Check a care home quote
Choose the type of weekly fee you want to check
Use the residential path if you are looking at a care home placement without nursing input, or the nursing path if regular nursing support is part of the package.
Care home costs UK
Care home fees make more sense once you separate residential and nursing care
Broad searches for care home costs often mix together residential care, nursing care, room choices, and extra support needs. That is why a single average can be misleading. The useful first step is to separate the kind of placement you are looking at and then check what the weekly fee actually includes.
CareGauge UK currently uses a broad self-funder-facing guide range of £1,150 to £1,450 a week for residential care and £1,350 to £1,750 a week for nursing care. Those are guide ranges, not promises, and room choice or support needs can move the total up quickly.
Residential care
Usually centred on day-to-day support, accommodation, and supervision
Residential care fees usually reflect personal care, meals, accommodation, supervision, and support with daily living. The fee can still move if a premium room is involved or if dementia-related support is part of the package.
Current broad guide range: £1,150 to £1,450 a week.
Nursing care
Usually includes a higher level of clinical oversight and nursing input
Nursing care fees are usually higher because the package assumes a nursing environment and more specialist support. Dementia input, complex nursing needs, and room choice can all affect the weekly total.
Current broad guide range: £1,350 to £1,750 a week.
What often moves the fee
Care home pricing is usually about support level, room type, and what is included
- Residential and nursing fees are not interchangeable, even within the same home.
- Room type, location in the home, and whether a premium room is assumed can affect the total.
- Dementia support, nursing input, and more complex care needs can materially change the weekly fee.
- Some public averages are based on lower state-funded fee references rather than what self-funders are quoted.
What to clarify
Check what sits inside the weekly fee and what does not
- Is this the full weekly fee or are there extras on top?
- Is a premium or private room assumed in this figure?
- Are dementia-related support or nursing add-ons already included?
- What would most likely cause the weekly fee to increase after admission?
If you need wider background on funding, the useful guides page is the best supporting page to read next.
Questions to ask before agreeing
Use these to compare care home fees more clearly
- Is this the full weekly fee or are there extras beyond the headline figure?
- What would count as residential care here, and what would trigger a nursing fee instead?
- Is the quote based on a standard room or a premium room?
- Are dementia-related support or more complex nursing needs already priced in?
- What usually causes the weekly fee to rise after someone moves in?
Need the guide range first?
Start with the right care-home category
If you do not have a quote yet, start with the relevant guide range and then compare the real fee once you have it.