Emergency lighting cost

What you are paying for

Emergency lighting costs split into three buckets: the annual duration test and certificate, reactive repairs and battery replacement, and capital work when fittings are added or a whole system is upgraded. Most premises only ever see the first two, and the annual test is small money — the surprises come from ageing batteries and from designs that no longer match the building.

Annual testing prices

• Small HMO or shop, up to 10 fittings — £90–£140 + VAT.
• Office suite, 20–30 fittings — £150–£250 + VAT.
• Larger commercial site, 100 fittings — £300–£500 + VAT, typically £3–£4 per fitting.
• Multi-block residential portfolio — priced per block with travel bundled across a scheduled route.

The fee should include the three-hour duration test, a walk-round inspection of coverage, a written certificate, and a defect list. Ask whether minor lamp and fuse replacements are included; many providers carry common spares and fix on the spot.

Installation prices

New emergency lighting is quoted per point. In a building with accessible ceiling voids and nearby power, £90–£180 + VAT per fitting is normal, covering the unit, cable, containment, testing and the commissioning certificate. Surface-mounted bulkheads in a stairwell sit at the lower end. Recessed fittings in a plastered ceiling, or anything needing scaffold or a mobile tower, sit well above it.

Worked examples

• Three-storey HMO, six new bulkheads on the stair and landings — £700–£1,000 + VAT installed.
• Retail unit, upgrade of 12 failing fittings to self-test LED — £1,200–£1,900 + VAT.
• Small warehouse, 25 fittings plus five exit signs — £2,500–£4,000 + VAT depending on access height.

Self-test systems: worth it?

Self-test fittings run their own monthly and annual tests and flag failures with an LED or via a central panel. They cost roughly £30–£60 more per fitting, but they remove the monthly staff task and give you a reliable record. On sites above about 30 fittings, or where nobody reliably does the monthly walk-round, they usually pay back within three years.

What increases the price

• High-level or awkward access needing towers or lifts.
• Out-of-hours attendance so the duration test does not disrupt trading.
• No existing drawing or asset list, so the first visit includes surveying and numbering fittings.
• Coverage gaps found on inspection, which turn a test visit into a small project.

Where to save money sensibly

Bundle the emergency lighting test with your fire alarm service, extinguisher service or fire risk assessment. One visit means one travel charge, one appointment to manage and one aligned renewal date — usually 15–25% cheaper overall. What is not worth saving on is coverage: a fitting missing from a stair half-landing costs a fraction of what it costs to argue with an enforcement notice about it.

How we quote

We price emergency lighting on fitting count and building type, quote a fixed fee before attending, and include the certificate and defect list. Quotes come back within one working day across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and South Yorkshire.