Professional & Financial Services

Which architecture, engineering and testing rules apply to your business

Division 71 covers very different businesses — designing buildings as an architect, providing engineering or other design consultancy, and carrying out technical testing and analysis in a laboratory. Each has its own rules, on top of the duties they all share. Work out which description fits you and follow the right guide.

UK-wide
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UK-wide

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"Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis" spans three quite different kinds of business: practices that design buildings and infrastructure, consultancies that provide engineering and other technical design, and laboratories that test, calibrate, inspect or analyse. The rules depend on what you actually do. Most of these duties apply across the UK, but the building-design regimes are devolved, so what applies in England can differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Start with the duties every professional practice shares, then follow the guide for what you do.

  1. 1

    Put the shared duties in place

    Whatever you do, start with the universal spine. Follow "Run a compliant architecture or engineering practice" for data protection, equality, employers' liability insurance, health and safety and professional indemnity insurance.

  2. 2

    If you call yourself an architect

    "Architect" is a protected title: you must be registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) to practise or carry on business under it. You also have the design duties that apply to every designer. Follow "Architects' and engineers' design duties".

  3. 3

    If you provide engineering or other built-environment design

    Structural, civil, building-services or fire engineering, or surveying. "Engineer", "surveyor" and "town planner" are not protected titles, so there is no ARB-style registration gateway — but if you prepare or modify designs for building work you have the same statutory design duties under the Building Regulations, CDM 2015 and (for higher-risk buildings) the Building Safety Act. Follow "Architects' and engineers' design duties".

  4. 4

    If you run a technical testing, calibration, inspection or analysis laboratory

    Your work often depends on UKAS accreditation, and specialist regimes such as accredited asbestos analysis apply. Follow "Run a technical testing or analysis laboratory".

  5. 5

    Confirm you have covered everything

    Finish with the architecture, engineering and testing compliance checklist to confirm your obligations are in place before you begin or continue trading.

Official sources

Authoritative starting points for division-71 businesses.