Competency Checks: Why “I’ve Been Doing It for Years” Isn’t Good Enough Anymore

Let’s get one thing straight: Incompetence on site can kill people. And in the domestic building world, it’s everywhere, hiding behind trust, excuses, and old-school bravado.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen dangerous work carried out by people who should never have been allowed near a site let alone someone’s home.

Here’s an example:

🚧A Real-Life Disaster Waiting to Happen

A young lad, no more than 17, hops in a digger on a foundation job.

No CPCS card. No NPORS. No CSCS. Just handed the keys and told to “get on with it.”

He doesn’t have a clue what the no-dig zones are. Doesn’t even know how deep the services are meant to be.

Next thing you know, the bucket smashes into the side of your house.

Or worse, he strikes a live electric cable, because no one filled out a permit to dig.

Now here’s the question no one wants to ask:

Would your or the builders insurance even cover it? Probably not. Because that kid wasn’t competent, wasn’t insured, and shouldn’t have been operating that machine in the first place.

And if the worst happens, and someone gets seriously injured or worse,

as a homeowner, you could be held legally responsible.

⚖️The Building Safety Act Now Puts Liability on You

Yes, you read that right. Under the Building Safety Act, if you’re the domestic client and someone gets hurt on your job, you can be liable if you didn’t do your due diligence. That includes checking the people working on your home are competent to do the job.

So if your builder sends someone who’s unqualified, uninsured, and out of their depth, and you didn’t ask questions, you might be left picking up the pieces.

And the industry knows this is a problem.

❌Two Incompetent People Don’t Make One Competent Supervisor

Let’s say your digger operator is clueless and the site supervisor doesn’t know how to issue a permit to dig.

Now you’ve got two incompetent people running the one of the most dangerous parts of your build, foundations.

This isn’t a minor oversight. It’s a recipe for disaster.

And it happens all the time, especially on domestic jobs where people assume builders “know what they’re doing.”

💳CSCS, CPCS, NPORS, ECS… What Do They All Mean?

Competency checks aren’t complicated. They’re just common sense.

You want to know:

• Does this person have the right card for the job?

• Are they insured?

• Have they done this work properly before?

• Is their training recent and relevant?

Here’s a basic list:

• Digger / Dumper / Excavator Drivers → CPCS or NPORS card

• Electricians → ECS card

• Gas Engineers → Must be Gas Safe registered

• Builders → CSCS card (check the trade on the card is the one they’re doing!)

If someone doesn’t have a relevant card? That’s a red flag.

If they say “I’ve been doing it for years” instead? That’s an even bigger red flag.

🧾But Can’t Anyone Get a Qualification These Days?

Let’s be honest, yes.

Anyone can get a CSCS card if they really want to.

Half the time, it’s lads on site taking pictures of someone else’s work to get through the NVQ.

But that’s why you need to go deeper than just ticking a box.

Competency isn’t just having a card. It’s proving you know your trade.

It’s being able to answer questions, spot hazards, and do the work safely and to standard.

And if a builder can’t prove their team are competent?

They shouldn’t be working on your home.

🔍What Does a Good Builder Do?

A responsible builder will:

• Check all their operatives’ qualifications.

• Keep a training matrix or file for every trade.

• Only send workers to your home who are trained, insured, and competent.

• Take liability, not dodge it.

If you’re a homeowner, the best way to protect yourself is to hire a builder who understands their legal responsibilities under the Building Safety Act and CDM Regulations.

Because once you appoint a competent builder, they take on the duty to ensure everyone on your site is competent too.

💬What Should You Be Asking as a Homeowner?

1. Are your workers CSCS carded?

2. Do your operatives have the right tickets (CPCS, NPORS, ECS, Gas Safe)?

3. Are they insured for the work they’re doing?

4. Can you show me how you check competence on your jobs?

If a builder gets defensive? Walk away. You’re not being difficult. You’re being responsible.

🔥 Final Thought: You Can’t Build a Safe Home on “Trust Me”

“Trust me, I’ve been doing this for 30 years” is no longer good enough.

That kind of attitude is how people get hurt and lives get ruined.

You’re not a jobsworth for asking to see cards.

You’re not rude for questioning someone’s experience.

You’re protecting your home, your family, and yourself.

Let’s stop letting cowboys call themselves builders.

Let’s stop pretending that doing something wrong for 30 years makes it right.

📢 I’ll be sharing more about this in my upcoming post on Grandfather Rights

📹 And if you want real talk on site safety, competence, and how to spot red flags check out my channel: @TheUnfilteredFemaleSiteManager

Competence isn’t optional. It’s life or death.