Competent Person

A competent person scheme (CPS) provides an alternative for an installing contractor with regard to the registration of a replacement window or door installation with the local authority. A competent person scheme achieves this by ensuring that installation contractors registered with them meet certain standards, which allows them to self-certify that an installation meets Part L of the Building Regulations. In practical terms, a competent person scheme issues a Building Regulation Compliance Certificate to the householder and then subsequently registers the installation with the local authority.

There are currently three competent person schemes operating in the glazing market, BSI, Certass & Fensa. All three provide the same facility in terms of the registration of and the subsequent issue of Building Regulation Compliance Certificate’s to homeowners. It is generally much cheaper for an installing contractor to use a competent person scheme, as opposed to lodging installations directly with the Local Authority, as most authorities charge between £80-200 per job.

This is a certificate provided to the householder stating that a window or door installation has been self-certified by the installing contractor and meets the relevant building regulations. Solicitors will ask for a copy of this document when a property is being sold, and where a replacement window or door installation has been carried out after April 2002. If a homeowner is unable to supply this documentation, a local authority inspection may have to be carried out, and this could delay any sale process.

An Insurance Backed Guarantee (IBG) is a low cost, long term insurance policy, which provides valuable protection for consumers when undertaking home improvements projects.

The principle of an Insurance Backed Guarantee is to honour the terms of the written guarantee, originally issued by the installing contractor, where that contractor has ceased to trade as defined within the policy document and is therefore unable to satisfy claims against that guarantee.

Guarantee Protection Insurance Ltd (GPI) is a UK based insurance company, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. GPI has extensive expertise in the trade sectors in which competent persons operate, and is the insurer who underwrites all insurance policies issued by QANW, as a part of the self assessment insurance schemes.

Certass has been approved as a TrustMark scheme operator for Glazing and Conservatory sections of the TrustMark website and will shortly be expanding the scope for other trades.

Although TrustMark is included free with all new Certass competent person scheme members they are offering to provide Trustmark approval to members of other competent person schemes at a reduced rate through QANW.

Benefits

• Targeted leads
• Raised Consumer awareness
• Consumer perception of a quality contractor
• Use of Trustmark logo on websites/letterheads
• Free Van stickers
• Free consumer leaflets
• Government Endorsed

The cost of joining through the Certass/QANW scheme is less than other competent persons schemes at only £199+VAT for up to 3 trades.

Please contact 0845 838 8550 for more information