New builds and warranties

Does a brand-new boiler get a gas test because the house is new?

No. A RICS home survey looks at services visually. The Level 3 description says they are not tested for safety. A boiler fitted last week is still untested by that survey. NHBC Buildmark does not change the inspection into a gas certificate. The survey can see the case, the flue terminal and a leak. It cannot say the combustion is safe.

Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.

What is the fuller explanation?

A new-build snagging list that says “boiler fitted” is not a test either. Commissioning papers and the warranty schedule are what you ask the builder for. They are not a substitute for a proper check if the flue discharges into a covered walkway or the case is leaking. Gas work, if you commission it, belongs with a registered gas engineer. The home survey was not that visit.

There is no RICS price for a commissioning sheet. Ask the builder for the one they hold. Do not light every appliance as your own test on handover day. If the warranty is not NHBC, do not describe it as Buildmark. The limit on the survey is the same either way: it did not test the appliance.

What should you ask your surveyor?

What did you see of the boiler and the flue?
Are you limiting yourself to a visual note?
Which commissioning papers should the solicitor ask the builder for?

What are the typical next steps?

Ask for the commissioning record and the warranty schedule.
Do not treat a shiny case as a test.
If you want a Gas Safe check, book one. Do not add it silently to the survey fee.

Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.

Also asked about this

Is a heat pump a gas boiler?

No. If there is no gas, a gas record is the wrong paper. The survey still has not commissioned the pump.

Does a completion certificate test the flue?

A building-control certificate is not a flue-gas analysis. Read what it actually covers.