Cost guide
How much does pat testing cost?
Testing is £1 to £3 an item and the rate falls as the count rises. The figure that decides a small job is the minimum charge, typically £50 to £90, which covers the first twenty to thirty items.
Typical prices
Ranges, not quotes. A quote depends on your room.
| Work | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Minimum charge, up to about 25 items | £50 to £90 |
| 25 to 100 items | £1.50 to £3 each |
| 100 to 500 items | £1 to £2 each |
| Over 500 items | £0.80 to £1.40 each |
| Furnished rental property, whole house | £60 to £120 |
| Site tools, 110 volt, per item | £2 to £4 |
Ask for the register as a spreadsheet rather than a PDF. The point of an asset register is that next year's tester can work from it, and a locked document makes that a retyping job somebody will charge for.
What moves the price
- Item count. Two hundred items in one building is a different unit price from fifteen in a shop.
- How spread out the items are. One floor is quick; six properties in a day is mostly travel.
- Whether items are accessible or have to be unplugged from behind desks and racks.
- Out of hours working where a shop or a restaurant cannot lose its tills during trading.
- Whether an asset register and labelling are included or charged as an extra.
- Repairs on site. Plug tops, fuses and cord grips are usually included; leads and moulded plugs are not.
Who quotes for it
Questions about pat testing
Do brand new appliances need testing?
No. A new item arrives with a declaration of conformity and does not need a test before first use. Record it, put it on the register, and bring it into the cycle at the next round.
What happens to an item that fails?
It is labelled as failed and taken out of use. Many faults are the plug, the fuse or the cord grip and are repaired on the spot for a few pounds. An item that fails insulation resistance is a different matter and usually goes.