When to use this guide
- Appointing designers and contractors for building work in England.
- Defining who coordinates design compliance and who manages construction compliance.
- Changing dutyholders or reviewing whether the appointed team remains competent.
What to check
Use these prompts with the responsible project team. Ticking a box does not certify compliance.
You can tick these prompts while reviewing the project.
Keep these records
- Appointment letters with clearly separated statutory scopes.
- Proportionate competence assessments, capability evidence and supervision arrangements.
- Coordination decisions, compliance reviews and notices of appointment changes where required.
Common mistakes
- Treating a CDM appointment as automatic proof of competence or appointment under Building Regulations.
- Expecting a building inspector or BIM clash report to take over a dutyholder's legal responsibilities.
When to get specialist help
Resolve appointment gaps, competence concerns or conflicting compliance advice with the client and competent professional advisers before affected work proceeds.
Scope and edition
Sources reviewed 17 October 2026. Applies to England; check transitional arrangements and the current amended parent regulations. Do not limit the general dutyholder framework to higher-risk buildings.
Use the official source to check the current text, amendments not yet incorporated, commencement and project-specific transition. A published future edition is not automatically the rule applying to your work.
Official sources
- 2023 England amendment regulationsAmending instrument; read resulting duties in the current Building Regulations.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/911/contents
- Design and building work: meeting building requirementsCurrent England guidance on appointments, competence, domestic clients and CDM distinctions.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/design-and-building-work-meeting-building-requirements
Source links lead to external official websites. We provide original explanatory notes and do not reproduce paid standards.
About this library
Independent, plain-English reference notes by Saeed Azarshab. The library covers the 42 subjects listed here; it is not every law affecting construction, an official government publication or a project-specific compliance decision. Building Regulations, Approved Documents, workplace safety duties and planning permissions have different roles.
Editorial source review: . Check the current official text, commencement dates, outstanding amendments and transitional arrangements before relying on a requirement. Publication date is not necessarily the date a rule applies. A relevant competent professional or authority must resolve project-specific questions.
Sources and lawful reuse
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated. These are original practical summaries, with links to the official material. No government endorsement is implied. We do not host copies of proprietary BS, ISO or Eurocode standards, third-party diagrams or publisher layouts. Check each source’s rights notice before reuse.
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