Glossary · Heat pumps, grants and regulations
What is the Benchmark commissioning checklist?
The Benchmark commissioning checklist is the record an installer completes to show a heating appliance was installed and commissioned to the manufacturer's instructions. It also holds the servicing record. It has moved from a paper form to a digital record on the Benchmark website and app.
Key points
- The checklist records installation and commissioning to the manufacturer's instructions, and later holds each service. Completing it is a means of meeting the commissioning requirements in Part L.
- The paper version is no longer maintained. The current checklist is online at benchmark.org.uk or in the Benchmark iOS and Android apps.
- The appliance should be registered for warranty with the manufacturer within one month of installation. The warranty belongs to the householder.
- Servicing at least annually, as the manufacturer recommends, is needed to protect the warranty. Gas boilers must be serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
- The digital record now includes system water treatment test results, such as inhibitor checks at commissioning and at each service.
How the Benchmark commissioning checklist works
Benchmark is a scheme that promotes quality in the installation, commissioning and servicing of domestic heating and hot water systems. It has run since 1999.[3]Benchmark, Benchmark: home page The commissioning checklist is the document an installer completes at the end of a job. It provides a record that the appliance has been installed and commissioned correctly, and it records later servicing.[1]Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, Benchmark goes digital - what homeowners need to know
Commissioning means taking a newly installed system from static completion to working order, testing and adjusting it so it uses no more fuel than is reasonable.[4]Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Approved Document L, Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments Approved Document L says fixed building services must be commissioned in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, and notes that the Benchmark checklist can be used to show that commissioning has been carried out satisfactorily.[4]Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Approved Document L, Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments Completing it is a means of meeting the commissioning requirements within Part L of the Building Regulations.[3]Benchmark, Benchmark: home page Our page on Building Regulations Part L explains the wider rules.
The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council has registered Benchmark as a European Collective Mark.[4]Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Approved Document L, Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments
What changed: Benchmark is now digital
On 27 October 2026 the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council announced the move from paper to a digital record. The paper-based checklist and service record is no longer maintained. The latest version is online at benchmark.org.uk or in the Benchmark apps for iOS and Android.[1]Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, Benchmark goes digital - what homeowners need to know Homeowners can now receive a copy of their completed record electronically.[1]Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, Benchmark goes digital - what homeowners need to know
| Part of the record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Installation and commissioning | That the appliance was installed and commissioned to the manufacturer’s instructions, with the checklist completed in full |
| Warranty | The appliance registered with the manufacturer within one month of installation |
| Servicing | Each annual service, recorded in the servicing section of the app or portal |
| Water treatment | System water treatment test results, including inhibitor checks at commissioning and at each annual service |
What you should do with it
The industry body says the appliance needs to be registered for warranty with the manufacturer within one month of installation. The installer may do this directly when completing the checklist, but the warranty rests with the end user, so it is the householder’s responsibility to check it has been done.[1]Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, Benchmark goes digital - what homeowners need to know
It also says the appliance must be serviced at least annually, in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations, by a competent, suitably qualified engineer. For gas boilers that means a Gas Safe registered engineer. Failure to follow the manufacturer’s servicing requirements is likely to invalidate the warranty.[1]Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, Benchmark goes digital - what homeowners need to know Our boiler servicing page covers annual services.
The digital record now includes water treatment test results. That helps a future engineer see what inhibitor was used and what checks were carried out. The industry body says poor water quality can contribute to corrosion, sludge and reduced system performance.[1]Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, Benchmark goes digital - what homeowners need to know A magnetic system filter is one part of keeping the water clean.
Householders should know where their Benchmark record is held and keep access to it, particularly when moving house or arranging future servicing.[1]Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, Benchmark goes digital - what homeowners need to know
Example
Aisha in Pudsey has a new boiler fitted by a Gas Safe registered engineer. At the end of the job the engineer completes the Benchmark checklist on the app and registers the warranty with the manufacturer. Aisha asks for her copy and saves it with her other house papers. A year later her annual service is added to the same record, along with the inhibitor check. When she sells the house she can show the whole history.
What people get wrong
Many people think the Benchmark checklist is just a bit of paperwork the installer fills in. It is the record that supports your warranty and shows the work was done to the maker’s instructions. If it is missing or incomplete, you may find it harder to prove that the installation and servicing were done properly.
The other common mistake is assuming the warranty looks after itself. The industry body says the warranty rests with the end user and that the responsibility to register it within the time limit lies with them if the installer has not done it.[2]Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, Benchmark Commissioning and Servicing Record goes digital
The bottom line
The Benchmark commissioning checklist is the record that a heating appliance was installed and commissioned to the manufacturer’s instructions, and later serviced. It is now digital. Make sure your installer completes it in full, check that the warranty is registered within one month and keep the record safe. Annual servicing by a competent engineer, and a Gas Safe registered engineer for a gas boiler, keeps it up to date.
Common questions
Who owns the Benchmark checklist?
Benchmark is registered as a European Collective Mark by the Heating and Hot Water Industry Council (HHIC), according to the glossary in Approved Document L. The Benchmark scheme has run since 1999.
Is the paper Benchmark booklet still used?
The paper-based version of the Benchmark Commissioning Checklist and Service Record is no longer maintained. The current version is online at benchmark.org.uk or in the Benchmark apps for iOS and Android.
Do I need to register my boiler warranty?
The appliance needs to be registered for warranty with the manufacturer within one month of installation. The installer may do it when completing the checklist, but the warranty rests with you, so check that it has been done.
Does the checklist have to be completed for a new boiler?
The HHIC says it is a requirement that the heating appliance is installed and commissioned to the manufacturer's instructions and the checklist completed in full, either through the Benchmark app or the web portal.
Sources
We cite the original source for every figure: government, regulators, standards bodies and manufacturers' own documents. Each one shows the date we last checked it.
- Heating and Hotwater Industry Council. Benchmark goes digital - what homeowners need to know. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Heating and Hotwater Industry Council. Benchmark Commissioning and Servicing Record goes digital. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Benchmark. Benchmark: home page. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Approved Document L, Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩