Expert CDM 2015 Consultancy

Navigating health and safety regulations should not slow down your development.

As Chartered Building Surveyors, we provide pragmatic, commercially aware CDM 2015 and Principal Designer services to protect your project, your people, and your investment.

What Are the CDM Regulations 2015?

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) are the primary legal regulations for managing the health, safety, and welfare of construction projects in Great Britain.

The law requires you to integrate health and safety into the management of your project from the very first concept through to completion. Failure to comply can result in severe project delays, unlimited fines, and prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

As Chartered Building Surveyors, we bridge the gap between complex legal requirements and the practical realities of construction, ensuring your site is fully compliant without unnecessary red tape.

How We Help You - Our Core CDM 2015 Services

We offer tailored services to discharge your legal duties and keep your project moving forward smoothly:

• Principal Designer Role: For projects with more than one contractor, the law requires a Principal Designer. We take on this statutory role to plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate health and safety during the pre-construction phase.
• Independent Client Advisor: If you lack the internal resources to discharge your HSE duties, we act as your dedicated advisor. We audit the compliance of your appointed designers and contractors to ensure you are legally protected.
• Pre-Construction Information (PCI): We gather, assess, and distribute the crucial health and safety information that your designers and contractors need to work safely and effectively.
• Health and Safety File Preparation: We compile and hand over the final Health and Safety File at project completion, providing the ultimate end-user with the exact information needed for future maintenance, cleaning, or demolition.

Who Do We Support? (HSE Duty Holders)

Under CDM 2015, your responsibilities depend on your role in the project. Choose your category below to see how we support you:

Commercial Clients

(Organisations or individuals having construction work carried out for a business)

• Your Duty: You must make suitable arrangements for managing the project and ensuring health and safety risks are controlled.
• Our Solution: We act as your CDM Advisor, helping you assemble the right team, submitting your F10 Notification to the HSE, and ensuring your contractors are fulfilling their legal duties.

Domestic Clients

(People having construction work carried out on their own home)

• Your Duty: CDM 2015 applies to domestic projects, but your duties are usually transferred to the Contractor or Principal Designer.
• Our Solution: We provide total peace of mind by taking on the Principal Designer role for your home extension, renovation, or new build, so you do not have to worry about the legal complexities.

Architects & Lead Designers

(Professionals appointed to control the pre-construction phase)

• Your Duty: You must eliminate or control foreseeable risks in your designs.
• Our Solution: If you prefer to outsource the CDM burden, our surveyors can step in. We handle the Pre-Construction Information (PCI) and compile the Health and Safety File, freeing you up to focus purely on design and aesthetics.

Principal Contractors

(Contractors appointed to coordinate the construction phase)

• Your Duty: You must plan, manage, and monitor health and safety during the actual building phase.
• Our Solution: We review your Construction Phase Plan (CPP) before works commence, ensuring it is robust, compliant, and ready for HSE scrutiny.

Why Choose a Chartered Building Surveyor for CDM?

Health and safety should not be a box-ticking exercise done by someone who does not understand buildings.

• Technical Building Knowledge: Because we are RICS Chartered Building Surveyors, we understand building pathology, structural realities, and design mechanisms. We spot foreseeable risks that generic safety consultants miss.
• Design-Led Safety: We work collaboratively with architects and engineers to design out risks on the drawing board, rather than just pointing them out on site.
• Commercial Pragmatism: We ensure compliance is achieved practically and cost-effectively, keeping your project on time and within budget. 

Frequently Asked Questions (CDM 2015)

What is an F10 Notification, and do I need one?

An F10 is the official form used to notify the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that a qualifying construction project is taking place. Your project is "notifiable" if the construction work is scheduled to:
•    Last longer than 30 working days AND have more than 20 workers working simultaneously at any point; OR
•    Exceed 500 person-days in total.

As your CDM Advisor, we can assess your project timeline and submit the F10 notification to the HSE on your behalf, ensuring you are legally covered before works begin.

When do I legally need to appoint a Principal Designer?

Under CDM 2015, you must appoint a Principal Designer in writing if your project involves (or is reasonably foreseeable to involve) more than one contractor.
It is important to note that a "contractor" includes subcontractors. So, if you have a main builder who brings in a separate plumber or electrician, you cross the threshold and legally require a Principal Designer. As Chartered Building Surveyors, we regularly step into this statutory role for our clients.

What is the difference between the PCI, the CPP, and the Health & Safety File?

These are the three core documents required by CDM 2015. We handle these, so you do not have to:

PCI (Pre-Construction Information): The information gathered before work starts about site hazards (like asbestos or live services) is given to designers and bidding contractors.

CPP (Construction Phase Plan): The document written by the Principal Contractor explaining exactly how they will manage safety on site during the build. We review this for you to ensure it meets the appropriate standards.

Health and Safety File: The final "owner's manual" handed over at the end of the project, containing vital structural and safety information for future maintenance, cleaning, or demolition.

Does CDM 2015 apply to small commercial or domestic projects?

Yes. A common misconception is that CDM regulations apply only to large commercial sites. CDM 2015 applies to all construction and building work in Great Britain, regardless of size or duration. While the duties of a Domestic Client are usually transferred automatically to the Principal Contractor or Principal Designer, the legal framework still governs the project.

Transparency you can trust

We believe in empowering our clients. Familiarise yourself with the official regulations using the government links in our Useful Links section.

Do not leave your regulatory compliance to chance.

Ensure your next construction project is legally compliant, safely managed, and commercially successful.