What changed this week in UK trades: funding, regulation and apprenticeships, and what each one means for a business running a handful of vans.
From 15 October, new installations must follow BS 7671 Amendment 4, Electrical Contracting News reports. Citing SELECT, it says a job designed to the old version may be finished to it if the contract allows. Of the forms, the EICR changes most.
A bill introduced on 14 October would make freeholders and others responsible for building safety fix unsafe cladding without delay, with fines of up to £500,000 for ignoring a Remediation Order. Contractors who have already paid for the work would get a simpler claim against the manufacturer.
A roofer who fits solar panels could get that one skill recognised without a whole new qualification. CITB is asking employers and workers whether it would work, until 15 January 2027.
MHCLG wants private landlords in England held to legal deadlines for damp and mould repairs. How long they would get, and from when, is still to be decided. The consultation closes on 18 December 2026.
Help with tools, PPE and workwear for people starting out in the trade, Electrical Contracting News reports. Students at three colleges get it first. Amounts, eligibility rules and dates aren't out yet, and nothing says a business can apply for its apprentice.
The Home Office guide now covers individual subcontractors you bring in for a customer's job, and can make you liable for labour another business supplies. What protects you depends on who holds which contract.
Petrol and diesel prices now sit next to forecourts on Google Maps, in the app your drivers already use for directions. Handy for picking a fuel stop; whether the detour pays is still your call.
Prompted by small construction employers without HR or legal teams: what counts as drugs and alcohol, what you expect, how testing works. CIOB also wants it to help staff struggling with addiction.
Daniel Watton approved ladders throughout an exterior painting job. His trainee stepson died moving a fully extended ladder near an overhead power line, and HSE found the original plan unsafe too.
From 6 April 2027, sole traders and landlords with more than £30,000 of qualifying income keep digital records and send HMRC quarterly updates. The £30,000 is counted before expenses, with trade and rental income added together.
The levy has applied to larger housing schemes since 1 October, Construction Management reports, and the lawyers it quoted say some may need rethinking. If your crews are booked on one, it's the start date that could move.
SELECT and the SJIB have renewed their warning about short courses sold as a quick way into the trade, Professional Electrician reports. If you're hiring, the certificate is only half of what you need to know.
Trade resources for tradespeople, straight to your inbox.
Occasionally we will send you a newsletter. Free, unsubscribe in one click.
We use one analytics cookie. Privacy policy
