# Nursery Cost Comparison & Visit Checklist > Source: https://clevermum.co.uk/tools/childcare-planner/ · Updated: 2026-10-04 · Publisher: Clever Mum (clevermum.co.uk) > > Compare nursery quotes, weekly extras, charged weeks and deposits. Save three childcare options and print a practical UK nursery visit checklist. Free tool Compare three childcare quotes, keep track of nursery visit questions and see a first-year budget including extras and joining fees. [CM](/authors/editorial-team/) By [Clever Mum Editorial](/authors/editorial-team/) · Editorial standards Published 4 October 2026 Quick answer — How does the nursery cost comparison & visit checklist work? Enter the same care pattern for each provider, using their quote after confirmed funded hours. Add weekly extras, charged weeks and joining fees to compare annual costs. Refundable deposits are shown separately. Blank costs stay unknown. Compare the real bill ## Three places. One clear comparison. Ask each provider to quote the same care pattern. Blank costs mean unknown, not free. Amounts stay on this device; avoid entering a child’s personal details. Option 1 Provider nickname Weekly care quote after funded hours (£) Use the provider’s written quote, before any Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit help. Weekly extras (£) Meals, consumables and activities. Enter 0 if none. Charged weeks per year Use the contract: term-time and year-round places differ. Non-refundable joining fees (£) One-off fees for the first year. Enter 0 if none. Refundable deposit (£) Shown separately, excluded from the annual cost. First-year planned cost Not complete yet Enter care, extras, weeks and joining fees to calculate. Refundable deposit: not entered. Check when it is returned. ### Visit checklist · 0/10 Tick when discussed. A tick records your visit, not a quality or safety endorsement. Check registration and the latest inspection report with the regulator for your UK nation. Who will be our key person, and how do settling-in visits work? How are collection passwords, safeguarding concerns and emergencies handled? How do you support feeding, safe sleep, allergies, medicines and additional needs? What are the staff arrangements, outdoor time and typical daily routine? Which funded hours can we use, in which sessions, and for how many weeks? Please itemise meals, nappies, activities and other extras, including alternatives. What do we pay for holidays, sickness, closures, late collection and notice periods? Is the deposit refundable? When, and under what conditions? Can we have the full quote, fee schedule and contract in writing? Option 2 Provider nickname Weekly care quote after funded hours (£) Use the provider’s written quote, before any Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit help. Weekly extras (£) Meals, consumables and activities. Enter 0 if none. Charged weeks per year Use the contract: term-time and year-round places differ. Non-refundable joining fees (£) One-off fees for the first year. Enter 0 if none. Refundable deposit (£) Shown separately, excluded from the annual cost. First-year planned cost Not complete yet Enter care, extras, weeks and joining fees to calculate. Refundable deposit: not entered. Check when it is returned. ### Visit checklist · 0/10 Tick when discussed. A tick records your visit, not a quality or safety endorsement. Check registration and the latest inspection report with the regulator for your UK nation. Who will be our key person, and how do settling-in visits work? How are collection passwords, safeguarding concerns and emergencies handled? How do you support feeding, safe sleep, allergies, medicines and additional needs? What are the staff arrangements, outdoor time and typical daily routine? Which funded hours can we use, in which sessions, and for how many weeks? Please itemise meals, nappies, activities and other extras, including alternatives. What do we pay for holidays, sickness, closures, late collection and notice periods? Is the deposit refundable? When, and under what conditions? Can we have the full quote, fee schedule and contract in writing? Option 3 Provider nickname Weekly care quote after funded hours (£) Use the provider’s written quote, before any Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit help. Weekly extras (£) Meals, consumables and activities. Enter 0 if none. Charged weeks per year Use the contract: term-time and year-round places differ. Non-refundable joining fees (£) One-off fees for the first year. Enter 0 if none. Refundable deposit (£) Shown separately, excluded from the annual cost. First-year planned cost Not complete yet Enter care, extras, weeks and joining fees to calculate. Refundable deposit: not entered. Check when it is returned. ### Visit checklist · 0/10 Tick when discussed. A tick records your visit, not a quality or safety endorsement. Check registration and the latest inspection report with the regulator for your UK nation. Who will be our key person, and how do settling-in visits work? How are collection passwords, safeguarding concerns and emergencies handled? How do you support feeding, safe sleep, allergies, medicines and additional needs? What are the staff arrangements, outdoor time and typical daily routine? Which funded hours can we use, in which sessions, and for how many weeks? Please itemise meals, nappies, activities and other extras, including alternatives. What do we pay for holidays, sickness, closures, late collection and notice periods? Is the deposit refundable? When, and under what conditions? Can we have the full quote, fee schedule and contract in writing? Loading your saved plan… [Your family organiser →](/tools/family-organiser/) This compares your quotes; it does not decide funding eligibility, assess care quality or deduct benefits. A steady weekly charge is assumed. Ask the provider to itemise any different holiday or term-time rates before comparing. ## How do I compare nursery fees fairly? Ask each nursery or childminder for the same days, hours, start date and annual pattern. Enter their weekly care quote after any funded hours they have confirmed, then add weekly extras and non-refundable joining fees. Enter zero only when a charge genuinely does not apply; leave unknown figures blank. The planner calculates **(weekly care + weekly extras) × charged weeks + joining fees**. It divides that annual total by 12 for a monthly planning amount. This is not a forecast of your actual invoice. Refundable deposits are listed separately because they affect cash needed at the start but may be returned later. Ask about refund conditions in the contract. ### Worked example: a first-year nursery budget An illustrative weekly care quote of £180, £15 weekly extras, 50 charged weeks and a £40 joining fee gives **£9,790 for the first year**, or about **£815.83 per month**when spread over 12 months. A refundable £200 deposit would be additional money needed at the start, not another £200 of annual cost. These figures demonstrate the calculation; they are not typical nursery prices. ## Do funded childcare hours cover meals and nappies? In England, eligible working parents can receive 30 hours a week for 38 weeks. A provider may let you spread fewer hours over more weeks. GOV.UK says a funded place must remain available without compulsory extras: if you do not want meals or consumables, ask about an alternative arrangement. Contact the local council if the provider insists on extras and will not agree an alternative. Check [GOV.UK’s current funded-hours rules](https://www.gov.uk/free-childcare-if-working/what-youll-get), then use our [nursery extras and fees guide](/family/nursery-funded-hours-extras-fees-uk/) to question the bill. Funding schemes differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The planner can compare your actual quotes anywhere in the UK, but does not calculate eligibility or subtract Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit or employer support. Follow the nation-specific routes in our [childcare funding guide](/family/childcare-funding-uk-tools-15-30-hours/) before assuming support is available. Avoid deducting funded hours twice if the provider has already applied them to the quote. ## What should I ask on a nursery visit? Use the ten questions under each option as a conversation guide. Ask who will help your child settle, how concerns are handled, what a typical day looks like and how staff meet feeding, sleep and additional support needs. Ask to see written fee and notice terms. Ticking a question means you discussed it; it does not establish that the setting is suitable or safe. Check registration and inspection information with the relevant regulator, as well as visiting. [Ofsted’s report finder](https://www.gov.uk/find-ofsted-inspection-report) is for England and links to the other UK systems. An inspection report is one piece of information, not a substitute for asking about current practice. ## What should I check before accepting a place? - Confirm the start date, funded-hours arrangements and any eligibility reconfirmation dates. - Ask what happens to fees during sickness, family holidays and provider closures. - Check charges for late collection, settling-in sessions and changes to booked days. - Confirm whether deposits are returned, credited to a bill or forfeited under particular conditions. - Ask for a revised annual quote if term-time and holiday prices differ; this planner assumes a steady weekly charge. - Keep the contract and written quote together, then plan your [return to work](/pregnancy/return-to-work-after-maternity-leave/). Published funding and inspection guidance checked on 4 October 2026. Scope: England’s funded-hours extras and the route to UK inspection information. ## Nursery Cost Comparison & Visit Checklist: common questions ### How does the nursery cost calculator work? It adds your weekly care and extras, multiplies by charged weeks, then adds non-refundable joining fees. The annual amount divided by 12 is a planning average, not necessarily the monthly invoice. Refundable deposits are separate. ### Can I compare a nursery and a childminder? Yes, if their written quotes cover the same hours and care pattern. The tool compares your costs only, not quality, suitability or eligibility for funding. ### Does the calculator subtract Tax-Free Childcare? No. It uses your provider’s quote after confirmed funded hours and leaves other support out. Check your eligibility and the schemes you can combine with official guidance. ### Can I print the nursery visit checklist? Yes. The print button opens all three visit checklists and includes the costs you entered. You can print on paper or save a PDF using your browser. ## Sources & further reading - [Free Childcare for Working Parents: what you’ll get](https://www.gov.uk/free-childcare-if-working/what-youll-get) — GOV.UK - [Help paying for childcare](https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs) — GOV.UK - [Find an inspection report](https://www.gov.uk/find-ofsted-inspection-report) — GOV.UK / Ofsted