How Much Does It Cost to Board a Loft?

How We Calculated This

The DIY materials figure uses the same method as our loft boarding calculator, for a 5m × 3m storage area (15m²) boarded with standard 2400 × 600 × 18mm tongue-and-groove chipboard (1.44m² per board), raised on 75 × 50mm (3" × 2") timber battens over joists at 400mm centres:

Area with 10% waste: 15 × 1.10 = 16.5m²
Boards: 16.5 ÷ 1.44 = 11.5, rounded up = 12 boards
Board cost: 12 × £13.25 = £159.00 (Wickes P5 T&G chipboard flooring, July 2026)
Raising battens: 5m ÷ 0.4m = 12.5, rounded up = 13 joists + 1 = 14 runs × 3m = 42m ÷ 2.4m lengths = 18 battens
Batten cost: 18 × £5.33 = £95.94 (3" × 2" sawn treated timber from £5.33 inc VAT per length, Selco, July 2026)
Screws: 12 boards × 8 = 96 → one 200-box of 4 × 40mm screws = £5.99 (Screwfix, July 2026)
DIY materials total: 159.00 + 95.94 + 5.99 = ≈£261

Retail prices were checked in July 2026 and will drift over time — treat the total as a budget figure of roughly £260–£300 once sundries are included, and allow 5–10% waste on boards (the calculation above uses 10%, the calculator’s default).

What a Professional Job Costs (2026 Estimates)

Supplied-and-fitted raised loft boarding is typically quoted per job. The 2026 MyJobQuote cost guide gives these indicative ranges, which work out at roughly £70–£100 per m²:

15m²: £1,100–£1,500
20m²: £1,500–£1,800
30m²: £2,350–£2,500
40m²: £3,000–£3,250

Labour alone runs about £150–£250 per day (higher in London and the South East) and most lofts take one to two days. Larger areas tend towards the lower per-m² rate. Every figure here is an indicative national estimate — get at least three local quotes before budgeting.

Raised vs Direct Boarding — the Biggest Cost Driver

Never lay boards directly on top of loft insulation. The Energy Saving Trust recommends 270mm of mineral wool in the loft, which sits well above the joist tops — compressing it under boards ruins its thermal performance. Raising the deck clear of the insulation is what separates a cheap direct-boarding job from a proper one:

Loft legs: £20.99 per 12-pack (Screwfix, July 2026). The 175mm Loftleg allows up to 270mm of insulation beneath the boards. Quantity depends on joist spacing and board size — the manufacturer’s layout drawings show three small 1220 × 320mm panels (1.17m²) sitting on 12 legs at 600mm joist centres and 16 legs at 400mm centres, while the Screwfix listing quotes coverage of up to 3.2m² per pack with larger boards. As a materials budget, allow £10–£18 per m² for a raised-leg system (MyJobQuote 2026 estimate)
Timber battens: 75 × 50mm (3" × 2") treated timber laid along each joist top, from about £5.33 per 2.4m length — usually the cheaper raising method, though loft legs avoid the slight thermal bridging of continuous timber
Direct to joists: cheapest, but only appropriate where there is no insulation above joist level — rarely the case in an insulated UK loft

Board Choice Also Moves the Price

Standard 2400 × 600 × 18mm boards: £13.25 each (Wickes, July 2026) = about £9.20 per m² — the most economical if they fit through your hatch
Small 1220 × 320 × 18mm loft panels: £15.50 for a pack of three covering 1.17m² (Wickes, July 2026) = about £13.25 per m² — roughly 44% more per square metre, but they pass through tight loft hatches

Access and Extras

Beyond the boarding itself, typical 2026 add-on estimates (MyJobQuote) are:

Loft ladder, supplied and fitted: £150–£350
Hatch enlargement or relocation: £120–£300
Loft light and switch: £60–£150
Clearing old boards or debris: £250–£400

Before You Spend Anything

Standard ceiling joists are designed for light storage only — around 25kg per m² (the same limit quoted on loft-leg systems). Boarding a loft doesn’t upgrade the structure, so don’t plan on heavy storage without a structural check. Board only the central area you actually need, keep boards clear of the eaves so ventilation paths stay open, and top up insulation to 270mm beforethe deck goes down — it’s far cheaper than lifting boards later.

Prices checked July 2026. Last updated: July 2026