Cost & commercial
A proper LEV test price is not a fee for a certificate - it is the cost of a full thorough examination, and the certificate is only the last line of it. Knowing what the price actually buys makes it easy to see when a cheaper quote is quietly a smaller job.
The short answer
A proper LEV test price is not a fee for a certificate - it is the cost of a full thorough examination, and the certificate is only the last line of it. Knowing what the price actually buys makes it easy to see when a cheaper quote is quietly a smaller job.
The detail
The core of the work is measurement. At every extraction point the examiner records capture or face velocity and the static pressure the system is pulling, and compares those readings against the performance the system was designed to deliver. This benchmarking is the whole point of the exercise: a number only means something when it is measured against what good looks like for that system.
Around that sits a full inspection. The examiner checks the hoods for type and position against the task, the ductwork for damage, leaks and build-up, the filters for loading and bypass, and the fan for condition and performance. Each point and the overall system are then labelled - a dated tested label, or a red failed label with an emergency note where a hood is not controlling exposure - so supervisors and operators can see the status at a glance.
The report is a substantial part of what you pay for. A proper one records the measured airflow and pressure values, hood and duct performance, filter and fan condition, photographs of the test points, a clear pass or fail for each, a prioritised list of any actions needed, and the date the next examination is due. It is the document the HSE expects to see in full, not just a one-line summary sheet.
Two things complete the price. The examiner must be a competent person, which in practice means the BOHS P601 qualification the HSE looks for, and the examination has to be logged: the result goes into the system's logbook and the record is kept for at least five years, while the original design and commissioning information is kept for the life of the equipment. Those records are what turn a test into evidence of control.
What it means for you
Once you can list what a full examination contains, a low quote is easy to interrogate. Ask whether every point is being measured, whether the readings are benchmarked against design data, whether a full report and logbook entry are included, and whether the engineer holds P601. If any of those is missing, the price is lower because the job is smaller, not because it is better value.
The version worth buying is the complete one. It costs a little more than a bare certificate, but it is the only version that actually tells you whether people are protected and gives you a record that stands up when it matters. That is what the fee is for, and why the cheapest number rarely buys the same thing.
The service behind the guide
Sibling guides
Contracts for multi-site manufacturers · Repair or replace after a failed test · What LEV testing costs in 2026
Questions
Per-point velocity and pressure readings, a full inspection, benchmarking against design data, labelling, a complete report and a logbook entry by a P601 examiner.
No. The certificate is one line of the report. The HSE expects the whole document, with readings, photographs and a prioritised action list.
P601 is the competence the HSE looks for in a thorough examination, and it is what makes the resulting report carry weight in an inspection.
Test records are kept for at least five years, and the original design and commissioning information for the life of the equipment.
Check it measures every point, benchmarks the readings, includes a full report and logbook, and uses a P601 examiner. Missing any of these means a smaller job.
Phoenix Duct Clean · by the numbers
We will quote a complete thorough examination - every point tested, benchmarked and reported, with nothing left off.