TV Aerial Installation Costs UK — What to Charge to Fit or Repair an Aerial in 2026

Types of Aerial Job and What to Charge

Most aerial work falls into a handful of clearly defined jobs. The price you can charge depends heavily on access — a loft aerial and a chimney-mounted aerial are completely different jobs even though the aerial itself might be identical. Here's a breakdown of the main job types with current UK price ranges.

New Aerial Supplied and Fitted

A standard new TV aerial supplied and fitted is the bread-and-butter job. For a typical wall- or chimney-mounted Yagi or wideband aerial with a new bracket, pole, downlead and a single point, you're looking at a supply-and-fit price that covers your materials, labour and a fair margin. The aerial hardware itself is inexpensive — the value you're selling is correct alignment, weatherproof fitting and a reliable signal.

• Standard new aerial supplied and fitted: £120–£250
• High-gain aerial for a weak-signal area: £160–£300
• Loft-mounted aerial (no working at height outside): £90–£180

A loft aerial is usually cheaper because there's no working at height outside and no weatherproofing, but only quote one where the signal in the area is strong enough — lofts attenuate signal, especially through foil-backed insulation or a foil-membrane roof. In a weak-signal area, fit a high-gain (more elements) aerial externally instead and price toward the top of the range.

Aerial Repair and Realignment

A large share of aerial enquiries aren't new installs at all — they're "my picture keeps breaking up" calls. Often the fix is simple: a realignment after the aerial has been knocked by wind, a corroded connection at the masthead, a perished downlead, or a failed plug. These are quick, profitable jobs when access is straightforward.

• Simple repair or realignment: £80–£150
• Replace downlead / connectors / wall plate: £60–£120

The trap here is the diagnostic. You can't always tell from the ground whether the problem is the aerial, the cable, a splitter, the wall plate or the TV tuner. Charge a call-out or diagnostic fee so you're paid for the visit even if the customer decides not to proceed, then offset it against the job if they go ahead.

Extra Points and Multi-Room Distribution

Once you're on site, extending the signal to additional rooms is one of the easiest upsells in aerial work. Each extra TV point means running cable, fitting a wall plate and — crucially — adding a splitter or amplifier so the signal isn't halved at every junction.

• Each additional TV point: £50–£100
• Distribution amplifier supplied and fitted (multiple TVs): £90–£180

A passive splitter loses signal at every output, so on anything beyond two points — or in a weaker area — fit a powered distribution amplifier rather than a plain splitter. Price the amplifier as a separate line so the customer understands why feeding four TVs costs more than a single point, and so you're not undercut by someone who simply splits the signal until it fails.

Satellite Dish Installation and Repair

Plenty of aerial installers also fit and service satellite dishes for Sky, Sky Glass replacements and Freesat. The principles are the same — access, alignment, weatherproofing — but a dish has to be aligned precisely to the satellite and requires an LNB and the correct cable. A new dish install with a single feed is a half-day job in most cases.

• Satellite dish install (Sky / Freesat), supplied and fitted: £150–£300
• Replace a failed LNB: £70–£130
• Replace or re-run satellite cable: £60–£140

For a multi-room satellite setup you may need a quad or octo LNB and additional cable runs back to the box positions — price each feed as an extra point in the same way you would for an aerial. A wideband LNB is now standard for newer Sky equipment, so check what the customer's box requires before quoting.

What Affects the Price

Two jobs that sound identical on the phone can differ by £100 or more once you're on site. These are the factors that move the price — work through them before you quote.

Height and Access

Access is the single biggest driver. A wall-mounted aerial reachable from a ladder is a quick job. A chimney-mounted aerial on a two-storey or three-storey property is a different proposition — you may need a scaffold tower, a roofer or a MEWP to reach it safely, and that access cost has to be in the quote. A loft aerial avoids working at height entirely. Always establish where the aerial is, and at what height, before you give a price.

• Wall-mounted, ladder-accessible: lowest cost
• Chimney-mounted, two-storey: add for tower or roof access
• Loft-mounted: no external working at height, lowest access cost

Signal Strength and Aerial Type

The local signal level decides the aerial you fit. In a strong-signal area a standard grouped or wideband aerial is fine. In a fringe or weak-signal area you'll need a high-gain aerial with more elements, possibly a masthead amplifier, and careful alignment to the right transmitter. A masthead amp (powered at the aerial) is the right call where the downlead run is long or the signal is marginal, but adds materials and labour.

Number of TV Points and Amplification

One point off a single aerial is simple. Three or four points around a house means cable runs, wall plates, and a splitter or distribution amplifier sized so every TV still gets a usable signal. Each point adds materials and labour, and the amp protects the signal — both belong in the quote.

Materials

Cable quality matters: use double-screened satellite-grade or CT100/WF100 coax, not cheap RG6, for a reliable long-term fit. Brackets, poles, lashing kits, weatherproof boots and quality connectors all add up on a chimney install. Cost your materials properly — under-estimating coax on a multi-point job is a common way to lose margin.

Supply-and-Fit vs Labour-Only

Most aerial work is quoted supply-and-fit: you provide the aerial, bracket, pole, cable and fittings as part of one price. This is simpler for the customer and lets you make a margin on materials as well as labour. Quote labour-only when the customer has already bought equipment, or when you're repairing or realigning an existing aerial rather than supplying anything new.

Whichever way you quote, separate the access cost (tower hire, roofer, MEWP) as its own line for chimney jobs. Customers understand that reaching a chimney on a two-storey house is a real cost, and itemising it stops you being compared unfairly against an installer who quotes as if everything is ladder height.

Day Rate vs Fixed Quoting

Aerial installers typically work to a day rate of £150–£250 per day, higher in London and the South East. Most domestic jobs, though, are better quoted as a fixed price — customers want to know what an aerial fit costs, not how many hours it takes you. Use your day rate as the internal benchmark: if a job will take you half a day including travel and materials, your fixed price needs to clear at least half your day rate plus materials and a margin.

Reserve day-rate pricing for larger or open-ended work — communal aerial systems, multi-dwelling distribution, or jobs where the fault isn't clear until you're into it. For everything else, a confident fixed price wins more work than an hourly conversation.

Working at Height — Safety and Cost

The bulk of aerial work happens at height, and the Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply. A short ladder job on a bungalow is low-risk; a chimney aerial on a three-storey property is not. Don't over-reach from a ladder to a chimney — if you can't reach the aerial safely and work with both hands free, the job needs a scaffold tower, a roof ladder or a MEWP, and that cost goes in the quote.

• Never work on a wet or icy roof, or in high wind — aerials act like sails
• Use footing or ties for ladders and inspect them before every climb
• Price in tower hire or a roofer where the chimney can't be reached safely
• Carry the right working-at-height and public liability insurance — it underpins your pricing

Falls are the primary risk event in this trade, and they're also the reason a properly insured, properly equipped installer can charge more than someone balancing off a ladder. Build safe access into your prices rather than competing against operators who don't.

Quoting Tips — What to Check Before You Price

Aerial quotes go wrong when the installer prices off a phone description rather than the actual site. Before you commit a price, establish the following:

• Where is the aerial, and at what height? Wall, chimney or loft changes the job and the access cost completely.
• Is it a new fit or a repair? "Breaking up" usually means realignment, a connector or a perished downlead — diagnose before you price the wrong fix.
• How many TV points are needed? Each point adds cable, a wall plate and a share of the signal — confirm the count and whether an amplifier is required.
• What's the local signal like? A weak-signal address may need a high-gain aerial or a masthead amp, not a standard fit.
• Can the chimney be reached safely? If not, factor in a tower, roof ladder or roofer before you give a number.
• Charge a call-out / diagnostic fee. It pays you for the visit and can be offset against the job if the customer proceeds.

A quick signal check with a meter on arrival, plus a clear written quote that separates the aerial, the points and the access cost, elevates you above competitors who just send a number. It shows the customer you know what you're doing and protects your margin on the jobs that turn out to be harder than they sounded.

Quick Reference: Aerial & Satellite Prices UK 2026