Head-gasket repair cost: confirm before strip-down
Last reviewed · OBDCode UK editorial
We don’t have a verified UK price range for this job yet. A vehicle-specific written estimate is more honest than an unsupported national figure.
What a comparable quote should include
- Pressure, gas, compression, leak-down or inspection results that support the diagnosis
- Machining, gasket set, fasteners, timing parts, fluids and oil-service work
- How cracks, distortion or lower-engine damage will be assessed and authorised
- Verification after repair, VAT and warranty
How to get two comparable quotes
- Give both garages the same written brief: registration, symptoms, stored codes and any diagnosis already done
- Ask each for a written estimate that lists diagnosis, parts, labour, VAT, fluids, extras and warranty as separate lines
- If the scopes differ, ask the thinner quote to match the fuller one, or treat them as different jobs
- Compare the evidence and the line items, not the total alone. Do not authorise work from a verbal figure or a code printout
What to ask before authorising work
- Which pressure, gas, compression, leak-down or inspection results support the diagnosis?
- What machining, gasket set, fasteners, timing parts, fluids and oil-service work are included?
- How will cracks, distortion or lower-engine damage be assessed and authorised?
- What verification and warranty will apply after repair?
Safety boundary
Overheating is a stop-and-recover condition: do not open a hot pressurised cooling system. Cylinder-head removal is specialist workshop work requiring rated vehicle support.
Related guides
Sources
- RAC head gasket repair cost · ungraded — treat as general guidance · accessed · supports background only, quote scope
General guidance, not professional advice.