Guide
Lightning protection system cost: what installing one cost UK buildings
Updated
A lightning protection system cost UK public buildings between £7,035 and £50,154 to design and install in the contract notices we read. The most recent, a primary school in Southend-on-Sea, paid £28,084 excluding VAT in 2025.
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Three installations, three prices
| Building | Year | Contract value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedgrove Park Community Centre, Buckinghamshire Council: design and installation of a new system | 2023 | £7,035 | Contracts Finder: Bedgrove Park Community Centre |
| Earls Hall Primary School, Southend-on-Sea City Council: installation | 2025 | £28,084 excluding VAT | Find a Tender: Earls Hall School Lightning Protection Installation |
| Muriel Matters House, Hastings Borough Council: design, supply and installation of an external system with surge protection | 2019 | £50,154.11 | Contracts Finder: Muriel Matters House Lightning Protection, award |
What made the dearest one dear
Hastings Borough Council asked for an external system to class or level 4, including surge protection devices and current arrestors, on a large council office. The surge protection and the size of the building are the kind of scope that separates a £50,000 job from a £7,000 one.
Source: Contracts Finder: Muriel Matters House Lightning Protection, award
The Earls Hall school job ran from 28 July to 29 August 2025, about a month on site, and the notice gives the price both ways: £28,084 excluding VAT and £33,700.80 including it.
Source: Find a Tender: Earls Hall School Lightning Protection Installation
Why the firms do not publish a price
Every lightning protection firm we read prices after looking at the building, because the system is designed from a risk assessment to BS EN 62305: the height, the roof, what is inside and who uses it decide the protection level and how much conductor, earthing and surge protection it needs. That is why the only published prices are public buyers' contract notices.