What does it cost to retrofit a house?

Improving domestic energy efficiency in the UK has become a priority for the government in recent years, and part of this has been actively supporting the retrofit of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures in homes. In this guide, we look at the average cost of retrofitting a house in the UK, and what the retrofit process involves.

There are various ways in which your home can benefit from retrofitting, from floor and wall insulation to draught-proofing and double glazing.

How much does retrofitting a house cost?

The cost of retrofitting a house will vary considerably, as every home has unique needs for improving its energy efficiency. Some properties will need to address all aspects of their home’s energy consumption, including improving or installing insulation, glazing, draught-proofing, and replacing the boiler.

Some of the average costs you can expect to pay to retrofit your house:

• Cavity wall insulation – £22 – £26 per m²
• Internal wall insulation – £55 – £140 per m²
• External wall insulation – £55 – £180 per m²
• Loft insulation – £10 – £40 per m²
• Floor insulation – £95 per m²
• Glazing – £110 per m²
• Boiler replacement – £1,600 – £5,500
• Draught-proofing – £85 – £275

*Cost assumptions from Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy – “What does it cost to retrofit homes”

What is retrofitting?

Generally speaking, retrofitting is the collective term for any addition made to your home that wasn’t previously part of the property at the time it was built. When we talk about the cost of retrofitting a house, it’s often referring to improvements that are needed in order to improve the energy efficiency of the property.

In 2015, the government commissioned the Each Home Counts programme to review and tackle the need for increased retrofit in the UK. The result of this review is the PAS 2035 document, which provides the specification for the energy retrofit of domestic buildings, as well as highlighting best practice for domestic retrofit projects.

What is a Whole House Retrofit?

A Whole House Retrofit is the process of making your home more energy-efficient.

The retrofit begins by looking at several key areas of your home; the walls, roof, floors, windows and doors. Then it moves onto other areas of your home, including ventilation and heating efficiency.

With the government taking action on climate change, Whole House Retrofitting is set to become more popular in the coming months. There are millions of homes in the UK that need retrofitting, and in doing so, it will have a huge impact on our planet. New technology and material developments mean low carbon and low-energy solutions are widely available to homeowners and tradespeople.

Under the Climate Change Act 2008, the United Kingdom is committed “to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050, when compared to 1990 levels. This target was set to ensure the UK played its role to limiting global temperature rise to 2˚C.”

The retrofit process

Here is a summary of what you can expect from the retrofit process:

1. An initial assessment is carried out by a Retrofit Assessor
2. Improvements are identified following an evaluation of assessment findings
3. An improvement plan is drawn up and agreed by a Retrofit Coordinator
4. Retrofit work begins, carried out by retrofit installers
5. All retrofit work is monitored and evaluated to ensure improvements have been made successfully

Hire retrofit tradespeople

When a retrofit project is undertaken, the work must be carried out by specifically trained professionals. Depending on the size of your retrofit project, here are some of the tradespeople you may need to hire:

Retrofit Assessor

All official Retrofit Assessors are trained to carry out the initial assessment of your home, to identify what measures are needed to bring your property in line with the PAS 2035 guidelines.

As part of the retrofit assessment, the retrofit assessor will produce an RdSAP assessment, a detailed floor plan, a condition report and an occupancy assessment. Using this information, they will put together a medium-term improvement plan for your home.

Retrofit Coordinator

A Retrofit Coordinator is the person who is responsible for ensuring that all work carried out as part of your domestic retrofit project complies with PAS 2035. They’re effectively the project manager who will be involved with the retrofit work from start to finish. They will also liaise with all stakeholders, building owners and retrofit installers.

Retrofit Installers

These are the qualified tradespeople who will be doing the physical upgrades and installations for your home, as part of the retrofit project. All retrofit installers should be fully trained and qualified to carry out the work, in order for it to be PAS 2035-compliant.

Retrofit assessment cost

The average cost of a retrofit assessment is in the region of £120 – £240, depending on the size and condition of your home. You can expect the assessment to take around 1-2 hours, again depending on the size of your home.

The larger your home and the poorer the energy efficiency, the more the retrofit assessment will cost and the longer it will take to complete.

Want a quote to retrofit your house?

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