How Much Does It Cost to Install a Satellite Dish?
While estimating the cost of installing satellite dishes is difficult however, there are a few elements that all contractors utilise to determine local pricing.
This article will cover the different costs involved in the installation of a satellite dish as well as the variables that affect the costs.
The cost to install satellite dishes in your area is determined by a number of aspects, including:
Installation
The installer will decide on the most suitable location on your roof. They’ll install the dish securely. Then, they’ll connect the cable between the tuner and dish, securing the connection as it leaves your home.
They will check the connection, make sure everything works correctly, and then take care to clean up after installation.
How Many Screens Do You Have in Your Home?
What type of A/V system are you using in your home? Installing a dish to feed only one TV will be cheaper than installing dishes to feed multiple televisions within a single house.
The Situation on Your Roof
Employing a professional with a good reputation means that you will not have to worry about your neck attempting to climb up onto your roof to install a satellite dish, however, even the best experts will be more expensive for a sloped or high roof.
If the move up there requires specialised equipment, for example harnessing, be prepared for an additional fee from the installer.
Bundled Packaging
If they can install it at no cost and you’ll save lots of cash, be sure to ask for recommendations.
Freeview Signal
Your installer will make sure you get a good signal quality as part of the general TV antenna installation. Certain areas offer better reception than other areas.
When the signal strength is sufficient the transmitter could be placed in the gutter or inside the loft, thereby saving costs. If the signal is weak in areas the antenna will need to be elevated and an amplifier may be needed, increasing costs.
So, how much does the satellite dish cost?
The cost of an aerial TV installation ranges from £100 to £200. This is basing the cost on a two-story home which requires just 20 meters of wire. It also includes the cables running along the exterior of the building.
The internal wiring will cost significantly more due to the higher difficulty involved as well as the extended time required for installation.
It is a standard practice to install new TV stations throughout your house when you install a new antenna. However, this can increase the overall price associated with the installation.
If you’re a seasoned DIYer, you might prefer to complete the work yourself to save money.
Since many installations are at an altitude and require a lot of height, it is essential to take safety precautions to prevent injuries and accidents. In general, a dish configuration that has two feeds on your dish, which allows the recording of one feed while you watch another, is priced at £9 between £100 and £100.
The cost for setting up a satellite dish that has one TV broadcast on basic Freesat boxes that don’t record is usually £75 or £80.
If you own an antenna and need to connect cables to another room it will cost £55 to £60. Prices will vary based on the design of your home and the place of your TV as third party companies provide the installation.
If you’re considering installing a new television aerial, or satellite dish you’ve likely have heard of Freesat as well as Freeview. What are satellite dishes and which one is right for you?
They are both free television services like their names suggest. The most popular service is Freeview which requires a TV antenna to receive the signal. Homeowners will require a tiny dish for satellite reception to be able to take advantage of this Freesat signal.
Although the TV services are free, you’ll require a satellite dish or rooftop antenna in order to get the signals.
Satellite dishes are generally more affordable to install than TV aerials. However, they will require other components to receive the signal, such as a set-top box which increases the cost of the dish.
An Freeview TV aerial installation will cost approximately £140 while the installation of a Freesat satellite installation will cost about £80.
The table below will provide an overview of the price to set up the satellite dish:
| Job | Cost |
| TV aerial installation | £100 – £200 |
| A typical dish configuration | £9 – £100 |
| Installing a dish that has only one television broadcast basic Freesat boxes do not record | £75 – £80 |
| Cables and dishes are run to the other rooms. | £55 – £60 |
| A Freeview TV aerial installation | £140 |
What are the Supply Costs for a Satellite Dish?
If you’re using Dish, AT&T, or cable and are looking to add an internet connection for your residence, there’s no need for an expert installer.
You can put up satellite dishes even though you don’t have much construction experience. Once you’ve decided on the most suitable spot for your dish, fix it.
When you tilt the dish towards the Sky and then point it up to the sky, you will receive satellite signals. Then you can send the signal to another device as well as your television using the correct wiring.
We will discuss the different equipment you’ll require for the task along with their prices. In case you decide to build the task, you’ll be aware of what you need to purchase.
Attach the mount of the dish to your home and mark the screw’s positions The mount will run somewhere between £19 to £23. The dish is held by an L-shaped rod and an attached base plate to the wall of your home.
If you’re putting the satellite on the exterior of your home, make sure that the holes are aligned with the wall stud or other solid structure. It won’t be able to hold if you attempt to fix it to the siding.
To cut the stone as well as other hard surfaces without damaging your drill make use of a masonry drill that costs approximately £20 or £40.
Screws can be purchased from £6 to £7. Connect the screws to the wall with a Hammer (£9 or £30) and an axe ( £7 – £13).
Use the point of an axe to one bolt. The bolt should be pushed into the wall by giving it some solid whacks of the handle of the chisel. Hit the bolt until it’s flush to the walls.
Connect the bracket for antennas that is priced between £15 and £40. in the lower Noise Block (LNB) arm and it will cost between £9 to £30.
The table below breaks down the costs of supply for satellite dishes:
| Supply | Cost |
| Mount | £S19 – £23 |
| Drill for Masonry | £20 – £40 |
| Screws | £6 – £7 |
| Hammer | £9 – £30 |
| Chisel | £7 –£13 |
| Antenna bracket | £15 – £40 |
| Arm with low noise | £9 – £30 |
What are the Additional Costs of Installing a Satellite Dish?
Installing satellite dishes at your home, you could incur an additional cost that you choose to pay for or other small things that could impact the overall cost. We will review the various additional tasks and their associated costs.
Roof Repair
The costs will vary in accordance with the kind of repair or replacement that is required. The bigger your roof is, the greater cost of replacement or maintenance.
The same applies to the house’s height because taller buildings will require scaffolding in order to help roofers perform their work, thereby increasing cost of access.
Roofs that have multiple levels or options, such as chimney stacks and dormer windows can make it more time-consuming and costly to construct. The water could be coming through a broken or missing roof tile.
In this scenario roofing contractors can use cement or slates and is completed quickly, typically in a matter of hours.
Lead flashing is used to protect the edge of your roof, the point where tiles meet masonries like your chimney, or skylights.
If the flashing is damaged, for whatever reason, it can cause problems like falling tiles due to rain to enter your home. A roof flashing repair cost is between £100 to £250 per meter of flashing.
Guttering
The price of guttering will be determined by the type of material employed and the area of the area to be drained.
Semi-detached homes with 15 to 20 meters of guttering cost in the range of £600 as well as £900 with steel. £675 as well as £900 in aluminium, £675 and £1,000 in PVC, £1,200 and 1,500 in cast iron as well as £540 as well as £1,100 for copper.
Installation of guttering for your home typically costs between £200 to £300. It is the average daily rate that guttering installers are charged and gutter installation takes about a day.
Roof Cleaning
Roof cleaning is typically priced between £8 to £12 per square meter. This includes the labour needed to complete the job and the equipment and materials needed and the safety equipment needed for accessing the roof for example, scaffolding.
The cost of cleaning your roof is affected by the size and style of roofing, amount of workers involved and how easy or difficult getting to your roof and lastly your location within the UK.
The total square meterage of your roof can affect the cost of cleaning your roof. The bigger the area that needs to be covered the more time the job will take, and the greater amount of materials are required.
Scaffolding
The cost of building the scaffold tower varies between £200 to £300. The scaffolding of the three corners of a semi-detached home costs around £1,000. Similarly, scaffolding for three walls of a detached cottage is around £600 – £700.
The cost for employing scaffolding depends on the kind and size of scaffolding used, the number of tradespeople who are involved, the accessibility of the scaffolding, and the site of your property.
The length of the rental will determine the majority of the cost of renting a scaffold. The labour costs involved in the process of putting it up and removing it, however, is a substantial portion of the price. Let’s take a look at the labour costs.
Accessibility to tradespeople, the number employed, your location and the weather conditions all impact the cost of labour.
You can also lease scaffolding; it is a good option for those looking to cut costs. The primary benefit for renting scaffolding is it’s considerably less expensive than buying it in one go for a specific job.
The purchase of it for the sole goal of keeping it generally cost at least several thousand dollars. But, if you are planning using the same scaffolding frequently it will save you in the long run.
Remember this when you are deciding whether to lease or purchase scaffolding. If you buy it, its quality will decrease in time and become less durable and robust when compared to renting scaffolding.
Preparation
It is essential to consider the preparation and construction tasks that might be needed for the successful completion of the installation of your TV aerial. Is it, for instance, that the existing aerial needs to be removed?
Signal for Freeview
The person fitting your TV will make sure that you receive a good signal in conjunction with a high-quality television aerial. Certain areas are more signal-rich than other areas.
If the signal strength is sufficient, then the antenna may be installed at gutter level or inside the loft, which can save money. In areas where signal strength is poor the antenna will need to be raised and an amplifier may be needed, increasing costs.
Aerial/Satellite
Like you’d imagine it is not the case that all TV antennas or satellite dishes are created equal. There are a variety to pick from, ranging starting with basic aerials at £15 and higher-end aerials that cost several hundred pounds.
In the majority of cases the cost for purchasing an aerial is between £15 to £50.
Factors Influencing Installation
The price will be influenced by the size of the installation as well as the wiring configuration and the amount of TV ports needed.
The more expensive installations, and those that require wiring to be installed inside (rather than on the exterior of the building) will cost more. Each extra TV port adds to the cost.
Number of Tradespeople
Costs for installing satellites can also differ based on the quantity of experts employed.
If just one person is required to set up the satellite, then the labour cost is much less than if three, two or more workers are required.
Duration
In the longer time it will take to put in your satellite the greater the labour cost. However, the longer the hiring time will cost you more as some homeowners hire an expert for just a couple of days, while others hire them for months, or even weeks.
Tradesmen Costs for a Satellite Dish Installation
Certified engineers put in professional quality installations as cleanly as is possible by using materials that have been benchmarked. This alone can make an important difference in installing 4 satellite dishes daily and installing 12 satellite dishes each day.
There are a lot of satellite companies who install more than 12 dishes each day. Some of them are big companies. Aerial Concepts are smaller installations that are installed according to a more and much neater specifications.
In addition to the many satellites that are available There are often a variety of ways to set up satellite dishes.
Aerial Concepts prefers to conceal every dish as far as possible, leading to an installation that is more neat than what you would expect from major satellite installation firms.
By using a different bracket, pole and pole, or both of them, you are able to hide your dish instead of being visible from your home. This will obviously have an effect on the price of each satellite installation because of the required equipment and the chance that it may require a long time.
Neater installations always require more time. This means that they cost a little more. However, we believe it’s worth the effort.
So, it’s best to examine your individual setup and present you with the best choices and let you know the various prices are, and let you choose the best option for you.
It is essential to include labour costs when calculating the price of the aerial installation. The cost will be determined by the level of difficulty and the amount of time needed to finish the installation.
An average installation will cost between £100 to £150 and would include one pole and an aerial and a standard bracket. The engineer will require approximately 2 hours to complete an alternative aerial installation which will cost about £50.
Prices are always derived from prices. The prices quoted are for labour only and assume that you own your own satellite dish – Sky Dish. Installations that require two cables in the dish vary in price between £150 up to £180.
A customer’s personal Sky Installation costs between £120 and £150, whereas Hot Bird Satellite Installations cost between £140–£200.
The table below breaks down the labour costs only if you install a satellite dish.
| Job | Labour Cost |
| Standard installation | £100 -£150 |
| Replacement | £50 |
| Sky Dish with two cables from the dish | £150 – £180 |
| Sky Installation dish | £120 – £150 |
| Hot Bird Satellite Installations | £140 – £200 |
How Long Does It Take to Install a Satellite Dish?
It’s always difficult to have someone working on your property, but not knowing when the work will be completed will only make the situation even more painful! In this article, we will discuss the process of installing satellite dishes and how it could affect the timeframe of the project.
On the day you set up the engineer arrives at your home within the timeframe you have specified however the process could be longer. The typical installation will take less than an hour, while a replacement generally takes between 30 and 45 minutes.
When the engineer arrives they’ll talk with you or with the person you’ve arranged to be there at the time of the appointment, the most suitable location for your satellite dish, as well as the most efficient route for the cable that connects the satellite dish and your Sky box.
Because the dish is located outside your house the cables are connected to the outside of your home, and holes will be made so that the cables can be able to pass through the wall, and inside your house. Internal cables are typically connected to the skirting boards.
After you have installed your equipment, our engineer will provide you with a short demonstration on how to use the box and watch the programs. You’ll be able to view Sky TV on the same day of your installation.
The length of time it takes to put in an aerial that has been recently installed will be determined by these variables:
- Your current location
- The length of the pole is needed
- If there’s a need for new cables for the home,
- If a amplifier or splitter is required
- Be prepared to be charged more to have an installation done by an aerial if your home has a extremely high roof or a difficult gain access
- If the installer you choose is a professional with a high level of expertise or someone who charges an incredibly low price for subpar work!
- In the event that you have an existing aerial as well as an internal cable that has an TV point the job is a lot easier
This table will outline the time required to install satellite dishes:
| Installation | Duration |
| Satellite dish | 1 hour |
| Replacement | 30 to 45 minutes |
Types of Satellite Dishes
If you’re thinking of having satellite dishes installed, or are interested in learning more about the various types that satellite dishes are available, the distinctions in them and which is the best one to choose. We will discuss the different types of satellite dishes as well as their benefits and disadvantages!
Satellite dishes can be constructed out of various materials, each of which has distinct advantages and drawbacks. When speaking of the material that satellite dishes are made of, it’s typically speaking about the material that the principal reflecting curved part is made of.
However, other parts, such as screws, bolts, as well as the LNB holder, are usually constructed from different materials. For instance the clamping and fixing components on the fibreglass dish are usually composed of aluminium or a similar substance.
Steel Dishes
It is a widely commonly used material used for satellite dishes. The dishes are usually coated steel. Steel dishes offer the benefit of being durable and cheap to purchase.
The biggest drawback with coloured dish antennas made of stainless steel is that they can rust easily which results in a shorter time frame for the expected lifespan of your dish as well as the potential for rust-coloured stains on your walls.
They’re also not suitable for use in marine or seaside areas, as they may be unable to last long. You may want to think about painting the dish to help keep the rust from forming and to extend the life of the dish.
Pros
- Strong
- Affordable
Cons
- Does it have the potential to rust?
- If they are not properly kept in good condition, they won’t be long-lasting.
Aluminium Dish
An aluminium dish is the next option to look at. They are generally higher priced than stainless steel dishes, meaning the satellite dish installation you choose to install is more costly.
Many believe that aluminium doesn’t rust, and this is technically true since it is a type of corrosion that is unique to steel and iron However, aluminium does oxidise.
It’s not an issue because it eventually will protect the metal underneath. Aluminium is also lightweight; it can cause a challenging installation up on a ladder, or on the roof more straightforward.
Pros
- Light in weight
- Do not let your steel rust as badly as steel
Cons
- Expensive
Fibreglass Dish
Fibreglass is a fibre-reinforced plastic fabric. The most important advantage for a satellite dish made of fibreglass is the fact that it’s made of neither metal nor corrosion-resistant materials, which means you do not have to worry about corrosion or other forms of weathering. This makes it the ideal option for installations on beaches and that are in maritime environments.
The biggest drawback to fibreglass dishes is the expensive price when compared with other kinds.
One drawback of fibreglass is it’s not typically as durable as steel; However, this isn’t an issue for satellite antennas since once they are installed, they are seldom ever touched again, unless it is strong winds.
Pros
- Doesn’t rust
- Great for weather that isn’t so good.
Cons
- Expensive
- Not as robust as steel.
Offset Satellite Dish
Satellite dishes that are offsets are the most popular in the UK. If you look at dishes on satellites, satellite dishes that are offset do not appear to be pointed towards the Sky.
This is because of the LNB feeding arm as well as the LNB being located to the opposite other side on the reflector parabolic, and the signals reflecting at an offset.
It’s usually 20 degrees offset, however it differs based on the manufacturer since the feed arm and LNB aren’t directly in the direction of the mirror parabolic like the prime focus dish ones that do not hinder or block it in any way which allows the use of smaller dishes.
If you’ve tried your satellite dish alignment on tv by using a program similar to Disappointer App, or the Dish pointer App, the dish usually is angled to the satellites, with no consideration of angles of offset. In general offset dishes are better to be mounted on walls over prime-focus dishes.
If you align an offset dish to certain satellites, they are aligned to the horizon’s lowest point. An antenna for dish satellites, as with Turksat may appear to be tilted slightly downward and pointed towards the floor.
Pros
- Can use a smaller dish size
Cons
- None
Solid Dishes
When you compare satellite dishes”solid” or “solid” refers to the parabolic reflector. It means there aren’t holes unlike mesh or perforated satellite dishes.
Satellite dishes made of solid are most commonly used and are, generally , much better suited to seaside and marine areas because rainwater and moisture are less likely to find locations to penetrate and cause corrosion or rust on the metal.
Solid dishes are usually more sought-after and are better suitable for the higher frequencies used by satellite TV and satellite broadband.
Pros
- Popular in the UK
- Excellent for rainy days.
Cons
- There aren’t any holes in it
How Much Does It Cost to Remove a Satellite Dish?
Today, more homes are connected to cable TV, or new services that allow TV on your broadband, like Sky’s new plans which will see the most recent SKY Q TV service made accessible to anyone who does not requirement for satellite dishes at the end of 2018, there is and is a rise in the amount of new satellite dishes, aerials and unattractive wires that are an unneeded eye-sore for the exterior of your home.
In addition, there is the possibility of causing harm to your home or the neighbour’s property or anyone when it is thrown to the ground after an event. The corrosion can affect wires, poles, as well as fittings, creating a hazard to safety during high winds.
If you live in a wet area, and your TV antenna falls in storms the tiles on your roof could break, causing serious destruction to your house. Due to the volume of salt air found in coastal areas, corrosion may be a major problem for homeowners.
You should expect to pay between £50 or £100 to take down the TV aerial. However, the precise cost of removing a TV antenna is determined by a number of variables, such as:
- What type of aerial do you have?
- It doesn’t matter if you’re inside or out
- It is easy getting access onto your roof
- Your current location
If you’re in need of an aerial for your TV, it might be a good time for you to get it replaced with a similar model instead of wanting to remove it completely. Costs vary based on the location of your aerial located on your roof or within your loft, but an identical replacement could result in a lower cost than taking down your old aerial completely.
But, it is important to be aware of the cost of your new aerial, which could range between £15 to £50 depending on the type of aerial you choose. In general, the whole process is only two hours.
FAQs
Q: How do you connect a satellite dish to a TV?
A: Connect one end of the coax cable to the “LNB” connector on the rear end of your satellite dish. Connect one end of the coax cable to your satellite receiver’s “Sat in” port. Connect one end of the HDMI port to the ‘output’ port on the satellite’s back.
Q: Can you install your own satellite dish?
A: If you have Dish, AT&T, or cable and want to get satellite service for your home, you shouldn’t need to hire a professional installer. You can install a satellite dish even if you don’t have much construction experience. Once you’ve determined the best location for your dish, secure it in place.
Q: What way should a satellite dish face?
A: The location of the satellite transmitting the signal is referred to as the horizontal alignment. As a result, your dish must face either east or west, depending on which direction you want to receive the signal.
Q: What does LNB stand for?
A: The satellite dish is made of metal. The only electronic components are found in the front of the metal arm. It’s commonly known as an LNB or LNBF, which stands for Low-Noise block downconverter.
Q: Who is responsible for removing the satellite dish?
A: The tenant is responsible for removing the satellite dish; however, you must get it in writing. Unless your rental agreement states that the tenant is directly responsible for removal, the responsibility falls to the property owner or manager.
Q: What is a portable satellite dish?
A: A portable satellite dish is one that can be moved with you from place to place. This is very beneficial for people who own touring caravans and motorhomes as they are small and compact and give you the opportunity to get TV while on the go.
