How Much Does It Cost to Install Infrared Heating in a House?
The cost of installing infrared heating depends on much more than the price of the heaters themselves.
Property size, required wattage, heater quantity, mounting positions, thermostats and the electrical work required can all affect the final project cost.
What Does Infrared Heating Cost to Install?
There is no single installation price that accurately represents every house.
A single-room installation and a complete whole-house infrared heating system are fundamentally different projects.
Your overall budget can include the infrared heaters, thermostatic controls, mounting work, electrical installation and any additional electrical work required for the property.
The most useful way to estimate the cost is therefore to design the heating system first and price the resulting specification.
What Makes Up the Cost of an Infrared Heating Installation?
Think of the total project cost as several separate components rather than simply the price of an infrared panel.
The infrared heaters required to provide the calculated heating output throughout the property.
Built-in controls or suitable external thermostats depending on how the system is designed.
The practical work required to install the heaters in their planned wall or ceiling positions.
The electrical installation required for the particular heaters, controls and property.
Any additional work identified when assessing the existing electrical installation and the requirements of the proposed system.
Until those elements are known, a headline “whole-house infrared heating price” can be misleading.
The Size and Type of Property
The first major variable is the property itself.
A small flat will normally require a very different heating specification from a large detached house.
But floor area isn't the only consideration.
Factors such as insulation, ceiling height, building age and heat loss can affect the amount of heating output required.
That is why infrared heating should be sized according to the actual space rather than simply purchasing a predetermined number of panels based on the number of bedrooms.
If you're still at the sizing stage, read What Size Infrared Heater Do I Need?.
Total Heating Wattage Required
Once the rooms have been assessed, you can establish the approximate heating requirement for each space.
This is important because the required output determines the heating equipment that needs to be installed.
Two properties with a similar floor area can therefore end up with different heating specifications if their construction and heat-loss characteristics differ.
You can use the IHS Wattage Calculator to help estimate the required heating output room by room.
Don't Ask “How Much Will My House Cost?” Before Designing the System
A more useful sequence is:
Room requirements → total wattage → heater quantity → heater positions → controls → electrical installation → project price.
Once those decisions are known, you have something meaningful to price.
Without them, you're effectively asking for the cost of a heating system before establishing what heating system the property needs.
How Many Infrared Heaters You Need
Total wattage and heater quantity are related, but they are not exactly the same decision.
Once the required output is known, that output may sometimes be provided by one heater or distributed across multiple heaters depending on the room layout and available mounting positions.
That matters to project cost because a design containing more individual heaters may involve:
- More individual products
- More mounting positions
- Additional electrical connection points
- A different control arrangement
Read How Many Infrared Panels Do I Need? for the full explanation.
Wall-Mounted vs Ceiling-Mounted Panels
Where the heaters are installed can also affect the work involved.
Some properties may have suitable unobstructed wall positions, while others may benefit from ceiling-mounted heating.
The practical installation depends on the heater, mounting surface and electrical arrangement.
You should therefore decide the intended mounting positions before asking an installer to accurately assess the work involved.
Our Ceiling vs Wall-Mounted Infrared Panels guide explains the positioning considerations in more detail.
Thermostats and Heating Zones
A whole-house heating system also needs an appropriate control strategy.
You may choose infrared heaters with built-in controls or use suitable external thermostats depending on the system design.
The number of independent heating zones matters too.
If bedrooms, living spaces and a home office all need different temperatures or schedules, the system needs to be designed with appropriate independent control.
That can affect both the equipment required and the electrical installation.
Before finalising the specification, read Do Infrared Heaters Need a Thermostat?.
You can also compare Built-In Thermostat vs Non-Thermostat Infrared Heaters.
Electrical Installation
The electrical work is one of the reasons it is difficult to give one universal installation price.
The work required depends on the products being installed, their electrical requirements, the proposed control arrangement and the existing electrical installation within the property.
A straightforward installation in one property may therefore involve different work from a complete retrofit in another.
Electrical work should be assessed and completed appropriately for the specific installation.
For more information on the installation process itself, see our Infrared Heater Installation Guide.
Don't budget from the panel price alone. For a professionally installed system, consider the complete specification: heaters, controls, mounting requirements, electrical work and any additional work identified for the property.
Does the Type of Infrared Heater Affect the Cost?
Yes. Infrared heating is not one single product.
The final equipment cost will depend on the products selected for each room.
Wall-Mounted Panels
Different panel formats, outputs and finishes can be selected according to the room and intended installation.
Ceiling-Mounted Panels
Ceiling heating can be useful where wall space is limited or the room layout makes ceiling positioning more practical.
Built-In Thermostat Models
Some heaters incorporate their own temperature-control arrangement, which can suit independently controlled rooms.
Mirror, Glass & Other Formats
Bathrooms and design-led spaces may use different infrared heater formats from standard living areas.
You can explore the available options through our infrared heating collections.
Does a Whole-House Installation Cost More Per Project?
A complete house naturally requires a larger overall specification than heating one room.
A whole-house project may involve:
- Several room calculations
- Multiple infrared heaters
- Several mounting locations
- Multiple heating zones
- Thermostatic controls
- More extensive electrical work
But a whole-house system should still be designed room by room rather than treating the entire property as one large heating zone.
Our Can Infrared Heating Heat a Whole House? guide explains how to approach a complete property.
What If You're Replacing Existing Electric Heaters?
Replacing an existing electric heating system does not automatically mean the new infrared installation will be identical electrically.
The proposed infrared system should still be assessed according to:
- The required heating output
- The selected heaters
- Their intended positions
- The control strategy
- The existing electrical installation
If you're comparing infrared with conventional electric radiators, read Infrared Heating vs Electric Radiators.
For properties using storage heating, see Infrared Heating vs Storage Heaters.
What About Properties Without a Gas Supply?
Infrared heating is one of several electric heating options that can be considered where a property does not have a gas supply.
That does not mean it is automatically the right choice for every building.
Property heat loss, installation constraints, electricity costs, control requirements and the alternatives available should all form part of the decision.
We've covered the wider options in Best Heating for a House Without Gas.
Flat owners can also read Best Electric Heating for a Flat.
Don't Confuse Installation Cost with Running Cost
These are two different questions.
Installation cost is what it costs to purchase and install the system.
Running cost depends on electrical input, operating time, thermostat settings, heat loss and your electricity tariff.
A lower purchase price does not automatically mean a lower running cost, while a more expensive system does not automatically guarantee lower energy use.
If running costs are your main concern, read our Infrared Heating Running Costs guide.
How to Get a More Accurate Infrared Heating Installation Cost
Rather than trying to price the project from a generic figure online, build the specification in the correct order.
List the Rooms
Identify every room you intend to heat and record its dimensions.
Calculate the Required Wattage
Assess each room rather than choosing heaters from floor area alone.
Select the Heater Configuration
Decide how the required output will be distributed across the rooms.
Choose Mounting Positions
Establish where the heaters can be positioned appropriately and what mounting work is required.
Plan the Controls
Decide which rooms need independent thermostatic control and how the heating zones will operate.
Assess the Electrical Work
Have the proposed system and existing electrical installation assessed so the required electrical work can be established.
Price the Complete Project
You can now price the heaters, controls and installation against an actual system specification rather than a rough assumption.
Is Infrared Heating Worth the Installation Cost?
That depends on the property and what you need from the heating system.
Installation cost is only one part of the decision.
You should also consider:
- Whether the property can be heated appropriately with the proposed system
- Required electrical capacity
- Room-by-room control
- Available wall and ceiling space
- Expected operating pattern
- Running costs
- Alternative heating options
For the broader decision, read Is Infrared Heating Worth It? and our Infrared Heating Pros & Cons guide.
Infrared Heating Installation Cost FAQs
How much does it cost to install infrared heating in a house?
There is no single price that applies to every house. The total depends on the required heater output, number and type of heaters, controls, mounting requirements, electrical work and the size and characteristics of the property.
What is included in an infrared heating installation cost?
Depending on the project, the total can include the infrared heaters, thermostatic controls, mounting work, electrical installation and any additional electrical work required for the proposed system.
Is it cheaper to install infrared heating in one room?
A single-room project requires a smaller overall heating specification than a complete house, although the actual installation cost still depends on the heater, controls, mounting position and electrical work required.
Does ceiling-mounted infrared heating cost more to install?
Not necessarily. Installation cost depends on the specific heater, mounting surface, access and electrical requirements. The work involved should be assessed for the particular property.
Do I need a thermostat for each infrared heater?
Not necessarily. The appropriate control arrangement depends on whether heaters have built-in controls and how the heating zones are designed. Multiple heaters can potentially form part of one appropriately designed zone, while rooms requiring independent control need an appropriate separate control arrangement.
Can infrared heating be installed throughout a whole house?
Infrared heating can be used as primary space heating throughout a property when the system is correctly sized and designed room by room, with suitable heater positioning, controls and electrical installation.
How do I get an accurate infrared heating installation price?
Start by establishing the heating requirement for each room, then determine the heater quantity, mounting positions and control arrangement. Once the system specification is known, the electrical installation can be assessed and the complete project priced more accurately.
Planning an Infrared Heating Installation?
The most accurate way to price your project is to start with the property itself — the rooms, heating requirements, heater positions and controls — and build the system around them.
IHS can help you work through the heating specification before you commit to the complete project.
Read our Complete Infrared Heating Guide, explore our infrared heating ranges, or contact IHS about your project →