Last updated: July 2026 — every price on this page was checked against the named UK sources on 8 July 2026.
A cambelt replacement costs £300–£678 on average in the UK depending on whose data you read — £678.20 is the FixMyCar marketplace average, ClickMechanic’s is £300, and the all-in band Checkatrade publishes is £600–£1,000 (2026 prices).
Add the water pump — which most garages recommend doing at the same time — and the combined job averages £468.89 on FixMyCar.
Cambelt replacement cost: all five sources compared
| Source | Published figure |
|---|---|
| FixMyCar (marketplace average) | £678.20 |
| ClickMechanic (average, range) | £300 (£200–£500) |
| Checkatrade (all-in band) | £600–£1,000 |
| RAC (typical range) | £300–£600 |
| Bumper (UK average band) | £300–£700 |
Why do trustworthy sources spread from £300 to £1,000? Scope. The low figures are belt-only estimates on easy engines; the high ones include the tensioner and pulley kit, the water pump and awkward-access engines. A transparency note we flag on every belt page: the RAC’s own two cambelt guides quote different averages (£645 and £469) — always ask what a quote includes rather than comparing bare numbers.
Parts vs labour: where the money goes
Checkatrade prices cambelt materials at £300–£650 with labour adding roughly £300; job time averages 2.7 hours on ClickMechanic (range 1.5 to over 5), three to five hours on FixMyCar when the water pump is included, and up to 12 hours on the most awkward engines per Checkatrade. At £40–£80 per hour of garage labour, the belt kit and the hours split the bill roughly in half on a typical car.
When is a cambelt due?
Checkatrade’s general guidance is every 40,000–100,000 miles or four to six years, whichever comes first — but the honest answer is engine-specific: check your service schedule or ask a dealer with your VIN. Miss it and the stakes are total: the RAC warns a snapped belt can destroy the engine, a repair bill several times this page.
Belt, wet belt or chain? Know which you have
Three timing systems, three budgets: a dry cambelt (this page, £300–£678 average), a wet belt running in engine oil (dearer — £890 average and its own failure modes; see our wet belt guide), or a timing chain (designed for the engine’s life, but £700–£1,500 when it does need work, per Bumper). Your handbook or engine code settles which one you own.
What affects the price?
- Water pump bundled or not — shares the same labour; FixMyCar’s combined average is £468.89.
- Kit contents — belt-only vs belt, tensioner and pulleys; the kit is the honest baseline.
- Engine access — 2 to 12 hours of labour depending on the car (Checkatrade).
- Independent vs dealer — a consistent £200+ premium across our model guides.
- City — ClickMechanic’s belt-job averages span £470 (Sheffield) to £650 (Bristol).
Frequently asked questions
How long does a cambelt change take?
ClickMechanic’s average is 2.7 hours, FixMyCar quotes three to five hours with the water pump, and Checkatrade’s outer band is 2–12 hours — usually a same-day job.
Should the water pump always be done at the same time?
When it is driven by the belt, it is strongly recommended — the labour is shared, and a pump failure later means paying for the same strip-down twice. The combined job averages £468.89 on FixMyCar.
What happens if I skip the cambelt change?
A snapped belt lets valves hit pistons — the RAC warns it can mean catastrophic engine damage. Against a £4,000+ engine outcome, the belt change is cheap insurance.
Is a cambelt checked in the MOT?
No — the RAC confirms cambelts are not an MOT check item. The interval in your service schedule is the only protection you have.
Cambelt guides by engine and model
- Wet belt replacement cost in the UK
- Ford 1.0 EcoBoost wet belt cost
- 1.2 PureTech wet belt cost
- VW Golf cambelt change cost
Sources: FixMyCar cambelt cost guide, ClickMechanic, Checkatrade, the RAC and Bumper, all checked 8 July 2026. See how we verify prices.