Underfloor Heating Viability Checker

Underfloor heating is usually strongest where there is room for insulation, enough build-up allowance, and a heat source that benefits from lower flow temperatures. New builds, extensions, and full floor rebuilds generally create the best conditions because insulation levels and floor depths can be designed around the system from the start.

Retrofit viability becomes harder when floor height changes are constrained by thresholds, doors, stairs, or kitchen plinths. Suspended timber floors can still work well, but the detail matters: heat spreader plates, insulation below pipes, deck build-up, and floor finish compatibility all affect performance.

This tool scores the combination of floor construction, build-up allowance, insulation, heat source, and project type. It then recommends a broad system family: standard wet UFH in screed, low-profile wet overlay systems where build-up is tighter, or electric mats where the area is small and simplicity matters more than running cost.

Cost ranges are indicative UK installed estimates per square metre and vary with room size, controls, manifold complexity, floor preparation, and final floor finish. The output is best used to frame early design decisions before requesting room-specific heat loss checks and installer quotations.