Head gasket · 2026
Head gasket replacement cost.
Replacing a head gasket costs £460–£1,450 at a UK independent garage in 2026. The gasket itself is cheap — usually £60–£250 for the set — and virtually the whole bill is the eight to fifteen hours of labour needed to strip the top of the engine and rebuild it. That is why the same job costs wildly different amounts on different engines, and why on an older car it often exceeds what the car is worth.
This is the job where the part costs almost nothing and the labour costs almost everything. Get it quoted properly before deciding, because the decision is often whether to fix the car at all.
What it costs, by route
| Route | Typical cost | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
Straightforward four-cylinder | £460–£850 Caught early, head still flat | A standard transverse four-cylinder where the head comes off cleanly and passes a pressure test. The cheapest version of this job, and only available if you stopped driving it promptly. |
With a head skim | £600–£1,050 Head has warped from overheating | The head goes to a machine shop to be pressure-tested and skimmed flat before refitting — typically £80–£150 on top, plus the extra handling. |
V6, V8 or complex layout | £900–£1,450 Two cylinder heads, or heavy strip-down | Twin-head engines double much of the work. Some layouts need the engine partly lifted before the heads will clear. |
Consequential damage found | £1,200–£2,300+ Cracked head or scored bores | If the overheating cracked the head or damaged a cylinder, the job moves towards a rebuild or a replacement engine. At this point compare against the car's value. |
Independent-garage prices for 2026, including VAT. Main dealers typically charge 30–50% more, and London and the South East sit at the top of each range.
Before you authorise a head gasket
- Get a firm diagnosis first. A combustion-gas (block) test on the coolant takes minutes and distinguishes a genuine head gasket failure from a leaking hose, a failed thermostat or an oil cooler — all far cheaper repairs with similar symptoms.
- Ask for the quote to state what happens if the head turns out to be warped or cracked. That contingency is the difference between an £850 job and a £2,000 one, and you want it agreed before the engine is in pieces.
- On an older, lower-value car this repair frequently costs more than the car is worth. Get the car valued alongside the quote — walking away is a legitimate answer.
What will it cost near you?
£460–£1,450 is the UK average. See what your local garages charge.
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Good question
Questions Okay gets asked a lot
How much does a head gasket cost to replace in the UK?
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Expect £460–£1,450 at a UK independent garage in 2026 for a typical four-cylinder engine, rising to £900–£1,450 for a V6 or V8 with two cylinder heads. The gasket set itself is only £60–£250 — the rest is eight to fifteen hours of labour. Add £80–£150 if the head needs skimming flat, which is common after overheating. If the overheating cracked the head or scored a bore, the job moves towards £1,200–£2,300 or a replacement engine.
Is it worth replacing a head gasket?
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It depends entirely on what the car is worth. On a car valued at £1,000, a £900 head gasket rarely makes sense — particularly as an engine that has overheated badly may have other damage. On a well-maintained car worth £5,000 or more with an otherwise sound service history, it usually does. Get the repair quoted and the car valued at the same time, and ask the garage whether they found evidence of overheating damage beyond the gasket itself.
What are the symptoms of a blown head gasket?
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White sweet-smelling smoke from the exhaust that does not clear when warm, coolant disappearing with no visible leak, a mayonnaise-like sludge under the oil filler cap, bubbling in the coolant reservoir, and overheating that comes on quickly. Not all of these appear together — the pattern depends on where the gasket has failed. A combustion-gas test on the coolant confirms it in minutes and is worth paying for before authorising any strip-down.
Get a real price, not an estimate
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