Recent UK figures have shown that over 26.8 million households have a TV, with people watching an average of 20 hours of TV a week. It’s therefore vital to ensure that you have a suitable TV aerial installed. This article shows the prices involved in installing a TV Aerial.
Benefits of A Good TV Aerial
We all know that if you want to watch TV then you need an aerial. You can, of course watch your favourite shows on your streaming platforms, such as Netflix or BBC iPlayer, but if you’re in an area that has poor internet or your internet goes down, then you have no choice but to use your trusty aerial.
A good aerial can help with the image quality. There’s nothing worse than trying to watch a show that has such poor quality that any scenes in the night are un-viewable because it’s just black. If this has happened to you, then it’s time you got a better aerial.
Getting a high-quality aerial will help improve your image quality, making watching your favourite shows look crisp and clean. A good TV aerial can mean one with a longer range, which can help you to pick up more channels and services.
What Is Involved in the Cost of a TV Aerial Installation
There are standard parts involved in most typical TV aerial installations. These include the materials (average price £150) and Labour (average cost £100). However, costs can vary according to the type of aerial being installed, how big the pole is and what sort of bracket you will need.
The cost of labour could depend on where the tradesman will install the aerial. For example, it could be a difficult to reach area, or they might need to install more than one point.
Replacement TV Aerial Installation Cost
If you are looking to replace an aerial instead of installing a new one, you can accept that the labour costs would be cheaper, as in most cases, the aerial will be swapped over to the new version, which will lower the cost of the labour by half.
Satellite Installation Costs
Some TV providers, such as Sky, require you to have a satellite dish installed. Although the installation is sometimes done by a professional working for the TV provider; if you need to do it yourself then it could cost between £220 and £259.
Loft TV Aerial Installation Costs
If you don’t have anywhere suitable on the outside of the house, then a loft TV aerial will be perfect for you. It can be your choice if you don’t like the look of an aerial on the outside of your house or if you’re renting the property and not allowed to get an aerial installed.
The cost of a loft aerial is much cheaper due to direct internal access from inside the house. An average loft TV aerial installation is £40.
Additional TV Socket Installation Costs
If you need to install more TV sockets, this will incur additional costs, which would be on average £110.
TV Aerial Removal Costs
You might want to remove your aerial if you’re taking it with you due to moving house or because it has become unsafe.
This is a project that isn’t recommend as a DIY project due to working at heights and handling heavy materials.
Any TV aerial installation company will be able to help you with this. The cost for removal is cheaper than installing a new one as there are no costs for material, just the labour of removing and the cost of disposal. An average, this costs £100.
What Are the Timescales of a TV Aerial Installation?
On average the time taken to install a TV aerial is 2 to 4 hours. This time will be reflected in the price that you will pay for labour. The installation of a replacement aerial compared with a new aerial will take less time. If you are having your aerial installed in a difficult position, the installation time will be even longer.
Different Types of Aerial
The different types of aerial that you can get installed can make a difference in the cost. Here are some of the most common ones.
Type of Aerial | Cost |
|
Yagi |
| A Yagi aerial is one of the most common aerials used. These aerials are positioned directionally and receive a wide beam signal to help with signal strength. |
High Gain Aerial |
| High gain aerials are best used if you’re in an area that has poor signal. These aerials are typically much bigger allowing to pick up a better signal at a longer distance. |
Indoor Aerial |
| You can use an indoor aerial if you have fuzzy or weak pictures on your tv. These usually sit next to your TV. |
What Can Affect the Cost?
Cables
If the quality of your cable isn’t good, it would need to be replaced. If it is a new installation, depending on where the cable needs to go, you will need to pay for the length of cable required.
Length of Pole
If you have an overhang on the top of your roof, your aerial may require a pole that has a greater reach. Different aerials require different poles depending on their shape and size.
Type of Aerial
You can get different aerials depending on what is required. Are you looking for something far-reaching due to you being in a poor signal area? Or looking for an aerial in your loft or inside your house? The cost can differ on what is best suited for your house.
TV Provider
Some TV providers require you to have a certain aerial which can increase the cost.
Number of TV Points
The cost of your installation can increase if you are looking to have TV points installed in each of the rooms in your house.
Accessibility
Installing aerials that aren’t simple to get access to could mean that the job will take longer, increasing labour costs.
Scaffolding
Depending on how high your house is and how easy it is to get to the area to install an outdoor aerial, it’s possible that scaffolding could be required. This would be a significant cost and could increase your bill by over £500.
Decorating
This is a hidden cost that you might not think about when looking to install a new TV aerial. Where the TV points are being installed and where the aerial cables are being run from the outside, means drilling holes. This could damage your decor, resulting in touching up.
Do You Need Planning Permission To Install a TV Aerial?
For the installation of a TV aerial, you don’t typically need planning permission, however there are restrictions to the type and size of the aerial, depending on the size of your house. If you don’t fit within these criteria then you will need to seek planning permission.
If you have a house up to 15 metres high;
- You cannot have more than 2 antennas on your property
- A single antenna cannot be more than 100cms in a linear direction
- If you are installing 2, the second one cannot be more than 60cm in any linear direction
- Each antenna cannot be more than 35 litres of cubic capacity
- If you are installing your antenna onto a chimney stack, it cannot be more than 60cm in any linear direction
- If you’re mounting your antenna on your roof it can’t extend past the highest part of the roof
If you have a house 15 metres are higher;
- You can’t have more than 4 antenna on your property
- None of the antenna can be more than 130cm in any linear direction
- Each antenna cannot be more than 35 litres of cubic capacity
- If you are installing your antenna onto a chimney stack, it cannot be more than 60cm in any linear direction
- If you’re mounting your antenna on your roof it can’t extend past the highest part of the roof
There are certain areas classed as designated areas where the restrictions are different. These designated areas are bound by different restrictions so would require further research. The areas are as follows;
- Conservation areas
- National Parks
- Areas of outstanding beauty
- The Norfolk or Suffolk broads
- World Heritage sites
Could You Install a TV Aerial Yourself?
It is possible to install a TV aerial yourself. This would save on the cost of labour, which makes up for around 75% of the total cost for installation.
However, working at heights is dangerous and if you don’t have the right equipment or experience it could result in a negative outcome. Getting a professional tradesman is suggested.
There are jobs that you could do, such as tacking cables out of the way so they’re neat and tidy and installation of indoor TV aerials are fairly straightforward.
If you don’t feel confident doing this then getting a professional is the right course of action.
Please note that all costs are estimates only.
