Oil tank installation

Fitting a heating oil tank where there was none before, or moving an existing one to a better spot, is mostly a question of where it can legally stand. Get the position right and the rest of the job is straightforward.

Installed prices run from about £1,900 for a small bunded plastic tank to £5,500 for a 2,500 litre steel one, before any new base or long pipe run.

New bunded tank installed£1,900 to £5,500a guide, not a quote

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When you need a new installation

  • You are switching to oil, or a new build or conversion needs its first tank.
  • The old tank sits too close to the house, a window or the boundary, and replacing it in the same spot would not meet the rules.
  • You are extending, and the new walls will bring the building within 1.8 metres of the tank.
  • Access for the tanker has changed and the fill point now needs to be nearer the road.
  • You want a bigger tank to buy oil in fewer, larger deliveries.

Installation prices

1,000 to 1,250 litres, bunded plastic
Two or three bedroom home		£1,900 to £2,900
1,800 to 2,000 litres, bunded plastic
Larger home or range cooker		£2,600 to £3,700
2,500 litres, bunded steel
Large house or farm		£3,800 to £5,500
New concrete or slab base
Where none exists		£250 to £750
New supply pipe and fire valve
Longer runs cost more		£300 to £700
Fire wall or screen
Only where distances cannot be met		£100 to £400
How we got these figures

The figures above are our own bands, drawn from three UK cost guides dated 2024 to 2026 and checked in November 2026. They describe the country as a whole rather than your county, and the guides leave VAT unclear, so when quotes arrive check whether each one adds it. Budget with them; the installer's written price is the one that counts.

Work out your price in the cost estimator

Choosing where the tank goes

Most of the decisions on an installation are about the position. Approved Document J, the part of the Building Regulations that covers fuel storage in England, sets out what a safe position looks like, and installers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland work to very similar figures.

Distances from the house and the boundary

The tank should be at least 1.8 metres from any part of the building, measured to the nearest wall, door, window or eaves. Closer than that, the wall within 1.8 metres must have no openings and a fire rating of at least 30 minutes, or a fire wall must stand between the tank and the house, at least 300 millimetres higher and wider than the tank. The same idea applies at the boundary: 760 millimetres clear, or a fire-rated wall or screen.

Keep the tank clear of flue outlets and oil-fired appliances too. A tank right next to a boiler flue terminal is one of the commonest problems installers find on older jobs.

The base

The tank needs a flat, level, non-combustible base: concrete at least 100 millimetres thick, or paving slabs at least 50 millimetres thick, extending at least 300 millimetres beyond the tank on every side. Many tanks also specify their own base size, which overrides the minimum. A new concrete base needs time to cure before the tank goes on, which is why some installations take two visits.

Water, drains and the bund

Before choosing a spot, walk the ground the way spilled oil would run. If it could reach a drain, a ditch, a stream or a pond within 10 metres, or a well, spring or borehole within 50 metres, the tank must be bunded. Over 2,500 litres it must be bunded wherever it stands. In practice almost every new domestic tank is bunded anyway.

The tanker

Delivery drivers need to see the vent pipe while filling, and their hoses have a limited reach, often around 30 metres. A position that suits the garden but puts the fill point out of sight of the lorry will need a bund and may need a remote fill point.

Sign-off

An OFTEC-registered installer can self-certify the work and register it with your council. You get a certificate to keep with the house deeds, which buyers' solicitors ask for. The installer also fits the label with spill instructions that the rules require. More in our oil tank regulations guide.

Planning a new tank position? An installer can check it against the rules before you commit.

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How an installation goes

Usually one visit, or two where a new base must cure first.

  1. Site check

    Distances measured, the base and drainage looked at, the delivery route walked.

  2. Base

    Concrete poured or slabs laid level, extending past the tank all round.

  3. Tank and pipework

    Tank set down, supply pipe laid in protected runs, fire valve fitted at the boiler end.

  4. Test and certify

    Pipework pressure tested, boiler commissioned, certificate and spill label issued.

Oil tank installation questions

How much does it cost to install an oil tank?

Typically £1,900 to £5,500 for a bunded tank fitted, depending on size and material. A new base adds £250 to £750 and a long pipe run £300 to £700.

Do I need planning permission for an oil tank?

Usually not for a domestic tank in the garden, but tanks in front gardens, at listed buildings or in conservation areas can need consent. Check with your council if any of those apply.

Can an oil tank go next to the house?

Only with fire protection. Within 1.8 metres of the building the wall must be fire-rated with no openings, or a fire wall must be built between them. Fire-protected tanks are made for tight spots.

Can I put an oil tank underground?

It is possible but rare for homes. Underground tanks cost several times more, need leak detection and fall outside the household rules in Approved Document J, so most installers advise against them.

How long does an oil tank installation take?

One day for most jobs. Add a few days if a new concrete base has to cure first.

Who can install an oil tank?

An installer registered with a competent person scheme, such as OFTEC, can self-certify the work. OFTEC lists registered technicians on its find a technician page.

Related tank guides

Get a quote for a new oil tank

Three steps: the postcode, the tank, and how to reach you. It takes a couple of minutes at most.

We are a free introduction service, not an installer. We find an OFTEC-registered tank installer who covers your postcode and tell you their name; that firm only hears from us once you give the go-ahead.

Step 1 of 3

Where is the tank?
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