PAT testing cost: the callout, the rate per item and where quotes disagree

How pat testing cost works

1. Count the items honestly. Everything with a plug, including kettles, lamps, chargers, extension leads and the equipment in the back office. Testers quote per item, and an estimate that turns out to be half the real number turns into a second visit or a revised invoice.
2. Ask where the minimum charge stops. Most quotes carry a minimum that covers a set number of items. Below it you pay for the visit; above it you pay per item. Ask for both numbers rather than one blended figure, because that is what actually decides your bill.
3. Ask what a failure costs. A failed item may be repaired, have a plug or fuse replaced, or be labelled and withdrawn. Whether small repairs are included, chargeable or refused entirely changes the real price of a large job more than the item rate does.
4. Check what you get afterwards. A register of items tested with their results and dates, labels on the equipment, and a report you can hand to an insurer or a client. A test with no record leaves you unable to show anything was ever done.

Paperwork and evidence

Common questions

Is PAT testing cost per item, or are PAT test prices per visit?

Both. There is normally a minimum charge covering the visit and a set number of items, then a rate per item above it. Ask for the two numbers separately.

Do extension leads count as items?

Yes. Extension leads and their sockets are among the items most likely to fail, and testers count each one.

How much does a PAT test cost for a small number of items?

Mostly the callout, which is what dominates a small bill. Walk in testing, where you take the equipment to the tester, or joining a visit that is already coming to your building removes it.

What is the cost of PAT testing for landlords, and is it a legal duty?

It is priced the way any other job is, off the item count and the callout rather than off the tenancy. The duty is to supply appliances in a safe condition, testing is the usual way of evidencing that, and the law does not set a fixed interval for it.

Why do PAT testing prices differ between quotes?

Because they are priced two ways at once: a callout to get somebody to site and a rate per item once they are there. Small jobs are dominated by the callout and large ones by the item rate, so count your items before you ask.

How much does PAT testing cost when items fail?

It depends on the firm's policy. A failed item may be repaired, have a plug or fuse replaced, or be labelled and withdrawn, and whether small repairs are included, chargeable or refused changes the real price of a large job more than the item rate does.

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