be. Photos of the plant room and the boiler data plates answer most questions in one go.

• The site address and type of building.
• The make, model and output of each boiler, and whether the burners are separate.
• Other plant in the room: pressurisation unit, vessels, calorifier or cylinder, pumps.
• Where the plant room is and how it is reached.
• When the work can and cannot be done.
• The date of the last service and the last gas safety record, and any faults noted on them.
• Whether you also need a kitchen or other appliances inspected.

A service is the wrong thing to book if a boiler has already failed or is locking out. Say so when you get in touch, so a fault visit is arranged instead. When you are ready, send us the details of your plant and we will come back with a fixed quote before anything is booked.