Guide

CHAS levels: Standard, Advanced and Elite

CHAS comes in three levels, and buyers often just say CHAS without telling you which one. Here is what separates them.

The short answer

CHAS, now operating as Veriforce CHAS, offers three contractor membership levels. CHAS Standard covers health and safety only and gives you SSIP recognition. CHAS Advanced adds wider business checks such as quality, environmental management, financial standing and equality and diversity. CHAS Elite is the full Common Assessment Standard, covering thirteen risk management areas, and is the level public sector buyers increasingly expect. Each level builds on the one below it.

CHAS Standard

Standard is the entry level. It assesses the health and safety module of SSIP, which means it is judged against the SSIP core criteria endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive. Passing Standard gives you SSIP accreditation, which many other schemes recognise. It suits smaller contractors, sole traders and lower risk work, and it satisfies buyers who ask for a valid SSIP health and safety certificate.

CHAS Advanced

Advanced includes everything in Standard and adds the wider business areas that came from the old PAS 91 questionnaire: quality management, environmental management, financial standing, and equality and diversity, among others. It is a meaningful step up and suits contractors whose clients ask due diligence questions beyond health and safety.

CHAS Elite

Elite is mapped line by line to the Common Assessment Standard, the construction industry's pre-qualification standard developed by Build UK, the Civil Engineering Contractors Association and the assessment bodies. It covers thirteen key areas of risk management, including environmental, modern slavery and equality, diversity and inclusion. Because Elite is mapped to the Common Assessment Standard, a buyer asking for that standard does not require a second assessment.

Which level do you actually need?

The right level depends on the clients you want to work with, not on ambition. If you supply lower risk labour or domestic maintenance, Standard often satisfies site rules. If you bid for local government or health service work, the extra due diligence in Advanced may be expected. Since the government's Procurement Policy Note 03/24, public sector contracting authorities should require the Common Assessment Standard, which means CHAS Elite, for works pre-qualification. That note is a direction to public sector buyers rather than a law imposed on contractors, and adoption still varies by authority, so the safest approach is to ask the specific client which level their tender requires before you pay for a tier you do not need.

What it costs

CHAS prices depend on your number of employees and the level you choose, and are set through CHAS's own online quote. Cost rises with both headcount and tier, with Standard the cheapest entry point and Elite the most expensive. For a figure specific to your business, use the pricing tool on the CHAS website rather than relying on a headline number, since published third-party estimates vary.

Related guides

See what CHAS accreditation is, what CHAS costs, and the difference between CHAS, SafeContractor and Constructionline.

Common questions

What is the difference between CHAS Standard and CHAS Elite?

CHAS Standard covers health and safety only and gives you SSIP recognition. CHAS Elite is the full Common Assessment Standard, covering thirteen risk management areas including environmental, modern slavery and equality, and is the level public sector buyers increasingly expect. Advanced sits between the two.

Which CHAS level do I need?

It depends on your clients. Lower risk and domestic work is often satisfied by Standard. Public sector works contracts increasingly expect the Common Assessment Standard, which means Elite, following Procurement Policy Note 03/24. Ask the specific client which level their tender requires before paying for a higher tier.

Does CHAS Standard give me SSIP?

Yes. CHAS Standard assesses the health and safety module of SSIP, so passing it gives you SSIP accreditation, which many other schemes recognise through Deem to Satisfy.

Is CHAS Elite a legal requirement for public sector work?

Procurement Policy Note 03/24 directs public sector buyers to require the Common Assessment Standard, which CHAS Elite satisfies, but it is guidance to those buyers rather than a statutory requirement on contractors, and adoption varies by authority.