When was the competent person scheme introduced?

Competent Person Schemes were first introduced in 2002, as a way of attesting that registered individuals and businesses were carrying out works that complied with building regulations. This meant that fees were lower, since there was no need for a building notice to be submitted or for local authority inspections to be carried out.

How do you get a competent person scheme? Check the register:

If you're interested in getting someone from a Competent Person Scheme to carry out any works on your property, you can check: Competent Persons Register Competent Person Electrical Register - for electrical work

SAM Conveyancing's guide on using a Competent Person Scheme

Instruct us for your sale conveyancing and our specialist solicitor will advise you on building regulations indemnity insurance for missing sign-off.

All our fees are Fixed and we can work within your timescales if you decide to opt for regularisation instead.

Competent Person Scheme

by:

Andrew Boast

Last Updated: 21/02/2025

Read by:

166

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 your building control undertaken by your Local Authority Building Control Body, you will need to contact your Local Authority. However, to have your building control undertaken by a Registered 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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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.

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