Habitation check prices, checked 15 September 2026
| Provider | Price | Mobile or workshop | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Happy Camper Group | £179.95 + VAT habitation check (£215.94 with VAT); £189.95 + VAT habitation service with appliance servicing | Mobile, North West England and North Wales | NCC Approved Workshop engineers, Gas Safe registered; same price for a motorhome, campervan or caravan; written report on the visit |
| Direct Leisure Repairs | £220 (four wheels), £225 (six wheels), damp check included | Mobile | Described as an NCC Approved Workshop service; the page does not say whether VAT is included |
| Habcheck | £249 members, £269 non-members; pre-purchase inspection £299 | Mobile ("we come to you") | The page does not say whether VAT is included |
| Brownhills | From £315 for Club Brownhills members, from £350 for non-members, before any repair work | Workshop | Dealer workshop; starting prices |
| Approved Workshop Scheme (AWS) members | No national price list | Both | Joint NCC, Caravan and Motorhome Club and Camping and Caravanning Club scheme, over 460 workshops; members must display pricing and give estimates for repairs over £150; finder at approvedworkshops.co.uk |
| Caravan and Motorhome Club guidance | £200 to £350, three to four hours | Club article, last updated November 2025 |
What moves the price inside that range: whether the engineer comes to you or you drive to a workshop, whether appliance servicing is included (a "habitation service" rather than a "habitation check"), how thorough the damp survey is, and whether a gas safety certificate and written damp report are part of the fee. Ask for the price with VAT and what is included before booking; a quote that is £40 cheaper but excludes the damp report is not cheaper.
What a habitation check covers
- Damp readings throughout the living area with a calibrated moisture meter, and a written damp report.
- Gas system soundness, appliances and safety devices.
- Mains and 12 volt electrical systems, the charger and the leisure battery.
- Water and waste systems, taps, pump and heater.
- Heating, ventilation and the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
- Bodywork, seals and fire safety.
Check or service?
A habitation check inspects and reports. A habitation service adds servicing of the appliances (the fridge, heater and water heater), which is why Happy Camper Group lists the two at £179.95 and £189.95 plus VAT. Ask which you are being quoted for.
Is a habitation check a legal requirement?
No. The Caravan and Motorhome Club is plain about it: a habitation service "is not legally required", but "if your motorhome or campervan is still under warranty, it is recommended and often a requirement with the manufacturers that they are serviced regularly. If you neglect to get it serviced, you may be voiding the warranty". The Camping and Caravanning Club recommends a service at least once a year. The MOT is a separate, legal test of the base vehicle and looks at none of the habitation systems; see do motorhomes need an MOT.
Habitation check, pre-purchase inspection or history check?
They answer different questions. The £4.99 history check reads the stolen, finance and write-off registers in minutes and can end a purchase before you spend £300 on an inspection. The habitation check finds damp and gas faults. A pre-purchase inspection (£299 at Habcheck) adds the base vehicle. The order and the trade-offs are on pre-purchase inspection vs habitation check vs history check.
Buying used? Ask for the last certificate
A recent habitation certificate with damp readings shows the living area has been professionally checked. Combined with a history check for the vehicle side, it covers both halves of a motorhome. Our guide to motorhome damp explains what the readings mean.
Check a motorhome before you buy
Enter the registration for a free summary. Full history check £4.99.