Certass
Certass is a UKAS-accredited, government-authorised certification body serving UK glazing and fenestration trade installers and manufacturers, enabling self-certification of Building Regulations compliance for window and door installations via a £24.95/month membership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersNewcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Certass does
Certass Limited is a UKAS-accredited certification body operating in the UK since 2006, headquartered in Newcastle Upon Tyne. It is privately held by Certass Limited (Company Reg No 4350234) with no parent company or external investment disclosed, and income is described as being used solely for the benefit of members. The company's primary function is to enable self-certification of Building Regulations compliance for domestic window and door replacement installations through its Government-authorised Competent Person Scheme, providing a lower-cost alternative to Local Authority Building Control. It also runs the Certass TrustMark Workmanship Scheme, PAS 2030 certification, an Energy Ratings Scheme, and bespoke product certification schemes for manufacturers, systems companies, and trade suppliers.
The company operates a digital certification and compliance platform comprising an online PowerApps-based signup portal, a member login portal for job registration and certificate management, and the CertifiedCompetent.co.uk consumer-facing platform that has accumulated 127,000+ verified homeowner reviews. Members include trade installers (sole traders through SMEs), manufacturers/fabricators, and wider supply-chain participants, with homeowners as a secondary beneficiary audience. The Certass Trade Association, described as the largest in the glazing and fenestration sector, is bundled free with the £24.95+VAT/month membership. Recent product additions include the MTC Skills Card and Certass Continuum Skills Card, which monetise site-operative competence verification aligned with Building Safety Regulator requirements. Certification activities are regulated by UKAS and the Building Safety Regulator, with direct oversight-relevant leadership in place via Chair Jon Vanstone's role as Chair of the BSR Industry Competence Committee.
Revenue mechanics combine recurring monthly membership fees (£24.95+VAT/month base, plus £5+VAT/month per additional scope), per-job digital registration fees (£1.65/job), and MTC Skills Card fees (£130+VAT one-time plus £4.50+VAT/month per operative). Distribution is primarily self-serve via website portals with inside-sales phone support, and customer acquisition is supported by content marketing, an active Facebook members forum, monthly newsletters, and partner webinars. The GTM motion is sales-led but digitally enabled and tailored to UK trade installers and manufacturers, with no disclosed geographic expansion beyond the UK.
Certass firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Certass
- Legal name
- Certass Limited
- Website
- https://certass.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Certass is a UKAS-accredited, government-authorised certification body serving UK glazing and fenestration trade installers and manufacturers, enabling self-certification of Building Regulations compliance for window and door installations via a £24.95/month membership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Certass industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Building Regulations Certification Services
- NAICS
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)
- SIC
- Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training (BPACANAJ)
Keywords
Where Certass is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newcastle Upon Tyne
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Certass business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Monthly Membership Fees: Primary revenue stream from monthly subscription fees for certification scheme membership, billed by direct debit. Includes access to one certification scheme, with additional scopes available for £5/month.
- Job Registration Fees: Fees charged per job registration for building regulation compliance certificates. Digital job registration fee is £1.65 per job.
- MTC Skills Card Fees: One-time registration fee of £130+VAT per site operative plus monthly fee of £4.50+VAT per operative for MTC card management.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Basic Certification Membership |
| Subscription | Monthly | Additional Certification Scopes |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Digital Job Registration |
| Subscription | Monthly | MTC Skills Card - Per Site Operative |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Replacement BRCC Certificate |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Certass product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Certass is a UKAS-accredited certification body that enables UK glazing installers, manufacturers, and fabricators to self-certify compliance with Building Regulations through its Competent Person Scheme, TrustMark, and PAS 2030 certification schemes on a monthly subscription basis (£24.95+VAT/month). It also certifies products (Energy Ratings, Bespoke Product Certification), verifies installer skills via the MTC Skills Card, runs the UK's largest glazing trade association, and operates the Certified Competent consumer platform.
Product overview
Certass operates as a UKAS-accredited certification body offering a portfolio of certification schemes for the building fabric trade, primarily focused on glazing and fenestration. The core offering includes the Competent Person Scheme for self-certifying Building Regulations compliance, the Certass TrustMark Workmanship Scheme for broader craftsmanship certification, and PAS 2030 Certification for government-funded work. These are supplemented by product certification through the Energy Ratings Scheme and Bespoke Product Certification Schemes for manufacturers. Skills verification is handled via the MTC Skills Card and Certass Continuum Skills Card. The Certass Trade Association provides industry advocacy and business support services. Certified Competent serves as the consumer-facing platform connecting homeowners with certified installers. All schemes share a common digital infrastructure for job registration, certificate issuance, and audit management, unified under a £24.95 per month membership model.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Competent Person Scheme Self-certification scheme allowing installers to certify their window and door installations meet Building Regulations as an alternative to using Local Authority Building Control. Used by glazing installers for domestic replacement window and door projects.
- Certass TrustMark Workmanship Scheme Workmanship warranty scheme that certifies installations meet workmanship standards and codes of practice for trades beyond window and door installation, such as staircases and other joinery work.
- PAS 2030 Certification Certification scheme for installers to demonstrate their business meets PAS 2030 requirements for retrofit energy efficiency work, particularly relevant for government-funded initiatives.
- Energy Ratings Scheme Product certification scheme providing consumer-friendly Window Energy Rating labels for windows and doors to prove their high-performance energy qualities. Used by manufacturers and fabricators in the fenestration sector.
- Bespoke Product Certification Schemes Tailor-made certification schemes designed for manufacturers, systems companies, and trade suppliers to certify installation of their products and create approved installer networks, such as the bespoke Competent Persons Scheme for The Joinery Network's Lignum timber window and door system.
- MTC Skills Card Mandatory Technical Competence Card demonstrating individual site operatives' competence and compliance with Building Regulations and industry best practice via a knowledge assessment, onsite observation, and telephone discussion. Priced at £130+VAT one-time registration plus £4.50+VAT per operative per month.
- Certass Trade Association UK glazing industry's largest trade association providing government connections, industry advocacy, business support services, and access to HR, tax, health & safety, and legal helplines. Free membership included with Certass certification membership.
- Certified Competent Platform Consumer-facing website platform where homeowners can search for certified installers, read recommendations, and leave reviews. Provides free leads to Certass members and has accumulated 127,000+ verified homeowner reviews with 97% recommendation rate.
- BRCC Replacement Certificate Service Service allowing homeowners and installers to order replacement Building Control Compliance Certificates when the originals have been lost or are needed for property sales and records.
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of customers say they would recommend their Certass installer based on 127,000+ verified reviews
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Certass
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Certass technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Certass partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Joinery NetworkcoreCertass created a bespoke Competent Persons Scheme for The Joinery Network's Lignum timber window and door system, plus a Certass TrustMark scope for other work types like staircases. This partnership helps ensure high-quality standards of Lignum products are maintained through to installation.
- Buccaneer SolutionscoreCertass partnered with Buccaneer Solutions, led by Richard Bate, for expertise in product information systems and compliance infrastructure. Together they are developing systems for capturing, storing and evidencing product performance information including the Thermal Rating Register.
- Building Safety RegulatorcoreCertass is working in partnership with the Building Safety Regulator to develop an exclusive webinar on Minimum Technical Competence changes. Jon Vanstone serves as Chair of the Industry Competence Committee at the Building Safety Regulator.
- Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)minorCertass met directly with OPSS to discuss product compliance requirements for the fenestration sector. OPSS is expanding regulatory scrutiny to windows, doors, and other fenestration products.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Certass competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- NAPIT: NAPIT is a UK Competent Person Scheme operator covering multiple trades including electrical, plumbing, and renewables, directly comparable to Certass's model of multi-scope CPS membership for tradespeople.
- Certsure (NICEIC): Certsure operates NICEIC and similar trade Competent Person Schemes in the UK (electrical, plumbing, gas), using the same UKAS-accredited, government-authorised scheme structure and recurring membership model as Certass.
- Stroma Certification: Stroma is a UKAS-accredited certification body delivering Competent Person Schemes across multiple trades, mirroring Certass's model of CPS memberships plus energy and building-regulation certification.
- BM TRADA (Element Materials Technology): BM TRADA provides UKAS-accredited product and system certification for construction products including timber and fenestration, comparable to Certass's bespoke product certification schemes for manufacturers such as Lignum.
- Blue Flame Certification: Blue Flame Certification is a UK government-authorised Competent Person Scheme in the gas and heating trades, using the same per-member subscription CPS model that Certass applies in glazing.
- FENSA: FENSA is the other dominant government-authorised Competent Person Scheme for glazing and fenestration in the UK, directly competing with Certass for the same installer base on a near-identical self-certification model.
Others
- TrustMark: TrustMark is the government-endorsed quality scheme that Certass delivers against for its TrustMark Workmanship product; it is an ecosystem partner/scheme owner rather than a direct CPS competitor.
- LABC (Local Authority Building Control): LABC represents local authority building control in England and Wales — the regulatory alternative to using a Competent Person Scheme such as Certass — making it the structural substitute to Certass's core self-certification proposition.
Broad incumbents
- Bureau Veritas UK: Bureau Veritas is a global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) incumbent with UK construction and product certification lines that compete broadly with Certass's scheme and bespoke certification business.
- BSI Group: BSI is a major UKAS-accredited certification body delivering standards and certification across many sectors; it overlaps with Certass in construction certification but serves a much broader portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Certass social profiles
Digital presenceCertass compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Certass financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Certass leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Certass funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Certass M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Certass
What does Certass do?
Certass is a UKAS-accredited certification body that enables UK glazing installers, manufacturers, and fabricators to self-certify compliance with Building Regulations through its Competent Person Scheme, TrustMark, and PAS 2030 certification schemes on a monthly subscription basis (£24.95+VAT/month). It also certifies products (Energy Ratings, Bespoke Product Certification), verifies installer skills via the MTC Skills Card, runs the UK's largest glazing trade association, and operates the Certified Competent consumer platform.
Is Certass a public or private company?
Certass is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Certass founded?
Certass was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Certass based?
Certass is headquartered in Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Certass make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Monthly Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are job Registration Fees and MTC Skills Card Fees.
Who are Certass's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are NAPIT, Certsure (NICEIC), Stroma Certification, BM TRADA (Element Materials Technology), Blue Flame Certification and FENSA. Others are TrustMark and LABC (Local Authority Building Control). Broad incumbents are Bureau Veritas UK and BSI Group.
Does Certass have an API?
No public API is recorded for Certass.
What industry is Certass in?
Certass's product category is Building Regulations Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADACAF, Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies, with a secondary code of BPACANAJ, Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training. Its NAICS code is 541 and its SIC code is 7389.