Lightning Protection Contractors
Lightning protection gives a strike a safe route from roof to ground, and it only works if every metre of that route is sound. Get a specialist to fit a new system, test the one you have, or put right what failed.
Free to use: we suggest a specialist near you and tell you who before anything is shared.
- Rolling sphere
- 45 m radius
- Roof mesh
- 15 m × 15 m
- Down conductors
- every 15 m
- Full inspection
- at least every 4 years, yearly for busy or sensitive buildings
Rolling sphereWhere it touchesConductors and earthsTest clamp
Drawn to scale: a 12 m block and a 24 m tower. Figures from BS EN 62305-3 Tables 2, 4 and E.2.
What needs doing?
Most buildings meet lightning protection in this order: it gets fitted, it gets tested every year, and the tests find things to fix.
- FitNew installationDesign, air terminals, roof conductors, down conductors and earths.
- TestTesting and inspectionThe annual visual check, continuity and earth readings, and the report.
- FixRepairs and upgradesFailed tests, stolen tape, loose fixings, high earth readings.
- EarthEarth electrode testingEarth resistance testing to BS 7430, new rods and pits.
- ShieldSurge protectionType 1, 2 and 3 devices for the equipment inside.
Four classes, one standard
BS EN 62305 is the British and European standard for lightning protection. A risk assessment under part 2 sets the level of protection a building needs, from Class I (the most demanding) to Class IV. The class fixes the rolling sphere, the roof mesh, how close the down conductors sit, and the longest a system can go between full inspections.
A typical office or school might come out at Class III: a 45 m sphere, a 15 m mesh and down conductors every 15 m. Switch classes on the drawing above to see what changes.
| Class | Sphere radius | Roof mesh | Down conductors | Full inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 20 m | 5 × 5 m | every 10 m | 2 years |
| II | 30 m | 10 × 10 m | every 10 m | 2 years |
| III | 45 m | 15 × 15 m | every 15 m | 4 years |
| IV | 60 m | 20 × 20 m | every 20 m | 4 years |
Full inspection is the longest gap BS EN 62305-3 allows; it drops to one year for critical buildings such as offices, schools and places where many people gather. Most UK owners test every year anyway.
What lightning protection costs
Testing is priced by the size of the system and how long it takes on site. New systems and repairs are priced after a look at the building, so the clearest guides are diocesan figures and public contract values. All excluding VAT. A guide, not a quote.
| Job | Typical figure |
|---|---|
| Annual test, house or small building | £200 to £350 |
| Annual test, small commercial or church | £300 to £500 |
| Annual test, school or large building | £450 to £800 |
| Inspection after a suspected strike | £350 to £600 |
| BS EN 62305 risk assessment | £1,500 to £3,500 |
| New system, small or average church | £3,000 to £4,000 |
| New system, primary school (public contract) | £28,084 |
| Surge protection, commercial intake | £400 to £700 |
Where these figures come from
Test, risk assessment and surge figures from published UK contractor price guides, autumn 2026, firms not named. Church figures from Diocese of Chester guidance. The school install is Southend-on-Sea City Council’s award notice, August 2025. Read November 2026.
Buildings that need it most
Tall, isolated, full of people, full of electronics or simply old: these are the buildings where a lightning protection system earns its keep.
- Schools and academies
DfE guidance asks for a test at least once a year. Sports halls, old towers and IT all raise the stakes.
- Churches and listed buildings
Towers and spires, faculty rules, copper theft and conductors that should not spoil the stonework.
- Offices, estates and housing
Facilities teams and housing providers testing many systems on one contract, with repairs closed out.
- Industrial and critical sites
Plant, data, alarms and control systems where a surge costs more than the building damage.
Does the law say you need it?
No UK regulation names lightning protection for ordinary buildings. The duty arrives another way. Employers and building owners must assess the risks to people and act on them, and electrical systems, which lightning protection is treated as, must be kept in a safe condition. If a BS EN 62305 risk assessment shows a building needs protection, it needs to be fitted and maintained.
In practice the push usually comes from an insurer, a diocese, a trust estates team or a fire risk assessor. Read the regulations in full.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999: assess risks to people, including from a strike.
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989: keep electrical systems, including lightning protection, safe and maintained.
- DfE Good estate management for schools: inspect and test at least annually.
- BS 7671: surge protection where an overvoltage would cause serious harm or disruption.
How the job gets done
Look at what is there
A specialist reads the last certificate and drawing, then inspects and tests the system, or assesses the building if there is none.
Price it
A test fee, a repair schedule tied to the defects, or a design and quote for a new system to the right class.
Do the work
Earths, down conductors and roof conductors fitted or repaired, with access arranged and consents in place on listed buildings.
Certify and diary
Readings recorded on a certificate, the drawing updated, and the next test booked for 11 to 12 months ahead.
Questions about lightning protection
What is lightning protection?
A system that gives a lightning strike a safe, planned path to earth. Metal on the roof catches the strike, down conductors carry it down the outside of the building, and earth electrodes spread it into the ground. Surge protection devices then protect the wiring and equipment inside.
Is lightning protection a legal requirement in the UK?
Not by name for most buildings. Duty holders must assess risks under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations and keep electrical systems safe under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. A BS EN 62305 risk assessment shows whether a building needs protection, and insurers often make it a condition. See lightning protection regulations.
How often should lightning protection be tested?
In practice, every 11 to 12 months. BS EN 62305-3 sets maximum gaps by class, as short as one year for buildings with sensitive systems or many people inside, and the DfE says schools should test at least annually.
How much does lightning protection cost?
Testing runs from £200 to £350 for a small building to £450 to £800 for a school, from published UK contractor price guides, autumn 2026. A new system for a small church is around £3,000 to £4,000 on diocesan guidance, and two recent public installs were published at £27,000 and £28,084. Use the cost planner.
What is the difference between a lightning conductor and surge protection?
A lightning conductor protects the structure and the people in it from a direct strike. Surge protection protects electrical and electronic equipment from the voltage spikes a strike on or near the building sends along cables. A complete design under BS EN 62305 includes both.
Who installs and tests lightning protection?
Specialist lightning protection contractors, many of them members of ATLAS, the Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists. Insurers and dioceses often ask for a member. Surge protection devices are usually fitted by an electrical contractor working to BS 7671.
Find a lightning protection contractor
Three quick screens: the postcode of the building, the work, then your contact details. Most people finish in about two minutes.
We are an introduction service, not a lightning protection contractor. We tell you which specialist covers your building before anything is shared, and no one calls you unless you agree.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- We aim to tell you within one working day which specialist we suggest for your building.
- Nothing is sent to them until you give the go-ahead.
- They check the building and its system and send you a written price. We will not send you marketing.