Competent Person Self-Certification Schemes

Competent person schemes were introduced by the Government to allow individuals and enterprises to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations as an alternative to submitting a building notice or using an approved inspector.

The principles of self-certification are based on giving people who are competent in their field the ability to self-certify that their work complies with the Building Regulations without the need to submit a building notice and thus incurring local authority inspections or fees. It is hoped that moving towards self-certification will significantly enhance compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations, reduce costs for firms joining recognised schemes, and promote training and competence within the industry. It should also help tackle the problem of 'cowboy builders', and assist local authorities with enforcement of the Building Regulations.

Full details on the role of competent persons are available from the Communities and Local Government website.

The competent person schemes operators have established a website with information about their schemes: Local Authority Building Control Part P Competent Persons Register. Currently this site is dedicated to Part P of the Building Regulations, which is related to electrical safety in the home. Members of different competent person schemes will be included in the near future.