Yes, for the jobs you can price without seeing the house. Put a total price, VAT included, on a boiler service and a landlord gas safety certificate, an honest "from" price on a new boiler, and say plainly which jobs need a survey before you can quote.
Key takeaways
- A price on your own website counts as an "invitation to purchase" under the CMA's guidance, so it has to be the total the customer will pay, with VAT and any unavoidable fees in it.
- A "from" price is allowed, as long as it includes those charges and doesn't mislead people about what it covers.
- Fixed jobs (a service, a landlord certificate, a call-out) can carry a fixed price. A new boiler fitted usually needs a "from" price plus a survey.
- Citizens Advice tells homeowners to get written quotes from at least three traders, so expect many people asking you for a boiler quote to be asking other engineers as well.
- Hiding every price doesn't stop the comparison. It only means the homeowner compares you on whatever else they can find.
What homeowners do before they ring a heating engineer
They shop around, because the people they trust tell them to. Citizens Advice's guidance for anyone getting work done on their home names heating engineers among the trades it covers, and says: "Try to get written quotes from at least 3 different traders before you decide on one" (Citizens Advice).
The same page tells them what a good quote looks like: a fixed total price rather than a daily rate, a breakdown of the work and materials, how long the price is valid for, and whether it includes VAT. It also warns that "some traders charge for quotes" and tells homeowners to ask about that first.
So a homeowner thinking about a new boiler arrives at your website already expecting to compare. They're looking for a rough idea of the cost, proof you're Gas Safe registered, and a way to book someone round. If your site gives them none of the three, they have every reason to try the next engineer's site.
Plenty of local business websites don't answer the questions people ask before they ring. 77% of 57 local business websites our scan checked between 21 Aug and 10 Nov 2026 failed "Question-and-answer content" (44 of 57). On those sites, the page our scan read had no heading written as a question, so a question like "how much is it?" had nowhere on the page to be answered.
What the law asks of a price on your website
If you show a price, it has to be the real one. The CMA's summary of its price guidance under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 says: "Prices must be clear, complete and accurate" (GOV.UK, CMA209 summary).
Three points from that page matter to a heating engineer:
- Your website counts. The CMA lists "a page on your website" as one form of invitation to purchase, and in an invitation to purchase "you must give the customer the total price of the product."
- VAT and fixed fees go in the price. The guidance names VAT and booking fees as mandatory charges, and says giving them separately "will not normally be enough to comply with the law." Hiding a charge until later is what it calls drip pricing, and it's illegal.
- "From" prices are fine if they're honest. A "from" price is allowed "as long as it includes all applicable mandatory charges and does not mislead customers about what the price covers." Where the price depends on the customer's needs, you have to give them what they need to work out the total.
The CMA's fuller guidance on unfair commercial practices adds that an invitation to purchase must include information about the trader, "such as their identity and business address" (CMA207, chapter 4). For a heating firm, that's your registered trading name and address beside the prices. It pairs with your Gas Safe details: Gas Safe Register lets anyone check a business "by searching by their trading name or Gas Safe registration number" (Gas Safe Register FAQs), so the name on your price page should match the one on the register.
None of this forces you to publish prices. It sets the rules for the ones you do publish.
Fixed, "from", a range or no price: the options side by side
| Option | Suits | What the homeowner sees | What you have to get right | Who does the work after they read it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed price | A boiler service, a landlord gas safety certificate, a call-out | The total they'll pay, VAT in | Say what's included and what isn't (parts, a second visit) | You turn up and do the job |
| "From" price | A new boiler fitted, a system flush | The lowest real total and what that job covers | It must include VAT and any fixed fees, and the cheapest job must be one you'd really do | You survey, then quote the full price in writing |
| Price range | Moving a boiler, a heat pump swap, a full system | A low and a high figure with what moves it | Name what pushes the price up (flue route, gas pipe, moving the boiler) | You survey and narrow it to one written quote |
| No price, survey first | Big or unusual jobs | A promise of a written quote after a visit | Say whether the visit is free and how fast you book it | You win or lose them on how fast you answer and book |
Most firms end up with a mix: fixed prices for the small jobs, a "from" price for the job they most want more of, and a survey for everything else.
How to word a "from" price honestly
A "from" price works when the homeowner can see what it buys. Something like this, under your new boiler heading:
New combi boiler fitted from £[your figure], VAT included. That covers a like-for-like swap in the same spot, removing the old boiler, a filter and new controls. Moving the boiler or changing the flue costs more, and we'll tell you how much after a free survey.
Then check four things:
- It's the total. VAT is in the figure, not added later.
- It's real. The "from" job is one you'd actually fit at that price this month.
- It says what's in it. The homeowner can tell whether their house fits the "from" job.
- It says what changes it. The two or three things that most often push the price up, in plain words.
If you do charge for a survey, say so beside the price. Citizens Advice tells homeowners to ask, so they'll find out either way.
How to choose which prices to show
Before you decide what goes on your site, answer these:
- Which jobs do you price the same for every house? Those can carry a fixed price.
- Which job do you most want more of? That's the one worth a "from" price and its own page.
- Does every figure on the site include VAT and any fee the customer can't avoid?
- Does your "from" price describe a job you'd really do at that price?
- Is your registered trading name, address and Gas Safe number on the same page as your prices?
- When a homeowner reads the price and wants a visit, can they book it from that page or reach someone who answers?
That last question decides more than the price does. A homeowner who has read your price and rings to book is ready to have someone round. If the call rings out, they ring the next engineer on their list.
How we get you more booked quote visits
We don't set your prices; you do. What we do is get more homeowners booked in for a quote visit once they've seen them.
With pay per booking, we set up your Google ads on your own account, your Google Business Profile, a page for the heating jobs you want (with your prices worded as above, approved by you before it goes live), call answering for the calls you miss, quote chasing and review requests. You fund the ads direct with Google at a daily budget we agree. Before we start, we agree in writing how many booked visits we'll get you and in how many days (14 for heating engineers). Until we reach that number you pay us nothing. After it, each booked boiler or heating quote visit costs £60. If the customer cancels and doesn't rebook within 7 days, that visit is free. If we don't reach the number in time, you've paid us nothing; the ad spend has gone to Google and we never refund it.
Our heating engineers page has the details, and the home improvement page lists every trade we cover. The full breakdown of the fees is in our post on what pay per booking costs, and every price we publish is on our pricing page.
Showing your Gas Safe number properly goes hand in hand with your prices; our post on putting a trade logo on your website covers how to show scheme logos and registration details. Once the quote has gone out, how many times to follow it up is the next question.
If you're losing calls from people who've already read your prices, put three numbers from your own week into the missed call calculator and it shows what they cost you. To see what your own site is missing, the 48-check scan is free. Or book a 20-minute call with a member of our team; nothing is paid on the call.
Sources
- Competition and Markets Authority, Providing clear and accurate information about prices: summary (CMA209), GOV.UK, read 10 Nov 2026.
- Competition and Markets Authority, Unfair commercial practices (CMA207), chapter 4, read 10 Nov 2026.
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Citizens Advice, Before you get work done on your home, read 10 Nov 2026.
- Gas Safe Register, Frequently asked questions, read 10 Nov 2026.
- Build My Digital, our own scan records: 57 local business websites checked between 21 Aug and 10 Nov 2026.
Common questions
Do heating engineers have to put prices on their website?
No. But any price you do show counts as an invitation to purchase under the CMA's guidance, so it must be the total the customer pays, with VAT and any unavoidable fees included.
Can I use a "from" price for a new boiler?
Yes, if it includes VAT and any fixed fees and doesn't mislead people about what it covers. Say what the "from" job includes and what makes the price go up.
Should my prices include VAT?
Yes, if you're VAT registered and selling to homeowners. The CMA names VAT as a mandatory charge that should normally be in the total price you show.
Will showing prices put homeowners off?
Some may look elsewhere, but Citizens Advice tells homeowners to get at least three written quotes, so they compare you either way; a clear price lets them do it on your terms.
How do you charge for booked heating visits?
You pay us nothing until we reach the number of booked visits agreed in writing. After that, it's £60 for each booked boiler or heating quote visit, and you fund the Google ads direct on your own account.
What your missed calls cost you.
£780 a month
£180 a week, £9,360 a year, going to whoever answers first.
As an example from these numbers, £631 a month is left over after the receptionist’s £149 starting price. Illustrative only, not a promise of earnings.
These are example numbers. Change them to your own. Worked out as 5 missed calls a week, times £120, times the 30% who would have booked, then over a month (52 weeks divided by 12).
A receptionist that answers every call in seconds, day or night, is £149 to £399 a month. It has to pay for itself in the first month, or you get every penny back, setup included.
Hear it answer as your businessBoth calculators, calls and messages, on one page: the missed call cost calculator.
Want more booked jobs?
We get high-ticket home improvement firms and private clinics more booked jobs, and we’re only paid when the bookings come in. We set up your Google ads and profile, answer the calls you miss, chase every quote and bring in the reviews. You fund the ads direct with Google. Not sure where your site stands? Run the free scan first: 48 checks, no charge.
9 things that decide whether your phone rings.
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