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GUIDE

Plumber registrations explained

WaterSafe, Gas Safe, CIPHE, APHC and the rest: what each badge means, and how to check it's real.

IN SHORT

Only one registration is required by law: anyone doing gas work must be a Gas Safe registered engineer. For other plumbing, registered plumbers in the UK usually belong to WaterSafe Register through one of its four schemes, or to a body such as CIPHE or APHC. These are voluntary, but they set standards such as qualifications or proof of competence, public liability cover (usually at least £2 million) and a complaints process. Always check membership on the body's own website.

Plumbing accreditation in the UK is a patchwork, and logos on a van don't explain themselves. This guide for your home sets out what each one means.

Plumbing registrations at a glance

Gas Safe is the only registration a plumber needs by law, and only for gas work. Everything else is voluntary, but tells you something useful about who you're hiring.

SCHEMEWHAT IT COVERSREQUIRED BY LAW?HOW TO CHECK
Gas Safe RegisterAny work on gas fittings and appliancesYes, for gas workID card, then gassaferegister.co.uk, 0800 408 5500, or text GAS and the licence number to 85080
WaterSafe RegisterApproved plumbers for water supply pipes and fittings, through four schemesNoSearch watersafe.org.uk by postcode, then confirm with the scheme on their ID card
CIPHEProfessional body for individual plumbing and heating engineersNo"Verify a member" on ciphe.org.uk
APHCTrade body for plumbing and heating businesses in England and WalesNo"Find an APHC member" on aphc.co.uk, or 0121 711 5030
Competent person schemesSelf-certifying notifiable work such as new bathrooms, boilers and unvented cylindersNo, but without one the work must be notified to building controlSearch by postcode on LABC Front Door
TrustMarkGovernment-endorsed quality scheme for work in and around the homeNotrustmark.org.uk
Which? Trusted TradersEndorsement after vetting by trading standards professionalsNotrustedtraders.which.co.uk

Gas Safe Register: the one that's the law

By law, any gas work in your home must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, often called a Gas Safe registered plumber, who is qualified for that type of gas work.

Check the card both sides. The front shows the engineer's photo, their business, the dates it's valid and a seven-digit licence number. The back lists the work they're qualified for, each with an expiry date. Make sure your job is listed and in date.

Then check the number. The check is free: use "Check an Engineer" on the Gas Safe Register website, call 0800 408 5500, or text GAS followed by the seven-digit number to 85080. If an engineer can't show a valid card, don't let them start, and contact Gas Safe Register.

If you smell gas: leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

WaterSafe Register: approved plumbers for water

WaterSafe Register is the national register of approved plumbers who work on drinking water pipes and fittings. It was called WaterSafe until it was renamed WaterSafe Register from 1 April 2026, to make it clearer to homeowners that they should use a registered plumber. It's backed by the drinking water regulators across the UK and supported by water companies, and the Drinking Water Inspectorate recommends it.

Plumbers join through one of four approved contractor schemes:

  • APHC, for businesses in England and Wales
  • CIPHE, across the UK
  • WIAPS, run for most water companies in England and Wales
  • SNIPEF, in Scotland and Northern Ireland only

What membership tells you. Plumbers at an approved business need at least an NVQ Level 2 in plumbing and a recognised water fittings qualification. The business must hold at least £2 million public liability insurance, follow a code of conduct and put right work that breaks the water fittings rules. When they finish, they give you a signed certificate saying whether the work complies, which helps if your water supplier questions it.

Why it matters even though it's voluntary. In England and Wales, the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 apply to every job, and responsibility for meeting them is shared between whoever does the work and the owner or occupier. Some work needs the water company's consent in advance, and approved plumbers can do some of it without giving notice first.

How to check. Search watersafe.org.uk by postcode, then confirm membership with the scheme named on the plumber's ID badge.

CIPHE: the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering

CIPHE is the professional body for UK plumbing and heating, and is often what people mean by the institute of plumbers. Founded in 1906, it is now a chartered body and a registered charity.

Membership is personal, not a business badge. Under CIPHE's code, members must work competently, keep their training up to date, follow the law and British Standards, and hold at least £2 million public liability insurance where appropriate. Complaints can lead to removal, but CIPHE doesn't handle contract or commercial disputes. Check a member with "Verify a member" on its website, using their membership number.

APHC: the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors

APHC is a not-for-profit trade body for plumbing and heating businesses in England and Wales. Members pass quality checks, follow building and water regulations, hold at least £2 million public liability cover, show full contact details on quotes and invoices, and run a complaints procedure. APHC is also a WaterSafe Register scheme and runs a competent person scheme.

Competent person schemes

A competent person scheme lets an installer certify their own work under the Building Regulations, so you don't need separate approval from building control. It applies to notifiable work, such as:

  • a new bathroom with new or altered plumbing (swapping a toilet, basin or bath like for like doesn't count)
  • installing or replacing a boiler or heating system
  • fitting an unvented hot water cylinder, which also needs a specific qualification
  • electrical changes around a bath or shower

Membership isn't compulsory, but without it the work must be notified to building control. A registered installer should send you a compliance certificate; if none arrives within 30 days, contact the scheme.

TrustMark and Which? Trusted Traders

TrustMark is a not-for-profit, government-endorsed quality scheme covering many trades. Businesses are vetted by approved scheme providers and are expected to offer a guarantee of at least two years. Complaints go to the business, then its scheme provider, then an ombudsman.

Which? Trusted Traders vets traders with a credit check, references, a review of how they run the business and an assessment by a trading standards professional. It doesn't inspect work on site.

Public liability insurance

Public liability insurance isn't required by law; the Health and Safety Executive calls it generally voluntary. But WaterSafe Register, CIPHE and APHC all expect at least £2 million of cover, so for plumbers that's the benchmark. Employers' liability insurance is compulsory for anyone with staff. Ask to see the certificate and check the name and expiry date.

How Fill My Day checks plumbers

When Fill My Day launches in Bristol, a person will check every plumber's qualifications and public liability insurance before they can reply to a job, and anyone offering gas work must be Gas Safe registered. It's a document check at approval, not a guarantee of the work. Read how we check plumbers, and our guide on how to find a good plumber for the rest of the checks worth doing.

Where these figures come from

GOOD TO KNOW

Questions,
answered straight.

Is WaterSafe the same as Gas Safe?

No. WaterSafe Register covers plumbers who work on water supply pipes and fittings, and it's voluntary. Gas Safe Register covers gas work, and by law anyone working on gas must be on it.

Does a plumber have to be registered?

Only for gas work. Plumbing on water pipes, taps and toilets doesn't need a licence, but the work must still meet the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 in England and Wales, and approved plumbers can certify that it does.

What is the Institute of Plumbers in the UK?

The professional body is the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE). It's a membership of individual plumbers, and you can check a member with the verify tool on its website.

How do I check a Gas Safe engineer?

Look at the back of their ID card for the work you need, then check the licence number online, on 0800 408 5500, or by texting GAS and the number to 85080.

KEEP READING

Where to next.

FIRST STOP / BRISTOL

Bristol.
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The app is in development and isn't taking bookings yet. Plumbers first, other trades to follow.

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