How much does woodworm treatment cost in the UK?
Woodworm treatment costs £500 to £4,000 in the UK, typically around £1,000 for the job. What moves the price most is how much timber is affected, so a simpler job sits near the bottom of that range and a larger or higher-spec one near the top. Prices reviewed June 2026.
Woodworm treatment is priced by how much timber is affected. A single room is cheap; a whole house, or timber that needs replacing, costs more. Most jobs start with a survey.
Woodworm treatment cost calculator
Use the calculator to price your woodworm treatment in 2026. Adjust the options and area for a UK cost range. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Woodworm treatment cost breakdown
Typical woodworm treatment costs, by option:
| Area | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| One room or small area | £500 to £1,000 |
| Whole loft or floor | £1,000 to £2,000 |
| Whole house | £2,000 to £4,000 |
| + Replace weakened timber | add £300 to £1,500 |
| + Survey and report | add £100 to £300 |
What's included in the price?
Typical woodworm treatment prices include:
- A survey to confirm active woodworm
- Treating the affected timber
- A guarantee on the treated area
- Advice on the underlying damp cause
What changes the price?
The things that move woodworm treatment prices most:
How much timber is affected
Whether any timber needs replacing
Access to floors, joists and roof timbers
Dealing with the damp that let woodworm in
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, woodworm treatment typically costs around £1,300 for the job, about 30% above the UK average of £1,000. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £920.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £500 | £1,000 | £4,000 |
| London | £650 | £1,300 | £5,200 |
| South East / South West | £580 | £1,200 | £4,600 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £460 | £920 | £3,700 |
Guide prices for the job, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
Woodworm treatment cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £430 | £850 | £3,400 |
| Birmingham | £490 | £980 | £3,900 |
| Bristol | £550 | £1,100 | £4,400 |
| Cardiff | £470 | £940 | £3,800 |
| Edinburgh | £490 | £980 | £3,900 |
| Glasgow | £450 | £900 | £3,600 |
| Leeds | £470 | £930 | £3,700 |
| Liverpool | £460 | £920 | £3,700 |
| London | £650 | £1,300 | £5,200 |
| Manchester | £480 | £960 | £3,800 |
| Newcastle | £450 | £900 | £3,600 |
| Sheffield | £460 | £920 | £3,700 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for woodworm treatment, not quotes.
Fairly consistent nationally, with London and the South East a little higher on labour.
Common questions
How much does woodworm treatment cost?
Woodworm treatment costs roughly £500 to £4,000 in the UK, typically around £1,000. One room or a small area is £500 to £1,000, a whole loft or floor £1,000 to £2,000, and a whole house £2,000 to £4,000. Replacing timber that the woodworm has weakened adds £300 to £1,500, and a survey and report is usually £100 to £300.
Can you get rid of woodworm completely?
Yes. Treating the affected timber with a professional insecticide kills active woodworm, and fixing the damp that attracted it stops it coming back, because woodworm thrives in damp wood. The key is dealing with the moisture, not just spraying, so a good specialist looks at the cause. Old flight holes remain in the timber afterwards, which is normal and does not mean it is still active.
Is woodworm covered by house insurance?
Usually not. Most buildings insurance treats woodworm as a maintenance issue rather than sudden damage, so treatment is normally paid for by the homeowner. It is worth checking your policy, but do not count on a claim. The bigger cost to watch is the damp that caused it and any structural timber that needs replacing, which is where a survey pays for itself.
Should I buy a house with woodworm?
Often yes, with care. Active woodworm in a home is common and treatable for £500 to £4,000, so get it surveyed, find out whether it is active or historic, and factor the treatment and any damp repairs into your offer. The real question is whether the underlying damp has weakened structural timbers, which a survey will tell you, so it is a negotiating point rather than a deal-breaker.
Is woodworm treatment worth it?
If the woodworm is active, yes: left alone it weakens floor joists, roof timbers and staircases, and the repair bill for damaged structural timber dwarfs the treatment cost. If a survey shows only old, inactive flight holes, you may not need treatment at all, just monitoring. So the first step is confirming whether it is active, rather than treating on sight.
Can I treat woodworm myself?
For a small, active outbreak you can, since DIY woodworm fluid is cheap and brushing or spraying exposed timber is straightforward. That saves most of the £500 to £1,000 a small treated area would cost. The catch is knowing whether the beetle is still active and whether the timber is still sound. A survey at £100 to £300 tells you that, and once floors or the loft structure are weakened you want a pro and possibly new timber.
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.