Competent Person Schemes Explained: NICEIC, Gas Safe, FENSA, NAPIT

Quick Answer: Competent person schemes are government-authorised programmes that allow registered tradespeople to self-certify that their work complies with Building Regulations, without needing separate building control sign-off. If you install gas appliances, electrical systems, windows, heating, or plumbing as your trade, you almost certainly need to be registered with at least one scheme to work legally and efficiently.

Summary

Competent person schemes (CPS) were introduced by the UK government in 2002 to reduce the burden on both tradespeople and local authority building control departments. When you join a scheme, you can self-certify notifiable work — meaning you confirm it meets Building Regulations and issue a compliance certificate directly to the homeowner, rather than paying for a separate building control inspection. Each scheme covers specific types of work under specific parts of the Building Regulations (Part P for electrical, Part J for combustion appliances, Part L for energy efficiency, Part G for sanitation and hot water, and so on). Membership typically involves an initial assessment of your competence, ongoing periodic inspections of your work, and an annual fee. For gas work specifically, registration with Gas Safe is not optional — it is a legal requirement under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, and working on gas appliances without registration is a criminal offence.

Key Facts

Comparison Table

Need to quote compliant work? squote includes relevant regulations in your quotes.

Try squote free →
Scheme Covers Work Types You Can Self-Certify Approx. Annual Cost (ex VAT) Assessment Frequency
Gas Safe Register Gas installations Boiler install/repair, gas fires, cookers, gas pipework — all gas work (legally required) £215-£240 renewal (sole trader, 1 engineer) Annual inspection + 3-month probation for new registrants
NICEIC Domestic Installer Electrical (domestic) All notifiable Part P electrical work in dwellings — new circuits, consumer units, rewires, bathrooms/kitchens £500-£700 (varies by region) Initial assessment + annual surveillance visit
NICEIC Approved Contractor Electrical (all sectors) All electrical installation, testing and inspection in domestic, commercial, and industrial premises £700-£900+ Initial assessment + annual surveillance visit
NAPIT Electrical Electrical (domestic and commercial) Part P notifiable electrical work — new circuits, consumer units, rewires; commercial options also available £540-£650 renewal Initial assessment + periodic inspection
ELECSA Electrical (domestic) Part P self-certification — being merged into NICEIC; existing members migrated £400-£600 (legacy scheme) Annual inspection
FENSA Glazing Replacement windows, doors, and roof windows (Part L energy efficiency compliance) £170 registration + £2.05/job notification Annual assessment; frequency depends on volume
CERTASS Glazing Replacement windows, doors, roof windows, and associated building work (Part L) ~£300/year (£24.95/month) Periodic assessment
HETAS Solid fuel & biomass Wood burners, multi-fuel stoves, biomass boilers, flue systems, hearth construction (Part J) £500-£800 (varies by scope) Annual inspection
OFTEC Oil & renewable heating Oil boiler installation, oil tank installation, oil pipework; also solid fuel and renewable heating scopes £260 renewal (sole trader, 1 technician) + £215 initial joining fee Annual inspection
APHC Plumbing & heating Unvented hot water systems, foul water drainage, sanitation (Part G), heating and hot water (Part L) ~£425 (£510 inc VAT initial) + £2.95/notification Periodic assessment
BESCA Building engineering services Plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning — Part G, Part J, Part L, Part F Contact for pricing Periodic assessment
NAPIT Plumbing/Heating Plumbing & heating Part G (sanitation), Part J (combustion), Part L (conservation of fuel and power) £400-£600 Initial assessment + periodic inspection

Notes on costs: Prices are approximate and based on 2025/26 fee schedules. Most schemes charge a higher initial registration/joining fee in year one (covering your first assessment), with lower renewal fees in subsequent years. All figures exclude VAT unless stated. Contact schemes directly for a precise quote — fees vary by business size, number of operatives, and scope of registration.

Detailed Guidance

What is a competent person scheme?

A competent person scheme is a government-authorised programme that allows registered tradespeople to self-certify that certain types of building work comply with the Building Regulations. The legal basis is Section 11A of the Building Act 1984 and Regulation 20 of the Building Regulations 2010, which allow the Secretary of State to authorise schemes whose members can give a certificate confirming compliance.

Without CPS membership, any time you carry out "notifiable" work (work that requires Building Regulations approval), you or your customer must either submit a building notice to the local authority or appoint an approved inspector. This costs the customer additional money (typically £200-£400 for a building control inspection) and adds delays. With CPS membership, you self-certify, notify the scheme, and the scheme notifies building control on your behalf. The homeowner receives a compliance certificate and an insurance-backed warranty.

Schemes are authorised for specific types of work aligned to specific parts of the Building Regulations. You can only self-certify work that falls within the scope of your scheme registration. If you carry out work outside your registered scope, you still need building control sign-off for that work.

The full list of authorised schemes is maintained on GOV.UK and currently includes over 20 scheme operators covering electrical, gas, glazing, plumbing, heating, ventilation, solid fuel, microgeneration, and other building services.

Gas Safe Register — what does it cover?

Gas Safe Register is unique among competent person schemes because registration is a legal requirement, not a voluntary choice. Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, it is illegal to carry out gas work unless you are on the Gas Safe Register (or are supervised by someone who is). Penalties include unlimited fines and up to two years in prison.

What you can do with Gas Safe registration:

Registration categories include:

Costs (2025/26):

Assessment: New registrants undergo a 3-month probationary period with mandatory job notifications and potential site inspections. After probation, Gas Safe conducts annual inspections of your work throughout your registration. Failure to meet standards can result in suspension or removal from the register.

How to join: You need valid ACS qualifications (obtained through an accredited assessment centre), appropriate public liability insurance, and must apply via the Gas Safe Register website or by calling their registration team.

NICEIC — what does it cover?

NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) is the longest-established and most widely recognised electrical competent person scheme in the UK. It operates two main tiers:

Domestic Installer Scheme:

Approved Contractor Scheme:

Requirements to join:

Assessment: After initial registration, you receive an annual surveillance visit where an assessor reviews your certificates, test results, and may inspect completed work. If issues are found, you are given an improvement plan and may face additional inspections.

Note on ELECSA: ELECSA was a separate electrical CPS operated by the ECA (Electrical Contractors' Association). Existing ELECSA Domestic Installers are being migrated to the NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme. If you are currently ELECSA registered, you will transition to NICEIC. New applicants should apply directly to NICEIC or NAPIT.

NAPIT — what does it cover?

NAPIT (National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers) is the main alternative to NICEIC for electrical competent person scheme registration. It holds the same government authorisation and legal standing — work certified under NAPIT is treated identically to NICEIC-certified work by building control.

Key differences from NICEIC:

What you can self-certify (electrical):

Costs (2025):

Multi-trade registration: If you are a plumber, heating engineer, or ventilation installer as well as an electrician, NAPIT lets you register for multiple competent person scheme scopes under one membership. This can be more cost-effective than joining separate schemes for each trade.

How to join: Apply online or by phone. You will need to provide evidence of qualifications, insurance, and complete an initial assessment. The process is similar to NICEIC — an assessor visits to review your work, paperwork, and test equipment.

FENSA — what does it cover?

FENSA (Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme) is the dominant competent person scheme for window and door installers. It allows you to self-certify that replacement windows and doors meet the energy efficiency requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations.

What you can self-certify:

What FENSA does NOT cover:

Costs (2025):

How it works in practice: After each installation, you log the job on the FENSA portal. FENSA notifies building control on your behalf and issues the homeowner a certificate confirming Part L compliance. This certificate is important for the homeowner — without it, they may have difficulty selling their property.

Why it matters: If you install replacement windows without FENSA (or CERTASS) registration and without building control sign-off, the homeowner has no proof of compliance. Conveyancing solicitors routinely ask for FENSA certificates during property sales. Missing certificates create problems and costs for your customers.

CERTASS — what does it cover?

CERTASS is the main alternative to FENSA for glazing installers. It covers the same scope of work — replacement windows, doors, and roof windows under Part L — and has the same legal standing.

Key differences from FENSA:

What you can self-certify: Identical scope to FENSA — replacement windows, doors, and roof windows meeting Part L energy efficiency requirements.

HETAS — what does it cover?

HETAS (Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme) is the UK's official competent person scheme for solid fuel, biomass, and wood-burning appliance installations.

What you can self-certify:

Costs:

Requirements: You need HETAS-approved qualifications for the categories of appliance you want to install (dry appliances, wet appliances, flue systems), appropriate insurance, and must pass an initial assessment.

Why it matters: Since October 2010, the installation of solid fuel appliances is notifiable work under the Building Regulations. Without HETAS registration (or building control sign-off), the installation is technically non-compliant. Insurance companies may refuse to pay claims on properties with unregistered stove installations.

OFTEC — what does it cover?

OFTEC (Oil Firing Technical Association) is the competent person scheme for oil-fired heating systems. Unlike Gas Safe, OFTEC registration is not a legal requirement for oil work — but it is strongly recommended and is required by most manufacturers for warranty purposes.

What you can self-certify:

Costs (approximate):

How to join: You need relevant OFTEC qualifications (OFT 101 for servicing, OFT 105 for installation, OFT 600 for tanks), appropriate insurance, and apply through the OFTEC website or portal.

APHC — what does it cover?

The APHC (Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors) operates a competent person scheme for plumbing and heating work.

What you can self-certify:

Costs (2025):

BESCA — what does it cover?

BESCA (Building Engineering Services Competence Assessment) runs a competent person scheme covering a broad range of building services including plumbing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.

What you can self-certify:

BESCA is particularly popular with larger firms and those working across multiple building services disciplines. Contact BESCA directly for current membership fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be in a competent person scheme?

For gas work, yes — Gas Safe registration is a legal requirement. For all other trades, CPS membership is voluntary but highly recommended. Without it, every notifiable job requires a separate building control application (costing your customer £200-£400 per job and adding delays). Most professional tradespeople consider CPS membership a basic cost of doing business.

Can I join more than one scheme?

Yes. Many tradespeople hold multiple registrations — for example, Gas Safe plus OFTEC (if you install both gas and oil boilers), or NICEIC plus NAPIT plumbing (if you do electrical and plumbing work). Some scheme operators like NAPIT offer multi-trade registration under one membership, which can save money.

What happens if I do notifiable work without being in a scheme?

If you carry out notifiable work without CPS membership and without building control sign-off, the work is technically non-compliant. The homeowner cannot prove compliance, which causes problems when selling the property. They can apply retrospectively for a regularisation certificate from building control, but this involves an inspection, a fee (often £300-£500+), and possible remedial work if the installation does not meet standards. You could also face enforcement action from your local authority.

Is NICEIC better than NAPIT?

Both hold the same government authorisation and your self-certification carries identical legal weight regardless of which scheme you are registered with. NICEIC has stronger brand recognition, particularly with commercial clients, main contractors, and housing associations. NAPIT is typically cheaper and many sole traders and small firms find it excellent value. Choose based on your customer base and budget — there is no technical or legal difference in the certification you issue.

What qualifications do I need to join a CPS?

This varies by scheme and trade. For electrical schemes (NICEIC/NAPIT), you typically need: a Level 3 electrical qualification (NVQ or C&G 2357 equivalent), BS 7671 18th Edition (C&G 2382), and inspection and testing (C&G 2391 or equivalent). For Gas Safe, you need valid ACS qualifications. For glazing (FENSA/CERTASS), there are no specific qualifications but you must demonstrate competence through assessment. For HETAS, you need HETAS-approved solid fuel qualifications. For OFTEC, you need relevant OFT qualifications.

Regulations & Standards