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Important Update: Common Assessment Standard Deadline Looming

27 Aug, 2025 | Main News Feed

On 1st July 2025 Build UK published Version 5 of the Common Assessment Standard (CAS).  Significantly the Building Safety section, introduced in 2024, will now become mandatory for all FIS Members undertaking regulated design or building work (not just Higher Risk Buildings).

Principal Contractors are advising that Specialist Contractors in their supply chain should have successfully completed the Building Safety section by 1 October 2025.

What does this mean to FIS Members?

If your company is already CAS certified through one of the recognised Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) providers (e.g CHAS, Constructionline, Achilles etc), you will need to complete the new mandatory Building Safety question set as part of the updated overall question set the next time you renew or go through the certification process with a Recognised Assessment Body.

The Common Assessment Standard continues to gain traction across public and private sector clients as a key tool to demonstrate organisational capability and compliance under the Building Safety Act. Certification is required only once via any of the Recognised Assessment Bodies, and businesses are encouraged to review their current accreditations to avoid duplication and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy in pre-qualification.

FIS has (since Version 5 was published) been invited to join the working group that sets the standards so members are encouraged to feed any concerns or observations around the existing questions to jamesparlour@thefis.org.  

FIS also hosts a mirror group that is, as well as reviewing and feeding into the assessment criteria, helping create resources and guidance to support members in completing this section including an Integrated Management Standard, a Template Building Safety Policy and a range of resources and guidance designed to help complete key questions.

Visit the FIS Common Assessment Standard Hub

Don’t Duplicate, Data Share!

The Common Assessment Standard is being used by a growing number of organisations across the industry to demonstrate that members of their supply chains have the organisational capability to fulfil their duties under the Building Safety Act. Pagabo and Structure Tone are the latest to specify it, and a full list is on the Build UK website.
Companies that have the Common Assessment Standard from any one of the Recognised Assessment Bodies do not need to obtain certification from any others. Instead, they can agree to share their data at no cost with the other Recognised Assessment Bodies so it is visible to more Contractors and Clients. Don’t duplicate: anyone wishing to see a reduction in the bureaucracy of pre-qualification should be sharing their data rather than getting the Common Assessment Standard from multiple Recognised Assessment Bodies. Giving permission to share your data is quick and simple and will help businesses across the supply chain to save time and money and win work.
If you have been certified through the Common Assessment Standard are being asked to use a specific PQQ procedure, FIS has prepared some specific wording to send to the company requesting and a whistle blowing process to help ensure that companies are not required to hold multiple accreditations.