The short version
- A quote should name the exact appliance model, not just the brand
- Warranty length is a line item, not a bonus
- Filters, controls and making good are the usual omissions
- Anything described as subject to survey is not yet a price
The line items that should be there
Whatever the job, a proper written quote makes these explicit.
- The exact appliance make, model and output
- Flue kit and any extension or plume management needed
- System filter and chemical inhibitor
- Controls, whether a programmer, room thermostat or smart control
- System cleaning or flushing where the existing system needs it
- Gas soundness testing, combustion analysis and Building Regulations notification
- Removal and disposal of the old appliance
- Guarantee length and what registers it
The omissions that cost money later
Cheap quotes are usually cheap for a reason that appears afterwards. Watch for no mention of cleaning on an old system, no filter listed, controls assumed to carry over when they will not, and making good left undefined so plaster and tiling become your problem.
- No system clean on a system with known sludge
- No magnetic filter, which most manufacturers require for the warranty
- Making good not specified
- Gas supply pipe upgrade excluded when the appliance needs it
Warranty length is part of the price
The same boiler can carry very different guarantee periods depending on who installs it and what is fitted alongside it. Ask what the guarantee is, what conditions keep it valid, and who you call if it fails. A longer guarantee on the same appliance is real value rather than marketing.
Fixed price versus estimate
An estimate can move. A fixed written quote should not, unless you change the scope or something genuinely unforeseeable appears once panels are off. Ask which you have been given, and ask what would change it.
Questions worth asking every quoter
Ask all three of them the same questions and the differences become obvious.
- Why this model and this output for my property?
- What is included in making good afterwards?
- What guarantee comes with it and what keeps it valid?
- Who does the annual service and what does it cost?
Common questions
Should a quote be free?+
Ours are, and they are written down. Be wary of anything priced from a photo without someone seeing the property.
Why is one quote so much cheaper?+
Usually because it excludes something. Compare the line items rather than the totals and the reason normally appears.
Do I need a survey before a quote?+
For a straight swap, often a visit is enough. For a system change or a heat pump, a proper survey is essential and any quote without one is provisional.
Should the quote mention Building Regulations?+
Yes. Notification is a legal requirement on a boiler installation and the certificate should reach you afterwards.
Is finance available?+
Ask each installer what payment options they offer, and check whether the price differs between paying outright and spreading it.
Want a quote you can actually compare?
Ours is itemised, fixed and written down, so you can hold it against anyone else's line by line.