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Role of a building inspector

Registered building inspectors carry out regulated building control activities, which are:

• assessing plans
• inspections
• giving advice to building control bodies that carry out regulated functions

Building control bodies

Registered building inspectors work for building control bodies, either as employees or contractors. Building control bodies are:

• the Building Safety Regulator (BSR)
• local authorities
• registered building control approvers

Before you register as a building inspector

Competency assessment

If you want to apply to register as a class 2, 3 or 4 building inspector, you will need to complete an independent competency assessment. If you apply to register without being assessed, you will be registered as a class 1 building inspector and can only work under supervision.

Competency assessments for registration are only valid from approved schemes. You can get a competency assessment by contacting one of the providers of the approved schemes:

• Building Safety Competence Foundation (BSCF)
• Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)
• Total Training Development Ltd

The assessment evaluates your skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours against the relevant building inspector competence framework:

• building inspector competence framework for England (hse.gov.uk)
• building inspector competence framework for Wales

As part of the assessment you will need to submit a portfolio of your work and pass an exam or an interview. You must be re-assessed at least every 4 years.

After you complete your assessment you will receive a certificate number. You will need to provide the number when you register as proof of your assessment.

Registration classes and building categories

You will need to decide which registration class you are competent to apply for. There are 4 classes of registered building inspector (RBI).

Class 1

Must only work under supervision. You do not have to complete a competency assessment to register as a class 1 building inspector. This class is suitable for anyone new to the profession who is undergoing training.

Class 2

Can work unsupervised on building categories they are registered to work on, which may include:

• category A, a residential dwelling house for a single household, less than 7.5m in height
• category B, residential flats and dwelling houses, less than 11m in height
• category C, residential flats and dwelling houses, 11m or more but less than 18m in height
• category D, all building types and uses, less than 7.5m in height
• category E, all building types, 7.5m or more but less than 11m in height
• category F, all building types 11m or more but less than 18m in height

Class 3

Can work unsupervised on building categories they are registered to work on, which may include category A to F buildings and:

• category G, all building types, including standard and non-standard but excluding higher-risk, with no height limit
• category H, all building types, including higher-risk

Class 4 technical manager

Technical managers are class 2 or class 3 building inspectors with additional responsibilities for the technical management of teams and processes.

A class 2 building inspector, who is also a class 4 technical manager, cannot carry out any class 3 activities unless supervised.

Someone who is not a registered building inspector can administratively manage a building control team, but not on technical matters.

Competency assessment extension period

From 6 April to 6 July 2024 experienced building inspectors in England can complete their competency assessment and upgrade their registration.

If you are a trainee registering for class 1, you can continue to work in class 1 under supervision.

If you are eligible, the scope of your registration will be temporarily extended to the class of RBI for which you are undertaking a competency assessment.

Extension period eligibility

If you have not completed your competency assessment to register as a class 2 or 3 RBI (and 4, if applicable), you can continue to work if you meet all of the following criteria:

• you are an existing building control professional
• you are registered as a class 1 RBI by 6 April 2024
• you are enrolled in, and in the process of having your competency assessed through, one of the BSR approved competency assessment schemes by 6 April 2024
• a scheme provider has not told you that you have not passed your competency assessment for a second time

If a scheme provider tells you that you have not passed your assessment for a second time before 6 July, you must notify BSR. The temporary extension to the scope of your registration will end and you will only be able to work as a class 1, under supervision.

You must pass your assessment and upgrade your class by 6 July 2024 to continue working on class 2 and 3 projects. If you do not, you cannot continue to work on regulated building control activities.

After passing your competency assessment

Once you have successfully passed your competency assessment and received your certificate number, contact BSR to upgrade your registration. You will not be charged for this.

Code of conduct

As part of your application to register, we will ask you to confirm that you comply with the code of conduct for registered building inspectors in the countries you are registered in.

Read the:

• code of conduct for England (hse.gov.uk)
• code of conduct for Wales

If you register for both England and Wales you will have to confirm that you comply with both codes of conduct.

Registering as a building inspector

You can apply to register as a building inspector online.

Registrations will usually be valid for 4 years, unless varied, suspended or cancelled by BSR.

If you register before 6 April 2024, the 4 years begin from 6 April 2024.

What you will need

To complete the registration, you will need to provide:

• your name, date of birth and contact details
• your National Insurance number to cross-check with your competency assessment
• the building inspector class you want to register as
• the categories of buildings you are competent to work on
• details of your independent competency assessment, if you have one
• membership details of relevant professional bodies, if you have any
• your employment status
• your credit or debit card details to pay the 336 registration charge - whether you register for one country or both

Getting a decision

Well tell you if your application is approved, approved subject to conditions, or rejected.

In cases where the app

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