Guide
How much does a new central heating system cost in Edinburgh?
A full system is a serious piece of work and a serious amount of money, so it is worth being clear about when you actually need one and when you are being sold one.
Short answer
A complete new central heating system starts from £5,000 + VAT. That covers the boiler, radiators and pipework, designed for the property rather than dropped in.
What "a full system" means
The boiler, the radiators, the pipework connecting them, the controls, and the design work that decides what size everything needs to be. Sizing is the part people never see and the part that decides whether the house is comfortable.
An undersized system never quite gets the house warm on the coldest days. An oversized one short-cycles, wears itself out and costs more to run. Neither is obvious for the first year.
What pushes it above the starting figure
The number of radiators, and whether any are designer or vertical. The size and layout of the property. Whether pipework has to be run through solid floors or existing finishes that will need making good.
Whether you are changing system type, for instance removing a hot water cylinder and loft tanks to go to a combi, which means stripping out as well as installing.
Older Edinburgh properties are usually the more expensive end of any range, for the reasons anyone who owns one already knows: solid walls, period features nobody wants to cut into, and flue routing that has to satisfy the whole building.
When you do not need a full system
A twenty year old system is not automatically finished, and a five year old one is not automatically fine. What matters is the state of the pipework, the boiler and how well it has been looked after.
A lot of what looks like a dying system is a sludged one. A power flush from £500 + VAT and a magnetic filter will transform a system that is merely dirty, and that is a tenth of the cost of replacing it.
Equally, adding thermostatic valves, zoning or smart controls to a working system is a far cheaper way to cut a heating bill than starting again.
We will tell you when a repair will see you through several more winters. Fifteen years working in the same city means our reputation is worth more to us than one oversold job.
Prices shown are guide prices and exclude VAT. Last updated 4 August 2026. The final figure for any job is confirmed after a free survey.