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First-time central heating installation: a complete guide
Installing a wet central heating system into a property that has never had one is a significant project with a different scope and process from simply upgrading an old system. It's about creating the heating infrastructure from the ground up.
Quick answer
A first-time central heating installation involves designing and fitting a complete wet heating system where none existed before. This includes all pipework, radiators, controls, and specifying and fitting a boiler as one component of the coordinated design. It is fundamentally different from upgrading an existing system.
This guide explains what's involved in a first-time install, who typically needs it, and how it differs from our Central Heating System Upgrade service for properties that already have radiators and a boiler.
How a first-time install differs from an upgrade
An upgrade or rebalance works with an existing system: pipes are in place, radiators exist, a boiler is connected. The work focuses on improving flow, replacing components, or adding controls.
A first-time installation starts with a blank slate. There are no pipes in the walls or floors, no radiators, and no boiler. The entire system must be designed from scratch, which involves more survey time, more installation work (particularly running pipework), and includes the specification and fitting of the boiler as a necessary part of the whole.
Who typically needs a first-time installation
This service is for properties that have never had a wet (radiator-based) central heating system installed.
There is usually a reason the property was never fitted with one: storage heaters were the standard, cheaper first-fix option in some blocks and conversions; a large Victorian or Edwardian house was subdivided into flats without individual heating runs ever being designed in; or a property has simply run on fires, plug-in heaters or a single gas fire since it was built. None of that is a defect to fix quickly — it is the reason a proper survey and design matters more here than on a system that already exists.
- Converted flats that were originally built or retrofitted with only electric storage heaters.
- Older houses that were never modernised beyond fireplaces or standalone heaters.
- Period property conversions where heating was not part of the original subdivision plan.
- Some extensions or major renovations that create a need for a completely new heating system for the whole home.
Gas supply and other first-time-only considerations
A property that already has a wet system also already has a gas supply sized for a boiler. A property converting from electric storage heaters may not — this is one of the genuine differences a first-time install has to check that an upgrade never needs to, because the gas connection already exists on every upgrade job by definition.
Where a mains gas connection is not already present, arranging one sits with the gas network provider (not something we do) and is worth confirming early, before a full design and quote is committed to. Where gas is already at the property but not yet run to where a boiler needs to sit, that becomes part of the pipework scope we quote for.
What a first-time installation actually involves
The process is comprehensive, moving from design to a fully commissioned system.
- Designing the pipework layout for efficiency, accessibility, and minimal disruption.
- Calculating radiator sizes and positions for balanced heat distribution in each room.
- Specifying and fitting a correctly sized boiler as the system's heat source.
- Selecting and installing heating controls (thermostats, programmers, smart systems).
- Filling, testing, pressurising, and commissioning the entire system to work harmoniously.
The boiler's role in a new system
In a first-time install, the boiler is specified and fitted as one essential component of the whole-system design. Its size, type (combi, system, or regular), and location are determined by the overall system requirements, including hot water demand and radiator output.
It is not the standalone focus. Crucially, once the boiler is installed and the whole system is commissioned, any future boiler-specific repairs or servicing are handled by specialist boiler engineers. This company designs and installs the complete system but does not provide ongoing boiler repair or maintenance services.
What to expect from the survey and installation process
The survey is more thorough than for an upgrade, because there is no existing system to read the history of. It covers room sizes and construction for radiator sizing, water pressure and gas supply, and realistic pipe routes through floors, walls and ceilings — including where boxing-in or lifting floorboards will be needed, so that is priced into the quote rather than discovered on day two.
Installation follows first fix and second fix, the same as any new plumbing and heating work: pipework and cylinder (if needed) go in first, often meaning some floors and walls are opened up; radiators, the boiler and controls are fitted once pipework is proven; then the whole system is filled, pressure tested, commissioned and balanced before handover. Expect the property to be genuinely disrupted for the pipework stage in particular — this is first-fix building work, not a same-day swap — and expect that to be explained plainly during the survey, not glossed over to win the job.
New central heating system cost (typical UK ranges)
| Job | Typical cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-house new system (supply & install) | £3,430–£7,500+ (property/radiator dependent) | 4–8 days |
| New boiler, supply & install | £1,100–£1,850 | 0.5–1 day |
| Radiators, supply & install (typical 9-radiator house) | £1,200–£1,750 | 1–2 days |
| Pipework, supply & install | £950–£1,200 | 3–5 days |
| Hot water cylinder (if required) | £180–£250 | 2–3 hours |
Figures are typical UK trade cost-guide ranges, not a quote. Every visit is priced as a fixed fee agreed at booking.
Fixed quote before we start
Every job is priced after a proper survey — not an open-ended day rate that climbs while someone guesses.
Whole system, not one part
Radiators, pipework, controls and balance are assessed together, so the fix addresses the actual cause, not just the symptom.
Any boiler brand
This work is independent of who made your boiler — we work with the system, not a specific manufacturer.
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Same approach from Barking to Richmond. Browse a borough for local housing notes, or send your postcode for a fixed-price slot.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between this and an upgrade/rebalancing service?
An upgrade improves an existing wet system. A first-time installation is for properties with no existing wet system at all — no pipes, no radiators, no boiler. It requires designing and installing the complete system from scratch, which is a larger scope of work.
How much does a new central heating system cost in London?
Based on UK trade cost guides, a typical whole-house installation ranges from £3,430 to £5,050, averaging around £4,250. Larger properties can be £5,000–£7,500+. These are guide figures; we provide a fixed price after a free survey of your specific property.
I have a flat with storage heaters. Can I get wet central heating?
Yes. Converting a property from electric storage heaters to a gas wet system is a common reason for a first-time installation. It involves installing all new infrastructure — gas supply (if not present), pipework, radiators, a boiler, and controls.
Will you need to make a lot of mess running new pipes?
Our engineers plan pipe routes to be as discreet and efficient as possible, using existing channels where feasible. Some making good of floors, walls, or ceilings is often necessary, which we discuss transparently during the survey and quote.
How do you decide what size boiler to fit?
The boiler is sized based on the calculated heat demand of your entire new system (the combined output of all radiators) and your hot water requirements. It's not a guess — it's a specification derived from the system design to ensure efficiency and performance.
Planning heating work in your London home?
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