Guide
Is CHAS worth it?
CHAS costs money and takes effort, and it is not a legal requirement. So the fair question is whether it earns its keep. That depends entirely on your clients.
The short answer
CHAS is worth it when your clients ask for it, and not much use when they do not. It is not a legal requirement, so its value is entirely commercial: it gets you past the health and safety section of pre-qualification and onto approved contractor lists. If main contractors, councils or larger clients in your market require CHAS or SSIP before they will let you quote, the accreditation pays for itself the first time it wins you work you could not otherwise bid for. If none of your clients ask, the money is better spent elsewhere.
What you actually get
- Access to tenders. A certificate that satisfies the health and safety part of many pre-qualification questionnaires outright.
- A place on approved lists. A listing buyers can find when they shortlist accredited contractors.
- Recognition across schemes. Through Deem to Satisfy, a CHAS certificate is accepted by other SSIP schemes, so one assessment covers buyers who name different schemes.
- A tidier safety system. Preparing for the assessment forces your health and safety documents into a state buyers and inspectors expect.
For electrical contractors
Electrician CHAS pack · £95
The cheapest part of getting accredited is the documents. This pack gives you the full set, so the cost of CHAS is the membership, not weeks of your time.
When it pays off
The clearest case is when a specific contract or client is gated behind it. A subcontractor told they need CHAS to quote for a job has a direct answer: the accreditation costs less than the work it unlocks. It also pays off if you are repeatedly asked to complete health and safety pre-qualification questionnaires, since a single certificate replaces that effort again and again. Where it is harder to justify is purely domestic work with no pre-qualification, where clients never ask for it.
How to decide
Ask your current and target clients whether they require CHAS or SSIP, and look at the tenders you want to win. If the requirement is there, the decision makes itself. If it is not, you can hold off until a client asks, since accreditation can usually be obtained within a reasonable timeframe once you have the documents ready. Preparing the paperwork in advance is the low-cost way to stay ready without paying for membership before you need it.
Related guides
Read who needs CHAS, what CHAS costs, and how Deem to Satisfy works.
Common questions
Is CHAS worth the money?
It is worth it when your clients require it, since it gets you past health and safety pre-qualification and onto approved lists. It is not a legal requirement, so if none of your clients ask for CHAS or SSIP, the money is usually better spent elsewhere.
What do you get for CHAS?
Access to tenders that require it, a place on buyers' approved contractor lists, recognition across other SSIP schemes through Deem to Satisfy, and a health and safety document set in the state buyers and inspectors expect.
When does CHAS pay for itself?
Most clearly when a specific contract or client is gated behind it, so the accreditation costs less than the work it unlocks, and when you are repeatedly asked to complete health and safety pre-qualification questionnaires that a single certificate can satisfy.
Do I need CHAS if I only do domestic work?
Often not. CHAS is a commercial pre-qualification requirement, so if your clients are domestic and never ask for it, there is little to gain. It becomes worthwhile when main contractors, councils or larger clients require it.