Guide
LEV testing cost: what actually drives the price of a TExT
Updated
LEV testing has no market rate: 6 of 120 testers' pages read 12 October 2026 print a starting price, £125 to £295, median £177.50. This is how quotes are built.
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Why so few testers publish a price
A thorough examination and test is measured work. The examiner checks the system against how it was designed to perform, at every capture point, with the plant running. Two workshops of identical floor area can differ by a factor of ten in the number of hoods, so a per site price would be meaningless.
Source: LEV Testing Price Index, 6 of 120 testers' pages publishing a price, read 12 October 2026
Testing companies therefore price after a short conversation about what you run. The few that publish a figure give a starting price for a small system. 6 of the 120 testing companies' pages we read on 12 October 2026 print one, from £125 to £295 with a median of £177.50.
The factors that move a quote
- Hoods and extraction points. The dominant driver. Every point is measured separately.
- System type. On-tool units are quick. Ducted systems, spray booths and fume cupboards need more measurements and more interpretation.
- Commissioning data. HSE guidance says the examiner needs information on intended performance, which usually comes from a commissioning report or the supplier's standard operating data. Without it there is more work before a judgement can be made.
- Access. Plant normally has to run during the test. Shutdown-only, night or weekend access carries an uplift.
- Travel and site count. The visit itself is a real cost, so a lone extraction point on a distant site is expensive per point.
- Remedial work. The test reports; it does not repair. Filters, ducting and hood changes are separately quoted, and a re-test may be a second visit.
- Reporting. The written record is the compliance artefact and has to survive 5 years of audit, so it is part of the job.
How to compare two quotes properly
- Send both testers the same description: system type, number of hoods and extraction points, site postcode, access window.
- Ask each for the price per extraction point and the visit charge shown separately, so you can see who is cheaper at your actual point count.
- Ask what happens if the system fails: is a re-test after remedial work included, and who writes the remedial specification.
- Ask to see a sample report. A report you cannot hand to an inspector is not worth the saving.
Beware of quotes priced per machine rather than per extraction point. A single downdraught bench can present several capture points, and the number counted is what decides whether a cheap headline rate stays cheap.
What the law fixes, and what it does not
The law fixes the frequency, not the fee. Regulation 9(2) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 requires thorough examination and test of local exhaust ventilation plant at least once every 14 months. The processes in Schedule 4 need it more often (legislation.gov.uk). Nothing in COSHH sets or caps what a testing company may charge.