Terms and conditions for a plumbing and heating business

Water finds the gap in the terms as reliably as it finds the gap in the joint. A plumbing and heating business needs terms that separate its own work from the system it was asked to connect to, that price emergency attendance clearly, and that say what a boiler warranty is and is not. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Plumbers and heating engineers in England and Wales doing repairs, bathroom and kitchen plumbing, boiler installation and servicing, and commercial maintenance, whether as a sole trader or a company with several engineers. Gas work is separately regulated and only a registered engineer may do it; the terms assume you hold the registration the work requires.

What matters in plumbing and heating terms

Call-outs, emergencies and the price before you arrive

The terms should state the call-out charge and the hourly or fixed rates that follow it, and that a diagnosis is chargeable whether or not the customer goes ahead with the repair. Emergency work the customer asked for is an exception to the consumer's right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, but only the urgent work is covered; the new tap you fitted while you were there is not, unless the customer expressly asked for it.

The existing system

Most of what you touch was installed by someone else. The terms should say that you are not responsible for the condition of existing pipework, valves, radiators or appliances, that a repair to one part of a system does not guarantee the rest, and that disturbing old pipework can cause leaks elsewhere for which you are not liable if you took reasonable care. Power flushing and pressure testing deserve their own line, because they find weaknesses that were already there.

Boilers, warranties and commissioning

The manufacturer's warranty on a boiler is the manufacturer's, and it usually depends on registration and annual servicing. The terms should say that you will register the appliance and give the customer the details, that the warranty is between the customer and the manufacturer, and that your own workmanship guarantee is a separate, defined thing. Where the installation must be notified under the Building Regulations, the terms should say who does that and when the certificate arrives.

Water damage and liability

A failed joint can ruin a kitchen ceiling and the flat below. You cannot exclude liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, and against consumers you cannot cut down statutory rights, but for business customers you can cap liability and exclude consequential loss, and for everyone the terms can require the customer to know where the stopcock is and to tell you about any known problems. Your public liability cover should be stated.

Access, parts and payment

The terms should cover access to the property and to the parts of the system you need, waiting time for parts that have to be ordered, and payment on completion for repairs and by stages for installations. Business customers can be charged interest and compensation on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998; for consumers any interest rate must be modest and clearly stated.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted around your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want to know how much of a problem they are. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of terms drafted around your business, not a template with your name inserted
• A covering note in plain English explaining every commercial choice I made and why, so you can defend the terms in a negotiation without ringing me
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions set at a level that will survive a procurement review
• Consumer-facing wording drafted to be enforceable where you sell to consumers
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly, which is where most businesses actually fail
• One round of amendments after you have read them

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country

Questions I am often asked

Can I refuse to work on a system that is in poor condition?

You can, and the terms should give you the right to stop work and charge for time spent where continuing would be unsafe or would damage the existing installation, with the customer told why.

Who is responsible if a customer-supplied boiler or tap turns out to be faulty?

The terms should say that customer-supplied items are fitted at the customer's risk, that you are not responsible for their quality, and that removing and refitting a faulty item is chargeable. The customer's remedy is against the retailer who sold it.

Do I need separate terms for annual servicing contracts?

Not separate terms, but a section dealing with recurring visits: the annual price, what a service includes, what happens if access is not given, and how either side ends the arrangement. A servicing contract sold online or by phone is a distance contract with its own cancellation rules.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495, if a main contractor or business customer has sent you their terms to sign
• Terms and conditions for an electrician, which deals with the same call-out and certification issues

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.