Underfloor heating cost: what goes into the price per metre

Our starting price per square metre

A water-based underfloor heating system from us starts at EGP 1,600 per square metre (October 2026). That covers the insulation boards and edge strip, the pipe laid in loops and pressure-tested, the manifold with an actuator on each room’s circuit, and the screed over the pipes.

It does not include the room thermostats, the boiler or heat pump that heats the water, or the floor finish laid on top (tile, porcelain, marble or wood). The final price follows the home, so we survey it and give an itemised quote; the sections below explain what moves it.

What sits inside the price per metre

A water-based system is built in layers: insulation boards with an edge strip around the room, pipe laid in loops at a set spacing, then a screed over it. The insulation decides how much heat goes up into the room rather than down into the slab; leaving it out is the most common way a cheap system becomes an expensive one to run.

Pipe spacing is set from each room’s heat loss: closer loops near large windows and outside walls, wider ones in sheltered rooms. A quote that uses one spacing everywhere is guessing.

Manifold and controls

Every room’s circuit returns to a manifold, with flow meters to balance them and actuators that open and close each circuit on its thermostat’s command. More rooms means more circuits; smart thermostats cost more than basic ones and save more in use. A mixing unit is needed where underfloor and radiators share one boiler.

The heat source

Underfloor heating needs a boiler or heat pump to feed it, and that is often a large share of the total. A heat pump costs more to install than a boiler, and suits underfloor heating especially well because both work at low water temperatures. If the home already has a suitable boiler, the cost falls.

The floor around it

In a new build, the screed is laid anyway, so underfloor heating adds the least. In a finished home, the old floor has to come up and a new one go down, and that work often costs more than the heating itself.

The finish matters too: tile, porcelain and marble work best; engineered wood needs a lower temperature and a product rated for it.

Electric or water-based

Thin electric mats under the tiles cost less to install and need no boiler, which suits a single bathroom being retiled. They cost more to run, because they turn electricity directly into heat, so for living areas or a whole home, a water-based system usually makes more sense.

Is the cheapest quote the best value?

A noticeably lower price per metre usually means something has been left out: thinner or no insulation, wider pipe spacing, a basic manifold without room controls, or no pressure test before the screed. Each one saves money on day one.

The catch is that all of it ends up under the floor. Cold spots, high running costs or a leak found after the tiles are laid can only be fixed by lifting the floor, which costs far more than the saving. Compare quotes line by line using the table below, and ask what each one leaves out.

Comparing two quotes