Can I sell my house without a boiler installation certificate?

You can sell a house without a boiler installation certificate if the buyer agrees to take out indemnity insurance and if the local authority haven't been informed of the installation. Most buyers won't take on the risk of a boiler that hasn't been registered at Gas Safety or at Building Control. The cost to get the works signed off with a Gas Safety Engineer start from £200, however these costs can escalate if the boiler cannot be signed off in its current condition/position/installation.

Can you get retrospective building regs for boiler?

A Gas Safety Engineer can inspect the installation and sign off the works, register the boiler at Gas Safety which in turn updates building control at the council. The issue arises where the installation cannot be signed off because the boiler hasn't been installed to Building Regulations.

Do I need a certificate for solid fuel heating?

Solid fuel stoves must comply with specific building regulations, like a boiler or a gas heater. The certificate of compliance is called a HETAS (Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme) certificate.

What to do when a gas boiler installation certificate missing

by:

Andrew Boast

Last Updated: 02/07/2022

Read by:

16,460

4 min read

The issue normally arises during the conveyancing process when the seller finds out that their boiler installation certificate is missing. The issue could be:

Installed by Gas Safety engineer but they forgot to register at Gas Safety
Not installed by a Gas Safety engineer
Installed by Gas Safety engineer but the boiler installation certificate is missing

The latter isn't an issue as you can see the installation on both the Gas Safety website and the council records, however your buyer wants the Gas Safety Compliance Certificate. You can order a replacement using the links in this article below. The other two scenarios require registration at Gas Safety, however this can only be completed by a Gas Safety engineer.

Do you need a building control certificate for gas boiler replacement?

In England and Wales all gas boiler replacements & installations, along with any other heat producing appliance like a fire, need to be registered at the Local Authority to meet with Building Regulations.

It is illegal to install a boiler or a heating appliance into a property without a building regs certificate. In this article we explain what you can do if you are buying a property and the boiler hasn't got, or the seller has lost, a building regulations certificate for the boiler installation.

How should a gas boiler be installed?

All boiler installations should be installed by a Gas Safe registered engineer or business.

A registered engineer self-certifies the work they do to install a boiler and then notifies Gas Safety of the installation. Gas Safety notify your Local Authority and a Building Regulations Compliance Certificate is sent to the property in the post within 10 to 15 working days.

Is your Gas Installer on the Gas Safe Register?

Check Here

Checking that the boiler meets building regs is part of the legal enquiries stage, learn more in the video below, or skip ahead to: What if the seller doesn't have a boiler certificate?

What if the seller doesn't have a boiler certificate?

Although it is illegal to get a gas boiler replacement or installation by an engineer who is not Gas Safe registered and able to self certify, some sellers choose this route to save on cost or because they don't know it is illegal.

If the seller doesn't have a boiler certificate they have two options:

Retrospective Building Regulation Compliance Certificate - the seller can pay for a Gas Safe registered engineer to inspect the gas boiler replacement or installation and either; sign off the installation of the boiler, or make good the installation of the boiler and then sign off the installation. If there is an issue with the installation and the seller won't pay for the works to be addressed, the Gas Safe engineer will be forced to turn off the gas supply to the property/boiler, until the works are completed. The cost ranges from £200 to a complete reinstall.
Take out boiler indemnity insurance - the buyer can take out an indemnity policy that protects them against losses for the local authority enforcing the removal of the boiler. The indemnity policy doesn't cover for gas boiler replacement costs. The cost for this indemnity insurance ranges from £180 to £500.

Can you get a Gas Safe duplicate certificate?

If you have lost your boiler installation certificate you can click here to obtain a duplicate boiler installation certificate from Gas Safety or you can call Gas Safety on 0800 408 5500 (choose option 6)

A duplicate certificate can be emailed or posted at a cost of £5 plus VAT (£6).

Do all Gas Safe engineers do retrospective boiler certifying?

Not all engineers will undertake retrospective boiler certification because if there is an issue in the future related to the gas boiler replacement or installation, then they are liable for it - even if it was caused by the original installer. You can check the Gas Safe website for a local engineer who is qualified and able to undertake the retrospective certification.

What are the costs for retrospective boiler certification?

The costs will vary depending on where you live and the availability of the engineer. A standard retrospective certification will cost between £200 to £400. The challenge arises where the original installation does not pass Building Regulations for the install and requires the engineer to re-install the boiler, if this is possible. If the boiler is able to be re-installed then the engineer's costs could escalate to a £1,000 or more.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Written by: Andrew Boast

Andrew Boast FMAAT is a qualified accountant, conveyancing specialist and author with over 25 years of experience in the UK property sector. Since beginning his career in 2000 within established SRA and CLC-regulated conveyancing solicitor firms, Andrew has overseen the legal journeys of more than 75,000 clients.

He is the author of the property guide 'How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone' and a frequent contributor to mainstream UK media on legislative updates, property law, first-time buyer guides, conveyancing best practices, and stamp duty changes. Andrew specialises in resolving complex title issues, property conflict disputes, and property tax options, streamlining the enquiry process to reduce transaction times and maintaining a client-friendly focus.

Reviewed by: Caragh Bailey

Caragh Bailey is a Lead Property Content Specialist at SAM Conveyancing, having joined the firm in 2020. With a portfolio of over 150 technical conveyancing, house survey and mortgage guides, she has become a primary authority on the end-to-end sale and purchase process.

Caragh specialises in complex legal workflows, including Help to Buy redemptions, equity transfers, shared ownership structures, trust deeds for tax planning, and joint ownership disputes. Her expertise extends to leasehold reform and RICS home surveys, where she provides clear, factual guidance on independent legal advice for specialist mortgage products and intricate ownership structures.

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