What Is a Competent Person Scheme?
Written by James Walker · Last reviewed 16 August 2026
James Walker has 2 degrees in construction (BSc (Hons) Building Surveying · MSc Environmental Design of Buildings) and an extensive background in issue resolution, resolving over £4 billion of consumer issues.
The short answer
- A government-authorised scheme letting registered trades self-certify their own work against the Building Regulations.
- Without it, notifiable work must be notified to building control first, slower and dearer for your customer.
- Schemes are trade-specific: electrical, windows, roofing, heating, plumbing.
- Membership means annual assessment and ongoing obligations.
- For trades doing notifiable work regularly, it is close to essential.
What it does
Certain building work must comply with the Building Regulations and be notified. Normally that means an application to building control and inspections.
A competent person scheme member certifies their own work instead. The scheme notifies the local authority on your behalf and issues the customer a certificate.
That is faster, cheaper and less disruptive, which is a commercial advantage over a competitor who cannot offer it.
The main schemes by trade
| Work | Schemes |
|---|---|
| Electrical | NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA |
| Windows and doors | FENSA, CERTASS |
| Gas appliances | Gas Safe Register |
| Roofing | CompetentRoofer |
What membership involves
Qualifications appropriate to the work. A qualified supervisor in many schemes. Calibrated test equipment where relevant. An annual assessment, usually including inspection of completed work.
It is not a one-off. The ongoing assessment is the point, it is what makes the certification meaningful.
What happens without it
Your customer notifies building control themselves, pays a fee, and waits for inspection. Many will simply use a registered competitor instead.
Worse, work that should have been notified and was not surfaces at sale, and the customer comes back to you.