Mobile catering LPG record explained

CP44 is the common name for a mobile catering gas-safety record

It records the mobile unit, LPG supply and appliances checked by a suitably registered engineer. The form name does not replace competent inspection, and the requesting venue, council, insurer or contract may set its own evidence requirements.

Updated 22 July 2026 · UK mobile catering guide · Scope and engineer categories checked before booking

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Start with the record's real purpose

What CP44 records—and what the name cannot prove

What it is

A record of an inspected scope

CP44 is widely used as the name for a mobile commercial catering gas-safety record. It should identify the unit, fuel, installation, listed appliances, checks and condition found.

What it is not

A certificate-only purchase

A form cannot make an installation safe, cover unlisted appliances or promise acceptance by an event, council, insurer or other requester. The physical inspection comes first.

Who may request it

Sites and organisations

Event organisers, market or venue operators, local authorities, insurers and contracts can set their own evidence wording, date and scope. Send that request before booking.

Careful terminology: HSE's official guidance describes duties to keep catering gas equipment safe and use competent people. It does not define a universal statutory form named CP44. Calling CP44 an industry record is therefore an inference from common trade use; it can still be required by the organisation accepting the unit.

Do not book by an acronym alone

CP44, CP12 and service work are different routes

CP44

Mobile catering record

Commonly associated with food trucks, catering trailers and other mobile commercial LPG catering installations.

CP12

Landlord gas-safety record

A common older label for records used in rented residential property. It does not describe a mobile catering installation.

Service, repair or commissioning

Additional work

Maintenance, fault diagnosis, parts, remedial work and commissioning may sit outside an inspection-and-record quotation.

Match the setting before the engineer

Mobile catering can mean more than a food truck

Road-going and towable

Vans, trucks and trailers

Food trucks, burger vans, coffee vans and catering trailers using LPG cooking, heating or hot-water equipment.

Converted mobile units

Horseboxes and specialist builds

Converted vehicles or towable units with cylinders, regulators, pipework and appliances installed for commercial catering.

Temporary trading setups

Stalls, bars and mobile kitchens

Portable or temporary units may still need competent LPG work and evidence matched to the installation and requester's rules.

The complete installation

What a mobile catering LPG inspection may cover

The checks must be decided from the unit, equipment and agreed work. A quotation should make clear whether servicing, commissioning, fault diagnosis, repair work or parts are excluded.

Supply

Cylinders, storage and regulator

Position, restraint, ventilated storage, suitable regulation, changeover arrangements and accessible isolation.

Distribution

Hoses, connections and pipework

Suitability, condition, routing, support, protection from damage and required leakage or tightness checks.

Appliances

Every declared gas appliance

Correct gas, identification, installation condition, safe operation and flame-safeguard arrangements within the agreed scope.

Air and combustion

Ventilation, flues and extraction

Permanent air supply, flueing where fitted, extraction or interlock arrangements and appliance requirements.

Controls

Isolation and safe operation

Shut-off points, controls, notices and the arrangements for closing the unit or transporting cylinders safely.

Evidence

Testing, findings and limitations

The condition found, checks completed, listed appliances, defects, restrictions and any work that could not be inspected.

Check the individual attending

The registration must match LPG mobile catering work

Fuel category

LPG

Natural-gas registration alone does not cover every LPG job.

Work setting

Commercial mobile catering

A mobile catering installation is different from a domestic kitchen.

Appliance categories

The equipment being checked

Cooking, water-heating and other appliance types must fall within the engineer's categories.

Ask to see the current Gas Safe ID card. Check the photograph, registration details and expiry on the front, then the relevant work categories on the reverse or official register entry.

Read the finished record

The paperwork should identify what was actually checked

A record should be read alongside its scope, findings and limitations. It is not a guarantee of future condition, workmanship outside the inspection or acceptance by every requester.

There is no useful one-line expiry answer

Annual inspection is a reasonable general minimum—not permission to wait after a change

Use the shortest relevant interval

HSE says catering gas inspection periods should reflect the equipment, its use, current industry practice and manufacturer recommendations, with annual inspection a reasonable general minimum.

An event, venue, insurer or contract may require more recent evidence. New appliances, installation changes, damage, a leak concern or unsafe operation can require competent attention before the next planned inspection.

Prepare the quotation request

Send enough evidence to scope the unit before a date is offered

Photographs and documents help identify the right engineer and likely work. They do not replace physical inspection and should never be obtained by disturbing unsafe or damaged equipment.

The result follows the inspection

A booking cannot promise satisfactory paperwork

Scope completed

Record issued

The agreed installation and appliances are recorded with the date, condition and any observations or limitations.

Evidence or access missing

Decision incomplete

Unidentified equipment, inaccessible components or unclear alterations may prevent the agreed checks being completed on the first visit.

Defects found

Repair or restriction

Unsafe items may need isolation or restriction. Repairs, parts, return visits and retesting can be separate from the inspection fee.

Postcode-qualified enquiries

Where Upkeepone can consider CP44 inspection work

Regular work covers London, Essex and Kent. Hertfordshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Sussex can be considered when the right LPG mobile-catering trade is available. Other UK areas are considered by request after the unit, work scope, postcode and deadline have been checked.

Coverage is not a promise of attendance. Availability depends on the exact location, unit, appliances, requested work and correctly qualified trade.

If LPG may be escaping

Use the supplier's emergency route—not a routine inspection form

Keep people away and do not create an ignition source

If safe, turn off the LPG supply, extinguish flames, avoid electrical switches and ventilate the unit. Contact the LPG supplier immediately. If there is fire, immediate danger, an uncontrolled release or any doubt, leave the area and call 999.

Do not use the installation until a competent person says it is safe. Upkeepone's routine telephone and contact routes are not an emergency-reporting service.

Continue with the closest route

CP44 inspection, mobile catering and planning guides

Book a CP44 gas-safety inspectionMobile catering LPG inspection hubCatering trailer LPG certificate serviceIs CP44 the same as an LPG certificate?How to book a catering trailer inspectionMobile catering inspection cost guide

Primary UK safety sources

Check mobile catering gas duties and competence at source

HSE: gas safety in catering and hospitalityOfficial guidance covering natural gas and LPG in fixed and mobile catering premises.HSE: catering equipment maintenance FAQsHow inspection intervals should reflect equipment, use, industry practice and manufacturer recommendations.Gas Safe Register: commercial catering factsheetHow to match LPG, commercial mobile catering and appliance categories to the engineer attending.HSE: check the Gas Safe engineerWhat to check on the individual's ID card and work categories before gas work starts.

Record, scope and booking questions

CP44 gas certificate FAQs

What is a CP44 gas certificate?
CP44 is the common industry name for a gas-safety record used for commercial mobile catering units such as food trucks and catering trailers. It records the unit, LPG supply, appliances, checks and findings within the engineer's agreed inspection scope. The form does not replace the physical inspection or prove that unlisted equipment was checked.
Is CP44 a legal certificate?
HSE guidance describes the legal duties to keep catering gas equipment safe and to use competent people for gas work, but the official sources do not define one universal statutory certificate called CP44. It is reasonable to describe CP44 as an industry record used for mobile catering; a venue, council, insurer or contract may still require that record as evidence. Confirm the requester's exact wording before booking.
Who may need or request a CP44 record?
Operators of food trucks, catering trailers, converted vans, horseboxes, mobile bars, coffee units, stalls and temporary mobile kitchens may be asked for a CP44-style record when LPG is installed. Event organisers, site operators, local authorities, insurers or contracts may set their own evidence requirements, so send the request with the enquiry.
Is CP44 the same as CP12?
No. CP12 is a common older label for a landlord gas-safety record, while CP44 is an industry record associated with commercial mobile catering installations. The setting, fuel, appliances, inspection scope and engineer categories must match the actual job rather than relying on the form name alone.
Who can issue a CP44 record?
Use a Gas Safe registered engineer whose current categories cover LPG, commercial mobile catering and the appliance types involved. Check the individual engineer's current ID card or official register entry; general domestic gas registration does not prove competence for every mobile catering appliance or installation.
What does a CP44 inspection cover?
The exact scope depends on the unit. It can include LPG cylinders and storage, regulators, hoses, pipework, isolation, connected appliances, flame safeguards, ventilation, flues or extraction, operational checks, tightness testing and the condition recorded on the day. Ask the quotation to separate inspection and paperwork from servicing, commissioning, repairs and parts.
How long is a CP44 record valid?
The form name does not create one universal expiry period. HSE says inspection intervals should reflect the equipment, use, current industry practice and manufacturer recommendations, with annual inspection a reasonable general minimum for catering gas equipment. A requester may set its own evidence period, while alterations, damage or safety concerns can require earlier checks.
Does one CP44 record cover every appliance?
Only the unit, installation and appliances recorded within the agreed inspection scope should be treated as checked. List every connected or stored gas appliance before booking. A new fryer, water heater, cylinder arrangement, regulator, hose, pipework change or layout alteration may require competent work and an updated inspection.
How much does a CP44 inspection cost?
There is no reliable fixed price for every mobile unit. Cost depends on the postcode, unit type, appliance count, LPG arrangement, accessibility, required record and whether servicing, diagnosis, repairs or parts are requested. Ask for a written quotation that identifies the inspection scope and separates remedial work and exclusions.
What should I do if I smell LPG in a mobile catering unit?
Treat it as a possible leak, not a certificate enquiry. If safe, turn off the supply, extinguish flames, avoid electrical switches, keep people away and ventilate the area. Contact the LPG supplier immediately. If there is fire, immediate danger, an uncontrolled release or any doubt, leave the area and call 999. Do not use the installation until a competent person says it is safe.

Ready to scope the unit?

Send the unit, appliance list, LPG supply, postcode and deadline

Upkeepone can check the enquiry against coverage, the relevant mobile catering LPG and appliance categories, the requested paperwork and current availability before a visit is agreed.

Call 0207 127 5128Call 01245 206422Send unit details

An enquiry does not confirm availability, price, scope, a satisfactory inspection result or acceptance by an event, insurer, council or other requester.