HETAS Certificate of Compliance — UK 2026 Guide
Everything you need to know about the HETAS Certificate of Compliance: what it is, when you get it, what it costs, how to retrieve a lost copy, and what to do if your install never received one.
What the certificate actually is
A HETAS Certificate of Compliance (formally, a Building Regulation Compliance Certificate) is the legal document confirming your solid fuel appliance installation meets all applicable Building Regulations Part J requirements. Issued by a HETAS-registered installer on completion, it serves as:
- Proof of compliance for home insurers
- Proof of compliance for property sale conveyancing
- Record of the installation specifications
- The Local Authority notification (HETAS forwards records to your LA every Tuesday)
When you receive it
On installation day, your HETAS-registered installer notifies the work through the HETAS Technical Hub portal. From there:
- HETAS forwards records to the relevant Local Authority every Tuesday
- The Certificate of Compliance is posted to you within 2 weeks of installer notification
- HETAS also archives the certificate on its national central database
If you haven't received the certificate by the 3-week mark: chase your installer first; if they don't respond, contact HETAS at info@hetas.co.uk or 01684 278170.
What the certificate costs
At point of installation: nothing extra to the homeowner. The HETAS notification cost is borne by the registered installer as part of their HETAS membership overhead, absorbed into the overall installation quote.
Some installation quotes break it out as a line item (£100–£200 typical when itemised), but most include it silently. If your quote shows a separate "HETAS certificate" fee above £200, ask why.
Compare with the non-HETAS route: a non-HETAS installer requires Local Authority Building Control notification, costing the homeowner £200–£400 plus inspection delays of several weeks. The HETAS route is financially advantageous even before considering the speed and convenience.
Retrieving a lost certificate
- Visit hetas.co.uk/consumer/certificates-of-compliance/
- Search by postcode or original reference number
- Click the orange reference number to view the record
- Pay the replacement fee of £34.80 inc VAT
- Certificate emailed to you within 30 minutes
Note: a minor pricing variation has appeared in some HETAS publications (one quoted £36; another quoted £33.60). The current rate at point of order is shown on the certificate search page itself.
If no certificate exists for your install
Two scenarios where you won't find a HETAS record:
- Your installer wasn't HETAS-registered — most common cause. The work may still be technically compliant with Part J but wasn't notified via the Competent Person Scheme.
- Your installer was HETAS-registered but never notified the install — happens occasionally if the installer ceased trading before submitting paperwork. Less common but possible.
The remediation route: apply to Local Authority Building Control for a regularisation certificate (£200–£400 council fee). A council inspector visits, assesses current compliance with Part J, and may require remediation work to bring the install up to current standards. If the install was well-built, the inspection is largely a formality.
What you cannot do: get a HETAS-registered installer to issue a retrospective Certificate of Compliance. HETAS rules explicitly prohibit registered installers from self-certifying work performed by someone else — this is a foundational rule of the Competent Person Scheme.
Selling a house without a certificate
Conveyancers routinely request the HETAS certificate during property sale searches. Without one:
- Buyer's solicitors can't give a clean title report
- Mortgage lenders may withhold funds until certification is in place
- Buyers may request a price reduction (typically £500–£2,000) or that you resolve before completion
- Some lenders accept building regs indemnity insurance (£100s, one-off) as a workaround
Increasingly, lenders reject indemnity insurance for solid fuel installations and require either the original certificate or a Building Control regularisation certificate. Plan accordingly.
Insurance implications
UK home insurance policies routinely require Building Regulations compliance for fitted appliances. Without a HETAS certificate (or Building Control equivalent):
- Insurers can refuse claims for fire or CO-related incidents
- Even non-stove claims can be affected if the policy was issued on incomplete disclosure
- Specialist policies require the certificate as a precondition of cover
The certificate is the single most important piece of paperwork for any UK log burner owner. Keep it safe; keep a scanned copy in cloud storage as backup.
Get 3 free quotes from HETAS-registered installers
Postcode + scenario + budget. We match you with vetted HETAS installers near you. No payment, no spam.
Find an installer →Frequently asked questions
What is a HETAS Certificate of Compliance?
It's the legal document confirming your solid fuel appliance installation meets Building Regulations Part J. Issued on completion by your HETAS-registered installer, recorded in HETAS's national central database, with notification forwarded to your Local Authority Building Control. The homeowner gets the original; the installer keeps a duplicate.
When do I receive my HETAS certificate?
Posted to you within 2 weeks of installation. HETAS transmits records to local authorities every Tuesday, and the physical certificate follows within a few days. If you don't receive it by the 3-week mark, chase your installer first; if that fails, contact HETAS at info@hetas.co.uk.
Is the HETAS certificate cost separate?
No — included in the installation quote. The HETAS notification cost is borne by the registered installer as part of their HETAS membership overhead. Replacement copies (if you lose the original) cost £34.80 inc VAT via hetas.co.uk/consumer/certificates-of-compliance/.
Do I need the certificate when selling my house?
Yes, conveyancers routinely request it. Without it, buyers' solicitors can't give a clean title report and mortgage lenders may withhold funds. Indemnity insurance (£100s, one-off) is a partial workaround but increasingly rejected by lenders.
What if I don't have a certificate for an old install?
Search by postcode at hetas.co.uk/consumer/certificates-of-compliance/ — if a record exists, order a replacement copy for £34.80. If no record exists, apply to Local Authority Building Control for a regularisation certificate (£200–£400). Note: a HETAS-registered installer cannot self-certify work performed by someone else.
Can I check the certificate is genuine?
Yes — search HETAS's certificate database by postcode or reference number. If the install isn't registered there, you don't have a valid HETAS certificate (regardless of any paperwork the installer has given you). See our HETAS ID verifier for installer-side checks.