There’s no single licence for builders. What to check depends on the job.
Gas Safe
- When
- Any gas work (the law)
- How
- Their ID card, or gassaferegister.co.uk
A registered electrician
- When
- Bathroom electrics, a new fuse box
- How
- Ask which scheme, and for the certificate
Building control
- When
- Extensions, lofts, structural work
- How
- Keep the completion certificate
Insurance
- When
- Every job
- How
- Ask to see the certificate
References
- When
- Every job
- How
- Recent, similar work you can see
| Check | When | How |
|---|---|---|
| Gas Safe | Any gas work (the law) | Their ID card, or gassaferegister.co.uk |
| A registered electrician | Bathroom electrics, a new fuse box | Ask which scheme, and for the certificate |
| Building control | Extensions, lofts, structural work | Keep the completion certificate |
| Insurance | Every job | Ask to see the certificate |
| References | Every job | Recent, similar work you can see |
What would your job cost?
Describe it, and see a typical price for your area. Then ask builders who do this work.
Read next
How we wrote this
Written by Structa. The rules come from the official pages below. General information, not legal advice.
- HSE: Domestic gas safety FAQs (checked 6 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Competent person schemes (checked 6 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Building regulations approval (checked 6 October 2026)
- Citizens Advice: Before you get building work done (checked 6 October 2026)