Getting two or three prices for gas work is sensible. The trouble is that the numbers rarely line up, because each engineer has assumed slightly different things about the job. One includes cleaning the system, a filter and the paperwork. Another leaves them out and looks cheaper for it.
This post is about reading gas engineer prices side by side, so you are comparing the same job. Andrew Frances runs Always Plumbing Services from Halesworth, and this is how he would want his own quotes judged.
Check the engineer before the price
Before you compare any figures, make sure everyone quoting is on the Gas Safe Register. You can look up a name or registration number on the Gas Safe Register website, and the engineer should show you a Gas Safe ID card when they arrive. Turn it over: the back shows which kinds of gas work that engineer is qualified for, such as boilers or cookers. Andrew's number is 306633.
Fixed prices and fault-finding
Some gas jobs suit a fixed price. A boiler service, a landlord gas safety check or connecting a cooker to an existing gas point are predictable, so a set figure is normal and easy to compare.
Fault-finding is different. Until the boiler is opened up, nobody knows what has failed. The fair comparison there is how the engineer charges for finding the fault, how parts are priced, and whether they stop and tell you the cost before carrying on. Andrew explains what he has found and what it will cost before any work starts, so you decide each step.
What a good quote spells out
For anything bigger than a service, a good quote tells you:
- The work in plain words. Which appliance, which part, and where any new pipe will run.
- Parts by name. Not a single line for parts, but what is being fitted, so you can hold one quote against another.
- Testing. Gas pipework is tightness tested whenever it is disturbed, and the appliance is checked for safe running afterwards.
- Making good. If floorboards come up or a hole goes through a wall, who puts it right.
- Paperwork. A landlord gets a gas safety record. A new boiler has to be notified under Building Regulations, which a Gas Safe installer does for you, and you should get the certificate and the warranty registration afterwards.
- What happens if something else turns up. You should be told and given a price before any extra work.
Where cheaper quotes tend to differ
When one price is well below the rest, ask what it leaves out. With a new boiler, the usual gaps are cleaning the system before it goes in, a magnetic filter, proper controls and the flue. With a power flush it is often the inhibitor and balancing the radiators afterwards. Leave those out and the new boiler or the cleaned system will not last as it should.
The other gap runs the opposite way: a quote for a new boiler when a repair would have done. If the boiler is otherwise sound and its parts are still made, ask whether repairing it has been considered. Andrew will tell you honestly when a repair is better value than a replacement.
Lining the quotes up
With the prices in front of you, ask each one the same questions. Is it the same boiler or the same part? Is cleaning the system included? Who will actually do the work? With Andrew, it is him from the first call to the finished job, so the person who priced it is the person who does it.
Questions people ask
A few short answers on comparing prices.
Why do gas engineers charge different amounts for the same job?
Usually because they are not pricing quite the same job. One allows for testing, cleaning or parts that another leaves out. Once you line up what is included, the gap often shrinks.
Do I need a written quote for a small job?
For a service or a cooker connection, a clear price by phone or message is fine. For a new boiler, a cylinder or anything that means new pipework, get it in writing, so you can compare like with like and refer back to it if something changes.
Do I need a gas safety record if I own my home?
There is no legal need, but after any gas job you should know what was tested and that the appliance is safe to use. Landlords are different: they need a check every 12 months and must give their tenants a copy of the record.
If you need a price for gas work, or want a second quote to compare, ring Andrew on 07801 988752 or send the details through the contact page.
