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 Building Safety Regulator. 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 the applicants professional standing as Building Engineers and CABE strongly recommends that applicants take this opportunity to formally join the wider engineering community. CABE Members and Non-Members following 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 below.

CBICAS

The information below outlines the application process for new applicants. If you have successfully passed the CBICAS process and looking to change your scope you can apply for a Scope Extension.

The scheme operates in three key stages:

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)

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 1 | 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 1 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 1 | 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 1 | RICS Application Form      CPD Template      Technical Report Scope

Stage 2 | submission of Technical Report and competence statements

Once your Stage 1 application has been checked you will be e-mailed the appropriate Stage 2 application form which includes a template for the completion of your competence statements. 

The Stage 2 requirements differ depending on Class of assessment and whether applicants are:

1. existing Members seeking CBICAS assessment,
2. existing members needing to upgrade their membership as well as seeking CBICAS assessment
3. non-CABE members seeking to join the Association and be assessed through the CBICAS process; or
4. a member of RICS.

All of these options are delivered through a single assessment process. 

CABE has produced a Technical Report template  to help you develop your Stage 2 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 Extracts

The below examples are set out in the preferred submission format:

Class 3 Specialist Building Inspector      Class 4 Technical Manager (2&3)

Stage 3 | 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. Allowing you to demonstrate that you at competent to work at your chosen class of registration.

After a short period of deliberation, the assessors will inform you of the outcome.

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.

Amendment/Changes to CBICAS Documentation

When any significant amendments 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 Building Safety Regulator

Building Safety Regulator Charging Scheme

The Building Safety Regulator has published their charging scheme on their website, Charging scheme - Building safety - HSE. This scheme details all the chargeable functions, and the amounts payable. Their charges come into effect on 1 October 2023.

Building Safety Regulator Transitional Code of Conduct and Professional Code of Conduct

Applicants to the CBICAS scheme should familiarise themself with the Building Safety Regulators 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 CABE BICAS 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.