How You Get a HETAS Certificate

The steps from survey to certificate

The certificate is the end of a process, not a separate purchase. It depends on each earlier stage being done properly.

• Survey of the room, chimney or flue route and hearth
• Appliance chosen to suit the room and the flue
• Flue, liner or twin wall and hearth installed
• Stove commissioned: lit, drawn and checked for spillage
• Carbon monoxide alarm fitted and tested
• Installation registered and certificate issued

What the certificate shows

It records the appliance, the property address, the installer and the date, and confirms the installation was carried out by someone registered to do it. It is the document buyers' solicitors, insurers and letting agents usually ask to see.

Scotland is different

In England and Wales, a registered installer's notification covers building regulations for most stove installations. Scotland has its own building standards system, and whether a building warrant is needed depends on the work. Ask your local authority which route applies before the stove is ordered, particularly for new flues, twin wall through a roof or wall, or listed buildings. The HETAS certificate is still valuable evidence of competent installation, but it is not a substitute for the council's decision.

Looking after the paperwork

Keep the certificate with the stove's manual, your sweeping certificates and any service records. Together they show the stove was fitted properly and has been maintained, which helps if you sell, change insurer or let the property. Replacing a stove or relining the flue later means a new installation and new paperwork.

Selling or buying a house with a stove

When a property with a stove changes hands, solicitors often ask for the installation certificate along with recent sweeping records. As a seller, gathering these early avoids delays. As a buyer, their absence does not necessarily mean the stove is unsafe, but it does mean you have less evidence about how it was fitted, so a sweep, inspection and an assessment by a qualified installer before you use it are sensible.

If paperwork is missing, the installer who fitted the stove may be able to help, and HETAS can sometimes confirm whether an installation was registered. Where neither route works, our guide to a missing HETAS certificate explains the options, which usually start with an inspection of the existing installation by a registered installer.

The same thinking applies to landlords. A tenant is relying on the appliance being safe, and a certificate for the installation plus a regular sweeping certificate is a clear, simple record that the stove and flue were fitted and maintained by competent people. Keep copies somewhere you can find them quickly if an insurer or agent asks.

Frequently asked questions