Who we are
A family-run team, on the tools since 2016.
Forte Heating Services was founded in Farnham in 2016 by Mike, a plumbing and heating engineer, and Laura, who runs the office. What began as one van has grown into a close team of Gas Safe registered engineers, based on Lawday Place Lane and covering homes, businesses and schools across Surrey, Hampshire, London and Kent.
The work runs the full width of the trade. Boiler installations, services and repairs; unvented cylinders and water heaters; underfloor heating, powerflushing and smart controls; air source heat pumps; bathrooms and fixtures; and complete commercial and school heating contracts. As a Worcester Bosch Accredited Installer, Forte can register manufacturer guarantees of up to 12 years on qualifying boilers — cover only accredited installers are allowed to offer.
Every engineer holds NVQ Level 3 in Gas and Unvented systems and is City & Guilds certified, and every one is DBS checked — with Enhanced DBS clearance for the school work the team does regularly. Every job, big or small, is carried out by Forte's own engineers rather than handed to a subcontractor, which is why the standard stays consistent from a single tap to a commercial plant room.
The clearest picture of the firm is in the feedback: over 300 perfect 10-out-of-10 ratings on Checkatrade and a straight 5★ on Google. Customers describe a call back within the hour, a visit the same day, and a team that's “professional, punctual and a pleasure to deal with, from the first meeting to the final handover.” Forte even sponsors BTCC racing driver Dan Cammish — a small sign of a business that's grown well beyond that first van.
300+
Checkatrade 10/10s
5.0★
146 Google reviews
12 yr
Worcester Bosch cover
Meet the team
The people who turn up.
When you call Forte you deal with the same people from first enquiry to final handover — no call centre, no anonymous sub-contractor. Here's the crew behind the vans.
Mike
Founder · plumbing & heating engineer
Started Forte in 2016 and still on the tools — the name behind the business, and the person most reviewers mention by name.
Laura
Co-founder · office & scheduling
Runs the office, the diary and every enquiry that comes in — the reason customers get a call back within the hour.
Sean
Heating & commercial engineer
Leads the larger heating and commercial installations, from plant rooms to multi-boiler upgrades.
Joe
Air source heat pump specialist
Six years of heat pump experience — suitability assessments, installations and low-carbon system design.
George
Boiler repairs engineer
The go-to for diagnosis and repair — the fault-finder who gets heating and hot water back on quickly.
Josh
Plumbing & heating engineer
Across the full range of domestic and commercial work, from installs to servicing and call-outs.
What stands behind the work
Credentials, in plain English.
Qualified & accredited
Gas Safe Registered
By law, only a Gas Safe registered engineer may work on your boiler, gas appliances and flues. Every engineer at Forte is on the register — it's the first thing you should check before letting anyone touch your gas.
Worcester Bosch Accredited Installer
Accreditation the manufacturer only awards to installers it trusts — and the reason Forte can register extended boiler guarantees of up to 12 years that ordinary installers simply can't offer.
NVQ Level 3 & City & Guilds
Every engineer holds NVQ Level 3 in Gas and Unvented systems plus City & Guilds certification — the formal qualifications behind unvented cylinders, gas work and modern controls.
Safe on site, in your home or your school
DBS & Enhanced DBS Checked
All engineers are DBS checked, with Enhanced DBS clearance for work in schools — so you can be at ease whether the job is in a family home or on an occupied education site.
300+ Checkatrade 10/10 ratings
Over three hundred customers have scored Forte a perfect 10 out of 10 on Checkatrade — a depth of verified, independent feedback that a handful of reviews can't match.
Family-run since 2016
Founded by Mike and Laura in 2016 and grown into a close team of engineers. When you call Forte you deal with the same people from first enquiry to final handover.
What all this means for you
Put simply: the engineer on your site is legally allowed to work on your gas, formally qualified for unvented cylinders and modern systems, background-checked to be there — including on a school site — and able to register a manufacturer guarantee that ordinary installers can't. It's the paperwork behind the “professional and a pleasure to deal with” the reviews keep mentioning, and we're happy to show any certificate on request.
Care & maintenance guide
Small habits that keep the heating bill down.
A little care through the year keeps small heating and plumbing problems small — and keeps the hot water running when you need it most. Here's what the Forte team suggests keeping an eye on, season by season.
Autumn
Get ahead of the heating season
- Book your annual boiler service (£75 + VAT) before the cold sets in — it's the cheapest way to avoid a mid-winter breakdown and catches small faults early.
- Bleed radiators that are cold at the top: trapped air means wasted gas and uneven heat.
- Run the heating through a full cycle now, while an engineer can still reach you without a queue.
Winter
Protect against the freeze
- Lag exposed pipes in lofts, garages and outbuildings — a burst frozen pipe is one of the most common and most damaging winter call-outs.
- Know where your stopcock is and check it turns, so you can shut the water off fast if a pipe goes.
- Away over the holidays? Leave the heating ticking over on a frost setting rather than off completely, and keep our 24-hour line to hand.
Spring
Check what winter left behind
- Look around the boiler and under sinks for slow leaks or corrosion that built up over winter.
- A sluggish system that never quite warms through may be full of sludge — a Powerflush restores flow and efficiency.
- Test outside taps before you need them; winter frost can crack the pipework serving them.
Summer
The best time for bigger work
- Planning a boiler swap, an unvented cylinder or a heat pump? Summer is the quietest, most comfortable time to have it done.
- Descale showerheads and clean aerators to bring flow and pressure back where it should be.
- Run the heating briefly even in warm months — it stops pumps and valves seizing while they sit idle.
What clients say
Every rating earned on the job.
“Michael and all of the Forte team that we interacted with were professional, punctual and a pleasure to deal with, from the first meeting with the client to the final handover. Great communication and attention to detail throughout.”
“They responded fast to the call out, identifying the issue confidently and reliably. Forte came and done a brilliant swap and has all been working perfectly since. Will use Forte for all our heating and plumbing issues moving forward.”
“I had a call back from Forte Heating within the hour of my initial contact and a visit later the same day to assess the problem. Thank you to Laura, Mike & George. We will certainly continue using Forte Heating and won't hesitate to recommend them.”
“Initial call returned in a few minutes and plumber arrived within the hour. Cheerful and efficient even though it was 11pm. Problem fixed quickly. Would use again.”