Competent Person Scheme
(Last Updated: 31/01/2024)
24/07/2023
22
4 min read
Key Takeaways
- If you're starting any home improvement projects, you can always get someone from the Competent Person Scheme to help, as they are held to high standards and their work will 100% pass all the planning permissions and building regulations
- You can use this for multiple types of work and you can find someone from this scheme by checking their respective register
There are numerous types of home improvement project, ranging from replacing double-glazed windows to installing hot water and heating systems and some not only require planning permission and building control sign-off, but also possibly employing someone who is a member of a Competent Person Scheme.
What is a competent person scheme?
A Competent Person Scheme is as it sounds - it's an organisation of members with professionally qualified members who focus on a particular area or areas of building-related work.
What qualifications does a competent person need?
- Potential members must be trained and examined to a sufficiently high standard in order to carry out real, practical work
- The training and examination is kept 'up-to-date' and standards are regularly updated - this often means that existing practitioners have to be re-examined from time to time
- The Government has to approve, through various Government departments and finally the Competent Persons Register, the competency of any particular scheme
- Individual practising members have to keep up-to-date not only in passing any necessary exams, but also in passing any spot checks which might be imposed from time-to-time and they normally have to pay annual fees
- Each Competent Person Scheme must carry very large sums of public liability insurance in the event of mistakes and disasters
A huge advantage for consumers is that in many cases, a Competent Person from such a scheme can carry out a particular project from start to finish and can themselves all the requirements of planning permission and building control and can sign work off. This undoubtedly saves time and money.
If you wish to have you building control undertaken by you Local Authority Building Control Body, you will need to contact your Local Authority. However, in order to have you building control undertaken by an Approved Inspector you can search the register and contact them.
What types of work are covered by Competent Person Schemes?
- Cavity wall insulation - Blue Flame, Certass, Certsure, CIGA, NAPIT, STROMA
- Solid wall insulation - BBA (including hybrid), Blue Flame (including hybrid), CERTASS, Certsure including hybrid), NAPIT (including hybrid), STROMA
- Gas appliances - Gas Safe Register
- Fixed air conditioning or mechanical ventilation systems in dwellings - BESCA, Blue Flame, Certsure, NAPIT, STROMA
- Plumbing and water supply systems and bathrooms and sanitary ware: - APHC, Benchmark, BESCA, Certsure, HETAS, NAPIT, STROMA
- Microgeneration or renewable technologies - APHC, Benchmark, BESCA, BRE, Certsure, HETAS, NAPIT, OFTEC, STROMA
- Hot water and heating systems - APHC, Benchmark, BESCA, Blue Flame, Certsure, Gas Safe Register, HETAS, NAPIT, OFTEC and STROMA
- Oil-fired boilers and storage tanks - APHC, Benchmark, BESCA, Blue Flame, Certsure, NAPIT, OFTEC, STROMA
- Solid fuel burners - APHC, BESCA, Blue Flame, Certsure, HETAS, NAPIT, OFTEC, STROMA
- Any electrical installation work in dwellings - APHC, Benchmark, BESCA, Blue Flame, Certsure, NAPIT, OFTEC, STROMA
- Electrical installation work only in association with other work in dwellings (e.g. kitchen installations, boiler installations) - APHC, Benchmark, BESCA, Blue Flame, Certsure, NAPIT, STROMA
- Windows, doors, roof windows, or roof lights in dwellings - ASSURE, Blue Flame, BM TRADA, BSI, CERTASS, Certsure, FENSA, NAPIT, STROMA
- Roof coverings on pitched and flat roofs (not including solar panels) - CompetentRoofer, NAPIT
Installation of:
Installation/Replacement of:
Electrical:
Replacements:
Alphabetical List of Competent Person Schemes
APHC www.aphc.co.uk 0121 711 5030 | CERTASS www.certass.co.uk 0845 094 8025 |
BENCHMARK CONFIGURATION www.benchmark-cert.co.uk 0238 0517 069 | CIGA www.cwisk.org 01525 853 300 |
BESCA www.besca.org.uk 0800 652 5533 | FENSA www.fensa.co.uk 020 7645 3700 |
Blue Flame www.blueflamecertification.com 0845 194 9031 | Gas Safe Register www.gassaferegister.co.uk 01525 853 300 |
BM Trada www.bmtrada.com 01494 569 700 | HETAS www.hetas.co.uk 01684 278 170 |
British Board of Agrément (BBA) www.bbacerts.co.uk 01923 665 386 | NAPIT www.napit.org.uk 0345 543 0330 |
BSI www.kitemark.com 0845 0809 000/div> | Network VEKA (ASSURE) www.networkveka.co.uk/div> 0800 80 00 80 |
Certsure LLP (trading as ELECSA) www.elecsa.co.uk 0333 321 8220/div> | OFTEC www.oftec.org.uk 0845 658 5080 |
Certsure LLP (trading as NICEIC) www.niceic.com 0870 013 0382 | STROMA www.stroma.com 01525 853 300 |
Competent Roofer (NRFC) www.competentroofer.co.uk 0207 638 7663 |
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Written by:
Andrew Boast
Andrew started his career in 2000 working within conveyancing solicitor firms and grew hands-on knowledge of a wide variety of conveyancing challenges and solutions. After helping in excess of 50,000 clients in his career, he uses all this experience within his article writing for SAM, mainstream media and his self published book How to Buy a House Without Killing Anyone.
Reviewed by:
Caragh Bailey
Caragh is an excellent writer and copy editor of books, news articles and editorials. She has written extensively for SAM for a variety of conveyancing, survey, property law and mortgage-related articles.
