Certass TA Chair Jon Vanstone discusses the brand-new certification scheme to help installers self-certify conservatory roof work, which is one of the many areas visitors to FIT Show will be able to find out more about at the Certass Installer Support Hub…
On the Certass Installer Support Hub at FIT Show, Certass and their stand partners are bringing the best advice, support and information for installation businesses, including a brand-new certification scheme to help installers save time and money on their jobs. Jon Vanstone, Certass TA Chair, talks about launching the new scheme and how installers can get involved.
A New CPS
A huge part of our job as a certification provider is knowing the additional support our members need from us to ensure certification membership provides value to their business. We get this information in several ways – through our award-winning Facebook forum, during our Installer Protection Committee meetings, in our annual member survey, on audit visits, and listening when they phone us up.
The last time we questioned members on the work they carry out, outside of installing windows and doors, we found that more than 80 percent of members regularly build conservatories, 34 percent offer roofing services and almost 38 percent do extension work.
It’s easy to see why we’re branching out. The most recent Home Improvement Tends 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 or Approved Inspectors. They can easily register jobs online and customers 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 queried 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 are searching for local, trusted certified traders who are not only highly recommended by customers who have had work done by them, but also independently certified as competent to do the job right. Members receive homeowner leads directly through the website and have real consumer recommendations & ratings displayed on their profile page.
Find out more at FIT
If you fit more than just windows and doors, and you register conservatory roof work through Local Authority Building Control or an Approved Inspector, come and talk to us at FIT Show. We’ll have all the information available about our new scheme at the Certass Installer Support Hub on stand D49, including the opportunity to chat through the benefits with our technical team and even get started on your application.
https://www.certass.co.uk/certass-trade-association/