How much does data recovery cost in the UK?
Short answer
Most UK labs do not publish fixed prices. The pages of three major providers, checked on 13 September 2026, quote per device: each offers a free assessment of some kind, then a file list and a fixed quote you can decline. Cost rises with difficulty: deleted-file recovery is cheapest, physical damage costs more, and multi-drive RAID most. The only accurate price is a quote after diagnosis.
There is no standard UK price for data recovery, and most professional labs do not publish one. Fields Data Recovery's own price guide page lists no fixed prices, Ontrack's UK site publishes none, and Data Clinic quotes each job individually with a fixed price quotation that follows a free diagnostic. The dependable figure is not a number on a website: it is the quote a lab gives you for your own drive, after it has looked at the device and before you owe anything.[1][2][3]
Treat any published UK price band with caution. The lab pages we checked carry no fixed prices, so a table of typical costs is somebody's estimate rather than a quote. The one reliable number is the fixed quote a lab gives you after assessing your own drive.[1][3]
What moves the price
Labs price the job because the work varies enormously. Recovering files deleted from a healthy drive is mostly software work. A drive with failed internal parts may need to be opened and its parts transplanted in a clean environment before anything can be read, which takes specialist equipment and hours of skilled time. A multi-drive RAID or NAS array adds another layer again: the layout has to be worked out and rebuilt before your files are even visible. More severe damage and more complex setups generally mean a higher price.
How three UK labs publish prices
| Lab | Fixed prices published | Assessment | How the price reaches you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Clinic | None on the page checked: quoted per job | Free, no-obligation 24 hour diagnostic | Fixed price quotation and an online file list, with payment taken only before the recovered data is returned |
| Fields Data Recovery | None: an online calculator instead | Free diagnostic | File list, report and fixed-fee quote before proceeding, and media returned at no cost if you decline |
| Ontrack | None on the UK site | Free evaluation in most cases | Service levels named Emergency, Priority and Standard, listed by turnaround (12-24 hours to 10 business days), with no prices attached |
What the assessment includes
The assessment is where a real number comes from. Data Clinic describes a free, no-obligation 24 hour diagnostic that produces a report on the media, a list of recoverable files and a quote. Fields promises the same shape of answer: a file list, a report and a fixed-fee quote before any work goes ahead, and if you decide not to proceed, your media goes back and you pay nothing. Ontrack offers a free evaluation of the situation in most cases. Two practical points follow: the assessment itself should cost you nothing, and you should get a list of the files the lab expects to recover, not just a price.[1][2][4]
Paying, and the no fix no fee pattern
Fields commits to no-obligation quotations and no hidden charges, and says it will not charge you a penny without your agreement. Its stated flow is worth knowing: payment is taken before your recovered data is returned, by secure next-day delivery, and Data Clinic also takes payment only before returning recovered data. The widely advertised phrase no fix no fee is not wording every lab uses, so read what the quote actually says. The pattern to look for is a free assessment, a fixed price agreed in advance, and nothing to pay if you decline.[3][2][4]
Getting a price for your own drive
From enquiry to fixed quote
- Check a lab's assessment terms before sending anything: it should be free and carry no obligation to proceed.
- Send the device in, or take it to the lab, and let them diagnose it.
- Expect a report, a list of recoverable files and a fixed price for the work.
- Compare quotes from more than one lab, including what each says happens if you say no.
- Agree only once the price is fixed, and expect payment to be taken before your recovered data comes back.
Related reading
How to choose a data recovery service
How long does data recovery take?
Work out what is wrong with your device
Sources
Facts on this page are cited to the publishers’ own documentation.
- [1] Ontrack — Ontrack Data Recovery Services | UK. captured 2026-09-13.
- [2] Data Clinic — Data Clinic. captured 2026-09-12.
- [3] Fields Data Recovery — Data Recovery Price Guide | Fields Data Recovery. captured 2026-09-13.
- [4] Fields Data Recovery — Fields Data Recovery. captured 2026-09-12.