With radiant flooring you have two options. Option one is to get electric heated mats from your local hardware store. That is the cheapest option by a lot. A homeowner can install this form of heating system themselves. Yes, you have to rip up the current floors to do the installation, but setting up the mats is easy. Just double check to make sure everything works before new flooring goes on top of the heating system. The other choice of radiant heating is to do it with water rather than electric. A boiler system is involved with this process. Piping is attached to the boiler and hot water flows from the boiler and through the pipes that are installed underneath the flooring. This installation is a bit more complicated since you are dealing with water and pipes. I highly recommend a professional HVAC technician doing this kind of installation. The expense also goes up considerably when you are talking about a boiler. This is one of the more expensive HVAC options out there. It makes sense though. A boiler is powerful and lasts almost five times as long as a traditional furnace. Unless you already own a boiler, I wouldn’t recommend just getting one for heated flooring though. The cost of this system is quite a lot for what you are getting in the end. However, with hydronic heating you are getting a more powerful, efficient and better way to provide heating. It might be worth the cost at the end of the day. I guess it is up to you on what is more important money, time and efficiency wise.