Fume Cupboard Costs: What You Actually Pay
James Cox
Project Manager
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
"How much does a fume cupboard cost?" is a hard question to answer honestly, because the true answer is "it depends." Size, control system, and services all move the number. What we can give you is a real starting price and a clear list of what adds to it, rather than a vague "get a quote" non-answer.
Our Starting Price
From £4,620 + VAT, installed
That's our starting price for a basic 1500mm wide CAV (constant air volume) fume cupboard, built into place by our own team. Not a unit-only, ex-works price for the cupboard itself. It doesn't include the extraction system: the fan and ductwork are quoted separately, based on your duct run and site.
Pay Only for What You Need
We price a basic cupboard as the starting point, then add cost only for what your application actually needs. Nothing is bundled in that you didn't ask for.
VAV
Variable air volume control trims extraction to demand as the sash moves, cutting running costs. See our VAV fume cupboard range.
Autosash
Automatically closes the sash when the cupboard is unattended, for extra safety and further energy savings.
Services
Water, gas, drainage, or electrical points built into the cupboard, priced for exactly what your process needs.
What Drives the Price Up
| Factor | Impact on price |
|---|---|
| Width and configuration | Wider cupboards, walk-in formats, and multi-sash setups all add material and labour |
| Worktop and lining material | Standard materials (Trespa, epoxy) cost less than ceramic or stainless steel |
| Control system | VAV, alarms and touchscreen controllers add cost over a basic monitored setup |
| Services | Water, gas, drainage, or additional electrical points, priced per service |
| Duct run and site access | Longer duct runs, more bends, and difficult access all add installation time |
For context on control systems specifically, one competitor's published cost guide puts advanced control functionality (VAV, multi-stage alarms, touchscreen interfaces) at roughly £500 to £2,000 on top of a basic controller, depending on sophistication. That's a useful ballpark for what "adding VAV" tends to cost across the industry.
How We Compare
At least one well known fume cupboard manufacturer publishes its own cost guide with unit-only price bands (before installation):
| Type | Unit price (excl. installation) |
|---|---|
| Ducted | £10,000 to £15,000 |
| Walk-in | £10,000 to £20,000 |
That same guide quotes installation separately, on top of the unit price above: roughly £6,000 to £9,000 for one cupboard on 10m of duct and a fan, or £8,000 to £12,500 on 20m of duct.
Even before installation labour is added on either side, our starting price is well under the competitor's unit-only figure. The gap partly comes down to how we structure pricing: a basic cupboard as the entry point, with VAV, autosash, and services added only when you need them, rather than a single band that already has a range of options folded in.
Get a Real Number
Tell us your specification and we'll give you a firm price, not a range, built up from exactly what you need.