Registration of building inspectors grows, reports BSR

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has published its latest registration data following the end of the temporary extension given to registered building inspectors (RBIs) in England to complete their competency assessment.

The 13-week extension, applicable to England only, finished in early July (building control professionals in Wales have slightly longer, with their transitional arrangements not ending until 1 October 2024).

To comply with the law, all RBIs in England must now be fully registered with the BSR at the appropriate class and must not undertake activities outside of their class without the appropriate level of supervision.

According to the BSR, as of 30 July 2024, there are 4,049 RBIs in England and Wales; the breakdown of registration by class is:

• at Class 1 (Trainee): 1,971
• at Class 2 (Registered Building Inspector): 1,614
• at Class 3 (Specialist Building Inspector): 464
• at Class 4 (Building Inspector – Technical Manager): 516

Ged Cooper, BSR Head of Building Control Professional Standards, commented: “We are encouraged by this steady increase in numbers and are pleased to see a consistent level of success in Class 2 and Class 3 and it’s heartening that a high proportion are also Class 4 technical managers. We expect to see this positive progress continue.

“The profession is entering a new transformative era, with unified, consistent standards making it a positive career choice. Enhanced professional standards will lead to stronger compliance with building regulations. Improved practices will set high standards as the norm, not the exception.”