Guide
CHAS vs Constructionline
They turn up in the same tenders, but they are not the same kind of thing. Understanding the difference stops you paying for the wrong one.
The short answer
CHAS is an accreditation scheme and a founding member of SSIP that assesses your health and safety directly against the SSIP core criteria. Constructionline is a government-owned pre-qualification register that stores your company information for buyers and, through its membership tiers, bundles an SSIP health and safety certificate provided by a partner. So CHAS does the health and safety assessment itself; Constructionline is a register that includes one. They overlap, but they are not interchangeable, and which you need depends on what your clients ask for.
The core difference
- CHAS. An SSIP assessment body. It reviews your evidence against the core criteria and issues a health and safety certificate at Standard, Advanced or Elite level.
- Constructionline. A pre-qualification register and SSIP Supporter Member. It holds your company data for buyers, and its tiers include an SSIP health and safety certificate through a partner scheme.
- The health and safety evidence is shared. Both rely on the same SSIP core criteria, so the documents you prepare serve either.
Do you need one, or both?
It depends entirely on the tenders you are chasing. Some buyers name CHAS specifically; others require Constructionline, often at Gold level for the Common Assessment Standard. Because the health and safety element of both is SSIP, Deem to Satisfy provides some mutual recognition, but Constructionline membership also gives buyers your wider company data in one place, which CHAS on its own does not. If your clients name one scheme, start there rather than paying for both.
For electrical contractors
Electrician CHAS pack · £95
The same SSIP core criteria sit behind both, so one document set prepares you whichever your client names. Written for electricians, ready to adapt.
How to choose
Ask each client what they require and read the tender. If a buyer names Constructionline Gold, that is a fuller pre-qualification including the Common Assessment Standard, which CHAS meets at Elite level. If a buyer just wants proof of SSIP health and safety accreditation, CHAS on its own may be enough. The mistake to avoid is paying for the wider register when a single health and safety certificate was all that was asked for, or the reverse.
Related guides
Read what CHAS is, what Constructionline is, and what Constructionline Gold adds.
Common questions
What is the difference between CHAS and Constructionline?
CHAS is an SSIP assessment scheme that reviews your health and safety directly against the core criteria and issues a certificate. Constructionline is a government-owned pre-qualification register that stores your company data for buyers and bundles an SSIP certificate through a partner.
Do I need both CHAS and Constructionline?
Only if your clients require both. Some name CHAS, others require Constructionline, often at Gold level. The health and safety element of each is SSIP, so Deem to Satisfy gives some mutual recognition, but Constructionline also holds your wider company data.
Is CHAS or Constructionline better?
Neither is better in general; they do different things. CHAS is a health and safety assessment scheme, Constructionline is a wider pre-qualification register. The right one is whichever your specific clients name in their tenders.
Does Constructionline replace CHAS?
Not exactly. Constructionline includes an SSIP health and safety certificate through a partner, so it can satisfy an SSIP requirement, but it is a register rather than an assessment body. If a buyer names CHAS specifically, check whether Constructionline is accepted first.