Why Use a SNIPEF Member

Using a SNIPEF plumber gives you peace of mind that you are choosing a plumbing business that employs properly trained and fully qualified operatives. Furthermore, our Members are committed to high standards of professionalism and customer service.

What Criteria must SNIPEF Members meet?

To become a Member of SNIPEF, a plumbing and heating business must satisfy these requirements:

• Employ properly qualified operatives
• Maintain public liability insurance of at least £2 million
• Have passed a technical inspection to ensure work is carried out properly
• Must comply with industry standards including Water Byelaws/Regulations and Building Standard
• Commit to uphold the SNIPEF Code of Conduct

How can I find a SNIPEF plumber in my area?

Go to our Need a Plumber website and simply enter your postcode to find plumbing firms in your area.

Use the ‘service’ field to select the particular type of job you are looking for and the search facility will find firms offering that service for you to choose from.

How do I know if a company is a SNIPEF Member?

All companies listed on our Need a Plumber website are SNIPEF plumbers. If you’re unsure about a company, give us a call on 0131 524 1231 to check.

I have a complaint about a SNIPEF Member?

The SNIPEF Scheme is designed to act as a conciliation between a customer and the SNIPEF Member carrying out work, with the aim to resolving the dispute, which may include rectification of work by the company.

Scope of the scheme

What we can investigate

SNIPEF can investigate the following complaints provided they are substantiated:

• Installation defects where a lack of technical competence shown by the installation company is an issue. Please note that we are not able to deal with disputes relating to product defects that are outside the manufacturer warranty period.
• Contract disputes between a member and a customer (e.g. substantiated claims that work has not carried out in line with specifications or drawings). Please note that SNIPEF is not able to provide comment on cost or time taken to complete work.
• Disputes relating to poor customer service which breach the requirements of the SNIPEF Rules.

What we cannot investigate

SNIPEF are not able to deal with complaints that involve:

• Product faults that fall under the manufacturer's warranty
• Disputes about contracts between you and the business, such as pricing or agreements
• The cost of work or the time taken to complete it
• Business-to-business complaints. Complaints about commercial or business work are not covered under this scheme.
• Claims for compensation, as SNIPEF does not award financial compensation
• Cases that are being handled by the courts or another dispute resolution provider
• Complaints made more than six years after the work was carried out
• Work carried out by a business that was not a SNIPEF member at the time the work was undertaken
• Work that has already been rectified or completed by another company
• Complaints relating to commercial or business work are not covered under this scheme.

The SNIPEF Member company may be asked to attend the work location during any site inspections and the customer must be prepared to allow the SNIPEF Member company to come back to rectify the work.

If the customer does not want the company back to the workplace, we may not be able to take the complaint further.

The Next Steps

If you are unhappy with the service you have received from a SNIPEF member, below are the steps you should follow:

Step 1. Confirm Membership
Ensure the plumber or heating business is a current SNIPEF Member by checking our Need a Plumber website. If they are not a member, you should contact the Citizens Advice Scotland at 0800 028 1456 or Citizens Advice Northern Ireland at 0800 915 4604.

Step 2. Attempt to Resolve Directly
Raise the complaint directly with the business, using their complaints procedures and putting it in writing where possible, before contacting SNIPEF. You can ask the business for their complaints procedure directly. Allow the business at least 10 working days to respond.

Step 3. Raise a Dispute
If the matter remains unresolved, you can submit a dispute by completing the Customer Complaint Form. If you cannot access the online form, you may request a postal form by calling 0131 556 0600.

Please note we can only accept complaints in English as the disputes process is conducted in English.

How Can I Become a Plumber?

The only industry-recognised route for a plumbing apprenticeship in Scotland is the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) in Plumbing and Heating. Details on undertaking an apprenticeship can be found on our Apprenticeships page.