How much does extractor fan installation cost in the UK?
An extractor fan installation costs £180 on average in the UK. Most jobs fall between £80 and £400 supplied and fitted. Install type: Like-for-like fan replacement £80 to £160, New fan on an outside wall £160 to £280, Loft-mounted or kitchen inline fan £280 to £400. Prices reviewed July 2026.
Supplying and fitting an extractor fan usually costs between £80 and £400 in the UK, with most people paying around £180 for a bathroom fan. The price depends mainly on whether it is a like-for-like swap or a new position that needs fresh ducting and wiring.
Extractor fan installation cost calculator
Use the calculator to price your extractor fan installation in 2026. Adjust the options and area for a UK cost range. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Extractor fan installation cost breakdown
Typical extractor fan installation costs, by option:
| Install type | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| Like-for-like fan replacement | £80 to £160 |
| New fan on an outside wall | £160 to £280 |
| Loft-mounted or kitchen inline fan | £280 to £400 |
What's included in the price?
Typical extractor fan installation prices include:
- The extractor fan unit itself
- An electrician or fitter to wire and mount it
- Core-drilling through the wall and fitting an external grille where needed
- Ducting to the outside where there is no existing route
- Wiring into a light switch, timer or humidity sensor
- Testing the fan and clearing up afterwards
What changes the price?
The things that move extractor fan installation prices most:
Whether it is a like-for-like swap or a brand new position
The type of fan: basic axial, timer or humidity model, or a quieter inline unit
How far the air has to be ducted to reach an outside wall or roof
Whether new cable or a fused spur is needed
Access, especially loft-mounted inline fans or upstairs bathrooms
Your region and the tradesperson's rate
These are why two quotes for the same job can differ, and the only way to know your price is to get prices from local firms.
How the price is built up
A like-for-like swap is mostly labour plus a cheap fan. A new install adds core-drilling through the wall, running ducting to the outside, fitting an external grille and wiring in a switch or fused spur, which is what pushes a straightforward job from under £150 up towards £400. The fan unit is usually £15 to £120 depending on whether it is a basic axial fan or a quieter timer, humidity or inline model. The rest is labour for the electrician or fitter, plus ducting, an external grille and any cable or a fused spur.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Replace like-for-like in the same spot so no new duct or wiring is needed
- Have the fan fitted while an electrician is already on site for other work
- Choose a mid-range timer or humidity fan; they run quietly and only when needed
- Get quotes from a local electrician rather than a national firm
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, an extractor fan installation typically costs around £220 supplied and fitted, about 20% above the UK average of £180. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £170.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £80 | £180 | £400 |
| London | £95 | £220 | £480 |
| South East / South West | £85 | £190 | £420 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £80 | £170 | £390 |
Guide prices supplied and fitted, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
Extractor fan installation cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £75 | £170 | £380 |
| Birmingham | £80 | £180 | £400 |
| Bristol | £85 | £190 | £420 |
| Cardiff | £80 | £170 | £390 |
| Edinburgh | £80 | £170 | £390 |
| Glasgow | £80 | £170 | £390 |
| Leeds | £80 | £170 | £390 |
| Liverpool | £80 | £170 | £390 |
| London | £95 | £220 | £480 |
| Manchester | £80 | £170 | £390 |
| Newcastle | £80 | £170 | £390 |
| Sheffield | £80 | £170 | £390 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for extractor fan installation, not quotes.
Trades in London and the South East charge the most, often £30 to £70 more per fan; the North, Wales and Scotland tend to be cheaper.
Compare this with a real quote
The figures above are guide prices. Two or three quotes for your extractor fan installation tell you what it costs where you live.
Common questions
How much does extractor fan installation cost in 2026?
About £80 to £400 supplied and fitted, with most people paying around £180 for a bathroom fan. A like-for-like swap is the cheapest job; a new install that needs ducting and wiring costs more.
What makes fitting an extractor fan more expensive?
A new duct run to an outside wall or roof, core-drilling through masonry, a quieter inline fan mounted in the loft, or new cable and a fused spur all push the price up. Swapping a fan in the same spot is the cheapest option.
Can I fit an extractor fan myself?
Replacing an existing fan like-for-like is within DIY reach, and Schedule 4 of the Building Regulations exempts swapping fixed electrical equipment from notification as long as you add no new cabling and do not touch the consumer unit. A new fan on a new cable run in the zone around a bath or shower is different: that is notifiable under Part P, so it has to be certified by a registered electrician or notified to building control. Cutting through a wall for ducting is worth leaving to someone with the core drill.
How long does it take to fit an extractor fan?
Around 1 to 2 hours for a like-for-like replacement, or roughly half a day for a new install that needs core-drilling, ducting and new wiring.
Is a bathroom extractor fan worth it?
Yes, mainly for damp and mould. Approved Document F requires extract ventilation to the outside in every bathroom, kitchen, utility room and WC, not just rooms without an opening window, so a window does not exempt you. A timer or humidity fan clears steam and helps stop black mould forming, which is far cheaper than fixing damp later.
How long does an extractor fan last?
Published figures range from about 6 years to 15, with bathroom fans at the lower end because they run in moisture, and honestly anything more precise than roughly 7 to 12 years is worth treating with suspicion: there is no good independent data on it and most numbers online come from firms selling repairs. The failure pattern is more reliable than the figure. It is the motor and its bearings that go, so a fan that has turned noisy, slow, or is barely shifting air is either clogged with dust and lint or on its way out, and cleaning the grille and the impeller is worth trying before assuming the worst. The cost side is unusual: the fan itself is the cheap part, so most of a £80 to £400 bill is the electrician's time and the ducting. That means a like-for-like swap using the existing duct is far cheaper than the original installation was, and it is rarely worth paying labour to repair a fan rather than fit a new unit.
What type of fan do I need?
Bathrooms usually need an axial fan rated at least 15 litres per second; kitchens need a stronger unit or a cooker hood. Timer and humidity-controlled models cost a little more but only run when needed, so they tend not to get left switched on.
Check they are registered before they start
Most fixed electrical work in a home has to meet Part P of the building regulations. Work by someone unregistered can be difficult to insure, to sign off, or to sell a house through. Checking takes about a minute and it is free.
- Registered Competent Person Electrical Electrical Safety Roundtable · The register GOV.UK points householders to for electricians who can certify their own work under the building regulations
Official guidance and sources
The rules and schemes referenced on this page come from these official UK sources. The price figures are Costwise's own; see how we price.
- Building regulations: Approved Document F GOV.UK · Part F sets the ventilation an extractor has to provide in a bathroom, kitchen or utility room.
- Building regulations: Approved Document P GOV.UK · A new circuit or an alteration in the zone around a bath or shower is notifiable under Part P, while Schedule 4 exempts a like-for-like swap of fixed equipment that adds no new cabling.
Cite this data
These figures are free to use in articles, reports and research under a CC BY 4.0 licence. All we ask is a credit to Costwise, and online a link. Where your style allows, please make "Costwise" the linked word so readers can check the figure for their own region.
Costwise (2026): An extractor fan installation typically costs £180 in the UK, ranging from £80 to £400 supplied and fitted. Reviewed July 2026. costwiseuk.co.ukSource: Costwise (costwiseuk.co.uk)Costwise (2026). Extractor fan installation cost. Costwise UK cost data, version 2026-10-12. https://costwiseuk.co.uk/extractor-fan-installation-cost/2026-10-12 (158 jobs)Dataset DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21159943 · also on Kaggle, Hugging Face and Figshare. Method: how we price. Downloadable CSV.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.