Self-employed heating engineer

Homeowners, landlords, letting agents and sometimes small commercial premises.

Call-out and repair charges, fixed prices for boiler and radiator installs, and a share of parts costs. Repeat work comes from annual services and recommendations.

• Gas and heating qualifications
• Fault finding and problem solving
• Clear quoting and customer service
• Organising jobs and parts

• Legally, you must be on the Gas Safe Register to work on gas appliances in Great Britain; check the rules for Northern Ireland
• Oil or LPG systems may need different registration, such as OFTEC; check what applies to you
• Public liability insurance, and check whether your cover suits the work you do
• Training costs can be significant and are not included in the startup estimate
• Check requirements for hot water cylinders, building regulations notification and certificates, and ask your registration body or council
• Emergency call-outs can disrupt your week, so set clear working hours

Startup costs are typically around £3,000 to £12,000, depending on your van, tools and insurance. Training costs can be significant and are not included in that estimate, so budget for them separately.

Monthly revenue is typically around £2,500 to £8,000, depending on the jobs you take and how many hours you work. Estimates start from about 25 hours a week, and this is revenue rather than profit.

Check that you must be on the Gas Safe Register to work on gas appliances in Great Britain, and check the rules for Northern Ireland. Also check whether oil or LPG work needs registration such as OFTEC, and building regulations certificates.