What is NAPIT? Your guide to the NAPIT competent person scheme

Becoming an accredited electrician

It goes without saying that it can sometimes be tricky to present yourself as a trustworthy, reliable tradesperson. After all, potential clients want to be sure that you know what you’re doing before they hire you.

It’s just one of the reasons why membership with Checkatrade and other trade associations is so important. And with the cost of poor installations affecting the reputation of all tradespeople, it’s a good idea to get extra certifications.

However, if you’re after further electrician training and accreditations, where do you begin?

Well, you might want to start by becoming a NAPIT-approved electrician.

Simply put, sub-standard electrical work puts people’s property and lives at risk. Which is what makes completing a NAPIT registration not just ‘nice’ for your electrical business, but essential!

But what is NAPIT? And what are its registration requirements? Read on to learn all about this fantastic scheme!

What is NAPIT?

Formed in 1992, NAPIT stands for the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers. It’s one of the leading government-approved membership scheme operators in the building services and fabric sector.

What’s more, it’s accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). And the association helps train and inform tradespeople across a range of building services and within the fabric sector.

NAPIT membership means that installers can:

• Self-certify their work
• Help maintain high standards of both safety and competence

In other words, a NAPIT certification shows customers that you know what you’re talking about. NAPIT-registered electricians are certified under a Competent Person Scheme (CPS).

What is a NAPIT-approved electrician?

Like with other competent person schemes, being NAPIT-approved means you have successfully gone through the entire NAPIT accreditation process.

It means demonstrating a high level of competency and compliance in line with regulations.

Essentially, if you’re a NAPIT-approved electrician, it shows that you are highly skilled in your trade. It proves to customers that you have taken the time to upskill as an electrician.

As a result, NAPIT registered installers are:

• Able to complete work safely and to legally required standards
• Regularly assessed to ensure their ongoing competence
• Capable of working to the very latest health and safety regulations
• Able to provide people with the relevant certificates

So, if you’re looking to start an electrician business, you might want to think about becoming NAPIT-approved at the same time.

How do you become a NAPIT electrician?

In order to join the NAPIT membership and the Competent Person Scheme, you will need to fill out the relevant application forms.

• You can download these from their website
• You can submit via post or email

Once you’ve sent through the application form, there will be a review from NAPIT and then there will be an assessment. This means gathering evidence and they may provide feedback on things you need to improve on.

After the application and assessment have been reviewed, your NAPIT membership documents will be sent through. This includes

• Your membership number
• Your certificate

Registered installers need to meet strict entry requirements. And they are also regularly assessed to ensure their ongoing competence.

What qualifications do I need to join NAPIT?

In order to meet the NAPIT registration requirements, you must be a registered electrician with the following qualifications:

• An NVQ Level 3 electrician certification
• A certification from the City & Guilds 2365 course
• Certification under the 18^th Edition Wiring Regulations

On top of this, you’ll also need a thorough knowledge of current industry regulations and best practices. As well as a high degree of practical competency in your work.

What does NAPIT registration do?

Being a NAPIT member allows you or your employees to certify that work complies with building regulations in England and Wales.

This, in turn, provides you and your team with a number of benefits, such as:

• Saving time notifying Building Control about certifying work
• Saving on any additional fees related to checking installation work
• Saving the time for an inspector to check your work
• Clearly showing that your trade business operates in accordance with the relevant building regulations
• Providing the necessary compliance certificates for property owners
• Helping your customers when they need to notify the relevant local authority about completed work
• Limiting fees through self-certification when working with the local authority to check the compliance of notifiable work

There are a number of reasons to consider becoming a NAPIT approved electrician. That registration is a sign that customers look for, as they know they can rely on the quality of work that will be carried out in their home.

How much does a NAPIT registration cost?

NAPIT membership fees vary from tradesperson to tradesperson. As they are based on the number of schemes you have joined.

However, the typical NAPIT registration costs are as follows:

• Standard NAPIT registration: £520+VAT (although renewal fees are less)
• NAPIT Associate Member registration: £80+VAT per year
• Energy Efficiency Measures registration: £890+VAT, (reducing with each renewal)

As there are so many different schemes, there are lots of different costs that you may (or may not) need to consider. Make sure to check through the different schemes before submitting an application or speak to the association directly.

You want to avoid paying for schemes that your trade business will not use.

Why NAPIT registered electricians appeal to homeowners?

While NAPIT registration is not mandatory, it comes with several key advantages.

For one thing, it proves that you know what you’re doing when carrying out electrical work.

But more importantly, like electrical insurance, it puts customers’ minds at ease. It pays to give customers the peace of mind that comes with hiring a quality tradesperson.

As a NAPIT member, that’s exactly what you can provide.

It shows to customers that you have the necessary skills and that you are assessed on your abilities regularly.

Show your competency with Checkatrade

Getting registered with NAPIT shows commitment to providing high standards in electrical work. And at Checkatrade we pride ourselves on being the home of quality tradespeople.

We vet all of our members to make sure they’re skilled at what they do.

Our checks are there to make sure that:

• All of our members have the correct accreditations to carry out their field of work
• There are no outstanding county court judgements (CCJs)
• You have public liability insurance (PLI) in place
• Valid address and business details
• All Checkatrade Electricians are registered to comply with Part P building regulations (which means that you’ll automatically pass this part of our vetting process)

On top of of this, all relevant trade accreditations can also be shown on your Checkatrade profile. That means people can check on both the NAPIT search and Checkatrade to cross-reference.

And having a presence on both helps show that you are a trusted and verified business, operating to the highest standards and in line with regulations.

Best of all, when you sign up to Checkatrade, you’ll also get access to some amazing member benefits. These include:

• Exclusive offers and discounts
• Savings on the cost of PLI with Superscript
• Guaranteed jobs up to £1,000 when booked through us (T&Cs apply)
• Leads from existing customer interest
• Dedicated membership advice team
• Access to trades app featuring job management and quoting/invoicing

Get in touch today to learn more about the other parts of our vetting process. And don’t forget to visit our trade guide hub for more advice on other areas of the electrician industry.

NAPIT electrician FAQs

Is a NAPIT certificate the same as an EICR?

A NAPIT membership certificate is given to members in support of the Competent Person Scheme. While an Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR) is a compliance document that can only be provided if the work carried out has been assessed by a qualified electrician or engineer.

What this means is that a NAPIT engineer can carry out any electrical work you require and then provide you with an EICR. That is a document you’ll need to show compliance with building regulations. Please note that an EICR document is not a substitute for NAPIT membership, and is not proof as part of a Competent Person Scheme.

In 2017, the association introduced the Electrical Installation Safety Record Summary (EISRS). This is a simple one-page document to accompany the completion of an EICR. These NAPIT certificates sit alongside EICR and help explain their findings to homeowners.

As there are different NAPIT certificates available to members, it is good to familiarise yourself with the different schemes. NAPIT electricians may regularly be asked to produce certificates for their work as standard.

What is the difference between NAPIT vs NICEIC qualifications?

NAPIT and NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) are both Competent Person Schemes in the UK. However, when it comes to NAPIT vs NICEIC, they both differ in their operations.

For example, NICEIC primarily focuses on electrical installation work, while NAPIT covers a broader range of building services. Thus, electricians can choose either scheme based on their specialisation and business scope.