Frequently Asked Questions

LAB Plumbing & Heating is based in Chester-le-Street and covers Durham, Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, Washington, Stanley, South Shields and the surrounding North East. If you are not sure whether your postcode is covered, give us a quick call on 07438 818496.

We work 7 days a week, usually from 08:00 to 17:30. You can call, WhatsApp or send a quote request at any time and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Yes. We are Gas Safe registered (No. 951095), so all gas work, including boiler installations, servicing and repairs, is carried out safely and legally. LAB Plumbing & Heating also holds public liability insurance up to £5 million.

Lewis has 10 years of experience in plumbing and heating. He grew up with a father who was also a plumbing and heating engineer, started his apprenticeship at 16, and started trading as LAB Plumbing & Heating in 2026.

Use the Get a Free Quote form, call 07438 818496 or send a WhatsApp message. Sending a few details and photos of the job helps us give you a quicker, more accurate quote. You get a clear price before any work begins.

Yes. LAB Plumbing & Heating is owner-led, so you have one point of contact from your first message to the finished job. For larger projects, such as bathrooms, we organise the other trades on your behalf.

Yes. On top of your statutory rights, every job comes with a 6-month workmanship guarantee from completion, covering defects in the workmanship. Manufacturer warranties on boilers and products are separate.

No. We work on gas boilers of all types, including combi, system and regular boilers, but we do not work on oil boilers.

It varies between manufacturers, but is usually 5, 7 or 10 years.

Nine times out of ten it will take one day if you already have a combi boiler. Changing the boiler type or moving it to a new position can take longer, and you will be told the timescale before the job is booked.

Most new boiler installations cost between £2,000 and £3,000 supplied and fitted. The final price depends on the boiler, its position and any upgrades your system needs, and you get a clear quote before any work starts.

Usually only for the day of the swap. The old boiler is removed, the new one is fitted and commissioned, and in most cases your heating and hot water are back on before we leave.

Removal and disposal of the old boiler can be included in your quote. Just mention it when you get in touch.

Certain parts of a service, like cleaning the heat exchanger, can improve efficiency, but a service is mainly for safety and for testing that the boiler is working correctly.

Every 12 months, to keep it safe and to keep the manufacturer warranty valid.

A boiler service costs £85 to £120, depending on the boiler type and access.

We check the burner, gas pressure, seals, condensate and safety devices, test the flue gases with a calibrated analyser and clean parts where needed.

You are told straight away what the problem is and what it will cost to fix. No extra work is carried out without your agreement.

Yes. LAB Boiler Care is a membership at £12.99 a month. It includes your annual boiler service, priority booking, 50% off call-out fees for breakdown and diagnosis visits, and WhatsApp support for quick advice and fault diagnosis before a visit. Your boiler has a short eligibility inspection first. Full terms apply, and details are available on request.

It depends on the size, layout and complexity of the bathroom, but it is usually around 7 days of labour.

Bathroom installations are typically £3,000 to £5,000. You get a clear scope and price before any work begins. Anything unexpected found once work starts is explained and agreed with you before it goes ahead.

Yes. We handle the strip-out and all the plumbing and fitting, and manage our own subcontractors for tiling, plastering, electrics and joinery or flooring, so you have one point of contact.

Yes. You can choose and buy your own suite, or we can recommend products that suit your space and budget.

We plan the job to keep disruption to a minimum. If you only have one bathroom, mention it at the quote stage and we will explain how the work will be staged.

No. We do the plumbing ourselves and manage our own subcontractors for tiling, plastering, electrics and joinery or flooring. The finished room is left ready for you or your decorator.

Allow about an hour per radiator if it stays in the same place with little or no pipework change.

Most radiator installations cost £150 to £300 per radiator, depending on the radiator and whether the pipework needs moving.

Yes. We fit standard panel radiators, vertical and horizontal designer radiators and heated towel rails in black, anthracite, white and brushed brass finishes.

Yes. Moving a radiator means altering the pipework, so it takes longer than a like-for-like swap. We will price this clearly before starting.

Often, yes. We flush radiators and whole heating systems to clear sludge, either as a standalone job or alongside radiator work, and we can advise whether a flush would help your heating run better.

Yes. We fit new TRVs and replace old ones, either with a new radiator or as a job on its own, so you can control the temperature in each room.

Most repairs come to £100 to £500. There is a £75 call-out and diagnostic fee, which covers the first hour of labour; any parts needed are charged on top, and you are told the price before they are fitted.

We repair combi, system and regular gas boilers. We do not work on oil boilers. Tell us the make and model when you get in touch.

Call or WhatsApp with the boiler make and the fault or error code, and we will arrange the earliest visit we can, 7 days a week.

Yes. Once the fault is found, you are told what is needed and what it will cost before anything is fitted.

It depends on the age and condition of the boiler and the fault. If a repair no longer makes sense, we will tell you honestly and give you a clear quote for a replacement, so you can decide.

Yes. Members of the LAB Boiler Care plan get 50% off call-out fees for breakdown and diagnosis visits, along with priority booking. Ask us for details.

It is usually completed within an hour.

If the tap has isolation valves, all other water outlets can be used while the work is going on.

Tap installation costs £85 to £150, depending on the tap and the access underneath the sink or basin.

Yes. You can buy your own tap and we will fit it, or we can recommend one to suit your sink and water pressure.

Yes. If your tap does not already have isolation valves, we can fit them when we fit your new tap, which makes future maintenance much easier.

We install wall-mounted split systems for single rooms and multi-split systems that run several indoor units from one outdoor unit, for homes and businesses.

Yes. Lewis holds the F-Gas qualification needed to work on air conditioning systems.

Yes. We cover commercial air conditioning maintenance contracts and VRF/VRV systems.

Yes. We remove and decommission old air conditioning systems, whether they are being replaced or taken out for good.

We do not service or repair portable air conditioning units, carry out refrigerant leak detection and repairs, or install, clean or repair ventilation ductwork.

Every system is priced individually, depending on the number of rooms, the units and the installation. We give a free quote before any work starts.