Cost
LOLER inspection cost: what UK examiners publish per item in 2026
Updated
A LOLER inspection costs from about £125 to £165 per item for a forklift or vehicle lift on the prices UK examiners publish, and from £35 plus VAT for a care hoist weight test, before VAT, travel and any minimum visit charge.
Published LOLER inspection prices
| Examiner | Equipment | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acclaim Handling | Warehouse equipment | from £135 ex VAT | Acclaim Handling: forklift thorough examination |
| Acclaim Handling | Forklift | from £146 ex VAT | Acclaim Handling: forklift thorough examination |
| T H White | Forklifts, telehandlers and loader tractors | £125 fixed, mileage and VAT extra | T H White: £125 fixed price LOLER testing |
| Robinsons Facilities Services | Vehicle lifts, dock levellers and lifting equipment | from £150 + VAT per item | Robinsons Facilities Services: lifting and hoisting equipment |
| RS Workshop Equipment | One vehicle or workshop lift, special visit | £165, delivery and VAT extra | RS Workshop Equipment: LOLER inspection and certification |
| HCS UK | Care hoist, LOLER weight test | £35 + VAT | HCS UK: care home equipment servicing pricing |
| HCS UK | Patient sling, LOLER examination | £7.15 + VAT | HCS UK: care home equipment servicing pricing |
| Healthcare Distribution Direct | Hoist, annual servicing and LOLER inspection | £122 | Healthcare Distribution Direct: LOLER annual servicing and inspection |
| Essential Aids | One care hoist, LOLER test | £149, with VAT relief | Essential Aids: LOLER testing for one hoist |
Source: LOLER Inspection Price Index: every row, with its source
Acclaim Handling publishes £135 for warehouse equipment and £146 for forklifts, both ex VAT.
Source: Acclaim Handling: forklift thorough examination, read 28 October 2026
T H White's fixed price is £125, with mileage and VAT not included.
Source: T H White: fixed price LOLER testing, read 28 October 2026
Robinsons Facilities Services prices LOLER inspections from £150 plus VAT per item, with multi-item discounts.
Source: Robinsons Facilities Services: lifting and hoisting equipment, read 28 October 2026
RS Workshop Equipment lists a special visit for one lift at £165, with any additional equipment from £55 per unit, all prices excluding delivery and VAT.
Source: RS Workshop Equipment: LOLER inspection and certification, read 28 October 2026
HCS UK lists a LOLER weight test of a hoist at £35 plus VAT and the LOLER examination of a patient sling at £7.15 plus VAT.
Source: HCS UK: care home equipment servicing pricing, read 28 October 2026
What moves the price
- The equipment. A sling or a care hoist takes minutes; a forklift, a vehicle lift or a crane takes longer and costs more.
- How many items in one visit. Examiners discount per item when several are examined together, and charge more for one item on its own.
- Travel. Several published prices leave mileage and VAT out, so a fixed price is the examination, not the visit.
- Whether a service is bundled. Some care-equipment prices include a service with the examination; a standalone thorough examination is a different price.
7 of the 33 examiners we read publish a price. The rest quote per visit, so these are the published floor of the market, not a quote for your equipment.
Getting quotes you can compare
- List the equipment and its safe working loads. The examiner prices item by item.
- Say whether any of it lifts people. That sets a 6 month interval rather than 12.
- Ask whether travel, VAT and a written report are included.
- Ask what happens if a defect is found: the repair is extra and the examiner must tell you at once.