CABE’s Building Inspector Competence Assessment Scheme (CBICAS) is approved by the
Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to certify individuals for registration as a Building Inspector.
About the scheme
Under the Building Safety Act 2022 (England and Wales), Building Inspectors must be registered with the BSR. CBICAS allows individuals to prove their competence to work as a Building Inspector. As an Engineering Council-approved standard, successful assessment of CBICAS at Class 2, 3 or 4 entitles applicants to register with the Engineering Council as an Incorporated Engineer (IEng).
This provides much wider recognition of an applicant's professional standing as a Building Engineer and CABE strongly recommends that applicants take this opportunity to formally join the wider engineering community. CABE Members and non-members
follow the same application process. Members of RICS are able to access CBICAS but are not eligible to register as IEng. If you are a RICS member, follow the separate application route detailed below.
CBICAS Scope Extension and Revalidation
The CBICAS process outlined below is for new applicants.
If you have already successfully passed the CBICAS process and want to apply for a scope extension, or for revalidation, chose the links below.
CBICAS Scope Extension
CBICAS Revalidation
The scheme operates in three key stages:
CBICAS Complete Guide for Class 2, 3 and 4 Registration
CABE Members and non-members: (if you are a member of RICS and CABE follow this guidance)
RICS Members:
(if you are a member of RICS ONLY please follow this guidance)
Download the Complete Guide for RICS Members
CABE BICoF for Class 2, 3 and 4 Registration
For ease of access, we have separated the CABE BICoF into each class. Select your class of application below for the relevant framework.
Stage One | application and career portfolio submission
CABE Members and non-members:
(if you are a member of RICS and CABE follow this route)
Applicants are invited to complete their Stage One Application Form
and submit their CPD Record.
Non-members (excluding RICS Members), follow the same process as CABE Members, beginning with Stage One – Application and Career Portfolio Submission, and subsequently moving through to Stage Two and Stage Three.
Stage One | Application Form
CPD Template
Technical Report Scope
RICS Members:
(if you are a member of RICS ONLY please follow this route)
RICS Members can apply for Stage One – Application and Career Portfolio Submission by completing the RICS application form (below), before moving through to Stage Two and Stage Three.
Stage One | RICS Application Form CPD Template
Technical Report Scope
Please Note: application forms must be filled in fully and submitted digitally in the original PDF format.
We are not able to accept scanned or Microsoft Word versions.
Stage Two | submission of Technical Report and competence statements
Once your Stage One application has been checked you will be e-mailed the appropriate Stage Two application form which includes a template for the completion of your competence statements.
The Stage Two requirements differ depending on Class of assessment and whether applicants are:
- existing members seeking CBICAS assessment,
- existing members needing to upgrade their membership as well as seeking CBICAS assessment
- non-CABE members seeking to join the Association and be assessed through the CBICAS process; or
- a member of RICS.
All of these options are delivered through a single assessment process.
Please Note: CABE Members need to be minimum of MCABE for Class 2 certification,
and C.Build E MCABE for Class 3 or 4 certification.
CABE has produced a Technical Report template
to help you develop your Stage Two submission material. It is recommended that applicants prioritise work on the Technical Report using the guidance in the CBICAS Complete Guide to develop a technical case study based on your experiences as a building inspector.
Technical Report Template
Submission Examples
The below examples are set out in the preferred submission format:
Class 2 Registered Building Inspector
Class 3 Specialist Building Inspector
Class 4 Technical Manager (2&3)
Stage Three | Professional Review Interview
You will be invited to attend a professional review interview. The peer-review interview will allow you to prove your underpinning knowledge, understanding and professional attributes. This stage allows you to demonstrate that you are competent to work at your chosen class of registration.
After a short period of deliberation, the assessors will inform you of the outcome.
Please Note: all outcomes are subject to subsequent ratification by the Membership & Professional Standards Committee (MPSC) and are not final until the ratification process is complete.
Fees
CABE has published a schedule of fees for CBICAS assessment, ongoing competence certification on an annual basis and for Engineering Council registration at IEng level (optional). The annual fee for
ongoing competence certification will be used to meet scheme costs, to deliver improved support for Building Inspectors within CABE membership, with any residual funding used to subsidise revalidation every four years.
Please note IEng registration is only available for CABE Members.
Frequently Asked Questions
CABE has published an FAQ document covering common questions raised by applicants for CBICAS assessment. Please check this document prior to contacting the Membership
team with any queries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Amendment/Changes to CBICAS Documentation
When any significant amendment to the CBICAS documentation is undertaken, we will endeavour to let you know the details of the changes and the reason behind these amendments. Amendment/changes to CBICAS Documentation.
Additional Documents from the BSR
BSR Charging Scheme
The BSR has published their charging scheme on their website, Charging scheme - Building safety - HSE. This scheme details all the chargeable functions, and the amounts payable. These charges came into effect on 1 October 2023.
BSR Transitional Code of Conduct and Professional Code of Conduct
Applicants to the CBICAS scheme should familiarise themself with the BSR's Code of Conduct for registered building inspectors
and their Professional conduct rules for registered building control approvers
.
Disclaimer
Whilst the information that is contained/accessible above is considered to be true and correct at the time of publishing, on the basis of current information provided to us by the Building Safety Regulator (“BSR”), and we will endeavour to keep the same up to date, CABE does not warrant or represent that the information is free from errors or omission.
Changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on (I) the accuracy of the information contained within this publication; the operation of the CBICAS scheme; and/or (iii) access to the scheme. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are up to date with any relevant changes in legislation and/or changes made by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to its guidance, registration criteria, scheme approval criteria and / or registration deadlines, which may have occurred since the date of publishing.
CABE accepts no liability for any way the information contained/accessible above is interpreted and/or used. CABE makes no representations or warranties that completion of the CBICAS will result in the BSR adding you to or maintaining you on its register, without the need for any additional requirements (e.g., training, assessment etc.) they may choose to ask of you directly, or indirectly through CABE. No responsibility is accepted by CABE for any loss or damage arising in any way from the interpretation of the information contained/accessible above or for any work you carry out before or after being registered with the BSR. Applicants are reminded that it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct PI Insurance in place to cover the work that you carry out and to only undertake work within the scope of your competence. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are acting in accordance with all relevant legislation.
