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LEV testing - cost
LEV testing is priced by the size of the job, and the size of the job is measured in capture points, not floor area. Here is what sets the figure, and why a quote depends on how many hoods your system has.
The short answer
LEV testing is priced chiefly on the number of extraction points - hoods, booths, arms and capture points - because each one has to be assessed and measured individually. A small single-point system is a modest, often fixed-price job; larger multi-point or complex systems are quoted individually because they take longer. Remedial work the test uncovers is a separate cost on top.
The main driver
The biggest single factor in an LEV test price is the number of extraction points. Each hood, booth, on-tool arm or capture point has to be assessed and measured on its own - airflow readings taken, condition inspected, control judged - so as the count rises, so does the time on site and the price with it.
That is why floor area is a poor guide. A small workshop with one dust hood is a quick job; a factory with fifteen pick-up points across several machines is a much longer one, even in a similar-sized building. Quotes are built from the point count, not the square metres.
System complexity
Beyond the count, the type and layout of the system matter. A simple fan-and-ductwork system with a handful of hoods is straightforward; a system with booths, filtration stages, multiple branches or awkward access takes longer to examine properly. The duration of a test can range from an hour or so for a standard system to a good deal longer for large or complex ones.
Access plays its part here too, as it does with any extraction work. Points at height, or in difficult positions, take longer to reach and measure safely, and that time is reflected in the quote.
The cost people forget
The test itself is only one part of the spend. A thorough examination and test may find that a hood is under-performing, a filter is spent, or a section of ductwork is damaged - and putting those right is a separate cost from the examination. It is worth budgeting for the possibility, especially on a system that has not been tested before.
This is also why the cheapest possible test is not always the best value. A proper examination that finds and reports genuine problems is doing its job; a superficial one that passes everything cheaply may simply be storing up an exposure - and a compliance gap - for later.
Getting a firm figure
As an indication only, a single small system with a fan, ductwork and a handful of extraction points is often a modest fixed price, while larger multi-point installations are quoted individually against the number of points and the system's complexity. Location and access also play a part.
A firm figure comes from telling the examiner what you have - how many capture points, what kind of system, and how accessible it is - or from a short survey. That way the quote reflects your installation, and you are not paying for an average that does not describe your site.
What the price buys
It helps to be clear what you are paying for, because it is more than someone attending site. A proper thorough examination and test produces a report that states, with measured figures, whether each capture point is controlling exposure - the airflow readings, the condition findings, the judgement on control, and any remedial actions. That document is the deliverable, and it is what an inspector, and your own risk assessment, rely on.
Seen that way, the cost is buying evidence, not just an inspection. A cheap visit that produces a thin report with no real measurements has not delivered the thing the law asks for, even if it is cheaper on the day. The value is in the quality and defensibility of the report, which is why the lowest quote is not automatically the best.
Budgeting sensibly
The sensible way to budget is to separate the two spends. The examination itself is reasonably predictable once the point count and system type are known, so it can be planned as a recurring cost on the 14-month cycle. Remedial work is the variable part, and the honest approach is to expect some - especially on a system that has not been tested before, or one that has had changes since the last check.
Building both into the plan avoids the trap of treating a fail or a list of actions as an unwelcome surprise. A test that finds problems is doing its job; budgeting for the possibility means you can act on the report promptly rather than deferring fixes for cost reasons, which is exactly the delay the duty is meant to prevent.
Cost against the alternative
Whatever an LEV test costs, it is modest against the alternative. Failing to test and maintain LEV is a breach of COSHH, and the enforcement ladder - improvement and prohibition notices, charges for the inspector's time, and prosecution with unlimited fines - is far more expensive, before counting the harm to people the system was meant to protect.
So the useful comparison is not between one quote and another, but between the cost of testing and the cost of not testing. On that measure a scheduled examination, even with some remedial work, is one of the cheaper obligations a business carries - and one of the few that also directly protects its workers' health.
Questions
It is priced mainly by the number of extraction points, because each is assessed individually. A small single-point system is a modest, often fixed-price job; larger multi-point systems are quoted individually. Remedial work found is separate.
Because each hood, booth, arm or capture point has to be inspected and have airflow measured on its own. More points mean more time on site, which is what the price reflects.
A standard system commonly takes between one and three hours; larger or more complex systems with many points take longer.
No. The examination is separate from fixing anything it finds. If a hood is under-performing or a filter is spent, putting it right is an additional cost, worth budgeting for.
A proper examination that finds and reports real problems is doing its job. A superficial one that passes everything cheaply can hide an exposure and a compliance gap that surface later.
For a simple system, an indicative price is possible from the point count and system type. Larger or complex installations are quoted individually, and a short survey gives a firm figure.
Tell us your capture points and system type, and we will quote the thorough examination and test to COSHH and HSG258.
