How much does data recovery cost?

It depends on the type of media, what caused the failure, and the engineering work required to recover your files.

Use the guide below to find which tier your situation is most likely to fall under.

All prices shown inc VAT and are typical starting points — your firm quote is provided after assessment, before any chargeable work begins.

No data recovered? No recovery fee. You only pay if we succeed.
Logical Recovery
£350
From
The drive powers on and is detected, but files or partitions are missing, corrupted, or inaccessible. No unusual noises.The drive powers on and is detected, but files or partitions are missing, corrupted, or inaccessible. No unusual noises.
Deleted filesDeleted files
Lost partitionsLost partitions
Formatted driveFormatted drive
File system corruptionFile system corruption
Drive not accessibleDrive not accessible
No unusual noisesNo unusual noises
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Mechanical Recovery
£450
From
The drive is making unusual noises, failing to spin up, or is physically damaged. Requires specialist lab work inside the drive.The drive is making unusual noises, failing to spin up, or is physically damaged. Requires specialist lab work inside the drive.
Clicking or beeping noisesClicking or beeping noises
Drive not spinning upDrive not spinning up
Head stack failureHead stack failure
Platter damagePlatter damage
Firmware faultsFirmware faults
PCB failurePCB failure
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RAID / NAS Recovery
£POA
A RAID array, NAS system, or server has failed. Covers all array configurations, all major manufacturers and most drive types.A RAID array, NAS system, or server has failed. Covers all array configurations, all major manufacturers and most drive types.
RAID array failureRAID array failure
NAS not accessibleNAS not accessible
Multiple drive failureMultiple drive failure
Degraded arrayDegraded array
Controller failureController failure
All major manufacturersAll major manufacturers
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Complex Recovery
£POA
Cases requiring extended cleanroom work, extensive imaging time, or highly specialist procedures beyond standard recovery methods.Cases requiring extended cleanroom work, extensive imaging time, or highly specialist procedures beyond standard recovery methods.
Severely damaged mediaSeverely damaged media
Opened drivesOpened drives
Tampered drivesTampered drives
Specialist cleanroom workSpecialist cleanroom work
Scratched plattersScratched platters
Extended imaging requiredExtended imaging required
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Not sure which tier applies? Get in touch and we'll confirm the likely pricing tier before you send anything. Every recovery begins with a free assessment — your quote is always approved by you before any work starts.
Prices shown are for single hard drives up to 2TB. RAID recovery is priced separately. Priority service levels (Urgent, High, Emergency) are available — full details are provided with your estimate in our Service-Level Agreement.
Prices last reviewed: August 2026.

Assessment Fees

In most cases, assessment is carried out free of charge. If you choose not to proceed with the recovery after receiving your quote, your device will be returned at no cost.

Exceptions apply in the following situations:

  • Devices sent from outside mainland UK may incur a return shipping fee
  • Computers, DVRs, NAS, RAID systems and servers may incur a return shipping fee if the recovery is declined
  • Opened or tampered drives may incur a return shipping fee if the recovery is unsuccessful or declined
  • HIGH, URGENT, and EMERGENCY priority service levels carry a non-refundable evaluation fee — full details are provided with your estimate in our Service-Level Agreement

Opened / Tampered with Hard Drive Surcharge

If the metal lid of your hard drive has been opened, or any components on the PCB have been tampered with — including reflowing, resoldering, or replacement with a non-original board — a non-refundable attempt fee applies before any work begins.

This fee covers the additional cleanroom inspection and handling required and is charged in addition to the recovery cost. It must be paid before the drive is sent to us.

If you’re unsure whether this applies to your drive, let us know when you get in touch and we’ll confirm before you send anything.

Formatted Hard Drives / Deleted Files

Recovering deleted, formatted, or overwritten files is handled differently to our standard recovery service. Due to the nature of this work — where outcomes cannot be known until the recovery is complete — an upfront fee applies to all cases of this type.

Once you’ve submitted an enquiry, we’ll be in touch with more information about how we handle this scenario before anything moves forward.

Destination Media

Destination Media is the storage device your recovered data is returned on.

If the recovered data is 50GB or less, we’ll provide a secure download link free of charge. For larger recoveries, we can supply a brand-new external hard drive at cost price.

You’re also welcome to provide your own Destination Media once instructed, provided it is cleanly formatted, an external or bare hard drive, and USB 3.0 or SATA 3.0 compatible or newer. NAS or RAID enclosure-based drives are not accepted as Destination Media.

Donor Parts

Some physical recovery cases require compatible replacement parts to complete the recovery. Where this applies, donor drives are sourced and charged at cost price only — we don’t mark them up.

We’ll always confirm whether donor parts are required as part of your quote, before any chargeable work begins.

Partnership Program Available

If you offer data recovery to your clients but need a reliable lab partner for complex cases, cleanroom work, or capacity overflow — we can help.

Dragon Data Recovery has operated as a fully equipped, single-site laboratory on the Wirral for nearly 10 years. All work is carried out in-house, nothing is outsourced, and your clients’ devices never leave our lab.

We work with computer repair shops and managed service providers on a referral and white-label basis. If you’re interested in discussing a partnership arrangement, call us on 0151 342 8188 or click the link here.

Data Recovery Process

1. Start your case with the recovery assessment form — or call during business hours if you’d rather talk it through first.

2. Deliver in person by appointment, or send your drive in — we recommend Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, or we can arrange UPS door-to-door collection for £14.95.

3. Please include your name, address, email and contact phone number with your device.

4. Once received, your case is entered onto our case system, which keeps you updated as we progress.

5. We contact you once your drive has been assessed, confirm the recovery cost, and seek your approval to continue.

6. Once the recovery is complete, payment is taken before your data is released and returned.

7. Most completed recoveries are back with their owners within 6–10 days of approval.

8. Emergency data recovery is handled case by case.

9. Once your case is complete, collect your data from the lab in person or have it returned by tracked courier free of charge (mainland UK).

Do You Have Questions?

A list of frequently asked questions to help you understand how it works.

Is there anything to pay if you can’t recover my data?

No — if we can’t recover meaningful data, there’s no recovery fee. Assessment itself is also free in most cases, with the exceptions listed under Assessment Fees above.

If you can’t recover my data or I choose not to proceed, do I get my hard drive back?

Yes — unrecovered drives are returned free of charge within mainland UK. A return shipping fee can apply to bulky systems, opened drives or non-mainland addresses — see Assessment Fees above.

How will my data be returned to me if successfully recovered?

Via a secure download link for recoveries of 50GB or less, or on a new hard drive shipped to you by tracked courier — hard drives are supplied at cost price.

I’m worried about my data getting lost and its security, can I deliver my hard drive in person?

Yes — drop-offs are welcome at our Moreton laboratory by appointment. Arrange it through our contact page or by phone, and we also offer UPS door-to-door collection for £14.95 if you’d prefer not to travel.

My Data is confidential and very private, do you have a privacy policy?

Yes. We take data protection and client confidentiality seriously. All devices and recovered data are handled in-house at our Wirral laboratory — nothing is outsourced. You can read our full privacy policy here: https://dragondatarecovery.co.uk/privacy-policy

Lost data? Let’s get it back.

Tell us what happened — we’ll reply with honest next steps and clear pricing, no obligation.

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