Home Improvement Projects See Price Increases of Up to 18% in 2021
Over 1000 prices compared year-on-year
Fixed prices and estimates from UK businesses
Home "improvement" and "maintenance" prices compared
8% increase in the number of firms providing estimates rather than fixed quotations
A Report by Quotation Check
Thinking about building a home extension?
It will cost you 18% more than it did this time last year, reports Daniel Woodley of Quotation Check.
Other sectors within the home improvement industry saw inflation of 17%, 12% and 7.5%.
Headline: Quotation Check reports an 18% increase in home extension prices in 2021 compared to 2020. Other home improvement projects soar by up to 17%.
Summary: Quotation Check is a home improvement “price checking” website that publishes average figures based on estimates and quotations from tradespeople and home improvement businesses in the UK.
Over 1000 estimates and quotes are sourced from various locations around the UK and published online with yearly updates.
Quotation Check is different from most other research websites as it publishes prices that include both materials and labour for projects within the domestic home improvement sector.
A broad analysis in late 2021 reveals that:
- Average home extension costs increased by 18%.
- All “Major” home improvement prices increased by an average of 17% year on year.
- “Minor” improvement projects increase by 12%
- “Maintenance” projects have increased by 7.5% year on year.
- There was an 8% increase in the number of respondents supplying estimates rather than fixed quotes.
Key Points:
This is the most significant year-on-year increase since Quotation Check started gathering prices in 2014 and in a statement, Daniel Woodley described the price hikes as “unprecedented in modern times”:
The price increases we’ve seen are unprecedented in modern times and in some sectors are more severe than inflation levels witnessed in the 1970’s and early 1980’s.
Daniel Woodley – quotationcheck.com
Projects involving concrete, steel, timber, oil-based products and imported goods experienced the highest price increases but even projects where few materials are required saw inflation well above the national average.
Sectors with the lowest price increases were cleaning, “handyman services”, waste removal and garden maintenance.
Note to editors: All price increases displayed on this page include materials and labour.
An Analysis of 6 Key Sectors
Below is an analysis of the price increases for 6 home improvement sectors:
- Roofing.
- Electrical.
- Plumbing.
- Extensions.
- Gardening.
- Kitchen and Bathroom Upgrades.
Roofing
Quotation Check received 225 estimates and quotations for 9 common roofing repair, overhaul and maintenance projects including:
- Gutter cleaning.
- Replacing damaged roof tiles.
- Painting roofline boards.
- Installing Upvc roofline boards and gutters.
- Installing a new flat roof.
- Replacing a roof valley.
- Laying a new tiled roof.
- Roof cleaning and moss removal.
- Roof coating/sealing
| Project: | Year on Year Price Increase: |
|---|---|
| Gutter cleaning | 8% |
| Replace damaged roof tiles | 24% |
| Painting roofline boards | 9% |
| Replace roofline boards and guttering with Upvc | 19% |
| Replace flat roof (fibreglass) and decking | 24% |
| Replace a roof valley | 18% |
| Lay a new tiled roof, inc timber battens and felt | 19% |
| Roof cleaning/moss removal | 8% |
| Roof coating/sealing | 11% |
| Average Roofing Price Increase | 15.5% |
Notes:
The average increase in the roofing sector was 15.5%
The most significant price increases were seen in projects involving oil-based, timber or concrete building materials: flat roofs, Upvc roofline boards, concrete tiles, fibreglass and resin.
The lowest price increases were seen in labour-intensive projects where few, if any, building materials were required; gutter cleaning, roof cleaning, roofline painting projects.
Waiting times for some projects where large quantities of roof tiles were required were over 5 months.
Electrical
Quotation Check received 220 estimates and quotations for 10 common electrical projects, including:
- Home electrical inspections.
- New consumer unit (fusebox).
- Home batteries.
- Solar panels.
- Aircon installation.
- Bathroom fan installation.
- Replacing a power socket.
- Full house rewire.
- CCTV installation.
- PAT testing.
| Project: | Year on Year Price Increase: |
|---|---|
| Home electrical inspection | 6% |
| Replace consumer unit | 9% |
| Home battery | 7% |
| Solar panel installation | 9% |
| Bathroom fan installation | 8% |
| Aircon installation | 17% |
| Replace a power socket | 8% |
| Full house rewire | 11% |
| CCTV installation | 11% |
| PAT testing | 4% |
| Average Electrical Project Price Increase | 9% |
Notes:
The average increase in the home electrical sector was 9%
The most significant price increases were seen in projects involving wiring and appliances such as aircon units.
The lowest price increases were seen in labour-intensive projects where there is more competition, such as PAT testing and electrical inspections.
Plumbing
Quotation Check received 215 estimates and quotations for 9 common plumbing projects, including:
- Powerflushing.
- Radiator replacements.
- Boiler servicing.
- Power shower installation.
- Booster pump.
- Underfloor heating.
- New boiler.
- Sink and taps.
- Drain unblocking.
| Project: | Year on Year Price Increase: |
|---|---|
| Powerflushing | 7% |
| Replace radiators | 9% |
| Boiler servicing | 7% |
| Power shower | 13% |
| Booster pump | 14% |
| Underfloor heating | 15% |
| New boiler | 9% |
| Sinks and taps | 12% |
| Drain unblocking | 8% |
| Average Plumbing Project Price Increase | 10% |
Notes:
The average increase in the home electrical sector was 10%
The most significant price increases were seen in projects involving imported electrical goods.
The lowest price increases were seen in labour-intensive projects such as drain unblocking, tap replacements and powerflushing.
Extensions
Quotation Check received 52 estimates and quotations for 3 extension projects:
- Loft extension.
- Conservatory.
- Single storey extension.
| Project: | Year on Year Price Increase: |
|---|---|
| Conservatory | 17% |
| Loft extension | 19% |
| Single storey extension | 18% |
| Average Extension Price Increase | 18% |
Notes:
The average increase for extensions was 18%
The most significant price increases were seen in loft extension projects, followed closely by single-storey extensions and conservatories.
Some of the conservatory prices we received were “fixed price” quotations, while all of the loft and single-storey extension prices were “estimates” that may increase due to product price increases.
Gardening and Landscape Gardening
Quotation Check received 265 estimates and quotations for 10 gardening and landscape gardening projects:
- New patio.
- Tree felling.
- Garden shed installation.
- Decking.
- Soakaway installation.
- Garden fence.
- Turf.
- Artificial grass.
- Wall repointing.
- Garden wall construction.
| Project: | Year on Year Price Increase: |
|---|---|
| Patio | 12% |
| Tree felling | 4% |
| Shed installation | 6% |
| Timber decking | 17% |
| Soakaway installation | 16% |
| Fence | 12% |
| Turf laying | 5% |
| Artificial grass | 11% |
| Wall repointing | 5% |
| Garden wall construction | 8% |
| Average Gardening Price Increases | 9.6% |
Notes:
The average increase for gardening projects was 9.6%.
The most significant price increases were for the installation of timber products.
The lowest price increases were for projects where little or no materials were required, such as tree felling and wall repointing.
Bathroom and Kitchen Upgrades
Quotation Check received 58 estimates and quotations for 2 projects:
- New kitchen, including tiling.
- New bathroom, including tiling.
| Project: | Year on Year Price Increase: |
|---|---|
| Kitchen suite inc tiling | 11% |
| Bathroom suite inc tiling | 12% |
| Average Kitchen and Bathroom Price Increases | 11.5% |
Notes:
The average increase for kitchen and bathroom installations was 11.5% although there was significant variation with some installers highlighting significant price increases for very specific items such as imported goods and some timber goods.
Comparing Major Home Improvements to Minor Projects and General Maintenance
The data can be split into four categories:
- Maintenance tasks such as garden work, gutter unblocking, painting, cleaning.
- Minor home improvement projects include front doors, electrical upgrades, garden decking, new boilers, flat roofs.
- Significant major works include loft and single-storey extensions, conservatories, bathroom and kitchen upgrades and structural work.
- Home extensions only.
Below is a breakdown of the average price increase per category:
| Project: | Year on Year Price Increase: |
|---|---|
| Maintenance Tasks: | 7.5% |
| Minor Home Improvements Projects | 12% |
| Major Home Improvement Projects | 17% |
| Home Extensions Only | 18% |
Fixed Quotations Verses Estimates 2020-21:
The prices gathered by Quotation Check are either quotations or estimates.
A quotation is a fixed price that includes the materials and labour. An estimate typically consists of labour prices fixed per hour or per day but the timescale and material prices are estimated.
Compared to 2020, there was an 8% increase in the number of businesses and tradespeople providing estimates rather than fixed quotes.
This is a significant increase on previous years and is most likely due to the volatility of prices for goods and materials.
A Snapshot of Material Prices Increases:
By using the Internet Archive, Quotation Check has has also researched the price increases for 15 building materials and goods, the increases are displayed in the table below.
Each item was checked at 5 nationwide retailers and compared to historical prices via the Internet Archive.
All price increases are averaged:
| Item: | Year on Year Price Increase: |
|---|---|
| 1.8m fence panel | 16% |
| Bulk bag of sand | 15% |
| 4m Upvc gutter length | 42% |
| 150mm x 5m Upvc fascia board | 21% |
| Rubber flat roof pack | 7.5% |
| Fibreglass roof kit | 67% |
| Plasterboard sheet | 9.9% |
| Shower booster pump | 4% |
| Plyboard | 44% |
| Aircon unit (home) | 4.5% |
| Solid wood worktop | 12% |
| Consumer unit | 5.5% |
| RSJ | 82% |
| Driveway blocks | 17% |
| Bag of cement | 9.5% |
Note to editors: Quotation Check published this summary page on the 27th November 2021. The project price guides within the main website will be updated by the end of December 2021 and updated again in 12 months time.
FAQs
Do the prices displayed include labour, materials and VAT?
When comparing prices year on year we take the price the customer would pay as the final figure. This includes labour, materials, waste disposal and VAT if applied.
Do you use the same companies each year when gathering quotes?
Quotation Check sources quotes from a fresh set of companies, tradespeople and businesses each year.
How do you select the firms who supply quotes and estimates?
At random, Quotation Check doesn’t accept payment or incentives to use specific firms and they don’t promote any of the firms that responded with prices.
Where in the UK are the firms based?
Quotation Check randomly selects firms from various locations around the UK.
How often is the data refreshed?
Quotation Check sends out quote and estimate requests once per year and then updates the website, usually by year-end.
How long have you been publishing home improvement prices?
Since 2014.
What is the difference between an estimate and a quotation?
Quotation Check considers a quotation to be a fixed price that cannot change without both sides agreeing to the new figure. It’s typically used on smaller projects where the total cost of labour and goods can be easily calculated, and it may form part of a fixed price contract.
An estimate is more flexible and is often used when larger, more complex projects are priced. For example, an estimate may go up if the cost of the materials increases or the customer wishes to upgrade goods or if the builder has underestimated the project’s cost, or if Building Control demand changes to the project.
The estimates Quotation Check has included in the data may underestimate the project’s cost as they may not include future price increases.
How is Quotation Check different from other pricing websites?
As far as we are aware, Quotation Check is the only online service that compares quotes from tradespeople and smaller firms in the UK.
There are plenty of services that examine prices within the construction sector but these tend to focus on the national housebuilders and larger firms.
What process do you use to gather the quotes and estimates?
For smaller projects, we take measurements, photos and videos which we send to the tradespeople and firms.
For larger projects, we invite the tradespeople and firms to view the property.