Heat pump quote checklist: what to fix, clear and collect at home

What to know first

This summary covers the repairs, access and records that can make a heat-pump survey more useful.

Prepare the home for inspection, but do not try to design the system yourself. Heat-pump size, radiator output and pipework requirements depend on how much heat each room loses on a cold day.

Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) guidance says the calculation should consider the building fabric, room dimensions, ventilation, target temperatures and local winter conditions.

What should you fix before getting quotes?

Deal first with defects that hide the home’s condition or make access unsafe: water ingress, a leaking roof, defective rainwater goods, rotten flooring, broken opening windows and obvious heating-system faults.

Small, low-risk jobs such as replacing a failed door seal or clearing stored items can also help. Major insulation, plumbing and electrical work should usually wait unless it is needed for safety or to repair an existing problem.

Printable home readiness checklist

Use the same completed checklist for every installer. This creates a more consistent starting point for comparing quotations.

☐ 1. Record insulation and the building fabric

Note loft, wall and floor insulation, glazing, extensions and known construction dates. Find invoices, guarantees or photographs, and repair active leaks before covering them up.

Do not commission major insulation solely for the quotation. The installer still needs to calculate each room’s heat demand.

☐ 2. Check draughts without blocking ventilation

Note draughty doors, windows, loft hatches and unused chimneys. Repair a failed seal where the cause is clear.

Leave trickle vents, air bricks and working extract fans open. Government guidance says trickle vents should remain unblocked and kitchen and bathroom extractors should be cleaned.

☐ 3. Photograph the heating controls

Photograph the programmer, thermostat, radiator valves and any separate zones. Note rooms that feel too hot or cold and your normal heating times.

Do not buy new smart controls yet. Controls affect comfort and energy use, but they should match the final design.

☐ 4. Clear every radiator

Move furniture and removable covers so each radiator can be measured. Note leaks, corrosion, cold patches and rooms that struggle to warm up.

Wait for the room-by-room calculation before replacing radiators. Required output depends on heat loss and the proposed water temperature.

☐ 5. Make visible pipework easy to inspect

Clear accessible pipework around the boiler, cylinder and radiators. Record leaks, sludge, power-flushing or frozen-pipe history.

Do not assume narrow “microbore” pipes require a complete repipe. The designer must check flow rate, pipe length and water velocity.

☐ 6. Clear indoor equipment and likely routes

Provide safe access to the boiler, cylinder, airing cupboard and relevant loft areas. Note equipment details and tell the installer about household hot-water use.

Do not remove a cylinder or alter cupboards first. A standard air-to-water system normally stores hot water, but cylinder size and location are design decisions.

☐ 7. Clear possible outdoor-unit locations

Clear one or two realistic positions and the likely pipe route. Point out boundaries, nearby windows, drains, narrow access and places prone to flooding.

Do not pour a base or build a screen. The installer must check airflow, servicing space, drainage, noise and planning.

England’s permitted-development rules changed in May 2025 and can allow some units within one metre of a boundary, subject to all conditions, including the MCS sound calculation. This is not a blanket UK rule; listed buildings, conservation areas, flats and leaseholds may need additional checks or consent.

☐ 8. Gather electrical information safely

Photograph the meter, consumer unit and visible service-head labels without opening covers. List an electric-vehicle charger, solar panels, battery, electric shower and other large loads.

Leave upgrade decisions to the installer and a qualified electrician. In Great Britain, the heat pump must be registered with the local distribution network operator.

☐ 9. Collect bills and usage information

Gather recent gas and electricity bills or oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and solid-fuel records—ideally covering a full year where available. Note tariffs, vacancies and rooms kept cooler.

Bills inform estimates but do not replace a heat-loss survey. The Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) requires written savings or payback estimates to use the household’s actual energy use and explain their assumptions.

☐ 10. Assemble property and permission records

Find the Energy Performance Certificate if available, floor plans, extension details and relevant guarantees. Record listed status, conservation-area controls, lease or freeholder issues and access constraints.

Ask who will handle planning, building regulations, network registration and specialist trades. Also check that home insurance covers the proposed work.

Expert insight

“Give every installer the same records and access. Ask each to state the fabric assumptions, design water temperature and extra work included.”

Giles Crosse

Energy Editor

Experienced editor, journalist and communications consultant specialising in consumer energy and low carbon technologies.

• Editor and campaign author for Shell, EDF Energy and Good Energy.
• Consultant to the United Nations and contributor to the World Economic Forum.
• Journalist for Reuters, the BBC, The Economist and The Guardian.

More about Giles Crosse

What should wait for the survey?

Wait for a property-specific design before buying a heat-pump model, radiators, underfloor heating, replacement pipework, a hot-water cylinder, an outdoor base or electrical upgrades.

The survey should show each room’s heat loss and the proposed “flow temperature”—the temperature of water sent around the heating system. Those figures determine whether existing radiators and pipes can deliver enough heat.

Good to know

Funding is separate from technical readiness. As checked on 27 July 2026, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales provides £7,500 towards an eligible air-to-water heat pump. A further £1,500 is available until March 2027 where the property uses oil or LPG and has no mains-gas connection. The installer applies and deducts the grant from the quote and invoice. Scotland has a separate Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan route. Check NI Energy Advice for Northern Ireland support. Outstanding loft or cavity-wall insulation is no longer a mandatory Boiler Upgrade Scheme condition in England and Wales, although suitable fabric improvements may still reduce the required heat output.

What should a useful quote show?

Seek at least three quotes where practical. Use MCS-certified installers where funding requires it; MCS installers must also belong to an approved consumer-protection scheme.

Compare:

1. room-by-room heat loss and design temperatures;

2. heat-pump make, model, output and design flow temperature;

3. radiators, pipework, cylinder, controls and electrical work included or excluded;

4. the written performance estimate and its energy-use and price assumptions;

5. total price, grant deduction, deposit, payment stages and possible extra charges;

6. responsibility for planning, building regulations and network registration;

7. warranties, servicing and the installation timetable.

Citizens Advice advises getting at least three quotes, checking the total cost and asking for a written contract. GOV.UK says installers should not pressure you to sign or offer a cheaper deal only if you sign that day.

Who may need to be involved?

An MCS-certified installer should take responsibility for the heating design. A qualified electrician should assess any supply or circuit changes.

Ask the local planning authority or conservation officer where permission is uncertain, and consult the freeholder or managing agent for a leasehold home. For contract or complaint concerns, use the installer’s consumer-protection scheme or Citizens Advice.

Key takeaways

• Fix active defects and improve access; do not pre-design the system.

• Preserve necessary ventilation when tackling draughts.

• Let room-by-room heat loss determine equipment and radiator needs.

• Give every installer the same bills, records and household information.

• Prepare outdoor options, but leave siting, noise and planning checks to qualified people.

• Compare detailed assumptions and exclusions, not just price.

• Recheck funding and national rules before signing.

Frequently asked questions