Registered Building Inspector
- Regulators
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- Health and Safety Executive
- Nations
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- England
- Wales
- Sectors
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- Construction and engineering
Regulatory or professional bodies
Primary regulator
- Regulatory authority
- Health and Safety Executive
- Address
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Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle, Merseyside
L20 7HS - Website
- https://www.hse.gov.uk
- Phone number
- +44 (0)3000 031 747
Regulation
Regulation summary
The Building Safety Act 2022 established a regulator of the building control profession for England (known as the Building Safety Regulator, part of the Health and Safety Executive) and Welsh Ministers as the regulator for Wales. Welsh ministers have delegated this function to BSR for Wales.
Building control is a statutory process that regulates building work, regulating compliance with the Building Act 1984 and related legislation to seek to ensure, on behalf of society, a built environment that is healthy, safe and accessible to the whole community. It examines the conservation of fuel and power and whether building work is designed and constructed in compliance with the Building Regulations 2010 and associated legislation.
BSR registers and provides regulatory oversight for organisations known as Registered Building Control Approvers (RBCAs) and individuals known as Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs).
‘Restricted Activities’ (as defined by the Building Act 1984) are carried out by Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs) in England and Wales and ‘Restricted Functions’ (as defined by the Building Act 1984) are carried out by Registered Building Control Approvers (RBCAs) in England and Wales and local authority building control functions in England.
The Building Act 1984 (as amended by the Building Safety Act) states that only a Registered Building Inspector (RBI) can undertake ‘Restricted Activities’ and advise on ‘Restricted Functions’. Individuals must register with BSR to become a Registered Building Inspector (RBI) for the class and categories of work they intend to undertake for their employing organisation, as detailed in BSR’s Building Inspector Competence Framework (BICoF). They must also comply with BSR’s Code of Conduct to work in England and the Welsh Government’s Code of Conduct to work in Wales.
Regulation type
Reserved activities
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) regulate Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs), responsible for carrying out ‘Restricted Activities’. It should be noted that RBIs do not carry out ‘Restricted Functions’, as defined below.
Reserved activities and functions are defined by legislation: The Building (‘Restricted Activities’ and Functions) (England) Regulations 2023
For Welsh Government: The Building (‘Restricted Activities’ and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2024
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published the Building Inspector Competence Framework (BICoF); Building inspector competence framework (BICoF) - GOV.UK
The BICoF details the regulated activities and functions that Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs) are able to undertake, according to the class of work they are registered for.
For Welsh Government: Building Inspector Competence Framework (BICOF) | GOV.WALES
Protected titles
Registered Building Inspector (RBI)
- More about regulated activities and titles
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/registered-building-inspectors
Qualifications and experience
New professionals
- Routes to qualification
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There are no specific qualifications needed.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) requires applicants to be assessed as competent through an independent assessment scheme recognised by BSR. Currently there are three recognised independent competence assessment schemes:
-Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) Chartered Association of Building Engineers
-Building Safety Competence Foundation (BSCF) Welcome to the Building Safety Competence Foundation - Building Safety Competence Foundation
-Total Training and Development (TTD) Total Training and Development Ltd – Providing qualifications for the built environmentThe Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published the 'Criteria for Independent Competence Assessment Schemes', which sets out the criteria of approval for independent schemes that verify the competence of building control professionals (schemes) and the provider for each scheme.
Criteria for independent competence assessment schemes - GOV.UK
The BSR’s Building Inspector Competence Framework (BICOF) provides a clear, structured framework to demonstrate competence for the building control profession. Competence is described as the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviours of individuals performing their role as a Registered Building Inspector (RBI).
Building inspector competence framework (BICoF) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
For Welsh Government: Building Inspector Competence Framework (BICOF) | GOV.WALES
Professionals from other UK nations
- Routes to recognition within the UK
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The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) requires applicants from within the UK to be assessed as competent for England and Wales through one of the independent competence assessment schemes (see ‘Routes to qualification’).
- More about recognition within the UK
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/registered-building-inspectors
Professionals from outside the UK
- Recognition for professionals outside the UK
- None - all professionals must re-qualify
- Summary of routes
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Professionals from other UK nations
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) requires applicants from Northern Ireland and Scotland to be assessed as competent through one of the recognised independent competence assessment schemes, in order to be able to undertake work in England and Wales (see ‘Routes to qualification’).Professionals from outside the UK
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) requires overseas applicants to be assessed as competent through one of the recognised independent competence assessment schemes to undertake work in England and Wales (see ‘Routes to qualification’).Recognition for professionals outside the UK
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) does not recognise overseas qualifications for admission to the register of building inspectors for England or Wales (as designated by Welsh Ministers). Overseas applicants must be assessed as competent through one of the recognised independent assessment schemes, as outlined above. - More about recognition for professionals outside the UK
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/registered-building-inspectors
Registration
- Registration requirements
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Applicants must register with BSR to carry out BSR-regulated ‘Restricted Activities’ such as assessing plans, inspecting building work and providing advice on ‘Restricted Functions’ (Please note that RBIs do not carry out ‘Restricted Functions’), in accordance with The Building (‘Restricted Activities’ and Functions) (England) Regulations 2023. This includes all buildings from domestic premises to complex, high-risk and multi-use buildings. Registration is valid for 4 years, unless varied, suspended or cancelled by BSR.
Applicants must provide their name, address, email and phone number. They must also provide details of the class of building inspector they wish to register as, details of their BSR-approved competency assessment, membership of relevant professional bodies, employment status and, where employed, their employer’s details.
Applicants must confirm with BSR that they will comply with the code of conduct for the countries they register for and pay their registration fee, as well as the annual maintenance fee which is payable from the first anniversary of registration.
- More about registration
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-as-a-building-inspector
Legislation
- Title of relevant act or charter
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The Building Act 1984
- Website link to legislation
- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-act-1984-as-amended-by-the-deregulation-act-2015