ACoP L8 Compliant · HSG274 · London & M25
Legionella Risk Assessment London — £299.99
Comprehensive water system inspection and risk assessment compliant with ACoP L8 and HSG274. Our qualified assessors inspect cold and hot water systems, identify conditions that could allow Legionella bacteria to grow, and provide a detailed report with a prioritised action plan. Covering all 33 London boroughs and the M25 area.
- Fixed price
- £299.99
- Standard
- ACoP L8
- Report
- Within 48 hours
- Frequency
- Every 2 years
Legionella risk assessment pricing
Fixed price. No hidden charges — the price you see is the price you pay.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Legionella Risk Assessment (standard system) | £299.99 |
| Additional outlets — complex systems | Call for quote |
Additional charges (where applicable)
- Parking charge if no free parking available: £10
- Congestion Charge Zone: £20
What is a legionella risk assessment?
Legionella pneumophila is a bacterium found naturally in water systems. When water conditions are right — particularly when water temperature sits between 20°C and 45°C, nutrients are present, and water stagnates in dead legs, tanks, or infrequently used outlets — the bacteria can multiply to dangerous levels. Legionella is the cause of Legionnaires' disease, a potentially fatal form of pneumonia. The bacteria are not contracted by drinking contaminated water — they are inhaled when contaminated water is dispersed as a fine aerosol or mist, most commonly by showers, taps, and cooling towers.
A Legionella risk assessment is a systematic inspection of a building's hot and cold water systems to identify any conditions that could allow Legionella bacteria to proliferate. Our qualified assessor visits the property and carries out a methodical survey covering every element of the water distribution system: storage tanks and cylinders, hot and cold water distribution pipework, all outlets (including infrequently used taps and showers), dead legs and blind ends, thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs), and any water treatment equipment.
During the inspection, the assessor takes temperature readings at all significant outlets to confirm whether the system is operating within safe parameters — cold water below 20°C and hot water above 50°C at the outlet within one minute of running. Any readings that fall outside these ranges are flagged as an immediate control failure. The assessor also inspects tank and cylinder conditions, checks for scale or biofilm that could support bacterial growth, and reviews any existing management procedures and maintenance records.
The final report — emailed within 48 hours of the assessment — contains a risk rating for each part of the system (low, medium, or high), a schematic drawing of the water distribution network, a full record of temperature readings, a summary of all identified risk factors, and a prioritised action plan setting out exactly what needs to be done to achieve compliance with ACoP L8 and HSG274. Where remedial works are required, we can carry these out directly.
Which water systems we inspect
Our assessors inspect every element of the building's water system that could present a Legionella risk. The scope of inspection covers both the distribution network and the individual outlets, with particular attention given to areas most likely to support bacterial growth.
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Hot and cold water distribution systems
The entire distribution network from the incoming main or storage tank to all outlets, including all pipework, valves, and fittings that could harbour stagnant water or biofilm.
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Water storage tanks and cylinders
Cold water storage tanks and hot water cylinders are inspected for condition, insulation, temperature stratification, debris, and biofilm. Tank lids, overflows, and inlets are all checked.
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Showers — the highest-risk outlet
Showers generate fine aerosols and are the most common route of Legionella transmission in residential and commercial settings. Shower heads, hoses, and flow regulators are inspected for scale, biofilm, and debris.
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Taps and infrequently used outlets
Infrequently used taps — in guest bathrooms, utility rooms, or vacant units — allow water to stagnate at dangerous temperatures. All outlets are tested, not just the main ones.
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Dead legs and blind ends
Redundant or capped-off pipework creates dead legs where water sits permanently stagnant. These are among the highest-risk features in any system and are flagged for removal.
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Thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs)
TMVs blend hot and cold water to a safe outlet temperature but operate within the danger zone for Legionella. They require regular inspection, servicing, and temperature checking.
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Cooling towers and evaporative condensers
Typically commercial. These systems create large volumes of aerosol and carry the highest risk for large-scale Legionella outbreaks. Assessment follows HSG274 Part 1.
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Water softeners and filters
Water treatment equipment can harbour bacteria if not maintained correctly. Softeners and filters are checked for condition, backwash frequency, and bypass arrangements.
Who needs a legionella risk assessment?
The HSE is clear: anyone who has control over premises — or the water systems within them — is a duty holder under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and has a legal obligation to assess and control Legionella risks. This applies broadly and includes almost every type of landlord and building operator.
Residential landlords — all rented properties
The HSE's guidance HSG274 Part 2 makes clear that residential landlords are duty holders and must assess the Legionella risk in properties they let. This applies to all rented residential property — single lets, shared houses, and flats — regardless of size. The duty cannot be delegated to the tenant. While a full written assessment may not be required for every simple domestic property with a straightforward system, landlords must still carry out and record a risk assessment, and any property with a complex system, storage tanks, or multiple shower points requires a formal assessment.
HMO landlords — particularly high risk
Houses in Multiple Occupation present a significantly elevated Legionella risk. Multiple shower systems, shared bathrooms, shared kitchens, and higher occupancy density all increase exposure potential. HMOs frequently have more complex water systems with multiple distribution branches, and the transient nature of HMO tenancies means that infrequent use of some outlets — particularly between tenancies — creates stagnation risks. Most London local authorities now require evidence of a current Legionella risk assessment as a condition of HMO licence renewal.
Commercial premises
Offices, retail units, warehouses, and workshops with water systems including showers, kitchens, or cooling towers all require a formal Legionella risk assessment. The duty under ACoP L8 applies to the employer or person in control of the premises. Regular risk assessments are also required as a condition of most commercial property insurance policies and are frequently requested as part of lease due diligence.
Hotels, B&Bs, and serviced accommodation
Hotels and short-let serviced apartments have complex water systems that are used intermittently by different people. Showers are a particular risk, and the high volume of guests sharing water systems makes regular assessment and monitoring essential. Local authority environmental health officers routinely inspect hotels for Legionella control plans.
Schools, care homes, and healthcare facilities
These facilities have the most vulnerable occupants — elderly residents, children, and immunocompromised patients — who face the greatest risk of severe illness from Legionnaires' disease. Ofsted and CQC inspections can include checks on Legionella control procedures. Formal written assessments and ongoing water temperature monitoring programmes are essential for all such premises.
Legionella legal requirements
The legal framework for Legionella control in the UK draws on several overlapping pieces of legislation and guidance. Understanding each is essential for landlords and building operators who need to demonstrate compliance.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
The primary piece of legislation. Section 3 creates a duty for those who control non-domestic premises (including landlords of residential property) to ensure that persons not in their employment — i.e., tenants and visitors — are not exposed to health risks. The HSE has confirmed that Legionella bacteria in water systems is a health risk that falls squarely within this duty. Failure to assess and control this risk is a breach of the Act and can result in prosecution, unlimited fines, and up to two years' imprisonment for serious breaches involving loss of life.
ACoP L8: Legionnaires' disease — The control of legionella bacteria in water systems
ACoP L8 is the Approved Code of Practice published by the HSE under the Health and Safety at Work Act. It sets out the specific requirements for identifying and controlling Legionella risks in all water systems. Although technically guidance rather than law, following ACoP L8 provides a presumption of legal compliance — and failure to follow it can be used as evidence of non-compliance in enforcement proceedings. ACoP L8 requires: a written risk assessment by a competent person; implementation of a documented control scheme; appointment of a responsible person; and records of all monitoring and maintenance activities.
HSG274 Part 2: The control of legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems
HSG274 is the HSE's technical guidance document that supplements ACoP L8. Part 2 covers hot and cold water systems specifically and is the primary reference for domestic and commercial water systems in rented properties. It sets specific temperature parameters — cold water below 20°C, hot water above 60°C in the storage cylinder and above 50°C at the outlet within one minute — and provides detailed guidance on risk assessment methodology, control measures, and monitoring regimes.
COSHH Regulations 2002
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002 require employers and duty holders to prevent or adequately control exposure to substances hazardous to health. The HSE has confirmed that Legionella bacteria are a substance hazardous to health within the meaning of COSHH. This means that the risk assessment required under COSHH overlaps with the Legionella risk assessment required under ACoP L8 — and a properly conducted Legionella risk assessment discharges both duties.
Housing Act 2004 — Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS)
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) introduced by the Housing Act 2004 lists 29 categories of housing hazard, of which Legionella is one. Local authorities can inspect rented properties and take enforcement action where they identify a Legionella hazard — including serving an improvement notice, a prohibition order, or carrying out works in default at the landlord's expense. An up-to-date Legionella risk assessment with a documented control scheme is the primary evidence a landlord can produce to demonstrate that the risk has been managed.
What happens after the assessment
The assessment is just the first step in an ongoing Legionella control programme. Here is what you receive and what happens next.
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Report emailed within 48 hours
Your full Legionella risk assessment report is emailed to you within 48 hours of the site visit. The report is written to comply with ACoP L8 and HSG274 and will be accepted by local authority officers, HMO licensing teams, and insurers as evidence of compliance.
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System schematic included
The report includes a schematic drawing of your water system showing all significant components — storage tanks, cylinders, distribution branches, outlets, TMVs, and any dead legs or blind ends identified. This is an essential reference document for ongoing management and future assessments.
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Temperature monitoring results
All temperature readings taken during the assessment are recorded in the report against the ACoP L8 parameters. Any readings that fall outside acceptable ranges are highlighted as control failures requiring immediate remedial action.
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Risk rating for each system component
Every part of the system is given a risk rating — low, medium, or high — based on the likelihood of Legionella growth and the potential for occupant exposure. This prioritises where action is needed first.
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Prioritised action plan
The action plan sets out every corrective measure required, prioritised by urgency: immediate actions (control failures requiring immediate attention), short-term actions (to be completed within a defined timeframe), and ongoing maintenance requirements (flushing schedules, temperature monitoring, and reassessment dates).
We can carry out remedial work
Where the assessment identifies remedial works, we can carry these out directly. Our team covers: dead leg removal and redundant pipework isolation; thermostatic mixing valve (TMV) installation and annual servicing; hot water cylinder temperature adjustment and thermostat replacement; cold water storage tank replacement, cleaning, and insulation; thermal disinfection (superheating) to kill existing bacteria; and flushing regime setup with a documented monitoring log.
Call 020 3996 1070 to discuss remedial works →Other compliance certificates you may need
Legionella risk assessment — frequently asked questions
Book your legionella risk assessment
Fixed price £299.99. ACoP L8 compliant report emailed within 48 hours. All 33 London boroughs and the M25 area covered.
No hidden charges. ACoP L8 compliant. Report within 48 hours.