HOW TO HIRE · VEHICLES & TRANSPORT

How to hire a car battery fitter in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No licence applies, but the battery type and coding matter. Here is what to ask and what the price should include.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a car battery fitter in five steps

  1. Test before replacingA battery and charging test shows whether it is the battery, the alternator or a drain.
  2. Match the battery typeStandard, EFB or AGM — stop-start cars need the type they left the factory with.
  3. Ask about codingMany modern cars need the new battery registered to the car's system.
  4. Get a fitted priceBattery, fitting, coding, call-out and disposal of the old one.
  5. Keep the warrantyThe battery's guarantee and the invoice with the date.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

The law sets no licence and no register for car battery fitters, in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland alike. The fitting must still be done with reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Agree the battery type, the price and any coding in writing. citizensadvice.org.uk →

The Motor Ombudsman accreditation

Membership of The Motor Ombudsman's codes is voluntary, so plenty of capable car battery fitters are not in it. Where the business is accredited, the Ombudsman can rule on a dispute about the car battery fitter once the business has had eight weeks to answer, and a final decision you accept binds it.

Look the business up on The Motor Ombudsman's Garage Finder before you book. businesses.themotorombudsman.org →

Trader status and a written quote

Your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 apply when you deal with a trader. For a car battery fitter, settle the price up front: where none was agreed you need pay only a reasonable sum, and Citizens Advice says a fitter may keep the vehicle over a disputed bill but not sell it.

Check the trader badge on the Locufy profile and keep the quote message. citizensadvice.org.uk →

VAT

A replacement battery and its fitting are standard-rated at 20%. Car battery fitters over the £90,000 registration threshold have to charge VAT and list it separately from the price.

Ask the fitter for the VAT number and for the 20% under the battery and fitting. gov.uk →

“Have you tested the battery and the charging system?”

A good answer: Yes, with the readings. A new battery on a failing alternator will go flat again.

“Is this the right car battery type — standard, EFB or AGM?”

A good answer: The type your car needs, matched to the original.

“Does my car need the new battery coded?”

A good answer: An answer for your make and model, included in the price if needed.

“Which brand, and what warranty?”

A good answer: A named battery and its guarantee period.

“Will you keep the car's settings while you swap the battery?”

A good answer: A memory saver keeps radio codes and settings on many cars.

“Will you take the old car battery away?”

A good answer: Yes, for recycling.

“Is there a call-out charge for a mobile fitting?”

A good answer: Stated up front.

Getting the quote right

  • The battery named, with type (standard, EFB, AGM) and capacity
  • Fitting and coding, if needed
  • Mobile call-out, if any
  • The fitter's VAT number, and the total with and without VAT
  • Disposal of the old battery and the warranty period
  • Who actually attends: a mobile fitter or the garage's own, and whether they are employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • A standard battery fitted to a stop-start car that needs AGM or EFB
  • No test of the charging system
  • Coding needed but not done
  • No warranty or invoice
LOW
£100
TYPICAL
£235
HIGH
£400

What a car battery fitter costs: £100–£400 per battery

Car battery replacement is priced per battery fitted — the battery, fitting, any coding and disposal of the old one — with a mobile call-out sometimes on top. Car Battery Replacement price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Car battery fitters near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. TestBattery health and the charging voltage checked.
  2. ChooseThe right type and size confirmed.
  3. SwapMemory saver fitted, old battery out, terminals cleaned, new battery secured.
  4. CodeThe battery registered to the car if required.
  5. CheckEngine started, charging confirmed, warning lights cleared.

AGM
Absorbent glass mat — a battery type for many stop-start and premium cars.
EFB
Enhanced flooded battery — for simpler stop-start systems.
Coding (registration)
Telling the car's system a new battery is fitted.
Cold cranking amps (CCA)
How much current a battery delivers in the cold.
Alternator
The part that charges the battery while the engine runs.
Parasitic drain
Something drawing power when the car is off.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and warrantyDate, battery type and the guarantee period.
Check the car settlesStop-start working again after a few drives; no warning lights.
Watch for a repeatA battery that goes flat again soon points to the charging system or a drain.
Rate the bookingOnly customers who booked can rate on Locufy. Below four stars, the fitter is asked to put things right before the rating shows.

STEP 1Tell the fitter, in writingSay what is wrong since the battery was fitted and what you want. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the fitting must be done with reasonable care and skill.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyScore the car battery fitter under four stars and you are asked whether the fitter should see it first; we follow it through, then your review goes up.
STEP 3The Motor Ombudsman or Trading StandardsIf the fitter is accredited to The Motor Ombudsman, it can decide the dispute once the business has had eight weeks to reply. If not, take the car battery fitter complaint to the consumer helpline, which can pass it to Trading Standards: Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, and Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsWhere money is owed back for the car battery fitter, you can claim without a solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under Scotland's simple procedure, and up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a car battery fitter: questions people ask

No. No UK nation licenses battery fitters or mechanics. The fitting must be done with reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

No certificate — an invoice and the battery's warranty. Keep both.

Many modern cars adjust charging to the battery's age and type. Without coding, a new battery can be overcharged or stop-start may not work.

£100–£400 per battery, typically around £235. The car battery replacement price guide explains what moves the figure; enter your postcode above for prices from car battery fitters near you.

A test tells you: low charging voltage with the engine running points to the alternator.

Take it back with the invoice. A faulty battery is a warranty claim; poor fitting is a Consumer Rights Act 2015 question.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in vehicles & transport

How to hire: Mobile MechanicHow to hire: Car DiagnosticsHow to hire: Vehicle Recovery & BreakdownHow to hire: Car ServicingHow to hire: Mobile Tyre FittingHow to hire: Car Key ReplacementHow to hire: Dash Cam InstallationHow to hire: Car Audio InstallationAll 701 hiring guides →

Car battery fitters near you

Car battery fitters in LondonCar battery fitters in ManchesterCar battery fitters in BirminghamCar battery fitters in GlasgowCar battery fitters in BelfastAll car battery fitters on Locufy →Do it yourself: changing a car battery →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Citizens Advice — problems with a car repair
  2. The Motor Ombudsman — Garage Finder
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  4. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  5. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  6. nidirect — small claims process
  7. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register