Hiring help
Hiring a plumber or gas engineer for your flat
For a Gas Safe engineer check, take the licence number from the engineer's Gas Safe ID card and look it up on the register, as HSE describes, then read the card's back for their competencies.
By the Pipes Up the Stair site team · how pages are checked · Updated
Anyone can call themselves a plumber, but only a registered engineer may work on gas. In a tenement, the person you hire may also end up touching pipes that belong to the whole stair, so a few questions before work starts save a lot of trouble later.
This page covers the checks and the paperwork. We don't recommend or list any firms.
How do you check a Gas Safe engineer?
Ask for their ID card and check the number. HSE explains that you can use Gas Safe Register's Check an Engineer service by inputting the licence number from the engineer's ID card. The back of the card lists the kinds of gas work the engineer is qualified for, so make sure it covers your appliance, whether a boiler, fire or cooker.
Why does registration matter so much?
Because it is the law. HSE says anyone employed to work on gas appliances in homes must be a Gas Safe registered engineer and competent in that area of work. It also advises that appliances, flues and pipework be serviced every year by such an engineer.
Who should you call for water pipes inside the flat?
A licensed plumber. Scottish Water says that for problems with pipework inside the home it would recommend you contact a licensed plumber or your landlord/Council if the property is rented, and points to the WaterSafe scheme for finding one. Who owns which section of pipe is explained on our page who owns which pipe.
Who may fit an unvented hot water cylinder?
Someone trained for it. Scotland's domestic Technical Handbook says the installer should be someone with appropriate training and practical experience, and that labels on the finished cylinder should identify the installer. Ask to see that label when the job is done.
What should you tell a tradesperson before they start?
Anything you know about asbestos. HSE says you should inform them of any asbestos materials in your home before they start work. Pipe and boiler lagging, water tanks and toilet cisterns are among the places HSE lists, and lagging may only be removed by a contractor licensed by HSE.
Does the job need a building warrant?
Some jobs do, and starting without one is an offence. The City of Edinburgh Council says carrying out work that needs a warrant without first obtaining a warrant is committing an offence, with a maximum fine of £5,000. It aims to respond to applications within 20 working days, and a warrant lasts three years. A warrant does not settle anything about mutual parts, so tell the other owners if the work affects one.
What if the work touches shared pipes?
Then it is not yours alone to order. A pipe that serves more than one flat belongs to all the flats it serves, and the owners decide as a group, following the title deeds first and then the Tenement Management Scheme. Shared pipes and the Tenements Act explains how, and the council's shared repairs help can guide a group of owners.
What if you rent your flat?
Your landlord arranges the work. HSE says landlords need a yearly gas safety check by a Gas Safe engineer, can have it done up to 2 months before the date without losing the original deadline, and should not assume a routine service covers the same points.
£5,000
top fine for breaking building regulations
20
working days the council aims to answer a warrant in
| Job | Who | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler, gas fire, cooker | Gas Safe registered engineer | Licence number and back of ID card |
| Pipes and taps inside the flat | Licensed plumber | Ask about WaterSafe |
| Unvented cylinder | Trained, competent installer | Installer named on the label |
| Shared pipes, drains, roof | Contractor agreed by the owners | Owners' decision under the deeds or the Tenement Management Scheme |
Asked on the stair
Can a Gas Safe engineer do every kind of gas job?
No. Each engineer is registered for particular kinds of work, listed on the back of the ID card, so check it matches your appliance.
Is asbestos likely in an older Edinburgh flat?
Quite possibly. HSE's cut-off is the year 2000: any building put up or refurbished before then may contain it. Lagging and old boards near boilers are common places to find it.
Should the cylinder installer leave anything behind?
Yes. Under the domestic Technical Handbook, the cylinder's labelling should identify who installed it.
Does a building warrant cover the neighbours' consent?
No. The council says a warrant does not deal with mutual parts, and you may have other legal obligations to the other owners.
Where this comes from
- HSE: Gas safety FAQs — registration, checking an ID card, servicing
- HSE: Landlords FAQs — yearly check, 2 months early
- Scottish Water (archived copy of its page): Your guide to water pipework — licensed plumber, rented homes
- Technical Handbook 2022, 4.9 Danger from heat — unvented cylinder installers
- HSE: Asbestos FAQ — telling builders, where it is found
- HSE: Why and where asbestos — buildings before 2000
- City of Edinburgh Council: Building standards FAQ — warrants, fines, timescales