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Ref Fee guideChecked November 2026

LOLER Inspection Cost

Examiners charge per item, with the first item on a visit costing most and each further item much less. Items that lift people, and all lifting accessories, are examined twice a year. The calculator turns your equipment list into a yearly budget from published UK fees, checked November 2026. It is a budget, not a quote.

Forklift
£120 to £300first truck
Patient hoist
£120 to £180twice a year
Vehicle lift
£150 to £200first lift
Passenger lift
£150 to £400per examination
Excluding VAT unless you choose otherwise. A guide, not a quote.Sources read November 2026

Part 1

Your yearly LOLER budget

Enter how many of each item you have on one site. Leave the rest at zero.

Yearly budget, excluding VAT

£0

Per visit round
£0
Visit rounds a year
0
Items
0
Average per item a year
£0

First item of each kind at the full rate, further items at the lower rate. Items on a 6 month interval are counted twice a year. Repairs, tests with weights and urgent visits are extra.

Part 2

LOLER inspection prices by equipment

EquipmentFirst itemEach further itemExamined
Forklift or reach truck£120 to £300£90 to £150Once a year
Pallet stacker, order picker or powered pallet truck£80 to £150£50 to £100Once a year
Patient hoist (mobile or ceiling track)£120 to £180£55 to £90Twice a year
Vehicle lift (two post, four post or scissor)£150 to £200£50 to £80Twice a year
Passenger or goods lift£150 to £400£150 to £300Twice a year
Overhead crane or gantry£120 to £350£100 to £250Once a year
Chain block, lever hoist or electric hoist£60 to £150£30 to £80Once a year
Mobile elevating work platform£100 to £250£80 to £180Twice a year
Vehicle tail lift£80 to £200£60 to £150Once a year
Sling, chain, shackle or other accessory£5 to £30£5 to £30Twice a year
Single item, stand-alone visit£150 to £250-Including travel
Excluding VAT. Urgent or out-of-hours visits are typically 50 to 100% more.

Part 3

What moves the price

Number of items on a visit
The biggest factor. Ten items on one visit can cost less per item than half the price of one.
Interval
Six monthly items cost twice as much a year. Make sure only the right items are on the shorter cycle.
Location and access
Remote sites, islands, out-of-hours access and items that are hard to reach add time.
Tests
Load tests with weights or non-destructive testing are charged on top, and only where the examiner judges them necessary.
Combined PUWER
Adding a PUWER inspection to the same visit usually costs a little more per item, and saves a second visit.
Contracts
A one or three year contract across several sites brings the rate per item down further.

Where our information comes from

All read November 2026. The bands are our own reading of UK examiners’ and suppliers’ published price lists and cost guides from 2024 to 2026, which we do not name. The public contracts below show what larger buyers budget.

Questions about LOLER costs

How much does a LOLER inspection cost?

Per item, from about £5 for a sling or shackle to £150 to £400 for a passenger lift, before VAT. A forklift is usually £120 to £300, a patient hoist £120 to £180 and a vehicle lift £150 to £200.

Why is one item so much dearer than ten?

Most of the cost of a visit is the examiner’s time getting to you. The first item carries it; further items on the same visit are examined for much less. Grouping items and sites onto one visit is the easiest saving.

Is VAT charged?

Usually, at 20%. Equipment such as hoists supplied for a disabled person’s own use may qualify for VAT relief.

Does the price include repairs?

No. The examination identifies defects; repairs are done by your maintenance firm or supplier and charged separately. Some firms offer both, which is fine as long as the examiner is independent of the repair work.

What does it cost over a year?

Items on a 6 month interval are examined twice a year, so double the per-visit figure. The calculator does this for you.

What do public bodies pay?

NHS Highland budgeted £126,000 ex VAT for four years of servicing and six monthly LOLER examinations of patient lifting equipment from July 2026. Hampshire County Council estimated £300,000 for a one-off contract to examine about 11,000 loaned lifting devices in people’s homes.

Get written prices for your equipment

Three short steps: where the equipment is, what it is, and how to reach you. About two minutes.

Step 1 of 3
Where is the equipment?
Request an examination