BEFORE YOU REQUEST A QUOTE
Compare the total for the equipment and checks you actually need. A low per-item rate can cost more once minimum charges, travel, inaccessible equipment and return visits are included.
In this buying guide
Decide what needs checking before counting itemsWhat affects a PAT testing quote?Specify the register and failed-item processPrepare for the visit to reduce repeat costsHow to compare a cheaper and a dearer quoteQuestions for providersDecide what needs checking before counting items
Start with an equipment list grouped by location and use: desk equipment, kitchen appliances, cleaning equipment and tools taken off site, for example. HSE does not describe annual PAT testing as a blanket legal requirement. Ask a competent provider to explain which equipment needs user checks, formal visual inspection or combined inspection and testing. The service should follow the risk, rather than beginning with a target number of stickers.
What affects a PAT testing quote?
Ask whether the price is per item, per visit or subject to a minimum invoice. Describe how far apart the work areas are, when equipment can be unplugged and whether items are locked away or with remote staff. Check how the provider counts detachable leads and multi-part equipment. Two suppliers can give the same item rate but use different counting rules, making the headline comparison misleading.
Specify the register and failed-item process
Agree what identification and results you will receive, in a format you can use again. Ask how defects are reported during the visit, who receives urgent information and whether minor repairs require approval. Establish which repair, replacement and retest charges are outside the price. A useful handover lets you match a finding to the actual item without walking around guessing which kettle the report means.
Prepare for the visit to reduce repeat costs
Nominate a site contact and tell staff when equipment needs to be available. List equipment away from the premises and agree how it will be handled. Confirm safe access and operational restrictions with the provider; do not unplug equipment supporting essential systems just to make it available. After the visit, reconcile the equipment list with the results and ask for an explanation of anything missed.
How to compare a cheaper and a dearer quote
Illustrative example: a £70 minimum with a £1 item rate and a £110 all-inclusive visit are not comparable until you know the counting rules, quantity and included work. Put the same equipment schedule to both providers, ask for the expected total and identify the event that would change it. These figures are invented to explain the comparison, not researched UK market prices.
Questions to include in your quote request
Send the same brief to each provider, and ask them to identify assumptions and exclusions in their reply.
- How do you count equipment and separate leads?
- Which checks are included, and why are they appropriate?
- What is the minimum charge and likely total including travel and VAT?
- How are failed and unavailable items handled?
Common buying questions
Can I use the lowest per-item price to choose?
Only after checking the same item count, minimum invoice, access assumptions, records and follow-up. Compare the payable total for an equivalent scope.
Is PAT testing the same as an EICR?
No. Portable equipment and the fixed installation are different scopes. Ask for each to be identified separately if they appear in one quote.
Check the requirement before buying
These source-linked safety guides explain scope and jurisdiction. They remain drafts pending specialist review.
- Is annual PAT testing a legal requirement? — England, Wales, Scotland
Official sources behind the distinctions
Sources checked 3 November 2026. Our quote-comparison suggestions are editorial guidance; these organisations do not endorse providers or this website.
This is purchasing guidance, not an assessment of your premises, technical approval or an interpretation of your contract. We do not publish unverified market-price ranges. Ask for a written quote for your actual scope.
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