Trade terms, in plain English.

First fix

The stage of work done before walls are closed up: cables, pipes and back boxes run through the structure. Booked as its own visit, because the plasterer follows it.

Second fix

The stage after the walls are finished: sockets, switches, taps, radiators and appliances fitted and tested. Usually days or weeks after first fix.

Snagging

The short return visit that clears the small defects found at handover. A job is not finished until snagging is signed off.

Survey visit

A short visit to see the site before quoting. Prices a job honestly instead of guessing, and turns a subject-to-survey quote into a firm one.

CP12 (Landlord Gas Safety Record)

The certificate a Gas Safe registered engineer issues after checking every gas appliance at a rented property. Required every 12 months, and the tenant must get a copy.

Gas Safe Register

The official UK register of engineers legally permitted to work on gas. The registration number belongs to the engineer and appears on every record they issue.

EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)

A periodic inspection of a fixed electrical installation. Rented homes in England need one at least every 5 years, and observations are coded C1, C2, C3 or FI.

C1, C2, C3, FI

EICR observation codes. C1 means danger present and immediate action is required, C2 potentially dangerous, C3 improvement recommended, FI further investigation needed.

Minor Works Certificate

Issued for an addition or alteration that does not include a new circuit, such as adding a socket. It certifies one piece of work, not a periodic inspection.

PAT (Portable Appliance Testing)

Inspection and testing of plug-in appliances for electrical safety. Recorded per asset with a pass or fail and a retest date.

F-Gas

The regulations covering fluorinated refrigerant gases in air conditioning and refrigeration. Systems above a CO2-equivalent threshold need leak checks at set intervals.

Annual boiler service

The yearly check that keeps a boiler safe, efficient and usually in warranty. Records the flue, gas rate, combustion readings and safety devices.

Call-out and drop-off

The two ways a job runs: the engineer travels to the property, or the customer brings the item to your bench. Both sit in the same diary.

Day rate vs fixed price

Two ways to quote. A day rate charges for time on site, a fixed price commits to a number for a defined scope. A quote can carry both, line by line.

Subject to survey

A quote given before the site has been seen, priced on stated assumptions. It becomes firm once a survey visit confirms what is actually there.

Exclusions and assumptions

The lines that say what a price does not cover and what it takes for granted, such as making good, asbestos removal, or a live supply being available.

Retention

A percentage of the price held back by the customer until a defects period ends. Common on larger contracts and worth tracking against the job.

Making good

Repairing the finish disturbed by the work, such as plastering a chased wall. Frequently excluded from a price, so it belongs on the quote in writing.