Quote from British Gas for new pipes- does it sound OK

[whataboutbob]

My dad can't manage his affairs anymore and as power of attorney I have amongst others to manage his student flat. Just as the tenants moved in last week, the boiler was found to be not working (it's only 1 year old and was put in by British Gas). BG duly attended and are now saying the problem is with the water pipes throughout, the whole lot need replacing. They want £2700 for parts and labour, minus £1000 because we have a policy with them (homecare cover). It's a small 3 bed, no living room, kitchen diner, 1960 ex local authority in the SE. I can somehow believe the pipes are old/ may need replacing because Dad bought without a mortgage and I suspect without a survey (19 years ago). There was a big leak 18 months ago under the bathroom.
Thanks for any comments on BGs price quote and any other relevant points.

BG are notoriously expensive so shop around.

but do you have a current gas safe certificate???

Yes I have the gas safety certificate it runs till January.

the water pipes? any competent plumber can do it, ask around for recommendations and see how long they have been in business.

Agree, BG are notoriously expensive.

Please say if you mean the radiator pipes, the cold water supply pipe from the street, or the tapwater pipes.

Thanks Piglet John i believe it's the radiator pipes but to be honest I'm not sure. It's not from the street.

What were they doing installing a boiler and not checking the rest of the system? I'd be pretty annoyed about that. And what exactly do they say is wrong with the pipes?

you need to get them to give you a quotation that specifies what work they intend to do.

there is no reason why they should not give you one.

Thanks everyone I have contacted an independent plumber who is going round this evening to give a 2nd opinion. Will post again when I hear more. It's a bit tricky living in a different city.
Whatsthatcoming- should a plumber check the patency of the pipes around the home before installing a new boiler?

I'd hope a decent plumber would at least look at the system and give an opinion (e.g. whether it needs flushing etc) and advise the best course of action.

I'm generally of the opinion that BG are rubbish and expensive though...Not saying they're all bad, but it's probably dependent on the individual you get.

I had a new boiler installed a couple of years ago, & needed new gas & water supply pipes from the front of the house to the boiler at the back - the old boiler was installed in 1984 & regs have changed since then.

Local plumber did the whole job, including the boiler, for about £1800! (BG had quoted over £4K)

& when BG quoted they were the ones who first said the pipework needed upgrading so whoever did your dad's clearly messed up

it is possible that plastic pipes of the incorrect grade were used, but an experienced plumber should recognise them. Or maybe they are microbore pipes, made of copper and as thick as a pencil, which can be troublesome.

Well the other plumber went round and basically agrees with BG. The hot water pipes need replacing. He quoted £1000 less than BG, but once BG have knocked the 1st £1000 off as per the Homecare 200 contract it's even Stephens. And BG can start a lot sooner so that swings it. But i'm glad I got a second opinion and would use him if anything else crops up which I'm not covered for as he'd be likely to be quite a lot cheaper.
Thanks everyone for your input.