Trades & Labour
170 sources in the library on trades & labour. Each one says what the document covers and what it is good for. Name a source to see which document it is and where to read it. One at a time. Page 4 of 5.
- strong RN-NL80DK
Architects Registration Board (ARB)
The statutory code every UK registered architect must meet, rewritten and in force from 1 September 2025. It sets six Standards: honesty and integrity; public interest; competence; communication and collaboration; professional practice; and respect. The Standards are mandatory; the example behaviours and supporting guidance under them are not, but an architect who meets a Standard another way must be able to account for it. Three pieces of supporting guidance are published and effective from 1 September 2025: dealing with complaints, professional indemnity insurance, and terms of engagement. Further guidance on managing conflicts of interest, managing finances appropriately, raising concerns and whistleblowing is in draft, with building safety, equality diversity and inclusion, leadership, mentoring and sustainability pending. Complaints and investigations that began before the 2025 Code took effect are normally considered under the Code in force at the time of the events. Breach is enforced through ARB's Investigations Panel and Professional Conduct Committee.
- strong RN-CW4XAF
Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT)
CIAT sets out exactly which titles each grade may use, which matters because 'Chartered Architectural Technologist' is a legally protected designation restricted to those who have completed CIAT's qualifying process and hold MCIAT. Fellows (FCIAT) also use the Chartered Architectural Technologist title. Associate members (ACIAT) may call themselves Graduate Architectural Technologist, Trainee or Junior Architectural Technologist, or Part-qualified Architectural Technologist or Technician, but not Chartered. Student members and both classes of affiliate carry no designatory letters; AT-professional affiliates may describe themselves as a CIAT affiliate working towards MCIAT. The two qualifying routes to MCIAT are the Professional Assessment and the POP Record, a three-stage process across 17 knowledge and performance units. Use this page to decode the letters on an extension designer's business card.
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Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
MCIOB is the chartered grade of the Chartered Institute of Building and the nearest thing to a chartered qualification for a builder or construction manager. The requirement is generally 3 to 5 years' experience plus a degree-level qualification: 3 years where the degree is construction related, 5 years where it is not. Chartered Membership is benchmarked at Level 6, comparable to a British honours degree. Most applicants must pass the Professional Review, an assessment of knowledge, experience and competence in construction management. A Chartered Member may use the MCIOB post-nominal and choose the descriptor Chartered Construction Manager or Chartered Builder. Alternative routes exist: the Experienced Practitioner Pathway for candidates without a degree but with extensive site experience, and an Academic Pathway. FCIOB is the Fellowship grade, open to senior professionals with more than five years leading an organisation; TechCIOB is the technical specialist grade.
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Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE)
CIPHE is the professional and technical body for plumbing and heating, a registered educational charity with some 7,500 members drawn from every sector of the plumbing and heating engineering services industry. Unlike a competent person scheme, membership is individual rather than corporate, so the register is of competent individuals. Every member must abide by a six-point Code of Professional Standards intended to protect public health and safety, and CIPHE runs a complaints procedure overseen by its Registration Authority, which is the escalation route where a member's work or conduct falls short. The consumer section also carries a member verification tool, an Approved Contractor Person listing, expert advice, and public health campaigns on the risks CIPHE exists to police, notably Legionnaires' disease and hot water scalding. Postal address for its consumer leaflet: CIPHE, 64 Station Lane, Hornchurch, Essex RM12 6NB.
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Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)
CTSI is the professional body for trading standards, founded in 1881, and this page routes a consumer to the right helpline by nation: England and Wales through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133; Scotland through Consumer Advice Scotland on 0808 164 6000; Northern Ireland through Consumerline on 0300 123 6262; and the UK International Consumer Centre for a problem with a business based in another country, which is free. It also explains the CTSI Approved Code scheme, which now covers over 45,000 businesses that commit to exceptional customer service, no hard-sell tactics and after-sales service, making a CTSI-approved code the one trade badge with an independent standard behind it. CTSI describes the trading standards role as ensuring consumers pay a fair price, protecting them from scams, rogue traders and doorstep crime, and checking that products are safe.
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Electrical Safety Roundtable / competent person scheme operators
The single Registered Competent Person Electrical search covering electricians registered to work in households and electrical inspectors registered to carry out electrical safety reports in homes in England and Wales, with both Find and Check functions. States that every electrician listed and permitted to display the mark is registered with an electrical Competent Person Scheme Operator and has been authorised by Government to self-certify that their work complies with Building Regulations, having met strict entry requirements and being regularly assessed for ongoing competence. The single mark and register went live on 30 June 2014 and was officially launched in Parliament on 2 July 2014. Confirms that since 2005 all electrical work in dwellings in England and Wales, whether carried out professionally or as DIY, must meet Building Regulations requirements.
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Financial Conduct Authority
The register to check before accepting finance arranged by a builder, showroom or installer. Confirms that in the UK almost all financial firms must be authorised or registered by the FCA, and that the tool shows both whether a firm is authorised and whether it has permission to provide the specific services being offered. Sets out the tool's limits candidly: it cannot confirm whether Financial Services Compensation Scheme or Financial Ombudsman Service protection will apply, it omits products and services offered only to other firms, published crypto restrictions, historic fines, the right to approve financial promotions and the ability to handle client money, all of which sit on the fuller Financial Services Register along with information on individuals. Notes that certain financial products are not regulated at all and so do not appear, that updates take on average 24 hours, and that some information is supplied by firms so accuracy is not guaranteed.
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HETAS
HETAS is the only competent person scheme specialising in solid fuel and biomass appliance installation, so it is the scheme that covers wood burning stoves, multifuel stoves, biomass boilers, associated chimney and flue work, chimney sweeping and biomass servicing, plus solar thermal through MCS. The practical point for a homeowner is the paperwork: a Certificate of Compliance issued by a HETAS registered installer satisfies the legal requirement to notify a solid fuel installation to local authority building control in England and Wales, avoiding a separate building regulations application. The certificate records that the installer was trained and assessed to work in accordance with the Building Regulations and the manufacturer's instructions, and a compliant installation includes a carbon monoxide alarm and a notice plate at the appliance. Without that certificate the installation is unnotified and will surface on a conveyancing search.
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HETAS Limited
HETAS describes itself as a not for profit organisation operating a competent person scheme for installers of biomass and solid fuel heating, together with registration for retailers and chimney sweeps and approval of appliances and fuels. Its site carries searchable registers of registered businesses by postcode or business ID covering retailers, installers, chimney sweeps, servicing engineers and biomass maintenance, plus a separate Removed Business Register for firms no longer registered, and an approved stoves and fuels search. It publishes consumer guidance on choosing a stove, maintenance, and when to have appliances serviced and chimneys swept, and runs Chimney Fire Safety Week, held 7 to 13 September in 2026. HETAS is one of the MHCLG-authorised competent person schemes, so a HETAS registration can be checked rather than taken on trust.
- strong RN-JVWWZH
Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
ICE decodes the letters that appear on drainage, groundworks, retaining wall and infrastructure reports. The grades are: Student Member; Graduate Member (GMICE); Technician Member (EngTech MICE); Associate Member (AMICE); Member as a civil engineer, held as either IEng MICE (Incorporated Engineer) or CEng MICE (Chartered Engineer); the parallel infrastructure route, EngTech MICE, IEng MICE or CEng MICE as Infrastructure Engineering Technician, Incorporated Infrastructure Engineer or Chartered Infrastructure Engineer; and Fellow (FICE). The key distinction for a homeowner is that MICE on its own indicates membership, while the professional qualification is the prefix: CEng is chartered, IEng incorporated, EngTech technician, and those titles are registered with the Engineering Council rather than granted by ICE alone. For domestic structural work the relevant chartered body is usually IStructE rather than ICE.
- strong RN-6VI0FV
Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE)
MIStructE is the chartered grade of the Institution of Structural Engineers and the letters a homeowner should look for on structural calculations for a beam, a removed wall or an extension. IStructE describes the three steps: first establish the right academic foundation (an accredited degree, with a 'does my degree fit' check); second choose a route, most Chartered Members progressing as Graduate Members through Initial Professional Development, with alternative routes and a supplementary exam available; third pass the Professional Review, an exam plus interview that the Institution describes as one of the most demanding assessments of professional competence in the world. The Institution's other grades are Student, Graduate, Technician, Incorporated, Associate, Affiliate and Fellow, so AMIStructE or a technician grade is not the same thing as chartered.
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MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme)
The clearest statement of why MCS certification is not optional for anyone taking a heat pump grant. To apply for a Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant every installer must be MCS certified and hold a BUS installer account, and the contractor, not the homeowner, leads the voucher application to Ofgem. Grant amounts: £7,500 towards an air source heat pump; £7,500 towards a ground source heat pump including water source and shared ground loop systems; £5,000 towards a biomass boiler, which is limited to rural properties off the gas grid with an emissions certificate and is excluded for self-builds. Eligibility: you own the property, it is a home or small non-domestic building in England or Wales, capacity up to 45kW (300kWth collective for a shared ground loop), the existing system is fossil fuel or non-heat-pump electric, and the system was commissioned no more than 120 days before a valid application. From 8 May 2024 a valid EPC generated in the last 10 years is still required but outstanding loft and cavity wall insulation recommendations no longer block a claim, and the shared ground loop threshold rose from 45kW to 300kW. Most new builds, social housing and properties already funded for a heat pump are excluded.
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NAPIT
Useful for untangling the terms consumers meet on certification schemes. Distinguishes authorisation, accreditation, certification and registration: NAPIT Registration is authorised by government to operate Competent Person Schemes supporting self-certification against the Building Regulations in England and Wales, with the current scope of that authorisation published on the Government website, while NAPIT Certification is separately accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, with the schedule of accreditation published on the UKAS website. Explains that a scheme member is normally both registered, meaning listed on a searchable register, and certificated, meaning holding a certificate within the scope of a particular scheme, and that the search facility verifies certification status. Warns that not all work carried out by members is covered by the scheme scope.
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NAPIT Registration Ltd
NAPIT describes itself as one of the UK's largest Government-approved, UKAS-accredited certification bodies in the building services and fabric sector, and it is the multi-trade alternative to the single-trade schemes. Its membership and scheme categories are Electrical, Renewables (operated as a Microgeneration Certification Scheme route), Fire Safety (BAFE DS301), Heating (a Competent Person Scheme heating extension), Plumbing, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, and Building Fabric. That breadth is the practical reason a homeowner sees NAPIT on a heating engineer's van as often as on an electrician's. The site gives 0345 543 0330 as the contact number. Because the scope of self-certification differs by scheme category, the certificate a NAPIT member issues should be checked against the specific work notified rather than assumed to cover the whole job.
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NICEIC
Sets out how self-certification replaces a local authority building control application: a registered contractor does not notify the local authority in advance, but notifies the work online to NICEIC, which issues a building compliance certificate to the customer and tells the local authority the work took place, so building control charges are not payable by the consumer. Covers Building Regulations notification for gas, heating and hot water, ventilation, plumbing and microgeneration, with electrical-only contractors directed to the separate Domestic Installer Scheme. Scheme conditions state that contractors working in domestic dwellings must hold at least 2 million pounds of public liability insurance and must offer clients a warranty for completed work. Published fees are an initial application fee of 95 pounds plus assessment and certification of 595 pounds covering one to four units, with measures priced in units, for example heating or hot water systems 1 unit, sanitary convenience 2 units, solid fuel burning combustion appliance 2 units, and air source heat pumps 2 units.
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NICEIC (Certsure LLP)
NICEIC's backstop guarantee, and the numbers a homeowner needs before relying on it. If an NICEIC registered business carried out work that turns out to be non-compliant and the business has ceased trading, NICEIC will appoint another registered business to put it right at no cost to the homeowner. The stated conditions: it applies only where the contractor is no longer trading; it is limited to domestic property work carried out within the last six years; claims are capped at £25,000 or the evidenced paid value of the contract or invoice, whichever is less; there is no emergency response service, so an immediate safety risk needs a different route; clear evidence of the defects is required; and claims for general maintenance or for a missing certificate or notification are excluded and remain the homeowner's responsibility. Claimants must first show that home insurance and other warranties have been explored, then send invoices and proof of payment with the complaints form to complaints@certsure.com.
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OFTEC
OFTEC is the competent person scheme for oil and a wider set of off-gas-grid work, which is why it matters to rural renovations. Its registration categories cover oil storage tanks and supply pipework, oil-fired boilers and warm air heaters, oil-fired vaporising appliances, solid fuel appliances with and without internal boilers, air source and ground or water source heat pumps, solar thermal, biomass, unvented hot water storage systems, electrical installations and energy efficiency measures. Registrations are held per activity, covering installation, commissioning, servicing, design, inspection or repair, so a technician registered to service an oil boiler is not automatically registered to replace the tank. OFTEC operates a consumer service to order building compliance certificates for notified work. Check the specific registration category against the job rather than accepting the OFTEC logo alone.
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OFTEC, Oil Firing Technical Association
OFTEC's consumer section for buildings not connected to the mains gas network, which it puts at around 20% of UK homes and 65% of Irish homes, with electric heating, LPG, solid fuel or oil heating as the alternatives and oil the most popular off-grid option. Provides a search for OFTEC registered technicians, a certificate ordering service, an explanation of why to choose an OFTEC registered competent person, off-grid heating option guides, a complaints route through OFTEC's compliance services, guidance on insurance for a fuel tank leak, troubleshooting tips, guidance on avoiding heating fuel theft, and funding scheme information. OFTEC is one of the MHCLG-authorised competent person schemes for oil-firing work.
- strong RN-0PH6U9
Renewable Energy Consumer Code (Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd)
RECC administers the consumer code most MCS-certified renewable installers must belong to, and its rules are unusually specific about sales behaviour. Members must not use ambiguous, misleading or untruthful advertising; representatives must be courteous, prompt and show identification; and members cannot require more than 25% of the final price as a deposit. A written estimate of system performance must be given to the consumer before contracting. High-pressure selling is prohibited by name: sales visits longer than two hours, discounts offered only for signing on the day, and withholding pricing information are all banned. RECC operates a complaints process for consumers to report breaches, and publishes information on deposit and workmanship protection, but states clearly that RECC is not an insurance company, so a homeowner should verify with the installer who actually underwrites the protection. Members are expected to hold MCS certification alongside RECC membership.
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Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
RIBA's client-facing entry point to its Chartered Practice directory, which it puts at over 4,000 practices in the UK and worldwide, listed by location. The page also links three specialist registers that matter for domestic work: the Principal Designer Register, which RIBA notes is now required by the amended Building Regulations for all projects needing building control approval as well as carrying duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations; the Conservation Register for listed building repair, conservation and maintenance; and the Client Adviser register for large or complex projects needing impartial advice from the earliest stage. Fee guidance ('an architect charges for their time', with three main methods of calculation) and RIBA's own dispute resolution processes are linked from the same page. Use it to distinguish a RIBA Chartered Practice from an individual ARB-registered architect.
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Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The main built-environment alternative dispute resolution provider a homeowner is likely to meet, useful because statutory adjudication under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 does not apply to contracts with a residential occupier, so a homeowner needs a contractual or voluntary route instead. RICS DRS supplies impartial ADR across the property, construction and land sectors as an alternative to litigation, states it has over 40 years of experience and has handled cases worth billions globally, and selects and assesses each panel member for expertise, impartiality and professionalism. Publishes downloadable application forms per service, a searchable panel, and a Conflict Avoidance Process which produces a report with reasoned but non-binding recommendations, intended to head off a dispute before it becomes one. Also runs ADR education through diplomas and distance and face to face programmes.
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Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
RICS's page for the Home Survey Standard, the mandatory professional standard for RICS members and regulated firms in the UK delivering residential property surveys, which replaced and harmonised the earlier RICS residential survey publications. Confirms the four report products a surveyor may issue under it: RICS Home Survey Level 1, Level 2 (survey only), Level 2 (survey and valuation) and Level 3. Reports are compiled by qualified surveyors after a physical inspection, assessing condition and identifying risks and potential legal issues. A surveyor needs a RICS Home Surveys Licence to produce a Level 1, 2 or 3 report. The transition to the new report formats ran from 1 March to 31 August 2021, and from 1 September 2021 the new reports must be used. This is the source for what each survey level actually is, as opposed to marketing names used by survey firms.
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Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
The five Rules of Conduct that took effect on 2 February 2022 and bind all RICS members, candidates, students and regulated firms, replacing three earlier documents in force since 2007 (Rules of Conduct for Members, Rules of Conduct for Firms, and the Global Professional and Ethical Standards). Rule 1: members and firms must be honest, act with integrity and comply with their professional obligations, including obligations to RICS. Rule 2: they must maintain their professional competence and ensure services are provided by competent individuals with the necessary expertise. Rule 3: they must provide good quality and diligent service. Rule 4: they must treat others with respect and encourage diversity and inclusion. Rule 5: they must act in the public interest, take responsibility for their actions and act to prevent harm and maintain public confidence in the profession. The Rules are underpinned by the ethical principles of honesty, integrity, competence, service, respect and responsibility, and are the standard a homeowner's complaint about a surveyor is measured against.
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TrustMark
TrustMark's three-stage escalation, with the deadlines that catch homeowners out. Stage 1: raise the complaint directly with the registered business, setting out why you are dissatisfied and what you want done, keeping records and allowing reasonable time. Stage 2: escalate to the business's Scheme Provider, the trade association, certification body or Competent Person Scheme that registered them, which investigates and mediates. Stage 3: escalate to the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman. Timescales: 12 weeks with no response from the business or Scheme Provider allows escalation to the DRO; skipping Stage 2 adds a 30-day investigation period; the complaint must reach the DRO within 12 months of the first complaint to the business; and work must be no more than 6 years old, 5 years in Scotland. TrustMark cannot help where the business has deregistered or ceased trading, where the matter is purely financial, contractual or commercial, where legal action has started, or where the business was never registered. TrustMark itself checks that the Scheme Provider handled the complaint properly rather than investigating the workmanship.
- strong RN-QSTLXG
TrustMark
TrustMark's homeowner hub, with a searchable directory of registered tradespeople by trade and location plus a guided search. Sets out the hiring process it recommends: step 1, have a clear idea of the work and research the probable cost and timescales, accepting that good tradespeople are in demand and you may have to wait; step 2, obtain 3 quotes before starting any work so you have a range of prices to compare; step 3, ask friends and family for personal recommendations and take references. The site also carries the complaints process, a route to report unsafe electrical work, logo misuse reporting, consumer protection and protected payments, a published suspensions list, retrofit guidance and the energy efficiency scheme routes. TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme, so registration is a checkable credential rather than a paid directory listing.
- strong RN-R5YGLJ
TrustMark
TrustMark is the Government Endorsed Quality Scheme for work carried out in and around the home, carrying the endorsement of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and its successor the Department for Business and Trade. Registration is not direct: a business joins through a Scheme Provider, a trade association, certification body or competent person scheme, and is vetted against required standards covering technical competence, customer service and trading practices, with ongoing monitoring. For a homeowner the value of the logo is that it bundles three checks a trade badge alone does not: vetting to a common framework, a defined complaints and dispute route ending at the Dispute Resolution Ombudsman, and financial protection requirements on the registered business. The site also carries the complaints process and consumer protection guidance. Because registration is per business and can lapse, the register should be checked at the point of hiring rather than relying on a logo on a van or a quotation.
- strong RN-L8E4JL
United Kingdom Accreditation Service
Establishes that UKAS is the sole National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom, appointed under the UK Accreditation Regulations 2009 for the purposes of Article 4(1) of Regulation (EC) 765/2008 as it has effect in Great Britain. Explains that accreditation assesses the competence, impartiality and performance capability of conformity assessment bodies that provide certification, testing, inspection, calibration and verification, summarised as UKAS checking the checkers. It is Government policy to recommend UKAS accredited conformity assessment services wherever that is an option, and UK conformity assessment bodies seeking accreditation must obtain it from UKAS. UKAS is independent of Government, a non-profit-distributing company limited by guarantee, operating under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which licenses its use of the national accreditation symbols.
- strong RN-S96LKB
United Kingdom Accreditation Service
UKAS explains what each sanction means in practice. A suspension is normally temporary, with the body expected to regain accreditation within three months and up to nine in exceptional circumstances. While suspended an organisation cannot provide accredited services, cannot issue new accredited certificates, and must tell existing and prospective customers of its status. Certificates issued before the suspension remain valid unless they were issued incorrectly, though annual surveillance or renewal visits falling inside the suspension period may not be supportable.
- strong RN-IIRGYX
WaterRegsUK (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme)
How a plumber avoids the 10 working day notification and what paperwork the householder should get instead. An approved contractor is a member of one of the four approved contractor schemes, voluntary schemes for plumbers established under regulation 1(2) of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and byelaw 1(2) in Scotland. The four named schemes are the Water Industry Approved Plumbers' Scheme (WIAPS), which operates for 18 water undertakers, the Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors, the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, and the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers' Federation. Full members may certify all types of plumbing work in any premises; sector scheme members may certify only the limited work within their defined scope, for example groundworkers, catering installers or point-of-use installers, so membership alone is not enough for an unvented cylinder or a whole bathroom. On completion the contractor must issue a certificate of compliance, also called a work completed certificate, to both the client and the water undertaker, and that certificate acts as a legal defence if the work is later found non-compliant.
- good RN-A3FM9T
Building Engineering Services Association
BESA is the UK trade association for building engineering services, in existence for over 120 years, covering heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR), ventilation, refrigeration, welding and facilities maintenance. For a homeowner checking a mechanical contractor, the useful part is the list of registers and schemes BESA runs or publishes: the Vent Hygiene Register for ventilation cleaning and maintenance contractors, a government-authorised Competent Person Scheme, SKILLcard for workforce skills registration, REFCOM for F-Gas refrigeration certification (relevant to any air conditioning or air-to-air heat pump installation), Heating Interface Unit performance testing for flats on communal heat networks, SFG20 as the maintenance standard, and the Welplan benefits scheme. Membership is corporate, so a BESA logo describes the firm, not the individual engineer on site.
- good RN-MV9N0F
Considerate Constructors Scheme
A route most UK renovation articles never mention: what a neighbour affected by building work can actually do. The Scheme records all concerns, comments, compliments or complaints about a registered activity regardless of source. Once a concern is reviewed and found to relate to the Code of Considerate Practice, the Scheme informs the activity designated contact, usually the site manager or company contact, and may highlight the relevant parts of the Code. If the person raising it gives permission, their name and contact details are shared so the contact can work with them directly, particularly where compensation may be involved or where they have already been in contact with the site; if permission is not given, the Public Support team liaises on their behalf and the matter is handled confidentially. Crucially, if the construction activity is NOT registered with the Scheme, the Scheme will still contact the relevant organisation and attempt to mediate between the parties, but cannot progress the concern if that organisation does not respond. Contact is by freephone 0333 049 4600 in the UK, 1800 939 109 in the Republic of Ireland, or publicsupport@considerateconstructors.com.
- good RN-C9FA6D
Considerate Constructors Scheme
The code a registered contractor commits to, and the standard a homeowner or neighbour can measure a builder against. Registering an organisation, contractor or supplier with the Scheme is a commitment to observe and implement the Code, and the Code applies equally to all registered activities regardless of size, type or location. It has three sections. Respect the community: courteous and respectful language and appropriate behaviour in and around the activity; providing a safer environment, preventing unnecessary disturbance and reducing nuisance for the community; and proactively maintaining effective community engagement. Care for the environment: prioritising environmental issues to protect the natural environment and minimise negative impacts; optimising the use of resources including minimising carbon throughout the value chain; and engaging with the community to improve the local environment. Value the workforce: creating a supportive, inclusive and healthy workplace. Registration also means agreeing to be visited and scored by a Scheme Monitor, with conformance recognised through Certificates of Performance, Records of Performance and the Leading Lights Awards, and optional paid advisory visits available.
- good RN-QIS89X
Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)
CITB is the employer-led and employer-funded skills and standards body for the construction industry in Great Britain, established by statute and funded through the CITB Levy paid by registered construction employers, with registration, levy return and levy calculator guidance published on the site. It is the body behind the credentials that appear on a competent contractor's paperwork: the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test that underpins a CSCS card, Site Safety Plus courses such as SMSTS and SSSTS for supervisors and managers, apprenticeship standards across the construction trades, training delivered at the National Construction College, cards and training records, and a card verification service employers use to check a worker's credentials. It also administers grants and business support to construction employers. Useful as the authority for what a construction qualification actually consists of, rather than a trade body's own badge.
- good RN-JBJNNN
Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS)
CSCS is the leading skills certification scheme in UK construction, confirming that a worker holds training and qualifications appropriate to their role. Cards are colour coded by level: entry-level cards for those new to the industry, blue for skilled workers, gold for advanced craft and supervisory roles, black for managers, and separate categories for academically and professionally qualified people. A skilled card requires a nationally recognised construction-related qualification plus a pass in the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test at the level matching the role; overseas qualifications are accepted. The crucial caveat for homeowners: holding a CSCS card is not a legislative requirement, and it is entirely up to the principal contractor or client whether workers must hold a valid card, though most large contractors and house builders insist on one. A card is evidence of qualification and a health and safety test pass, not a licence to trade.
- good RN-PSAAYX
Federation of Master Builders
The FMB's searchable directory of member builders by trade and location, which the FMB describes as the only way to find inspected builders in the UK, with members vetted, inspected and monitored. Provides a 'check a member' lookup specifically because some firms claim FMB membership without holding it. Advises homeowners to do their own research on planning permission, building regulations, party walls and alterations to listed buildings rather than relying on the builder, and links its own guides on choosing a builder, working with a builder, loft conversions, garage conversions, bathrooms, kitchens and house extensions. Carries a formal complaints procedure and CTSI-certified alternative dispute resolution.
- good RN-RLMBIQ
Federation of Master Builders
The FMB is certified by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to provide Alternative Dispute Resolution to FMB members and their clients. The scheme is free of charge, flexible and confidential, and FMB members are required to take part as a condition of the FMB Code of Conduct. It is staffed by five ADR officials, a Director, a Manager and three Case Handlers, plus a Disputes Administrator, all permanently appointed after interview and probation, given regular specialist training and covered by a conflict of interest log. The scope is limited: mediation primarily addresses workmanship issues requiring rectification by the member, and the FMB cannot mediate disputes about compensation or contractual matters, cannot give legal advice and cannot make legally binding judgments. Applications are made by online form, with a PDF or postal version available; the disputes team line is 0113 201 4263. An annual dispute resolution report is published.
- good RN-3WVU7S
M3 Housing Ltd / Rand Associates Consultancy Services, published as a tender attachment on Sell2Wales
M3 Housing Ltd / Rand Associates Consultancy Services, published as a tender attachment on Sell2Wales, M3NHF Schedule of Rates Version 8, Responsive Maintenance and Void Property Works. Held in the cost register as a price source; the passage quoted against it reads: Additional to labour costs the base rates are made up of the following parts: Materials; PC Sums and Specialist costs where applicable; Vehicle costs at GBP 5.50 per hour; Non productive time at 10%; Profit at 5%; Overhe
- good RN-NA1TBR
NASC
NASC is the UK trade body for access and scaffolding, founded in 1945, with over 950 member contracting firms, suppliers and manufacturers, and describes itself as setting standards and driving safety and compliance across the sector. It publishes the contractual, health and safety, technical and product purchasing guidance notes that HSE points to, including SG4 'Preventing falls in scaffolding operations' (SG4:22 is a free download) and the TG20 design guidance, whose ePortal gained 1.5 metre lifts and returns options in an update announced on 4 September 2026. Useful as the accreditation to look for when comparing scaffolding quotes.
- good RN-R82GA8
NFRC
NFRC describes itself as the UK's largest roofing trade association, with over 1,350 members, and offers membership packages to contractors, manufacturers, merchants and service providers in the roofing industry. It runs four searchable directories from one place: find a roofer for approved contractor members, find materials through NFRC Supplier Members, find services through Service Provider Members, and an information library. NFRC produces technical publications across roofing disciplines, some free to members, some sold through its shop and some freely available to the wider industry and public. The wider NFRC Group also operates the NFRC Competent Person Scheme, which lets registered roofers self-certify that roof refurbishment work meets current building regulations, and a Roofing Careers Service. Use this to identify which roofing merchants and contractors hold a checkable trade body membership.
- good RN-AH6KYZ
SELECT (Electrical Contractors' Association of Scotland)
Scotland has no Part P and no competent person scheme in the English sense; instead electrical installers certify work as Approved Certifiers of Construction (Electrical Installations to BS 7671) under the Scottish Building Standards system, working within an Approved Body. This SELECT course synopsis sets out what that requires: a self-study programme plus open-book assessment covering the SELECT registration scheme, the Scottish Building Standards Division, scheme membership, the criteria for the duties of an Approved Body and of an Approved Certifier of Construction, the Code of Conduct, and the building standards applicable to electrical installations across structure, fire, environment, safety, noise, energy and certification, all under the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004. Pre-study is about twelve hours, the assessment is 40 multiple-choice questions, and it must be completed within one month of booking. Fees are £85 plus VAT (£102) for SELECT members and £100 plus VAT (£120) for non-members. The scheme itself is administered at sbsc.uk.net.