Radiator cover cost in 2023

Bespoke radiator covers are perfect for covering an unsightly radiator without reducing its heat output too much. They can even give you some extra storage space if you need it.

It costs around £250 to make and fit a bespoke radiator cover, but there are other costs to consider too. Find out how much bespoke radiator covers cost in our guide.

How much do bespoke radiator covers cost?

How much bespoke radiator covers cost will depend on the size of the cover, how intricate it is and whether you need a decorator or not, but here are the average costs:

Job / item

Average cost

Make and fit a bespoke radiator cover

£250

Decorator to paint a radiator cover

£200

Fit ready-made radiator cover

£90

Carpenter hourly rate

£16-£40 per hour

How much you pay for a bespoke radiator cover to be fitted will depend on your location. Rates vary across the country, with carpenters charging the most in major cities and the south east.

HaMuch has a large database of hourly and daily rates for carpenters across the entire UK, and we’ve compiled them to offer average costs to fit bespoke radiator covers in almost every town and city in the country. Take a look at our table further down the page to get a more accurate idea of how much a carpenter will charge in your area.

Radiator cover cost

Bespoke vs off-the-shelf radiator covers

Generally, it’s cheaper to buy an off-the-shelf radiator cover than having a bespoke one. But if you have a non-standard size radiator or you have specific storage needs, you might not find the radiator cover you want.

You can buy ready-made radiator covers online for between £20-£150, but you’ll have to make them work for you. If they need cuts to fit around unusual pipework or you need adjustments made for uneven floors, a carpenter might charge you close to what they would to make you a radiator cover from scratch.

A carpenter will charge an average of £90 to fit each radiator cover, so you can see how it may pay to have one made for you if it will need alterations anyway.

Make a radiator cover video

Are radiator covers worth it?

Radiator covers are certainly worth it for a lot of homeowners. There are lots of benefits to radiator covers:

Aesthetics: Radiator covers usually have a great look that can complement the overall decoration of your home. They’re a good way of hiding unsightly radiators rather than spending a lot of money on buying and fitting a new one.

Childproofing: If you have young children, you might be worried about them touching the hot radiator. Radiator covers are ideal for creating a barrier to keep your child safe.

Storage: The benefit to having a bespoke radiator cover is that you can ask your carpenter to add any storage features you need to make your life easier. You could add drawers or shelves to make the radiator cover more useful – the possibilities are endless.

Reduce noise: If you have noisy radiators, a radiator cover can be a great option as it will muffle any sounds they make. However, you may want to look into getting your boiler serviced or having a powerflush in case your radiators are noisy because they are filled with air or metallic debris.

Do you lose much heat with radiator covers?

No, you won’t notice a reduction in heat with radiator covers – as long as they are fitted correctly and have adequate vents. This is why it’s a good idea to have a bespoke radiator cover.

If you ask a carpenter to make your radiator cover, you can ensure that they add in the right amount of gaps and vents to allow eat to escape. If you buy a ready-made one without enough gaps, you may find that your room doesn’t heat up as quickly.

We’ll always recommend at least asking a carpenter to fit a radiator cover so they can make adjustments that allow for the best air flow. But a bespoke radiator cover will be best at ensuring you don’t lose heat output from your radiator, as the carpenter can add vents in exactly the right places.

Top tip: If you have a thermostatic radiator valve (TRV) on your radiator, make sure your carpenter leaves this uncovered. Otherwise, the TRV won’t be able to detect an accurate room temperature, meaning that it could take longer for your radiator to turn on and heat up.

Do radiator covers need a gap at the bottom?

Ideally, your radiator covers should have a gap or holes on the bottom to allow for cold air to be drawn in at the base. You’ll also need gaps at the top and sides to allow warm air to rise up and out.

Ideally, your radiator cover should be wider than the radiator by at least 5cm in width, 3cm in height and 3cm in depth to allow for the best air flow.

Radiator covers should not touch the radiator. If the radiator cover is too close, it will prevent heat from being distributed around your room, and you may notice that it feels colder.

Do radiator covers need to be fixed to the wall?

Whether your radiator cover needs to be fixed to the wall depends on what type it is. If it’s an off-the-shelf radiator cover, most of these come ready made and simply require sliding over the radiator, so they don’t need to be fixed to the wall.

However, if you need adjustments made to your cover or you’re having a bespoke radiator cover, you probably will need to have it fixed to the wall. Your carpenter will ensure they use the right brackets and fixings to keep it safe and prevent it from toppling over.

If you’re ready to have a bespoke radiator cover made for you, post your job on HaMuch. We’ll put you in touch with reliable carpenters in your area that can give you a free, no-obligation quote.


Estimates for common carpenter & joiner jobs;

Job Estimate
Cost to install wooden flooring £605
Cost to restore a wooden floor £278
Cost to create under stairs storage £915
Cost to install a partition wall £262
Cost to fit out a shop £1290
Cost to fit out a restaurant £1400
Cost to replace a window sill £349
Cost to replace the floorboards £310
Cost to replace the staircase and bannister £4500
Supply and fit new skirting, architrave and door frames £400
Cost to replace a door frame £165
Cost to install a loft ladder £118
Cost to board the loft £650
Cost to fit fitted wardrobes £4500
Cost to have bespoke bookshelves fitted £280
Cost to fit blinds £30 per blind
Cost to make and fit a radiator cover £352
Cost to fit a cat flap £115
Cost to box in pipes £259
Cost to design and fit alcove cupboards or shelves £650
Repairs on window frames and windowpanes including leaks £100 per window

Rates for other trades

Bespoke radiator cover cost in the UK
Bespoke radiator cover cost in the UK (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UKBespoke radiator cover cost
Bespoke radiator cover near Aberdeen£280
Bespoke radiator cover near Amber Valley£268
Bespoke radiator cover near Angus£294
Bespoke radiator cover near Arun£297
Bespoke radiator cover near Ashfield£264
Bespoke radiator cover near Aylesbury Vale£296
Bespoke radiator cover near Barnsley£260
Bespoke radiator cover near Basildon£296
Bespoke radiator cover near Basingstoke & Deane£281
Bespoke radiator cover near Bassetlaw£250
Bespoke radiator cover near Bath & North East Somerset£277
Bespoke radiator cover near Bedford£305
Bespoke radiator cover near Belfast£212
Bespoke radiator cover near Birmingham£256
Bespoke radiator cover near Blackburn£248
Bespoke radiator cover near Blackpool£238
Bespoke radiator cover near Bolton£266
Bespoke radiator cover near Bournemouth£278
Bespoke radiator cover near Bracknell Forest£298
Bespoke radiator cover near Bradford£251
Bespoke radiator cover near Braintree£290
Bespoke radiator cover near Breckland£265
Bespoke radiator cover near Bridgend£256
Bespoke radiator cover near Brighton£292
Bespoke radiator cover near Bristol£276
Bespoke radiator cover near Broadland£251
Bespoke radiator cover near Broxtowe£265
Bespoke radiator cover near Bury£268
Bespoke radiator cover near Caerphilly£270
Bespoke radiator cover near Calderdale£247
Bespoke radiator cover near Cambridge£284
Bespoke radiator cover near Canterbury£265
Bespoke radiator cover near Cardiff£271
Bespoke radiator cover near Carmarthenshire£237
Bespoke radiator cover near Charnwood£263
Bespoke radiator cover near Chelmsford£293
Bespoke radiator cover near Cheltenham£301
Bespoke radiator cover near Cherwell£303
Bespoke radiator cover near Chester£258
Bespoke radiator cover near Colchester£286
Bespoke radiator cover near Conway£246
Bespoke radiator cover near Coventry£251
Bespoke radiator cover near Crewe & Nantwich£310
Bespoke radiator cover near Dacorum£295
Bespoke radiator cover near Derby£269
Bespoke radiator cover near Doncaster£251
Bespoke radiator cover near Dover£261
Bespoke radiator cover near Dudley£252
Bespoke radiator cover near Dumfries & Galloway£233
Bespoke radiator cover near Dundee£307
Bespoke radiator cover near East Ayrshire£267
Bespoke radiator cover near East Devon£257
Bespoke radiator cover near East Dunbartonshire£251
Bespoke radiator cover near East Hampshire£281
Bespoke radiator cover near East Hertfordshire£299
Bespoke radiator cover near East Riding£263
Bespoke radiator cover near Eastleigh£290
Bespoke radiator cover near Edinburgh£289
Bespoke radiator cover near Elmbridge£304
Bespoke radiator cover near Epping Forest£303
Bespoke radiator cover near Erewash£266
Bespoke radiator cover near Exeter£250
Bespoke radiator cover near Falkirk£264
Bespoke radiator cover near Fife£308
Bespoke radiator cover near Flintshire£260
Bespoke radiator cover near Gateshead£249
Bespoke radiator cover near Gedling£260
Bespoke radiator cover near Glasgow£252
Bespoke radiator cover near Gloucester£290
Bespoke radiator cover near Guildford£299
Bespoke radiator cover near Gwynedd£235
Bespoke radiator cover near Halton£266
Bespoke radiator cover near Harrogate£253
Bespoke radiator cover near Havant & Waterloo£285
Bespoke radiator cover near Highland£278
Bespoke radiator cover near Horsham£290
Bespoke radiator cover near Huntingdonshire£305
Bespoke radiator cover near Ipswich£284
Bespoke radiator cover near Isle of Wight£281
Bespoke radiator cover near Kings Lynn & West Norfolk£271
Bespoke radiator cover near Kingston-upon-Hull£248
Bespoke radiator cover near Kirklees£257
Bespoke radiator cover near Knowsley£252
Bespoke radiator cover near Lancaster£259
Bespoke radiator cover near Leeds£255
Bespoke radiator cover near Leicester£260
Bespoke radiator cover near Lisburn£212
Bespoke radiator cover near Liverpool£251
Bespoke radiator cover near London£302
Bespoke radiator cover near Luton£300
Bespoke radiator cover near Macclesfield£281
Bespoke radiator cover near Maidstone£282
Bespoke radiator cover near Manchester£273
Bespoke radiator cover near Mid Bedfordshire£300
Bespoke radiator cover near Mid Sussex£286
Bespoke radiator cover near Middlesbrough£282
Bespoke radiator cover near Milton Keynes£294
Bespoke radiator cover near Neath Port Talbot£255
Bespoke radiator cover near New Forest£283
Bespoke radiator cover near Newbury£280
Bespoke radiator cover near Newcastle-under-Lyme£281
Bespoke radiator cover near Newcastle-upon-Tyne£248
Bespoke radiator cover near Newport£272
Bespoke radiator cover near North Ayrshire£262
Bespoke radiator cover near North East Lincolnshire£262
Bespoke radiator cover near North Hertfordshire£304
Bespoke radiator cover near North Lanarkshire£250
Bespoke radiator cover near North Lincolnshire£251
Bespoke radiator cover near North Somerset£278
Bespoke radiator cover near North Tyneside£248
Bespoke radiator cover near North Wiltshire£275
Bespoke radiator cover near Northampton£279
Bespoke radiator cover near Norwich£256
Bespoke radiator cover near Nottingham£265
Bespoke radiator cover near Nuneaton & Bedworth£253
Bespoke radiator cover near Oldham£269
Bespoke radiator cover near Oxford£301
Bespoke radiator cover near Pembrokeshire£276
Bespoke radiator cover near Perth & Kinross£338
Bespoke radiator cover near Peterborough£314
Bespoke radiator cover near Plymouth£260
Bespoke radiator cover near Poole£280
Bespoke radiator cover near Portsmouth£285
Bespoke radiator cover near Preston£242
Bespoke radiator cover near Reading£294
Bespoke radiator cover near Redcar & Cleveland£282
Bespoke radiator cover near Reigate & Banstead£303
Bespoke radiator cover near Renfrewshire£259
Bespoke radiator cover near Rhondda, Cynon, Taff£266
Bespoke radiator cover near Rochdale£264
Bespoke radiator cover near Rochester-upon-Medway£306
Bespoke radiator cover near Rotherham£257
Bespoke radiator cover near Salford£271
Bespoke radiator cover near Salisbury£288
Bespoke radiator cover near Sandwell£253
Bespoke radiator cover near Scarborough£287
Bespoke radiator cover near Scottish Borders£299
Bespoke radiator cover near Sefton£251
Bespoke radiator cover near Sevenoaks£293
Bespoke radiator cover near Sheffield£257
Bespoke radiator cover near Slough£301
Bespoke radiator cover near Solihull£249
Bespoke radiator cover near South Ayrshire£268
Bespoke radiator cover near South Bedfordshire£305
Bespoke radiator cover near South Cambridgeshire£296
Bespoke radiator cover near South Gloucestershire£274
Bespoke radiator cover near South Kesteven£276
Bespoke radiator cover near South Lanarkshire£244
Bespoke radiator cover near South Oxfordshire£299
Bespoke radiator cover near South Somerset£321
Bespoke radiator cover near South Tyneside£249
Bespoke radiator cover near Southampton£289
Bespoke radiator cover near Southend-on-Sea£285
Bespoke radiator cover near St Albans£300
Bespoke radiator cover near St Helens£255
Bespoke radiator cover near Stafford£277
Bespoke radiator cover near Stockport£277
Bespoke radiator cover near Stockton-on-Tees£282
Bespoke radiator cover near Stoke-on-Trent£279
Bespoke radiator cover near Stratford-on-Avon£262
Bespoke radiator cover near Stroud£283
Bespoke radiator cover near Suffolk Coastal£281
Bespoke radiator cover near Sunderland£251
Bespoke radiator cover near Swale£279
Bespoke radiator cover near Swansea£251
Bespoke radiator cover near Tameside£274
Bespoke radiator cover near Teignbridge£259
Bespoke radiator cover near Tendring£286
Bespoke radiator cover near Test Valley£283
Bespoke radiator cover near Thamesdown£268
Bespoke radiator cover near Thanet£263
Bespoke radiator cover near The Wrekin£252
Bespoke radiator cover near Thurrock£292
Bespoke radiator cover near Torbay£256
Bespoke radiator cover near Trafford£278
Bespoke radiator cover near Vale of Glamorgan£275
Bespoke radiator cover near Vale of White Horse£298
Bespoke radiator cover near Vale Royal£260
Bespoke radiator cover near Wakefield£253
Bespoke radiator cover near Walsall£255
Bespoke radiator cover near Warrington£275
Bespoke radiator cover near Warwick£251
Bespoke radiator cover near Waveney£250
Bespoke radiator cover near Waverley£292
Bespoke radiator cover near Wealden£287
Bespoke radiator cover near West Lancashire£249
Bespoke radiator cover near West Lothian£282
Bespoke radiator cover near West Wiltshire£275
Bespoke radiator cover near Wigan£256
Bespoke radiator cover near Windsor & Maidenhead£300
Bespoke radiator cover near Wirral£253
Bespoke radiator cover near Wokingham£296
Bespoke radiator cover near Wolverhampton£259
Bespoke radiator cover near Wrexham Maelor£267
Bespoke radiator cover near Wychavon£267
Bespoke radiator cover near Wycombe£307
Bespoke radiator cover near York£256