Plumbing, Heating & Property Maintenance · Blackheath & South East London

Plumbing & Heating
Engineers in
Blackheath

Gas Safe registered specialists covering South East London since 1963. Boiler installations, bathroom renovations, central heating, and complete property maintenance. A family business, now in its third generation.

Gas Safe Registered 24/7 Emergency Callouts Third-Generation Family Business Fixed Pricing — No Variations
Gas Safe engineer carrying out a boiler installation in a South East London kitchen — R G Austin Ltd
1963
Year Founded
100%
Recommended on Checkatrade Approved
60+
Years of Family Experience
03711354
Companies House Registered

Plumbing, Heating &
Property Maintenance

Six core services, all handled by Gas Safe engineers under direct family management. No subcontracted guesswork. Fixed pricing from the first written estimate.

Boiler Installations & Upgrades

Typical installation takes one to two days. Our engineers begin with a detailed heat loss calculation and inspection of existing pipework sizing before recommending a replacement unit. System power flushing is included as standard on every boiler installation — it removes accumulated sludge and debris that shortens the life of new equipment. No planning permission is required for most domestic properties; exceptions apply to Grade II listed buildings or where the flue location sits close to a boundary. Suited to homeowners with ageing, inefficient systems looking to reduce energy bills, and landlords requiring fully compliant Gas Safe certification.

Full Bathroom & Shower Room Renovations

From teardown to final decoration, a full bathroom renovation typically takes two to three weeks. Our initial site visit covers on-site dimensional measuring, plumbing feasibility checks for high-flow showers, and spatial layout planning. We manage plumbing, tiling, and electrics as a single coordinated project — no need to source and schedule separate trades. No planning permission is required unless structural modifications involve moving soil pipes on exterior walls of listed properties. Particularly well-suited to period Victorian and Edwardian properties across Blackheath, Greenwich, and Charlton seeking modern wetrooms or high-end bespoke fit-outs.

Emergency Repairs & General Plumbing

Most reactive plumbing tasks resolve within one to four hours. On arrival, our engineers perform a systematic on-site diagnostic — tracing the source of any leak and isolating it safely before presenting clear repair options upfront. No planning permission is involved at any stage. This service is suited to local residential properties dealing with unexpected leaks, broken valves, or trace-and-access issues. Because we operate locally across Blackheath, Greenwich, and the surrounding SE postcodes, response times are short and the engineers who attend bring decades of working knowledge of South London's regional plumbing infrastructure.

Central Heating Engineering & Power Flushing

Central heating diagnostic and power flushing work is typically completed within one day. The initial site visit involves thermal imaging of cold spots on radiators, testing the system's water quality and sludge density, and evaluating pump health. No planning permission is required. Industrial-grade chemical flushing compounds and magnetic filters are used throughout, followed by correct inhibitor dosing to prevent future magnetite build-up. Well-suited to homes experiencing uneven heat distribution, noisy pipework, or sluggish boiler response — common across the older housing stock in Greenwich, Lewisham, and Eltham.

Underfloor Heating Installation

Depending on the floor preparation required and whether structural screeding is involved, installation takes three to six days. The site assessment covers subfloor evaluation, insulation depth, and boiler output capacity to confirm the existing system can handle the additional heating matrix. No planning permission is required. Hydraulic balancing is performed post-installation to ensure even radiant heat distribution without hot spots. This service works well for ground-floor extensions, modern kitchen updates, and open-plan conversions — project types we see regularly in the Blackheath and Kidbrooke areas.

Complete Property Maintenance & Repairs

Minor maintenance tasks may resolve in a few hours; broader programmes of work across a property can run one to two weeks. Our initial site assessment covers scope analysis and detailed scheduling across multiple concurrent repairs. Planning permission is only relevant where external structural additions or modifications to listed building structures are involved. Suited to local landlords and property owners requiring a single accountable contact across multiple trades. Over six decades of working in the same SE London postcodes means we understand how these buildings were constructed — and how to repair them without compromising their fabric.

Three Generations.
One Postcode.

R G Austin Ltd was established in 1963. The founding generation built the business on residential plumbing work in Blackheath and the immediate SE3 area. The work was careful and the pricing was honest. That reputation moved between neighbours without any advertising.

The business passed through two further generations, each adding depth rather than breadth. Today, it is led by directors Jonathon and Jack Austin, supported by a close-knit team of directly employed Gas Safe engineers and vetted local trade craftsmen. Roughly five to ten people in total. No outsourcing of mechanical or plumbing work to unknown subcontractors.

Most of our work comes from Blackheath (SE3), Greenwich (SE10), Charlton (SE7), New Eltham (SE9), and Plumstead (SE18). We deliberately limit the number of jobs we run simultaneously. Every project has a member of the Austin family as the direct point of contact — for assessment, for updates, and for sign-off at completion.

We do not take on more than we can run properly. That decision is what keeps our standards consistent across sixty-plus years of domestic work.

R G Austin Ltd team after completing a Worcester Bosch boiler installation in South East London

Four Reasons Homeowners
Keep Coming Back

Three Generations of Local Trust

Operating locally since 1963, this business relies on a reputation built across multiple decades of repeat residential custom. We approach every property repair with a level of long-term family accountability that corporate plumbing firms cannot replicate.

100% Gas Safe Registered Engineers

Every single heating and mechanical installation is executed by certified, fully insured Gas Safe specialists. Official safety certification is provided promptly on completion of every project — no exceptions, no delays.

Strict No-Variation Price Policy

The price on our written estimate is the exact amount you pay on completion. We conduct thorough initial site evaluations to identify complications beforehand, which is what makes fair, fixed pricing achievable on every job.

Impeccable Cleanliness Standards

Our engineers remove shoes on entry and execute a complete clean-up after every job. All site debris is disposed of responsibly. Your home is returned in the same condition we found it — or better, once the work is done.

What Homeowners in
South East London Say

Jack was so helpful, honest and professional and did a fantastic job fitting my sink. I completely trusted him — hands down the best trades company I have ever used and will be my go-to for everything from now on. I'm so glad to have found Jack and his family business.

Katya M. Sink Installation Eltham

Jack was really friendly and helpful and came out really quickly and explained everything to us. We had great correspondence before he arrived — he even shared photos and videos of the flush mechanism — and felt confident he'd sort it with the right materials. And he did.

Alex C. Toilet Plumbing Repair Blackheath

Jack helped me with a shower arm that had broken off in the wall. He also repaired damage left by a previous plumber who had tried and failed. Work was completed quickly to a high standard. Friendly from start to finish, and clearly proud of what they do.

David L. Bathroom Shower Refit Greenwich
Areas We Work In Regularly
Blackheath SE3 Greenwich SE10 Charlton SE7 New Eltham SE9 Lewisham SE13 Kidbrooke SE3 Plumstead SE18

Over Six Decades in the
Same South East London Streets

From a single-trade plumbing firm to a full property services business — the story of R G Austin Ltd, told through the work.

R G Austin Ltd was established to serve homeowners in and around Blackheath and Greenwich. The founding work centred on domestic plumbing installation and repair — the kind of trade that moves between neighbours without a single advertisement. Punctuality, honest pricing, and clean working practices were the operating standard from the start.
The shift from solid fuel and open fires to gas central heating transformed domestic plumbing work across South East London. R G Austin Ltd adapted early, gaining Gas Safe certification and building experience across the full range of period properties in the SE3, SE7, and SE10 postcodes.
The second generation brought expanded capability in bathroom renovation, tiling coordination, and full bathroom fit-out management. The business remained deliberately local — working primarily across Blackheath, Charlton, and Greenwich rather than taking on remote contracts that would dilute quality oversight.
As buy-to-let grew across the SE postcodes, local landlords needed a single reliable contact capable of managing multiple trades across multiple properties. R G Austin Ltd formalised a property maintenance offering, providing scheduled and reactive maintenance under direct family management — the same standard of work regardless of whether the client was a homeowner or a landlord.
Open-plan kitchen extensions and ground-floor renovations became the dominant project type across Blackheath and Kidbrooke. Underfloor heating installation — including hydraulic balancing and boiler capacity assessment — was added as a natural extension of the heating engineering work already in place.
Directors Jonathon and Jack Austin are the active leads on every project. They assess, plan, and serve as the single point of contact from first call through to handover. The business continues to operate across the same South East London postcodes — prioritising local density over volume, and completion standards over fast turnaround.

Plumbing & Heating
Guides for SE London Homeowners

Practical advice written by our Gas Safe registered engineers — covering the questions we are asked most often across Blackheath, Greenwich, Charlton, and the surrounding areas.

Boiler Guide

Combi vs System Boiler: Which Do You Need?

How to choose between a combi and system boiler for your South East London home — mains pressure, number of bathrooms, and the real cost differences explained.

Read the guide →
Heating Guide

How to Bleed a Radiator — Step by Step

When to bleed, how to do it safely, what tools you need — and when cold radiators indicate a more serious problem that needs a Gas Safe engineer.

Read the guide →
Book an Engineer

Boiler Installations & Upgrades

Fixed pricing, Gas Safe certification same day, power flush included as standard. Free site assessment across Blackheath and South East London.

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24/7 Emergency Callouts · Blackheath SE3

Let's discuss your
project requirements.

Free site visit. Detailed fixed-price proposal. No obligation, no pressure.

Book a Free Quote Call Our Team · 07738 124344
info@rgaustin.co.uk · 2a Hassendean Road, Blackheath, London SE3 8TS

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Blackheath & South East London

Use the form for written quotes. For urgent plumbing issues, call us directly on 020 8858 7359.

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🔒 3rd-Generation Family Protection Accountability · Zero Obligation Home Assessment
Office Hours
Monday – Friday
09:00 – 17:00 · Closed Weekends
Address
2a Hassendean Road
London, SE3 8TS
Two minutes from Blackheath Station, off the B212
R G Austin Ltd · 2a Hassendean Road · Blackheath · London SE3 8TS