MVHR in a new-build flat is rarely a fresh install. The work is usually commissioning, filter changes or fixing a job the developer left short. The published band over-states the cost for this archetype.
Most new-build flats since the late 2010s already have MVHR fitted at handover. The airtightness target in Part L makes any other approach hard to pass. So the cost question is almost never about a new install. It is about commissioning the existing unit, swapping a tired one, or adding boost control where the developer cut a corner. The full install band is the wrong anchor. The honest figure is the cost of remedial work, which sits well below it.
The published band assumes a full retrofit. In a new-build flat, the unit, ducts and grilles already exist. The work is commissioning, not install.
The risk is not the install. It is access to the existing unit, which may sit inside a service cupboard run by the building manager.
Confidence in the full install band is low for this archetype. A remediation-only figure is the right anchor and sits well below it.
Find the existing MVHR unit and check the filter panel can be reached.
Ask the developer or building manager for the commissioning sheet. An uncommissioned unit is the most common failure mode.
Check whether boost control is wired to the kitchen and bathrooms. Many developers leave this incomplete.
Removing the existing unit if it can be recommissioned and refiltered.
Replacing developer-installed ducts that still meet their acoustic and airflow spec.
Book a one-day MVHR survey before agreeing any install quote. A working unit usually only needs cleaning and balancing.
If a flat owner is quoted full retrofit prices for MVHR, the first check is whether the existing unit can be saved. The answer is yes more often than the installer will volunteer.
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