SAM Conveyancing's guide on using a Competent Person Scheme
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Competent Person Scheme

24/07/2023
(Last Updated: 31/01/2024)
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?
    Installation of:

  • 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

  • Installation/Replacement of:

  • 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

  • Electrical:

  • 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

  • Replacements:

  • 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

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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Andrew Boast of Sam Conveyancing
Written by:
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.
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Caragh is an excellent writer in her own right as well as an accomplished copy editor for both fiction and non-fiction books, news articles and editorials. She has written extensively for SAM for a variety of conveyancing, survey and mortgage related articles.

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