Summary
MVHR has gone from a niche Passivhaus-only technology to the default ventilation strategy on most new-build homes built to current airtightness standards, and it's increasingly specified on deep retrofit projects. For pricing purposes, that means two very different jobs sit under the same product category: a straightforward new-build first-fix (ducts run into an open structure before boarding, with easy access to every room) and a retrofit install (ducts threaded through an occupied house, ceilings opened and made good, access constrained by existing joists and services). Pricing the two the same is the single most common way builders lose margin on MVHR work.
Unlike air source heat pumps (see air source heat pump pricing guide) there is currently no government grant scheme (no BUS-equivalent) specifically for MVHR, and no MCS certification is required to install it — this keeps the customer-facing price closer to the raw cost build-up than heat pump pricing, without a grant to net off against. The main cost drivers are the unit itself, the ducting system (materials and, more significantly, labour to route it), and commissioning — the balancing and testing step that Building Control requires evidence of before signing off Part F compliance.
This guide covers unit and ducting cost, labour by property size and access difficulty, and a full worked pricing example showing the build-up from raw cost to quoted price. For the technical installation process — duct sizing, commissioning procedure, and Part F flow rates by room — see mvhr installation.
Key Facts
- MVHR unit (30–60 L/s, mid-range, for a 3-bed house) — £750–£1,300 trade-supplied
- MVHR unit (60–90 L/s, for a 4–5 bed house) — £1,100–£1,900 trade-supplied
- Premium/Passivhaus-certified units — £1,800–£3,200 trade-supplied
- Semi-rigid ducting + manifold kit (typical 10–14 terminal house) — £550–£900
- Rigid ducting, insulated external runs, terminals, hoods — £150–£350
- Consumables (filters, clips, sealant, brackets, hangers) — £70–£150
- Design/duct layout (where not included in installer's own time) — £100–£300
- Specialist MVHR installer labour rate (cost, per person per day) — £180–£260
- Typical labour, new-build 3-bed (gang of 2, first-fix stage) — 2.5–4 days
- Typical labour, retrofit 3-bed (gang of 2, including access/making good) — 4–7 days
- Commissioning, balancing and testing (specialist equipment, Part F certificate) — half to one day, £150–£350
- No BUS-equivalent grant currently applies to MVHR — unlike ASHP, GSHP or biomass boiler installs
- MCS certification is not required to install MVHR (unlike heat pumps), though installers commonly hold BPEC Domestic Ventilation qualification
- Building Regulations Part F 2021 — mandates System 4 (balanced MVHR) minimum 85% heat recovery for new build; commissioning sheet must be submitted to Building Control
- Retrofit MVHR is rarely cost-effective in a leaky house — below roughly 5 m³/h.m² @ 50 Pa air permeability, uncontrolled infiltration overwhelms the recovered heat; retrofit MVHR is typically paired with an airtightness upgrade
- Cooker hood connection — a separate recirculating hood is usually specified in preference to ducting a vented hood through MVHR, avoiding an extra grease-filter line item and MVHR duct fouling risk
- Service life — 15–20 years for the unit; ducting typically lasts the life of the building if correctly installed and insulated
- Ongoing maintenance cost to the customer — filters roughly £15–£30 per set, changed every 3–6 months; worth flagging in the quote as a running cost, not a one-off
Quick Reference Table
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Try squote free →| Scenario | Property | Installer Cost (materials + labour) | Quoted Price to Customer (ex VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New-build, straightforward first-fix | 2-bed flat/small house | £2,300–£3,100 | £2,900–£3,900 |
| New-build, straightforward first-fix | 3-bed semi | £2,800–£3,700 | £3,500–£4,700 |
| New-build, straightforward first-fix | 4–5 bed detached | £3,600–£4,800 | £4,500–£6,100 |
| Retrofit, moderate access (loft + boxing) | 3-bed semi | £4,000–£5,300 | £5,000–£6,700 |
| Retrofit, difficult access (ceilings opened, making good) | 3-bed semi | £5,200–£6,900 | £6,500–£8,700 |
| Retrofit, large property or Passivhaus-grade spec | 4–5 bed | £6,600–£8,600 | £8,300–£10,900 |
Quoted price assumes a typical contractor margin of 20–30% applied to the installer's own cost base (materials plus labour, before profit). Margin varies by business overhead and market position — see the worked example below for how the build-up works.
Detailed Guidance
Why new-build and retrofit are priced so differently
On a new build, MVHR ducting is installed at first-fix stage, before ceilings are boarded — every room is fully accessible, duct runs can follow the most efficient path through joist voids, and there's no existing decoration to protect or make good. On a retrofit into an occupied or recently-refurbished house, the same duct network has to be threaded through existing ceiling voids, often meaning ceilings are opened in strips, existing services (electrics, other pipework) are worked around, and every opened section needs to be made good (plastering, redecoration) afterwards. The materials cost barely changes between the two scenarios — the labour cost roughly doubles, and a making-good allowance needs adding on top.
Unit sizing and cost
The MVHR unit is sized to the design flow rate — see mvhr installation for the Part F flow-rate calculation by room. As a pricing rule of thumb: a unit rated 30–60 L/s normal flow covers most 3-bed houses; 60–90 L/s covers larger 4–5 bed homes. Premium and Passivhaus-certified units cost significantly more (£1,800–£3,200 trade) but deliver higher heat recovery efficiency (often 90%+) and lower specific fan power — worth presenting as an upgrade tier to customers focused on running costs or energy performance, rather than defaulting every quote to the premium tier.
Ducting — the real cost driver on retrofit
Materials for a semi-rigid ducting kit (manifold-based, one duct per room, per mvhr installation) typically run £550–£900 for a standard house, plus £150–£350 for rigid trunking, insulated external runs and terminal grilles. On a new build, fitting this kit is a relatively quick first-fix job for an experienced installer. On retrofit, the same kit takes considerably longer to install because routes have to be worked out around existing structure, and every metre threaded through a confined loft or ceiling void adds time that doesn't show up in the materials cost at all — this is where retrofit quotes go wrong if priced from a new-build labour assumption.
Labour cost build-up
Specialist MVHR installers (or general installers with BPEC Domestic Ventilation training) typically cost £180–£260 per person per day as a labour cost base (this is the tradesperson's own cost of time — wage-equivalent or subcontract rate — not the day rate charged to the customer, which includes margin). A straightforward new-build 3-bed install runs 2.5–4 days for a two-person gang across design, first-fix ducting, terminal fitting, and commissioning. A retrofit into an occupied house with ceiling access issues commonly runs 4–7 days for the same size property once making-good time is included.
Commissioning — a mandatory line item, not an optional extra
Commissioning (measuring flow at every terminal with an anemometer or vane hood, balancing supply against extract to within Part F tolerance, and completing the commissioning sheet for Building Control) is a distinct, non-negotiable step covered in detail in mvhr installation. Budget half a day to a full day of specialist time depending on house size and terminal count — this should always appear as its own line in the quote, both because it genuinely takes real time with test equipment, and because it's the evidence Building Control will ask for at sign-off.
Where builders lose money on MVHR
- Pricing retrofit labour at new-build rates — the single biggest margin error; retrofit routing and making-good routinely doubles the labour time of an equivalent new-build install
- Underestimating making-good — plastering and redecoration after opening ceilings for duct routes is easy to forget when quoting from a ducting materials list alone
- Treating commissioning as included "for free" — it takes real specialist time and equipment; price it as its own line
- Not flagging ongoing filter costs to the customer — while not the installer's cost, failing to mention it sets a false expectation about total cost of ownership and invites a dispute later when the customer discovers a recurring cost nobody mentioned
- Quoting a single price for a house where duct routing hasn't been surveyed — MVHR retrofit cost varies more with access difficulty than almost any other domestic M&E install; a proper site survey before quoting is essential, not optional
Pricing Walkthrough — 3-Bed Semi, New-Build First-Fix
This example shows the build-up from the installer's actual cost to the price quoted to the customer. All figures below "Subtotal (installer cost)" are what the job costs the installer to deliver — the tradesperson's own cost, not what's charged. Margin is applied on top to reach the quoted price.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| MVHR unit (45 L/s, mid-range) | £950 |
| Semi-rigid ducting + manifold kit (12 terminals) | £680 |
| Rigid trunking, external terminals, insulation | £220 |
| Consumables (filters, clips, sealant, brackets) | £90 |
| Design & duct layout (0.5 day) | £110 |
| First-fix ducting install (2 days, gang of 2 @ £220/day/person) | £880 |
| Second-fix, terminal fitting (1 day, gang of 2) | £440 |
| Commissioning, balancing, Part F certificate (0.5 day) | £220 |
| Subtotal (installer cost) | £3,590 |
| Margin (25%) | £900 |
| Quoted price to customer (ex VAT) | £4,490 |
This sits within the £3,500–£4,700 new-build 3-bed range in the reference table above. For the equivalent retrofit scenario, add roughly £1,500–£3,000 to the installer cost subtotal for extended labour (ceiling access, additional first-fix days) and making-good (plastering and redecoration of opened sections), pushing the installer cost to roughly £5,000–£6,500 and the quoted price, at the same 25% margin, to approximately £6,300–£8,100 — consistent with the retrofit rows in the reference table.
VAT and the customer-facing total
The figures above are stated ex VAT, consistent with how most trade quotes are built up before the final invoice total. Confirm whether the property qualifies for a reduced VAT rate (5%) under the energy-saving materials relief rules current at the time of quoting — this can apply to some ventilation and energy efficiency installations, but eligibility and scope change periodically, so verify current HMRC guidance before applying a reduced rate to a quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MVHR eligible for any government grant, like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for heat pumps?
Not currently. Unlike air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, and biomass boilers, there is no dedicated national grant scheme for MVHR installation as of 2026. The full quoted price is generally payable by the customer without a grant to net off, which should be communicated clearly at quote stage since customers researching heat pump grants sometimes assume a similar scheme exists for ventilation.
Why is retrofit MVHR so much more expensive than new-build?
Almost entirely labour, not materials. New-build ducting is installed into an open structure before ceilings go up — every route is accessible. Retrofit means threading the same duct network through existing ceiling voids, working around services already in place, and making good every section of ceiling or wall opened up to route ducts. The unit and ducting materials cost is nearly identical between the two scenarios; the labour and making-good cost is what diverges.
Do I need MCS certification to install MVHR and quote for it?
No — MCS certification is not a requirement for MVHR installation, unlike heat pumps where it's mandatory to access the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant. Many installers hold BPEC Domestic Ventilation training as a recognised competency standard, which is worth mentioning in a quote as a trust signal even though it isn't a legal requirement to carry out the work.
Can MVHR be retrofitted into any existing house?
Technically yes, but cost-effectiveness depends heavily on the property's air permeability. In a leaky existing house (above roughly 10 m³/h.m² @ 50 Pa, typical of an unrenovated older property), uncontrolled infiltration through gaps in the building fabric overwhelms the heat MVHR recovers, delivering poor value for the install cost. Retrofit MVHR performs best when combined with an airtightness upgrade (draught-proofing, insulation works) — see mvhr installation for the air permeability threshold detail.
What ongoing costs should I flag to the customer beyond the installation price?
Filter replacement (roughly £15–£30 per filter set, changed every 3–6 months depending on filter grade and local air quality) is the main recurring cost, along with an annual heat exchanger check. This isn't part of the installer's cost build-up for the quote itself, but flagging it at quote stage avoids a customer feeling misled about total cost of ownership later.
Regulations & Standards
Building Regulations Part F 2021 — Ventilation; mandates System 4 (balanced MVHR) for airtight new build, minimum 85% heat recovery efficiency, and requires a commissioning sheet submitted to Building Control
Building Regulations Part L 2021 — Conservation of fuel and power; airtightness standards driving MVHR uptake on new build
BS EN 13141 — Performance testing of components for residential ventilation systems
BS EN 308 — Heat exchanger efficiency test method
PAS 2035 — Retrofit standard; covers MVHR specification within a wider deep retrofit scope
SAP Appendix Q — certified product performance database; relevant to energy assessment credit though not a legal requirement for a standard domestic install
BPEC Domestic Ventilation Installer — recognised industry training standard, not a statutory licence requirement
Approved Document F Volume 1 (dwellings) — Building Regulations ventilation guidance
BPEC — Domestic Ventilation training — installer competency standard
Passivhaus Trust — MVHR guidance — technical and specification guidance
Energy Saving Trust — ventilation guidance — homeowner-facing MVHR guidance
gov.uk — VAT relief on energy-saving materials — current VAT treatment for relevant installations
mvhr installation — full technical installation guide: duct sizing, commissioning procedure, Part F flow rates by room
air source heat pump pricing guide — comparable low-carbon M&E install pricing structure, including grant mechanics
extractor fan installation pricing guide — simpler ventilation alternative for non-airtight properties
loft insulation pricing guide — often paired with retrofit ventilation upgrades
part f ventilation — Approved Document F ventilation strategy overview across all system types