Competent person scheme for conservatory roofs

Jon Vanstone talks about the launch of a brand-new specialist competent person scheme for conservatory roof work at FIT Show.

A huge part of our job as a certification provider is finding out what additional support our members need from us to help make their working lives easier.

We get this information in a number of ways – through our award-winning Facebook forum, during our installer protection committee meetings and in our annual member surveys.

The last time we surveyed members on the work they carry out, outside of installing windows and doors, we found that more than 80% of Certass members regularly build conservatories, 34% offer roofing services and almost 38% carry out extension work.

It’s easy to see why we’re branching out. The most recent Home Improvement Trends Report, produced by Rated People, found that in 2021, homeowners who made improvements to their properties spent the most money on extensions, with an average spend of £19,111.

Building an annex or garden room came in second place at £17,123 and in third was a new conservatory or orangery, with a spending average of £15,992. These projects were also found to increase the value of a property the most.

The stats really got us thinking. Is there an opportunity here for us to deliver dedicated competent persons schemes for the other work that our members carry out? Just like our window and door installation scheme, it would give installers the opportunity to self-certify work in other areas, avoiding the lengthy and costly process of going through Local Authority Building Control.

They can easily register jobs online and get a digital copy of their Building Regulation compliance certificate.

Powered by Certass and NAPIT

Bringing together two long-standing competent persons schemes, Certass and NAPIT, means we’re hitting the ground running. Administered by Certass, our window and door CPS members will already be familiar with the systems for registering jobs and our straightforward sign-up process.

We’re working together to duplicate the Certass approach to low-cost, common-sense certification and building an extensive package of benefits, including free technical advice from our team. In this initial launch, we’re focussed on conservatory roof certification, which is the one we’re asked for most by members, especially with the boom in replacement solid roofs over the last five or so years.

Consumer leads

Members of our new scheme will also get a free listing on certifiedcompetent.co.uk, the dedicated advice and information website where homeowners can search for their local, trusted certified trader who is not only highly recommended by genuine customers, but also independently certified as competent to do the job right.

Members will receive homeowner leads directly through the website and have genuine consumer ratings displayed on their profile page.

Launched at FIT

The new scheme saw its official launch at this year’s FIT Show, on the Certass installer support hub stand. We had lots of interest from installers who fit more than just windows and doors and are looking for a simple way of self-certifying conservatory roof work to avoid the hassle and cost of building control and approved inspectors.

That’s exactly what Certified Roofer offers – a great value certification scheme with expert technical support from chartered builders and free consumer resources through certifiedcompetent.co.uk.