How much does it cost to fit a heated towel rail?

Having a heated towel rail installed in the home is now a very popular thing to do, especially in bathrooms, en-suites or cloakrooms. Years ago, a radiator dedicated to keeping towels warm was seen as an absolute luxury, more commonly seen in upmarket hotels. However, due to their affordability, the trusty heated towel rail has become a must-have fixture for any self-respecting homeowner. When deciding to put a heated towel rail into your home, there are a number of things to consider before starting the process. These factors will dictate how much you need to spend in order to get the task done.

Table of Contents

1. DIY or call in a professional?
2. Buy the towel rail yourself or let the plumber decide?/a>
3. Do you need a plumber or an electrician?
4. So what will the final cost be?
5. Quality heated towel rails at Trade Radiators

DIY or call in a professional?

Installing a heated towel rail is not a particularly difficult task, however if you have no experience with DIY, plumbing or other jobs around the home, then it's probably best to employ the services of a professional plumber.

If you are adding a heated towel rail into a bathroom that already has a radiator, for example, it may well be the case that pipework needs to be rejigged and moved around - definitely not a job for a novice. If you don't have a coventional hot water central heating system, then you will require an electric heated towel rail that needs connecting up to the mains.

Any rewiring should only be done by someone experienced or a professional. Obviously, using a trusted professional to do the job will make things more expensive, but will ensure that the job is done properly.

• Further reading: How To Replace A Radiator With A Heated Towel Rail

Buy the towel rail yourself or let the plumber decide?

If you get a professional plumber in to fit the heated towel rail, and any radiator valves you may have picked up along with it, you can leave it up to them to decide what would be best for your living space.

If you don't want anything special and are mainly concerned with it being functional and fitted correctly, then you can leave it up to the plumber to choose a standard towel rail for you.

However, there are a huge selection of heated towel rails available to purchase in a range of colours, finishes, sizes and styles. There are also a great deal of bargains to be had if you shop around, meaning that you can get exactly what you want for a great price, without being at the mercy of the plumbers' choices and prices from their suppliers.

There's nothing stopping you from ordering a heated towel rail (and accompanying valve from our full range) and then getting a plumber in to fit it. Again, whether you purchase the heated towel rail yourself or allow the plumber to do it for you will affect the final price for the job.

• Further reading: The Best Towel Radiators

Do you need a plumber or an electrician?

Some professionals are both qualified plumbers and electricians, but most definitely not all, so it's important to get the right person in to get the job done, which could affect the final price.

If you have a conventional hot water central heating system, where you have a boiler and radiators that fill with hot water, then you'll need a Gas Safe Registered plumber to carry out the job.

If you have an electric heating system, whereby you have wall-mounted storage heaters that are connected to the mains electricity supply, then you'll need a qualified electrician. This is important as necessary paperwork needs to be completed demonstrating that the work is safe and adheres to The Building Regulations.

 If you're having a dual fuel heated towel rail fitted, then this needs to be connected to the hot water central heating system AND to the electrical mains supply, so you'll either need to find a professional who can legally do both, or get a plumber and an electrician to install it safely and correctly. This obviously means you may have to pay more.

With electric and dual fuel rails, you'll also need to decide if you want a variable heat element on the rail. This will allow you to vary the temperature on the rail, though costs more than a non-variable, single heat element.

• Further reading: How To Find  Decent Plumber

So what will the final cost be?

As explained above, there are several variables that could affect the final price of installation of a heated towel rail. Additionally, the price could vary simply depending on what part of the UK you live in, or how busy your local professionals are. However we will give a 'standard approximate cost' that you can expect to pay in the region of. One of the best ways to guarantee a lower price is by purchasing the towel rail yourself and then only paying for the labour to fit it.

• Standard installation of a conventional hot water heated towel rail - around £200 - £300 for labour - around £150 for towel rail
• Standard installation of an electric heated towel rail - around £200 for labour - around £150 - £200 for towel rail
• Standard installation of a dual fuel heated towel rail - around £300 - £500 for labour - around £150 - £200 for towel rail

• Further reading: How Much Does It Cost To Replace A Radiator?

Quality heated towel rails at Trade Radiators

We have a fantastic range of heated towel rails on our website, in a massive variety of sizes, styles, finishes, heat outputs - all with free delivery and long, comprehensive guarantees and suitable for conventional, electric or dual fuel central heating systems. You can view some of our customers' own submitted phtos of their heated towel rails to get inspiration for your home.