Getting the best underfloor heating in Blenheim starts with one decision: warm water pipework buried in a concrete slab or screed, or electric heating mats laid under tile. The Marlborough teams below cover both approaches, from whole home hydronic central heating designed and commissioned end to end, through to a single warm bathroom or kitchen floor, with Marlborough Plumbing & Heating and AM/PM Plumbing & Gas leading the hydronic side. Two of the entries are based outside Blenheim, Thompson Electrical in Renwick and Chapmanz in Nelson, and both name Blenheim among the areas they service.
1Marlborough Plumbing & Heating
Marlborough Plumbing & Heating is a Blenheim plumbing and heating firm whose main line of work is hydronic central heating, covering in slab underfloor pipework, radiators, heat source selection and controls. Owner Rob Marshall began plumbing in Marlborough in 2000 under the name Running Plumbing and rebranded two years later once heating became the focus of the business. It suits homeowners planning a new build or a substantial renovation who would rather have one contractor design the system, install it and service it afterwards.
Services
- Bespoke underfloor heating design and pipe layout
- New hydronic heating installations for homes and commercial buildings
- Retrofitting central heating into renovations and home upgrades
- Warm water radiator central heating
- Repairs, servicing and remote system monitoring
Highlights
- More than 600 radiators installed and over 150 km of underfloor heating pipe laid across the region
- Stiebel Eltron and Mitsubishi Ecodan Accredited Installer
- Certified Pro Installer for Central Heating New Zealand and for Lucht LHZ
- Designs follow the H1 energy efficiency requirements of the Building Code, including slab and edge insulation detailing
- Members of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers NZ, with staff licensed by the PGDB and work covered by the Master Plumbers Guarantee
Location & Contact
Name: Marlborough Plumbing & Heating
Address: 3 Sutherland Terrace, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 577 9278
Website: marlboroughplumbing.co.nz
2AM/PM Plumbing & Gas
AM/PM Plumbing & Gas works out of Redwoodtown in Blenheim and designs, installs and commissions hydronic underfloor heating and radiator systems across the wider Marlborough area. Phil and his team take the job from concept advice and heat source selection through manifold and pipe layout, zoning, controls and commissioning, then handle the annual servicing. They are a practical choice if you want underfloor loops downstairs and compact radiators upstairs running from one heat source and one set of controls.
Services
- Hydronic underfloor heating installed in slab on new builds or in screed on renovations
- Wall mounted radiator systems for renovations and upstairs rooms
- Gas boiler installation and integration with the heating circuit
- Zoning, thermostat and control setup with full commissioning and handover
- Annual servicing covering pressures, inhibitor levels, pump operation and valve settings
Highlights
- More than 25 years working with builders and homeowners across the Greater Marlborough Area
- Coverage extends to remote Marlborough Sounds sites, with staging, boat safe packing and tide allowances planned into the programme
- Specification allows for coastal corrosion, variable water pressure and accessible isolation points for easier servicing
- Master Plumbers member, with practitioner licences open to checking on the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board public register
Location & Contact
Name: AM/PM Plumbing & Gas
Address: 75 Litchfield Street, Redwoodtown, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 027 481 9808
Website: ampmplumbing.co.nz
3Laser Electrical Blenheim
Laser Electrical Blenheim is a locally owned electrical contractor on Charles Street that designs and installs electric underfloor heating alongside its general electrical work. The business dates back to 1979, when it traded as Murray Brown Electrical, and has been owned by Zane and Vanessa Monteith since 2024. Electric floor heating is the sensible option for a renovation or a single room, and the team fits it under ceramic and slate tile, marble and granite, hardwood tongue and groove and carpet, either as the main heat source or simply to take the chill off the floor.
Services
- Design and installation of electric underfloor heating for one room or a whole house
- Thermostat and timer setup so each heated area can be controlled separately
- Heat pump and air conditioning supply and installation
- Home ventilation system installation
Highlights
- Trading in Marlborough since 1979, formerly Murray Brown Electrical
- Certified Master Electricians with Site Safe membership and a SiteWise Gold rating
- Members of the New Zealand Security Association and the Fire Protection Association of New Zealand
- Emergency call out available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Long serving team, several of them past ten years with the business
Location & Contact
Name: Laser Electrical Blenheim
Address: 53 Charles Street, Blenheim 7201
Phone: 03 578 7607
Website: blenheim.laserelectrical.co.nz
4Thompson Electrical Ltd
Thompson Electrical is a family owned electrical firm based in Renwick, just west of Blenheim, and it services all areas of Marlborough including Blenheim, Grovetown, Picton and the Sounds. It is the authorised dealer and accredited installer for HOTWIRE floor heating systems in the Marlborough region, handling underfloor and under tile electric heating for both renovations and new builds. Quoting is done on a per square metre basis, and the team will also work out what the finished system should cost to run before you commit to it.
Services
- Electric underfloor and under tile heating design and installation
- HOTWIRE floor heating supply with programmable thermostat setup
- Heat pump installation and servicing
- Home ventilation installation
Highlights
- Family owned and operated since 1985, with the founder’s son now general manager and the founder still on the tools when needed
- Authorised dealer and accredited installer for HOTWIRE floor heating across Marlborough
- Master Electricians who have trained apprentices in house since 1990, and are on call at weekends
Location & Contact
Name: Thompson Electrical Ltd
Address: 12 Uxbridge Street, Renwick 7204
Phone: 03 572 8179
Website: thompsonelectricalmarlborough.nz
5Chapmanz Central Heating & Plumbing
Chapmanz is a Nelson based central heating and plumbing specialist that lists Blenheim and Marlborough among its service areas, so a job here means the team travelling across from Atawhai. Its focus is water based underfloor heating and radiators paired with air to water heat pumps or Vaillant gas boilers, an approach drawn from European and British heating practice. Every project begins with a heat loss calculation, so the system is sized to the house rather than guessed at, which matters most on heritage retrofits and architectural new builds.
Services
- Water based underfloor heating design and installation
- Radiator central heating for new builds and retrofits
- Air to water heat pump central heating, with underfloor cooling where the technology suits
- Hydrogen ready gas boiler supply and installation
- Boiler servicing, power flushes and heating system cleaning
Highlights
- Around 20 years of central heating work across the top of the South Island
- Registered Master Plumber, so installations carry the 12 month Master Plumbers Guarantee
- Member of the New Zealand Institute of Central Heating, and certified gasfitters through Master Gasfitters
Location & Contact
Name: Chapmanz Central Heating & Plumbing
Address: 41 Tui Glen Road, Atawhai, Nelson
Phone: 021 027 56053
Website: chapmanz.co.nz
How to Choose the Right Underfloor Heating Installer in Blenheim
- Settle the system type first: hydronic pipework in a slab or screed suits whole home heating in a new build, while electric mats are usually the cheaper way to warm one tiled bathroom or kitchen.
- Ask for a heat loss calculation rather than a rule of thumb, so the heat source, loop spacing and radiator sizes are matched to your house and its insulation.
- Check the licences that apply to the work: hydronic systems involve a licensed plumber and, where a gas boiler is used, a licensed gasfitter, while electric floor heating is electrical work for a registered electrician.
- Confirm slab and edge insulation is written into the quote, because floors with embedded heating carry specific insulation requirements under the Building Code.
- Ask what the system will cost to run as well as to install, and check your intended floor covering is rated for low temperature radiant heat before it is laid.
Frequently Asked Questions About Blenheim Underfloor Heating
Is hydronic or electric underfloor heating better for a Blenheim home?
Neither is better outright, they answer different jobs. Hydronic systems circulate low temperature water through pipework in the slab and are the usual choice when underfloor heating is the main heat source for the whole house. Electric mats sit directly under tile or timber, are far simpler to retrofit, and are commonly used to warm a bathroom or kitchen rather than heat a whole home.
Can underfloor heating be retrofitted into an existing house?
Yes, though the method changes. Hydronic pipework can be laid in a screed during a major renovation, and installers often pair underfloor downstairs with radiators in upstairs rooms where lifting the floor is impractical. Electric heating mats are the more straightforward retrofit because they are laid as part of a new floor covering.
Do I need building consent for underfloor heating?
Heating work generally sits inside the normal building consent process, and embedded heating and gas appliances bring specific compliance and certification steps. Insulation is the part most often missed: floors with heating embedded in them have their own requirements, which you can read about in the H1 energy efficiency guidance on MBIE’s Building Performance website. Your installer should tell you early if any part of the job triggers consent.
Which floor coverings work with underfloor heating?
Tile, slate, marble and granite conduct heat well and are the most common finishes over both hydronic and electric systems. Engineered and hardwood timber and carpet can also be used, but the covering has to be rated for the temperatures involved, so confirm the specification with your flooring supplier and installer before it goes down, otherwise a warranty can be voided.
Who is licensed to install underfloor heating in New Zealand?
It depends on the system. Hydronic underfloor heating is plumbing work, and where a gas boiler is involved it is also gasfitting work, both of which are regulated by the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, whose public register lets you check a practitioner’s licence. Electric underfloor heating is prescribed electrical work and must be carried out by a registered electrician, which you can verify through the Electrical Workers Registration Board.
How much does underfloor heating cost in Blenheim?
Local installers quote per job rather than publishing prices, because the cost turns on floor area, system type, the heat source and how much of the floor build up has to be opened. Thompson Electrical quotes electric floor heating on a per square metre basis, and several of the businesses above offer a free quote, so it is worth getting two or three written quotes that spell out insulation, controls and commissioning.
Can underfloor heating be the only heating in the house?
It can. A hydronic system sized from a proper heat loss calculation and installed over a well insulated slab is commonly the primary heat source for a whole home. Electric floor heating is more often used as supplementary warmth in a single room, although it can be run as the primary heat source in a room when it is specified for that purpose.
Is underfloor heating noisy or high maintenance?
No. Both types run silently, with no fans or vents, and hydronic systems are low maintenance when they are set up correctly. An annual check of pressures, inhibitor levels, pump operation and valve settings is the usual recommendation, and radiators may need bleeding in their first season as trapped air works its way out.