Hearing loop systems: installation, cost and compliance

Q: How much does a hearing loop installation cost?

A counter or reception loop is typically **£300 to £900** installed, a meeting room or classroom perimeter loop **£1,500 to £4,000**, a hall or place of worship **£4,000 to £12,000**, and a phased-array loop for metal-framed buildings or where overspill must be controlled **£10,000 to £25,000+**. [Full hearing loop cost breakdown](/faq/how-much-does-a-hearing-loop-installation-cost/).

A hearing loop (induction loop) sends the sound from a microphone or AV system straight to a hearing aid on its T setting, cutting out background noise and distance. Strive AV surveys, installs and commissions hearing loops to BS EN 60118-4 for receptions, meeting rooms, classrooms, halls and places of worship across the UK, usually as part of the room's audio system rather than as an afterthought.

Typical cost: £300 to £900 for a counter loop, £1,500 to £4,000 for a meeting room, £4,000 to £12,000 for a hall or church, installed and commissioned with a certificate.

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Hearing loop installation cost by space

The loop type decides the price. Counter loops are a half-day job; perimeter loops depend on room size and what is in the floor and ceiling; phased arrays are specified where metal structure or neighbouring rooms rule out a simple perimeter.

Space	Typical system	Typical cost
Reception and service counters	Counter loop with discreet microphone and the ear symbol sign	£300 to £900 installed
Meeting rooms and classrooms	Perimeter loop fed from the room audio or ceiling microphones	£1,500 to £4,000
Halls, churches and lecture theatres	Perimeter or phased-array loop fed from the PA, driver sized to the room	£4,000 to £12,000
Metal-framed buildings, auditoria, adjacent rooms	Phased-array loop to overcome metal loss and control overspill	£10,000 to £25,000+
Temporary or multi-room use	Portable loop units and infrared or RF assistive listening	£150 to £400 per portable unit, supply only

Prices include the loop driver, cable, feed from the microphone or commercial audio system, commissioning and signage. The full breakdown is in our FAQ on hearing loop installation cost.

Where hearing loops are expected

The Equality Act 2010 requires service providers and employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people; it does not name a technology, but a hearing enhancement system is the recognised adjustment wherever speech is delivered to the public. Building Regulations Approved Document M (Volume 2) expects a hearing enhancement system in rooms used for meetings, lectures, classes and performances, and at reception or ticket counters with a glazed screen or background noise. BS 8300-2:2018 gives the design guidance.

That puts loops in receptions and visitor management desks, meeting rooms and boardrooms, lecture theatres and classrooms, council chambers, churches and halls. Our FAQ on hearing loop requirements under the Equality Act sets out what to keep on file.

Designed with the room audio, not around it

A loop is only as good as the signal feeding it. In a meeting room that means the ceiling or table microphones and the video conferencing audio, so a remote participant is heard on a hearing aid as clearly as someone in the room. In a church or hall it means the PA mix, with the loop driver taking a dedicated feed rather than a speaker tap. Reception loops get their own microphone.

The survey checks three things that catch loops out: metal in the floor or ceiling that absorbs the field, listed building restrictions on cable routes, and overspill into adjoining rooms where confidential speech must not be heard. Where a loop is impractical, infrared, RF or Wi-Fi assistive listening is specified instead. Loops are also part of the inclusive communication expected under Martyn's Law compliance planning, so emergency announcements reach hearing aid users too.

How a hearing loop installation runs

Survey

Room dimensions, metal loss test, audio sources, listed status and overspill risk.

Design

Counter, perimeter or phased-array loop, driver sizing, cable route and audio feed.

Install and commission

Loop cable, driver and feed installed; field strength, frequency response and noise measured to BS EN 60118-4.

Certificate and signage

Commissioning certificate and test record for your accessibility file; ear symbol signage fitted.

Hearing loops are specified alongside the rest of the room on our church and place of worship AV projects, classroom and lecture theatre upgrades, and boardroom installs, and tested annually as part of an AV support and maintenance contract.

Hearing loop FAQs

Q.How much does a hearing loop installation cost?

A counter or reception loop is typically £300 to £900 installed, a meeting room or classroom perimeter loop £1,500 to £4,000, a hall or place of worship £4,000 to £12,000, and a phased-array loop for metal-framed buildings or where overspill must be controlled £10,000 to £25,000+. Full hearing loop cost breakdown.

Q.Are hearing loops a legal requirement?

The Equality Act 2010 does not name hearing loops, but it requires reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and a hearing enhancement system is the standard adjustment wherever speech is delivered to the public. Building Regulations Approved Document M expects one in meeting rooms, lecture spaces and at reception counters with glazed screens or background noise. What the Equality Act requires.

Q.What is the difference between a hearing loop and an induction loop?

Nothing. An induction loop, audio frequency induction loop (AFIL) and hearing loop are the same system: a loop of cable driven by a current amplifier that creates a magnetic field a hearing aid picks up on its T setting. Infrared, RF and Wi-Fi assistive listening are the alternatives where a loop is impractical.

Q.What standard should a hearing loop be commissioned to?

BS EN 60118-4:2015, which sets the field strength, frequency response and background noise limits the loop must meet across the listening area. A commissioning certificate and test record should be kept on file, with the standard ear symbol displayed where the loop is fitted.

Q.Can a hearing loop be installed in an existing room?

Yes. Perimeter loops run at skirting or ceiling level, or under carpet tiles, and counter loops sit under or behind the desk. Metal in the floor or ceiling, listed building constraints and overspill into adjacent rooms are the three things the survey checks before we specify a perimeter loop, a phased array or an alternative.