What gas work can I legally do myself?

No – by law, almost all gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, not you.

GR-01The short answerIn practice, no. The law says anyone doing gas work must be competent to do it, and anyone doing it as part of their job must be on the Gas Safe Register. 'Competent' means trained and assessed to the same standard as a registered engineer, which an ordinary homeowner isn't. Use a Gas Safe registered engineer for anything that involves a gas pipe, fitting, appliance or flue.

RULES

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The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 require anyone doing gas work to be competent, and anyone doing it for work to be Gas Safe registered.

GR-02Where this appliesThis guide covers England first. The same rule applies across England, Scotland and Wales, because it comes from health and safety law, not planning law. Northern Ireland has its own, very similar, gas safety regulations.

GR-03What counts as gas workGas work means installing, fitting, altering, repairing, maintaining or removing a gas pipe, flue or appliance. There's no size threshold or percentage limit like you get with extensions – it's about the type of work, not how big it is. Even connecting a cooker or boiler yourself is covered.

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By law this work must be done by someone competent to do it safely, which in practice means Gas Safe registered.

GR-04Exceptions that change the answerThe law doesn't ban a competent homeowner from doing their own gas work, but the bar is the same training a registered engineer has, and if anything goes wrong you are criminally responsible. If you rent, gas safety is your landlord's legal job: report problems to them and don't alter gas fittings yourself. Some nearby jobs aren't gas work, such as wiring an appliance's electrics, but they fall under electrical rules instead.

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Landlords have a legal duty to have gas appliances and flues checked annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

GR-05Planning permission vs Building RegulationsPlanning permission is not the issue here – gas work is controlled separately. Installing or replacing a boiler or gas appliance also falls under Building Regulations, usually Part J, because of combustion and flue safety. A Gas Safe registered engineer normally handles this by self-certifying the work, so you don't need to contact Building Control separately.

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New or replacement gas appliances must meet Building Regulations, usually certified by the Gas Safe registered installer.

GR-06Who to askUse the Gas Safe Register to find and check an engineer's registration and the type of gas work they're qualified for. There's no lawful development certificate or planning application involved, because this isn't a planning matter. For landlord duties or general safety questions, GOV.UK has guidance on gas safety.

GR-07Costs and timescalesThere's no official application fee, because you're hiring a tradesperson rather than applying for permission. A Gas Safe engineer's call-out or safety check typically costs around £60 to £120. A replacement boiler, fitted, usually costs £2,000 to £4,500 or more. Get more than one quote, and check each engineer on the Gas Safe Register before booking.

GR-08If you skip itDoing gas work yourself without being competent is a criminal offence and can lead to prosecution, fines or worse if something goes wrong. Gas leaks and faulty appliances can cause fire, explosion or carbon monoxide poisoning. When you sell, buyers' solicitors often ask for proof that gas work was done by a registered engineer, and an indemnity policy cannot fix a genuinely unsafe installation.

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Carrying out gas work without being legally competent is a criminal offence under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

GR-09If you live in Wales, Scotland or Northern IrelandIn Wales and Scotland, the same UK-wide gas safety law applies, so the answer is the same as in England. Scotland separately has its own building warrant and permitted development rules for other home improvements – check mygov.scot if other work is involved alongside the gas job. Northern Ireland has its own gas safety regulations with the same effect, and engineers there must also be on the Gas Safe Register; check nidirect for details.

RULES

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Northern Ireland has separate gas safety regulations that also require gas work to be done by a competent, registered person.

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