Start a construction business

Guide summary

Notify the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for construction projects that last over 30 working days with 20 or more workers at once, or that total more than 500 person-days. Appoint a Principal Designer and Principal Contractor for any project with more than one contractor. Register as a waste carrier if you transport construction or demolition waste. Have employers' liability insurance of at least £5 million.

Notify HSE before work starts using the F10 form for large projects
Appoint a Principal Designer and Principal Contractor if more than one contractor is involved
Write a health and safety policy if you have 5 or more employees
Carry out risk assessments and record the findings
Get employers' liability insurance – minimum £5m cover
Register as a waste carrier if you move construction waste
Create an asbestos register and management plan for non-domestic buildings
Keep an accident book and report serious incidents to HSE

Starting a construction business requires understanding specific legal obligations that apply to the construction sector. These include the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, health and safety requirements, waste carrier registration, and appropriate insurance coverage.

CDM 2015 compliance

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 apply to all construction work. Understanding notification thresholds and duty holder responsibilities is essential before you start trading.

Health and safety requirements

All construction businesses must comply with health and safety law from day one. This includes risk assessments, safety policies, and worker training.

Health and safety basics

Essential health and safety requirements for employers.

Written policy (5+ employees): Required by law - must record your health and safety policy
Risk assessment: All employers must assess workplace risks and act on findings
Employers' Liability insurance: Mandatory £5 million minimum cover (£2,500/day penalty)
First aid provision: Assess needs and provide appropriate equipment and trained staff
Accident book (RIDDOR): Record injuries and report serious incidents to HSE

HSE - Getting started with health and safety (opens in a new tab)

Asbestos management

If you work on non-domestic buildings (or common areas of domestic buildings), you need to understand your legal duty to manage asbestos.

Duty to Manage Asbestos (CAR 2012)

Legal duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises under Regulation 4.

UK law requires anyone responsible for maintaining a non-domestic building to manage any asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) present. This duty applies to owners, landlords, managing agents, and anyone with contractual responsibility for maintenance. Must create an asbestos register and management plan, assess risks, and review at least annually.

Applies to: Non-domestic premises and common areas of domestic buildings (factories, shops, offices, communal flat areas)
Responsible party: Owner, landlord, or person responsible for maintenance and repairs
Legal requirement: Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012), Regulation 4
Geographic scope: UK-wide (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland)
Register requirement: Must create and maintain up-to-date asbestos register showing location and condition of all ACMs
Management plan requirement: Must write asbestos management plan detailing how risks will be managed and who is responsible for each action
Review frequency: Annual minimum (every 12 months) or sooner if circumstances change
Condition assessment: Must continuously monitor condition of all ACMs and presumed ACMs in premises
Information sharing: Must provide ACM information to anyone who may work on or disturb them, including contractors and emergency services
Penalty for breach: Unlimited fine and/or up to 2 years imprisonment (Crown Court) or up to 12 months imprisonment (for offences after 2 May 2022) plus max £20,000 fine (Magistrates Court)
Enforcement bodies: Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for factories, hospitals, farms, construction sites; Local Authority Environmental Health for shops, offices, hotels, retail storage

HSE guidance on the duty to manage asbestos (opens in a new tab)

Waste carrier registration

Construction businesses that transport waste (including their own waste) must register as waste carriers. This applies even if you only transport your own construction waste to a tip.

Waste Carrier Registration (Construction)

Registration requirements for construction businesses transporting waste.

Construction businesses must register as a waste carrier even when transporting their own construction or demolition waste. This is a legal requirement across England, Wales, and Scotland with different fees and processes by nation.

England upper tier new registration: £191.02 (3-year validity)
England upper tier renewal: £130.25 (every 3 years)
Wales upper tier new registration: £169 (3-year validity)
Wales upper tier renewal: £116 (VAT exempt)
Scotland own waste transport: Free registration with SEPA
Lower tier registration: £0 (applies when not transporting others' waste)
Registration validity period: 3 years (upper tier) or indefinite (lower tier)
Change notification period: 28 days (must notify regulator of changes)

Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)

If you work as a contractor paying subcontractors, or as a subcontractor receiving payments from contractors, you need to understand the Construction Industry Scheme for tax deductions.

Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) requirements

How CIS affects contractors and subcontractors in construction. Pure data reference.

Contractor registration: Must register before taking on your first subcontractor
£3 million threshold: Businesses spending £3m+ on construction in 12 months count as contractors
Subcontractor deduction rate: 20% for registered subcontractors, 30% if unregistered
Gross payment status: Apply for gross payment to avoid deductions (strict tests apply)

Construction Industry Scheme (opens in a new tab)

Insurance requirements

Construction businesses must have appropriate insurance coverage from day one. The industry is high-risk, so understanding which insurance is legally required and which is essential for protecting your business is critical.

Legally required business insurance

Mandatory insurance requirements for UK businesses with penalties for non-compliance.

UK law requires certain types of insurance depending on your business activities. Failing to have the correct insurance can result in fines, prosecution, and inability to claim compensation.

Employers' Liability Insurance - Requirement: Mandatory if you employ anyone (including part-time, casual, and family members working for you)
Employers' Liability Insurance - Minimum cover: £5 million (though most policies provide £10 million)
Employers' Liability Insurance - Penalty for no insurance: £2,500 fine for every day without cover
Employers' Liability Insurance - Display requirement: Must display certificate or make available to employees, or face £1,000 fine
Employers' Liability Insurance - Certificate retention: Retaining certificates for 40 years is recommended best practice (but no longer legally required since October 2008) as claims for occupational diseases can be made decades after exposure
Motor Insurance - Requirement: Mandatory for any vehicle used for business purposes (company car, deliveries, client visits)
Motor Insurance - Minimum cover: Third party liability (personal car insurance may not cover business use)
Motor Insurance - Penalty: Criminal offence with unlimited fine, 6-8 penalty points, possible disqualification, and vehicle seizure
Professional Indemnity - Requirement: Mandatory for some regulated professions (solicitors, financial advisers, architects, accountants, healthcare)
Professional Indemnity - Minimum cover: Varies by regulator (e.g., £2-3m for solicitors per SRA requirements, €1.25m per claim for FCA-regulated financial advisers converted to sterling, £250k for architects)
Professional Indemnity - Penalty: Regulatory action, removal from professional register, FCA enforcement (financial services)

Exemptions and special cases

Employers' Liability exemptions:

Family businesses where all employees are close relatives
Employees working outside Great Britain for more than 14 consecutive days
Some companies with one employee who owns 50% or more of the share capital

Important: Even if exempt, you may still want cover as you could be liable for employee injuries.

Employers' liability insurance (opens in a new tab)

Sources:

Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance
Road Traffic Act 1988
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requirements
Professional regulatory bodies (SRA, ARB, etc.)

Business Insurance Types Comparison

Overview comparing different business insurance types and their requirements

UK businesses need different types of insurance depending on their activities. Some are legally required, others are contractually required, and some are optional but prudent. Understanding the differences helps ensure adequate protection.

Employers' Liability: LEGALLY REQUIRED if you employ anyone. Minimum £5m cover. Protects against employee injury/illness claims.
Motor Insurance: LEGALLY REQUIRED for any vehicle used for business. Criminal offence to drive uninsured.
Professional Indemnity: Required for some regulated professions under their profession-specific rules, including many solicitors, financial advisers and architects. Covers negligent advice claims.
Public Liability: NOT legally required but often contractually required by clients. Covers third-party injury/damage claims.
Products Liability: NOT legally required but essential for manufacturers and retailers. Covers claims from defective products.
Business Contents: NOT required but recommended. Covers theft, fire, damage to business assets.
Business Interruption: NOT required but recommended. Covers lost income when you cannot trade.
Cyber Insurance: Increasingly important. Covers data breaches, ransomware, GDPR fines.
Key Person: Optional. Compensates business if critical person dies or is incapacitated.

Choosing the right cover:

Do you employ anyone? Employers' Liability is legally required
Do you use vehicles for work? Business motor insurance is legally required
Are you a regulated professional? Check your regulator's profession-specific Professional Indemnity rules
Do you interact with customers or visit premises? Public Liability is practically essential
Do you sell physical products? Products Liability is strongly recommended

Legal basis

Primary legislation and key regulations

Finance Act 2004 Primary 2004 · UK-wide Building Act 1984 Primary 1984 · UK-wide Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Primary 1974 · UK-wide Legal Services Act 2007 Primary 2007 · UK-wide Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 Primary 2000 · UK-wide Architects Act 1997 Primary 1997 · UK-wide Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 Primary 1989 · UK-wide ELCIA 1969 Primary 1969 · UK-wide Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 SI 2015 · UK-wide Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 SI 2012 · UK-wide Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 SI 2011 · England & Wales Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 SI 1999 · UK-wide Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Regulations 1998 SI 1998 · UK-wide

Browse UK legislation legislation.gov.uk

Official guidance

HSE - Temporary works (opens in a new tab)

HSE

HSE guidance on demolition safety (opens in a new tab)

HSE

Asbestos health and safety (HSE) (opens in a new tab)

HSE

Excavation safety - HSE construction guidance (opens in a new tab)

HSE

HSE guidance on structural safety in construction (opens in a new tab)

HSE

HSE: Avoiding danger from underground services (HSG47) (opens in a new tab)

HSE

Start a construction business

CDM 2015 compliance

Health and safety requirements

Asbestos management

Waste carrier registration

Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)

Insurance requirements

Legal basis

Official guidance

Related guides in Risk Assessment

Comply with CDM Regulations for construction projects

Business insurance: what you need

Choosing the right business insurance

Business insurance types quick reference

Environmental compliance for construction sites