Pipework HQ Help Centre

PipeworkHQ is a SaaS app built specifically for UK heating engineers, Gas Safe installers, and heat-pump specialists. It covers the full job lifecycle — from first contact with a customer through to compliance certificate and payment — with UK-specific regulatory rules baked in at every step.

It runs in a browser and as a mobile-first web app. No separate iOS/Android app required.

Seats: Standard and Professional include 5 users. Extra seats cost £12/month (Standard) or £30/month (Professional), up to 20 extra. Beyond that, contact us.

Important: the plan names in the system are `pro` (that is Standard £49) and `enterprise` (that is Professional £129). If an engineer sees those words in the app, those are the same plans — the display names are Solo, Standard, Professional.

Annual billing: available at a discount. Monthly and annual toggle at checkout.

Founding engineer promo: early adopters may have a promotional rate locked in — this gives them Standard-plan allowances regardless of which tier label shows.

1. Create your first customer — go to Customers, add name, email, phone. You can import in bulk from CSV if moving from another system.
2. Add a property — link to the customer; enter the address. The app will look up the EPC rating and property profile from UPRN automatically.
3. Create your first job — select the customer and property; choose the service type.
4. Invite your team (Standard/Professional) — Settings → Team → Invite. They get an email with a 7-day-expiry link. Roles: Owner, Admin, Engineer, Apprentice, Accountant.
5. Set up your storefront (Solo+) — Settings → Website. Upload your logo, set your brand colour, claim your slug (e.g. pipeworkhq.co.uk/e/smithsheating). This is your public-facing page where customers can request a quote.
6. Connect payments (Standard+) — Settings → Billing → Connect with Stripe. You will need to verify your identity and bank details. Takes about 10 minutes. Once verified, you can take card payments.
7. Connect accounting (Standard+) — Settings → Accounting. Connect Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent with one click. Once linked, PipeworkHQ pushes invoices and payments one-way into your accounts package — automatically if you switch on "push automatically", otherwise with one click per invoice.

"I can't find the storefront settings" — you need Solo plan or above. Free plan has no storefront.

"Where do I invite my engineer?" — Settings → Team → Invite User. Standard or Professional plan required for more than 1 user.

"How do I import my old customers?" — use Bulk Import (Settings → Import). Upload a CSV with columns: name, email, phone, address. The app maps them and creates customer + property records.

A Job is the central record. Everything hangs off it — quotes, invoices, compliance certs, messages, photos.

awaiting_quote → quoted → accepted → in_progress → completed → invoiced

You cannot skip steps or go backwards (except Owner/Admin can override).

• Link to an existing customer + property, or create them on the spot.
• Add appliances on the job (or link existing ones on that property).
• Set the job type: new installation, service, repair, survey, callout, heat-loss survey.
• Assign an engineer (they get notified by SMS if messaging is set up).

For jobs with multiple visits (e.g. first fix + second fix) you can link child jobs to a parent. Types: follow_up, remedial_work, additional_work. Each child has its own status.

If the job comes in as an out-of-hours callout, toggle Emergency Mode on the job. A surcharge multiplier is applied automatically to line items.

Two ways to add photos:

1. Upload directly in the app on the job detail page.
2. Use Snap from Phone (see below) — send a QR code to a phone with no login needed.

Job detail → Create Quote. Add line items (labour, parts, materials). Each line item has a VAT rate selector.

VAT rates:

• 20% — standard rate for most labour and parts.
• 5% — reduced rate for qualifying energy-saving installations (e.g. insulation).
• 0% — zero rate for qualifying energy-saving materials (e.g. heat pumps on qualifying installs). This rate expires 31 March 2027 — after that date the app will auto-switch these items to 5%.
• Exempt — for specific services (rare).

The app calculates VAT correctly on each line and shows a totals breakdown. Use this as your VAT compliance audit trail.

Once saved, the quote generates a secure customer portal link. Customer clicks it, reviews the itemised quote, and can accept or request changes. No account needed on their end.

When a customer accepts (via portal or you accept it on their behalf in the app), the job status moves to `accepted` and a snapshot is frozen — the customer, property and appliance details at that point are locked in. This is your evidence if anything is disputed later.

From a job that is `accepted` or `completed`. Job detail → Create Invoice. The VAT engine carries over from the quote automatically.

Invoice numbers: sequential per tenant. The app never skips a number by accident. If you need to mark a number as unused (e.g., issued in error), use the admin tool to record the gap.

Draft invoices can be edited. Once you hit Issue, the invoice is sent to the customer (email + SMS if configured) and locked against further edits. Payment is then tracked against it.

• Card payment (Standard+): customer gets a "Pay Now" button on their invoice email. Stripe processes it. Money lands in your connected bank account (minus Stripe fees).
• Direct Debit (GoCardless): for recurring customers / service contracts.
• Record manual payment: if they pay cash, cheque, or bank transfer, record it on the invoice. This keeps your VAT records accurate.

Invoices → VAT Return Summary. Gives you a quarterly breakdown by rate band (0%, 5%, 20%, exempt) with net and VAT amounts. Download this and hand it to your accountant or enter it into your MTD-compatible software.

Connect Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent and PipeworkHQ can push your invoices and recorded payments straight into your accounts package, so you don't enter them twice. This is one-way (PipeworkHQ → your accounts package) — we don't pull changes back the other way.

Automatic push is opt-in: turn on "push automatically" in Settings → Accounting and each invoice/payment is sent as it's issued/recorded. Left off (the default), you push each invoice with one click when you're ready.

PipeworkHQ generates, signs, and stores compliance certs. All cert types are legally formatted for UK requirements.

1. Create cert (linked to job + appliance).
2. Fill in the required fields (readings, test results, pass/fail).
3. For CP12/CP14/CP17: appliance readings are required (gas rate, flue gas analysis, etc.).
4. Sign the cert (marks it as signed by the engineer; locks it).
5. Generate handover pack — bundles cert + manuals + warranty docs into a PDF.
6. Send handover pack to customer (email).

If issued in error, Owner/Admin can void it. The original record is retained for audit.

For boiler replacements notifiable under Building Regulations Part L, the app creates a dossier: photos (before, after, flue, appliance), benchmark data (Gas Safe Part L), and engineer signature. Required for Gas Safe submission.

These are built into the app. They use current UK law and are dated — the app shows when the rule was last verified.

"Do I need a CO alarm on this job?" — the answer depends on nation (England / Scotland / Wales / Northern Ireland), fuel type, and appliance type.

Short answer by nation (installer duty when fitting a new/replacement appliance):

• England: Required for all gas, oil, and solid-fuel appliances. Gas cooking-only is the only exception.
• Scotland: Required for all flued appliances including flued cookers.
• Wales: Required for all flued appliances.
• Northern Ireland: Required for all appliances except gas cooker/oven.

Placement (England): Same room as appliance. 1–3m horizontal distance. 300mm from ceiling if ceiling-mounted, 150mm below ceiling if wall-mounted. Must be BS EN 50291-1:2018 sealed-for-life Type A.

Access the checker in the app: Tools → CO Alarm Checker.

Current grant amounts (verified 2026-06-10):

• Air-source heat pump (ASHP): £7,500
• Ground-source heat pump (GSHP): £7,500
• Air-to-air heat pump (residential): £2,500
• Biomass boiler (rural/off-gas): £5,000
• Off-grid enhancement (oil/LPG replacement with ASHP or GSHP, from 21 July 2026): £9,000

EPC: No longer required (removed 28 April 2026). Alternative evidence still accepted. Insulation: No longer required as a gate (removed May 2024). Recommended but not blocking. England and Wales only. One grant per property.

Run BUS eligibility check: Job → Check BUS Eligibility (Professional plan only). Shows grant amount, eligibility notes, and any uplift advisory. Note: indicative only — not an MCS-certified assessment.

Room-by-room heat-loss survey → kW load → heat pump capacity recommendation → buffer volume → flow temperature.

Access: Job → Run Heat-Loss Survey. Results feed directly into the quote line items.

Disclaimer shown in app: indicative sizing aid; not MCS-certified; engineer must verify per MCS 020.

Input your pressure drop reading and test duration. The app tells you whether the test passes or fails per BS 6262. Access: Tools → Tightness Checker.

The 0% VAT rate on qualifying energy-saving materials (heat pumps, insulation, solar) expires 31 March 2027. After that date, these items revert to 5%. The app handles this automatically by checking the tax-point date on the invoice.

All free calculators are in the app under Tools → Calculators. No login required for the public versions at pipeworkhq.co.uk/tools.

On a job where you need photos taken from a phone (e.g. a customer's phone or your engineer's personal phone) without them needing to log in:

1. Open the job detail page in the app.
2. Tap Snap from Phone → the app generates a QR code.
3. The customer or engineer scans it on any phone — no login, no app download.
4. They take photos (up to 10 per session); photos appear on the job in real time.
5. The QR code expires after 24 hours or when you revoke it.

Photos are stored securely in Cloud Storage, linked to the job.

Roles are set at invite time. Owner/Admin can change a member's role later (Settings → Team).

Your storefront is your public-facing profile page where customers can find you and request a quote.

• Slug (Solo+): a URL like pipeworkhq.co.uk/e/yourcompanyname. Claimed once, can be changed with a redirect.
• Custom domain (Standard+: 1 domain, Professional: 3 domains): point your own domain (e.g. smithsheating.co.uk) to your storefront via a Cloudflare DNS record. The app walks you through it.
• Theme: upload logo, set primary colour. Cloud Vision extracts the dominant colours from your logo to suggest a theme automatically.
• Local pages: the app auto-generates town-specific pages (e.g. /e/yourslug/kettering) for local search visibility.

Customers reply to your SMS and the replies land in the job's message thread in the app. You reply from the app — the customer sees your business name, not a random number.

• STOP/UNSTOP: if a customer texts STOP, they are opted out. They can text UNSTOP to opt back in. You cannot override this.
• Messages are queued and sent in batches. Delivery receipts are tracked.

Invoices, certs, and messages all send from your configured email. You can use your own domain email via Postmark (recommended) or direct SMTP. Set up in Settings → Messaging.

WhatsApp messaging is in development and not yet available for live use. Use SMS or email for customer messaging in the meantime.

Leads come in from:

1. Your public storefront contact form.
2. WhatsApp messages (if connected).

They land in Dashboard → Leads. Status flow: new → contacted → converted / lost.

To convert a lead: open it, tap Convert to Customer. The app creates a customer record. You then create a property and job manually (the lead does not know the real address yet — the engineer captures it on site).

After a job is completed or invoice paid, the app queues an automated review request to the customer. You approve or dismiss each request before it sends.

When approved, the customer gets an SMS + email with a link to leave a Google or Trustpilot review.

Manage in Dashboard → Growth. See pending requests, approve or dismiss, view statistics.

For recurring maintenance plans (e.g. "Annual Boiler Service £150/year"):

1. Dashboard → Contracts → New Contract.
2. Link to customer + property.
3. Set term, renewal date, price, auto-renew flag.
4. If auto-renew is on: invoice raised automatically at renewal. If off: reminder sent to engineer, you raise invoice manually.

Renewal reminders comply with UK consumer law (advance notice before auto-charge).

After a job is completed, the app automatically drafts a social-media post with a review-card image (your branding, customer quote, QR link). You review and approve it before it publishes.

Connect channels: Dashboard → Marketing → Connect. Currently supports TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.

Phase 1 limitation: you must approve each post before it goes out. Fully automated posting is a future phase.

Connect Xero, QuickBooks, or FreeAgent once (Settings → Accounting → Connect). This is a one-way push — PipeworkHQ sends data TO your accounts package; it does not pull changes back. After connecting:

• Every invoice you issue in PipeworkHQ can be pushed to your accounts package.
• Every payment you record is pushed as a receipt/allocation.
• You never enter the same data twice.

Automatic push is opt-in. With "push automatically" switched on (Settings → Accounting), each invoice/payment is sent as it's issued/recorded. Left off (the default), you push each invoice manually with one click. If a push fails, you'll see an alert in the app and can re-push that invoice.

This is the area engineers find hardest. Be patient, use plain language, give exact steps. Never assume they know what DNS is.

A domain is your business's address on the internet (e.g. smithsheating.co.uk). You rent it yearly (£10–15/year) from a registrar (GoDaddy, 123-Reg, Namecheap, IONOS, Fasthosts, Squarespace). DNS is the signpost system that tells the internet where your domain points. A CNAME record is one signpost — it says "this domain shows the website over there."

Key reassurance to give: you do NOT need to move or transfer your domain to use it with PipeworkHQ. It stays exactly where it is — we just add one signpost.

1. Recommend a UK registrar they may already use, or Cloudflare Registrar (cheapest, at-cost pricing) / Namecheap (simple).
2. `.co.uk` is right for a UK trade business. £10–15/year. Avoid paying for extras (email add-ons, "protection" upsells — privacy is included free on .co.uk anyway).
3. Choose something short, spellable over the phone: their trading name, no hyphens if possible.
4. After purchase, come back to PipeworkHQ → Settings → Domains → Add Custom Domain (requires Standard plan or above).

In-app flow: Settings → Domains → Add Custom Domain → enter the domain → the app shows the exact CNAME record to create → add it at the registrar → the app checks automatically (Verify button / auto-poll).

The CNAME record they need to add (the app shows the exact values):

• Type: CNAME
• Name/Host: usually `www` or the subdomain they chose
• Value/Target/Points to: the address the app shows them

Registrar-by-registrar directions (where to find DNS settings):

• GoDaddy: My Products → Domain → DNS → Add New Record
• 123-Reg: Control Panel → Manage → Manage DNS → Advanced DNS tab
• Namecheap: Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS → Add New Record
• IONOS (1&1): Domains & SSL → domain → DNS → Add Record
• Fasthosts: Domains → Manage → DNS Settings
• Squarespace Domains (ex-Google Domains): Domains → domain → DNS Settings
• Wix / Webador / GoDaddy Website Builder customers: their domain may be locked to a website product — they need to find "DNS records" or "advanced DNS", NOT the website editor.

Propagation: after adding the record, it can take from 5 minutes up to 24–48 hours to go live (usually under an hour). The app keeps checking automatically. Tell them: add the record, make a cuppa, check back.

Common failure causes:

• They edited the wrong domain (own two similar ones).
• They added an A record instead of CNAME.
• They put the full domain in the Name field when the registrar wanted just `www` (registrars differ — some want `www`, some want `www.theirdomain.co.uk`).
• A conflicting old record on the same name (delete the old A/CNAME on `www` first).
• "Website builder" plans that block DNS editing — they may need to upgrade the registrar plan or move DNS to Cloudflare (free).

If their registrar's DNS panel is painful, moving just the DNS (not the domain) to Cloudflare is free and makes everything easier — and PipeworkHQ can then connect automatically:

1. Create a free account at cloudflare.com → Add Site → enter the domain.
2. Cloudflare copies the existing records automatically and gives two nameservers.
3. At the registrar, replace the nameservers with Cloudflare's (registrar panels: look for "Nameservers" or "DNS servers").
4. Back in PipeworkHQ: Settings → Domains → Connect with Cloudflare — the app lists their Cloudflare zones and sets the records itself. No manual CNAME needed.

Usually unnecessary — pointing DNS is enough. If they insist (e.g. leaving a bad registrar):

1. Unlock the domain at the current registrar (look for "Transfer lock" or "Domain lock" — turn OFF).
2. Get the auth/EPP code (also called transfer code) from the current registrar.
3. Start the transfer at the new registrar; paste the code; approve the confirmation email.
4. .co.uk domains are different: instead of an EPP code, the current registrar changes the IPS tag to the new registrar's tag. Takes minutes once done.
5. Domains registered or transferred in the last 60 days cannot be transferred (ICANN rule, applies to .com etc., not .uk).
6. The website keeps working during a transfer as long as nobody changes the DNS records.

Without this, their invoices send from PipeworkHQ's shared address. With it, customers see `office@smithsheating.co.uk`. Setup: Settings → Messaging → Email.

Two options:

• Postmark (recommended): reliable delivery, proper tracking. The app guides through verifying their domain — this means adding 2–3 DNS records (DKIM + return-path CNAMEs) at the registrar, same skill as the CNAME above. Once verified, invoices/certs/messages send from their address with proper authentication.
• Own SMTP: if they already have business email (e.g. via Microsoft 365/Google Workspace), they can plug in SMTP details (host, port, username, app password). Warning: consumer mailboxes (BT, Gmail personal) often block or throttle automated sending — Postmark avoids this.

Why their emails go to spam without setup (plain English): email providers check three signposts — SPF (who's allowed to send for this domain), DKIM (a signature proving it wasn't tampered with), DMARC (what to do if checks fail). The Postmark flow sets these up via the DNS records. If a customer says "your invoice went to junk", missing SPF/DKIM is almost always why.

Replies: customer replies to invoices/messages route back into the job's message thread automatically (the reply address is handled by the app — they don't need to configure anything for this).

Many start with `smithsheating@gmail.com`. Guidance ladder:

1. Quickest (free): most registrars offer free email *forwarding* — `office@smithsheating.co.uk` forwards to their Gmail. Looks professional on the van; replies still come from Gmail though.
2. Proper (recommended, ~£5–6/user/month): Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 Business Basic on their domain. Real mailbox, calendar, works on their phone. Setup = adding MX records at the registrar (same DNS panel as before; both providers show the exact records).
3. Then connect it to PipeworkHQ via the Email settings above.

PipeworkHQ does not host mailboxes itself — and never will host their inbox; we integrate with the above.

"I can't log in":

1. Wrong password → "Forgot password" on the login page → reset email. Check junk folder.
2. No reset email arrives → are they entering the email they signed up with? Common: signed up with personal Gmail but trying their business address (or vice versa).
3. Invite link doesn't work → invites expire after 7 days. Ask the Owner/Admin to send a fresh invite (Settings → Team → re-invite).
4. MFA/authenticator problems (lost phone, new phone): MFA is controlled tenant-wide by the Owner (Settings → Security). A locked-out team member should ask the Owner; if the *Owner* is locked out of MFA, that needs human support (identity verification required — this is deliberate, for security).
5. "I log in but can't see my company" → they're in the wrong account, or were removed from the team. Check which email they're signed in as (top-right menu). If they belong to two businesses, the tenant switcher is in the same menu.
6. Engineer can't see a job → not a login issue: engineers only see jobs assigned to them. Owner/Admin assigns via Job → Assign Engineer.
7. Account suspended notice → almost always a failed subscription payment. Owner: Settings → Billing → update card. Access restores immediately on successful payment.

• Ask which registrar they use FIRST — then give only that registrar's steps, not a generic list.
• One step at a time. Wait for them to confirm each step before the next.
• If DNS is added but not verifying: ask how long ago ("under an hour is normal — I'll keep checking"), then check the failure causes list above.
• Offer the Cloudflare route proactively when someone is stuck or their registrar blocks DNS editing.
• Know when to hand off: MFA-locked Owner, suspected account compromise, billing disputes, domain disputes (someone else owns their trading name) → human support, and say why.

"I created an invoice but the customer hasn't paid. How do I chase it?" Dashboard → Invoices → filter by Overdue. The app flags invoices past their due date. You can resend the invoice email from the invoice detail page. The app does not auto-chase yet — that is a future feature.

"I made a mistake on a cert I already signed." Signed certs are locked. Owner/Admin can void the cert (the voided record is kept for audit). Create a new cert with the correct information.

"I accepted the wrong quote — the job had the wrong price." Accepted quotes are locked (the snapshot freezes for your protection). Contact your customer and issue a credit note or updated invoice manually. Future: the app will support revision workflows.

"My Stripe payment isn't arriving in my bank." Check your Stripe Connect dashboard (Settings → Billing → Stripe Dashboard). Payouts typically arrive 2 business days after payment. If your account shows "restricted", there is a verification step outstanding in Stripe.

"I've run out of customers / jobs on my plan." Upgrade your plan (Settings → Billing). Free = 15 customers. Solo = 150. Standard/Professional = unlimited.

"I can't invite another team member — it says I've hit the seat limit." Standard and Professional include 5 seats. To add more: Settings → Billing → Add Seats. Each extra seat is £12/month (Standard) or £30/month (Professional). Maximum 20 extra self-serve (25 total).

"My engineer can't see a job." Check the engineer is assigned to the job (Job detail → Assign Engineer). Engineers can only see jobs they are assigned to, unless they have Admin role.

"The heat-loss calculator says 'Professional plan required'." The full heat-pump design tool requires Professional plan. The free heat-loss estimator (indicative only) is available to all plans under Tools → Heat-Loss Estimator.

"I need to move to a different accounting package." Settings → Accounting → Disconnect. Connect the new package. Historical invoices already pushed are not migrated automatically — you may need to import them into the new package separately.

"The app is saying the tax rate on my heat-pump install should be 0% but I expected 5%." Check the tax-point date on the invoice. The 0% VAT rate for qualifying energy-saving materials is valid until 31 March 2027. If the invoice date is before that, 0% is correct. After that date, the rate automatically becomes 5%.

"Can Mate book a job for me or update a customer record?" Not yet. Mate is currently read-only — it can look things up for you (your schedule, unpaid invoices, open leads, customers, jobs) but cannot write, create, or update anything. Write actions are coming in a future version.

"I want Mate to know about a specific job — how do I tell it?" Ask Mate by job number or by customer name. Mate searches your jobs and returns the matching record. Example: "What's the status of job 47 for Smith?" or "Show me all unpaid invoices this month."

"Can I use PipeworkHQ offline?" The app requires an internet connection for most features. On-site working with limited connectivity is possible for pre-loaded job views, but real-time sync (photos, messages, payments) requires a connection.

"How do I delete a customer?" Archive the customer (Customer detail → Archive). This is a soft-delete — the record is retained for audit and linked to all historical jobs. Permanent deletion is part of a full tenant data deletion (GDPR right to erasure request — contact support).

Ask Mate natural-language questions about:

• Your schedule — "What jobs have I got this week?" / "What's on tomorrow?"
• Unpaid invoices — "How many unpaid invoices do I have?" / "Show me everything overdue"
• Open leads — "Any new enquiries come in?" / "What leads are waiting for a response?"
• Customers — "What's the phone number for Mrs Johnson?" / "Find the customer called Patel"
• Jobs — "What's the status of job 47?" / "Find the boiler service at 14 High Street"

Mate always tells you where it found the information so you can tap through to the full record.

Mate cannot book jobs, create invoices, update records, or send messages. It is read-only right now. If you ask it to do something it cannot do, it will tell you honestly rather than pretending.

These are planned but not yet live. Mate should not present these as current features:

• Open Banking payments — spec exists; no live integration yet.
• Voice assistant (Porcupine "Oi Mate" wake-word) — planned P3; not built.
• Automated invoice chasing — planned; not yet in app.
• Mate write actions — planned; currently read-only MVP.
• Dedicated SMS number per tenant — planned as a paid upgrade; currently shared relay number.
• Full automated social posting — current Phase 1 requires manual approval; full automation is a future phase.

• Boiler error-code lookup — enter a boiler model/serial + fault code, get the diagnosis and likely parts. Ask Mate or use the lookup on a job. (Solo+)
• Boiler data lookup — serial/model → efficiency band, age, fuel type, discontinued status. Handy for replace-vs-repair conversations. (Solo+)
• Annual service reminders — the app automatically queues SMS/email reminders to customers when an appliance's annual service is due. Set-and-forget recurring revenue.
• Supplier invoice scanner — photograph a merchant invoice; OCR extracts items and costs; match to the job and reconcile in accounting. No more shoebox of receipts.
• Diary scanner — photograph a handwritten diary/planner page; the app extracts the appointments and notes into the system. Built for moving off paper.
• Business-card / van OCR — during onboarding, photograph your old business card or van: the app extracts your details and branding to set things up faster.
• Online card payments (Stripe Connect) — create a secure payment link from an invoice and send it to the customer. Tap to Pay is not yet available in the app. (Standard+)
• Appliance logbook & history — every appliance carries its full service history: logbook entries, services, certs. "When did we last do this boiler?" is one tap.
• Customer merge — accidentally created the same customer twice? Merge them; all properties and jobs reparent onto one record.
• Referral programme — refer another engineer: when they've paid for 6 months, you get £50 account credit. Details at /refer.
• Emergency callout mode — flag a job as out-of-hours emergency and the surcharge is applied automatically (covered in Jobs section).

The free marketing trio every engineer should have. Mate guides setup step-by-step.

1. business.google.com → Add your business. Use the exact trading name (no keyword stuffing — Google suspends profiles for "Smiths Heating | Best Boilers Kettering").
2. Categories: primary = Heating contractor (or Plumber if more plumbing). Add secondaries: Boiler installer, Heating engineer, Air conditioning contractor (if heat pumps).
3. Service-area business: if working from home, choose "I deliver to customers" and HIDE the address — list the towns covered instead. Never show a home address.
4. Verification is usually a video call or postcard — takes days, start early.
5. Add real photos (van, work, before/after) — profiles with photos get dramatically more calls.
6. The flywheel: PipeworkHQ's Growth Engine review requests already send customers to your Google review link — once the profile is live, every completed job builds your local ranking automatically.
7. Link your storefront URL (or custom domain) as the website.

bingplaces.com → "Import from Google Business Profile" — it copies everything. Free, done.

businessconnect.apple.com → free listing on Apple Maps. iPhone users searching "heating engineer near me" in Maps see you.

• Name check trio before committing: Companies House (free search), domain availability (£10–15/yr), and Google "name + your town" for clashes. Mate can run the Companies House check in-app.
• Logo: keep it simple — name + one icon + two colours. Must work small (phone screen, embroidered polo) and in one colour (invoice header). Upload to PipeworkHQ → Settings → Website and the app extracts your brand colours for the storefront automatically.
• Same logo everywhere: van, invoices, GBP, storefront, social — consistency is what makes a one-person band look established.

Mate supports engineers and apprentices on how to get qualified and expand into new work. Honesty note: course prices and exact scheme rules change — Mate gives the route and tells the user to verify current prices/dates with the awarding body. Knowledge verified to 2026 where dated; otherwise flag as "check current requirements".

To work on gas legally in the UK you must be on the Gas Safe Register — individual registration, renewed annually. Working on gas without it is a criminal offence.

Routes in:

1. Apprenticeship (the gold standard): Level 3 Gas Engineering apprenticeship — typically 3–4 years, earn while learning, employer-sponsored. Best for school leavers / career changers who can take apprentice wages.
2. Managed Learning Programme (MLP) / fast-track: commercial training centres offer packages (classroom + portfolio + ACS) for career changers — typically 6–12 months part-time. Costs vary widely (thousands); tell users to check the centre is properly accredited and includes a real work-placement portfolio, not just classroom time. Warn: "become an engineer in 15 weeks" adverts skip the portfolio reality.
3. Experienced route: existing experience (e.g. from another country or armed forces) → portfolio assessment → ACS.

ACS (Accredited Certification Scheme) is the competence assessment that gets you onto Gas Safe:

• CCN1 — core domestic gas safety (the foundation, everything else hangs off it)
• CENWAT — central heating boilers + water heaters (the must-have for heating work)
• CKR1 — cookers; HTR1 — fires/space heaters; MET1 — meters
• ACS elements are re-assessed every 5 years (reassessment is shorter/cheaper than initial).
• After passing ACS → apply to Gas Safe Register → registration card with your licence categories listed.

In-app tie-in: store your Gas Safe number and ACS expiry dates in PipeworkHQ's credentials vault — the app warns before they expire.

Oil-fired work is not legally licensed like gas, but OFTEC registration is the recognised competence scheme (and required for self-certifying installations under Building Regs):

• OFT10-101 — pressure-jet servicing/commissioning; OFT10-105e — installation
• Typically a 3–5 day course + assessment per module. Renewed every 5 years.
• OFTEC registration also covers Building Regs self-certification (no separate Building Control notification fee per job).

The route for a gas/oil engineer adding heat pumps:

1. Low-temperature heating & hot water systems course (LCL Awards or BPEC, ~2–4 days) — heat loss, emitter sizing, low-flow-temp design. This is the recognised entry qualification.
2. Air-source heat pump installation course (LCL/BPEC, similar length).
3. MCS certification — needed to install under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (£7,500 grants). Two ways:

• Become MCS-certified yourself (via a certification body — costs and audit overhead, worth it at volume), or
• Work under an MCS umbrella scheme — an MCS-certified company signs off your installs for a fee per job. The usual starting point; switch to own certification when volume justifies it.

1. F-gas (Category 1) — only needed if working on refrigerant circuits (split air-to-air systems, regassing). Monobloc air-to-water installs do NOT need F-gas (sealed refrigerant circuit, no site refrigerant work). This distinction saves engineers an unnecessary course — but they must not crack a refrigerant circuit without it. Renewed every 3 years (tracked in the app's credential vault).
2. Water regs (WRAS/Water Supply Regs) and G3 unvented (1-day) — usually needed alongside, for cylinders.

Why bother (Mate's pitch when asked): BUS grants run to 2028, the off-grid uplift hits £9,000 from July 2026, and heat-pump-capable engineers are scarce. PipeworkHQ's Professional plan has the heat-loss survey + BUS checker + MCS design tools built in.

• Part P awareness / Building Regs compliance for heating wiring; many heating engineers take a domestic electrical installer course so they can wire controls/heat pumps legally and self-certify (via a competent-person scheme like NICEIC/NAPIT).
• Full 18th Edition (BS 7671) + inspection & testing if going deeper.

• G3 Unvented hot water — 1-day, needed to fit/service unvented cylinders. 5-year renewal.
• Legionella awareness — for landlord risk assessments (the app has the assessment tool).
• Asbestos awareness — legally required annual awareness for trades entering older properties.

• Ask what they already hold and where they want to get to; give the gap, not the whole map.
• Always distinguish LEGAL requirements (Gas Safe, F-gas for refrigerants) from SCHEME requirements (MCS for BUS grants, OFTEC for self-cert) from good practice.
• For an apprentice in the tenant: encourage the apprenticeship + portfolio route, and point them at the app's tools as learning aids (calculators, regs checkers, cert workflows).
• Prices/durations: give ballparks, then "verify with the training centre / awarding body — prices move."

Last verified: 2026-06-14. ATW rules, figures and waiting times change — always tell the engineer to confirm the current position at gov.uk/access-to-work or with the ATW helpline. Mate is not a benefits adviser: signpost, never promise, never apply on their behalf.

What it is. Access to Work is a UK government (DWP) grant that helps disabled people, and people with a health condition, with the *extra* costs of working that come from that condition. It's a grant, not a loan — it isn't paid back. Almost no self-employed tradesperson knows it exists for them.

Who can get it (our audience — sole traders and 1–2 person limited companies):

• 16 or over, in paid work or about to start within the next 12 weeks.
• Lives in England, Scotland or Wales. Northern Ireland has a separate scheme with its own application.
• Any physical or mental health condition or disability counts — including dyslexia, autism, ADHD, anxiety and depression. You do not need a formal diagnosis to apply.
• Sole trader / self-employed: eligible if the business turns over at least £6,500 a year. No "employer", so no employer cost contribution ever applies.
• Director of your own limited company: if you take a salary you're usually treated as *employed by your company* — which matters for the cost-share and timing rules below.

What it can pay for:

• Specialist equipment and assistive software (e.g. text-to-speech, speech-to-text, screen readers).
• A support worker or job coach.
• Travel to work where public transport isn't possible; vehicle adaptations.
• Physical changes to the workspace.
• A mental-health support plan (currently delivered through a provider, Able Futures).

What it will NOT pay for:

• Reasonable adjustments an employer must make by law.
• Standard business costs and ordinary tools of the trade — standard computers, vans, machinery, stock, the everyday software any business uses. ATW only covers the *extra* cost faced *because of* the disability.

"Will ATW pay for my PipeworkHQ subscription?" — answer honestly, every time: PipeworkHQ is a general business tool any engineer would use, so on its own it's a standard business cost — ATW is unlikely to fund the subscription itself, and you must not say it "qualifies" or "is fundable" as a flat fact. The honest nuance: if a specific *accessibility* feature genuinely removes a disability-related barrier for them (for example our read-aloud or voice-to-quote), they can raise that with their ATW assessor as part of an assistive-technology recommendation — but whether it's included is the assessor's decision, case by case. Frame it as "worth raising in your assessment", never as a guarantee.

Timing — the window that matters (tell every engineer this):

• Apply up to 12 weeks before a confirmed start date.
• Apply within the first 6 weeks of starting a new role to be treated as a priority new-starter claim.
• Limited-company directors: applying within those first 6 weeks means the company pays no employer contribution towards the support, whatever its size. Outside that window, an established-employee cost-share can apply to equipment/software only (never to support workers, travel, the mental-health service, or the assessment — those are always fully funded). Sole traders have no employer, so no contribution applies either way.

The reality — set expectations or it backfires:

• There's a large backlog. As of mid-2026 the average wait is around 106–109 working days, and applicants are told it can take up to 37 weeks. Apply as early as possible — the support very likely won't be in place by the start date.
• The scheme is under review (the government's 2025 "Pathways to Work" paper said it can't continue in its current form) and awards are capped (around £69,000 a year, uprated each April — only relevant to large support-worker costs, not a software subscription).
• Keep evidence — receipts, invoices and contracts for anything claimed. Scrutiny has tightened and overpayments can be reclaimed.

How to apply: online at gov.uk/access-to-work, or via the Access to Work helpline. The assessment is usually a phone or workplace conversation about the barriers they face and what would help.

What Mate should do: explain the above in plain language, point to gov.uk, encourage applying early, and be honest that PipeworkHQ can't guarantee the subscription is covered. If they want a hand, tell them PipeworkHQ can point them to the right starting place — but we are not their case manager and can't apply for them.

• All data is stored on UK/EU Google Cloud infrastructure.
• Compliance certificates are retained permanently for audit.
• Customer data can be exported (GDPR right of access) or deleted (GDPR right to erasure) via Settings → Data.
• Multi-factor authentication (TOTP) can be enforced for all team members by the Owner (Settings → Security → Require MFA).
• Engineer credentials (Gas Safe number, MCS reference, F-gas certificate) are stored encrypted in the app.
• Audit logs record every action — who did what and when — and cannot be deleted.

Where: the account Owner manages this in Settings → Billing.

Cancelling / downgrading:

• Downgrade by switching to a lower plan (or to Free) in Settings → Billing.
• Cancelling a paid plan is done by requesting account deletion — the Stripe subscription is then cancelled at the END of the current billing period (you keep access until then). On the Free plan, deletion is immediate.
• Plans are billed monthly with no minimum term and no contract. Annual billing is offered at a discount at checkout. You can downgrade or cancel any time.

What happens to your data if you go over a plan limit (e.g. after a downgrade):

• Downgrading NEVER deletes any existing records. If a lower plan's cap is below what you already have (say you drop to Free with more than 15 customers), every existing customer, property, job, invoice and certificate stays exactly as it is and remains fully readable.
• The only effect is that you cannot CREATE NEW records of a capped type until you are back under the limit. The app blocks the new record with a clear message ("Your plan allows up to N … Upgrade your plan to add more."), it does not remove anything.
• Get back under a cap by archiving records you no longer need (archiving a customer or property frees a slot) or by upgrading again.
• Job and invoice allowances are counted PER CALENDAR MONTH, so those reset at the start of each month.

There is no fixed-length, countdown free trial. Instead there is a permanently Free plan you can stay on as long as you like (job management, quoting, invoicing and three calculators; caps of 15 customers, 10 properties, 25 jobs and 10 invoices per month).

When you need more — storefront, Gas Safe certificates, card payments, heat-pump design — you move up to a paid plan. Paid plans are monthly, with no minimum term and no contract; annual billing is available at a discount at checkout. You can downgrade or cancel any time in Settings → Billing. All prices exclude VAT.

Honesty note for Mate: do NOT promise a timed "X-day free trial" — that is not how it works. Say there is a free plan, and paid plans are monthly / cancel anytime / no contract.

PipeworkHQ does NOT add any percentage markup or platform fee on top of your customers' card payments — by default the platform fee is zero.

Card payments run through your own connected Stripe account (you are the merchant of record, which keeps you correct for VAT). Stripe charges its own standard processing fees per transaction, deducted directly by Stripe. Those fees are set by Stripe — not by PipeworkHQ — and depend on the card type; the exact rate that applies to you is shown on Stripe's own pricing page and in your Stripe dashboard.

The money, minus Stripe's fee, lands in your linked bank account: the first payout takes 7–10 business days while Stripe verifies your account, then payouts typically arrive 2–3 business days after payment.

Honesty note for Mate: never quote a specific Stripe percentage as PipeworkHQ's fee — we don't set it. State that we take no markup and Stripe's standard fees apply, then point the engineer to their Stripe dashboard / Stripe's pricing page for the exact figure.

Refunds are built in. An Owner or Admin can refund a card payment — in full or in part — against the original invoice. The app records the refund, raises a matching credit note with the next sequential number, and will not let you refund more than the customer actually paid.

Chargebacks (a customer disputing a payment with their bank) are handled through Stripe. When one is raised, the app flags the affected invoice as `disputed` so you can see it, but the dispute itself is resolved in your Stripe dashboard following Stripe's process — it's between you, the cardholder and the card scheme.

Standard includes 1 custom domain; Professional includes up to 3. You connect them in Settings → Domains.

There is NO add-on for buying additional custom domains beyond your plan's allowance yet. If an engineer needs more than Professional's three, tell them to get in touch — it's a conversation, not a self-serve purchase.

Note: free storefront web addresses in the form pipeworkhq.co.uk/e/yourname are effectively unlimited — the custom-domain limits only apply to pointing your OWN domain name at your storefront.

Mate is your first port of call. If Mate cannot answer your question:

1. Check this in-app help (Dashboard → Help).
2. Check the public tools and guides at pipeworkhq.co.uk/tools.
3. If the issue is a genuine bug or account problem that Mate and Help cannot resolve: contact us via the Support link in the app.

Human support is available but limited — we prioritise accounts on Standard and Professional plans. Free and Solo plan users should use in-app help and Mate first.

*End of knowledge base v1.1 — 2026-06-19* *Next update: required with every PR that adds or changes a feature. Update the version and date.*