Finally fed up with the un-reliability of my Potterton Envoy 80 Condensing Boiler, I asked the BG chap who was fixing it (for the 3rd time this year) what it would cost to replace. He replied that he was aware that BG was bit dear but he thought that they had now seen sense and could do a very simple boiler swop for a sensible price. His guess was that it could be done for a price which looked to me like the full retail price for the new boiler (inc VAT) plus 75% for labour. It seemed OK, say £800 + £600 = £1400. Dear but OK-ish, despite the fact that BG would be charging about £600 for probably a day's work and minimal materials, I agreed to get a quote. The chap from BG today quoted £2370 inc VAT, net of all sorts of discounts since I have a 3-star contract. Yes, it includes their magical Powerflush, "mandatory", it seems, to meet the boiler manufacturer's performance reqs (?). "How long does the flush take?", I asked. "Maybe as long as 4 hours", he replied. £300 plus VAT! What an hourly rate, I should be so lucky. The the first item on the quote, installing the boiler, a BG RD 428 (can't find the price for it 'cos it's their own but it can't be worth more than £700-800 inc VAT wholesale), is £ 1647 +VAT = £1,935! This implies over a thousand pounds for labour and the almost no parts needed!
Before you ask, the flue is not included in the price above, it's another £153 installed for what's probably only a £40-60 item. Additionally , of course, there's the "Connect Boiler Electrics & test" @ £68.18 +VAT = £80ish. Not part of the "Install Boiler" stuff above. No, naturally, installing a boiler does not involve conecting the wires, too.
How about the £32 " Waste disposal" charge. The old boiler, I suppose, but VAT will also be added to this as well. I could drive it to the dump for less than £1, indeed the old boiler is so small I could break it up and put in my wheelie-bin!
The only concession I could gain was that I could do the earth bonding on the meter and boiler, "'cos that would be very expensive and since I didn't have it on the old bolier and it didn't matter that much".
Oh, I've just noted "Fit filling loop" @ £68 +VAT . I suppose that the one I've got already isn't good enough or the one they want to fit has more gold plate!
SO:
Assume a boiler costs £800 full retail inc VAT, what is a fair total price (given that the fitter gets the trade discount on the boiler). Also assume that it can go into an outside boiler-room on a reasonably like-for-like basis? Any extras can be added on.
PS >>>>>>> I do get the services of a "Quality Control Manager". Someone to inspect the work done by the subs they dump such simple lobs onto!