Cost of Diesel Heater Installation
Key takeaways
People report paying between $300 & $1,200 for a diesel heater installation.
The price variation comes from 2 factors: the cost of labor, which can range from $75 to $150 per hour, and install time, which can range from 4 to 8 hours depending on the mechanics experience.
Related: What Size Diesel Heater Do You Need?
If you find a mechanic for $75 who’s capable of completing the installation in just 4 hours, that’s $300.
On the high end, you’re looking at $1,200 ($150 per hour for 8 hours).
(Note: If you’re still on the fence about diesel vs propane, Propex heaters are slightly cheaper to install as they don’t require drilling into your vehicles fuel tank.)
Members of Sprinter Source, a dedicated Sprinter van forum, were not shocked to hear users report being quoted over $1,000…
Installer on diesel heater installation cost
“As an installer. 1k is what we charge. From start to finish, to do a proper job, test it, run it up, break it in for a few hours and test after that, its an all day job. Throw into there, adapting the installation to various vans and customized installations, yeah, its fair IMO.”
Another installer added
“I’ve now installed dozens of these things. Base price without having to drop a tank or run wires for the controller through previous build items (mount the controller on one of the pillars typically) is $900. Yes, it’s an all day event to do it right…”
Not cheap, but good labor is expensive and most mechanics don’t have direct experience with diesel heater installations, especially not for all vehicles.
So, if you’ve spent a lot of money on a Webasto or Espar diesel heater, and you’re worried about doing the installation yourself, try to find a mechanic who will stick to a fixed price. $500 seems like a great deal.
