Customer references

You will need to provide three customer references for work completed over the past 12 months, including customer’s full name and email address. We recommend applicants seek permission from customers before submitting as all customer references will be followed up and may include a site inspection.

Certificate of Incorporation (if LTD / LLP / PLC)

If you are a Limited (LTD) / Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) / Public Limited Company (PLC), you must provide your Certificate of Incorporation issued by Companies House. If you do not submit a certificate of incorporation as part of your application, our team will make direct enquiries with Companies House to validate your status. This does not apply to sole traders.

HMRC Documentation

Applicants must submit evidence of their registration with HM Revenue & Customs. Accepted documents include:

CIS Card; or
• HMRC Official Paperwork; or
• UTR Number on your accountants headed paper; or
• A payslip from your current employer

Note: Emails from HMRC will not be accepted.

Photographic ID to include:

* Valid passport, or
* Valid UK driving licence
* CitizenCard (https://www.citizencard.com/what-is-a-citizencard) 

Criminal Disclosure
Applicants must submit a Certificate of Basic Disclosure for each installer proposed for membership. All applications are processed without prejudice, in accordance with The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974), in the strictest of confidence and in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
If applicants have previous convictions, it may be worth calling our team in confidence to discuss prior to application.
Disclosure which includes an applicant’s registration on ViSOR (Violent & Sex Offenders Register), or those with repeat unspent patterns of offending will be rejected. Driving offences are not considered within our process.

What we need to see:
The certificate must be issued by the relevant authority, which will be determined by your home address:
ENGLAND & WALES: The Disclosure & Barring Service
SCOTLAND: Disclosure Scotland
NORTHERN IRELAND: Access NI

Please be aware of businesses that (legitimately) operate a service whereby they make the application to DBS on the applicant’s behalf which includes an administration fee.
We recommend that applicants make their application directly to the relevant body (listed above), removing unnecessary costs and processing delays.

The certificate:
Must include all pages; and
Must be dated within the last 24 months;
Must either be a copy of the original certificate OR the official digital certificate.

Process Times:
Process times are approximately 2-3 weeks currently. We suggest you make your application to for BASIC DISCLOSURE at the same time as making your application to us.

Expiry: Whilst DBS certificates do not have an expiry date, our Terms & Conditions state that certificates must not be older than 2 years and, therefore, we will request an updated DBS certificate on the second anniversary from the issue date of each certificate.

We do not accept:
Screenshots of emails confirming the application
Receipts for submissions
Applications for DBS

Disclosure Scotland: We only accept certificates issued by Disclosure Scotland if you reside in Scotland. If you live in England or Wales, or Northern Ireland, you must make your application to the relevant organisation (above).

Applicants are required to submit documentation relating to Public Liability Insurance and will need to submit both the Certificate of Insurance and all pages of the Full Policy Schedule.
The document must include the following information:

• Your name or company name
• Your address or company address
• The policy number
• The policy expiry date
• The words ‘public liability schedule'
• Indemnity cover of no less than £2m
• The business activity relevant to your trade (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom installer)

Exclusions:
We suggest you review the exclusions within your insurance policy prior to submitting the document as the policy must not include any of the following exclusions:

• HEAT: We do not accept policies that include heat exclusions, unless these exclusions relate to the use of electric oxyacetylene or other welding or cutting equipment.

• HEIGHT: must not relate to a restriction on the number of storeys (floors) within properties you operate.

If in doubt about what you need to send, send everything the insurer issued you.

Applicants can obtain business insurance protection from Marsh Commercial. Get a quote or find out more.

The British Institute of Fitted Interiors Specialists Limited (BIFIS) is an introducer to Marsh Ltd. Marsh Commercial is a trading name of Marsh Ltd. Marsh Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for General Insurance Distribution and Credit Broking (Firm Reference No. 307511). Copyright © 2024 Marsh Ltd. Registered in England and Wales Number: 1507274, Registered office: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London EC3R 5BU. All rights reserved.

If you are registering more than one tradesperson, Employers Liability must be included with no less than £5m indemnity.

All kitchen and bathroom registered businesses must supply credentials in relation to electrical safety and can do so by completing a digital electrical declaration in relation to the contractor(s) used. The electrical declaration is now incorporated within the compliance upload portal, accessed via the BIFIS app.

Electrical contractors are required to be registered with one of the following regulatory bodies and their registration must be current at the point of submission.

• NICEIC
• NAPIT
• SELECT

When we receive your declaration, we will cross-reference the information you provide with the live database of the regulatory electrical body stated. We may also contact the electrician to make them aware that you have named them as a sub-contractor. It is important that you only provide information for those contractors you currently use and that you make them aware that you have shared their details with us.

(Does not apply to bathroom and bedroom only installers)

All kitchen registered businesses must provide credentials in relation to gas safety and can do so by completing a gas declaration in relation to the contractor(s) used. The gas declaration is now incorporated within the compliance upload portal, accessed via the BIFIS app.

Gas engineers are required to be registered with Gas Safe Register and their registration must be current at the point of submission.

Their credentials must include valid:
• Gas registration
• Natural Gas Cookers & Pipework Elements (found on the reverse of their ID card)

When we receive your declaration, we will cross-reference the information you provide with the live Gas Safe Register. We may also contact the engineer to make them aware that you have named them as a sub-contractor. It is important that you only provide information for those contractors you currently use and that you make them aware that you have shared their details with us.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) requires those who carry out refurbishment projects within domestic properties (constructed pre-2000) to have a level of Asbestos Awareness.

Applicants must provide a Certificate of Asbestos Awareness, displaying the holder’s full name and dated within the last 12 months.

Once the above FULL Asbestos Awareness Certificate has been obtained, BIFIS registered businesses can submit refresher certificates annually thereafter (see below).

A discounted online Asbestos Awareness Certificate is available to BIFIS applicants. Visit our partners at Central Compliance UK.

Under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), it is a legal requirement for those involved in the use of abrasive wheels to be properly trained. These regulations have totally replaced the Abrasive Wheels Regulations 1970 for the safe handling, storing, mounting and use of grinding wheels.
Fabricator applicants must provide a Certificate of Abrasive Wheel Compliance, dated within the last 24 months.

Once the above FULL Certificate has been obtained, BIFIS registered businesses can submit refresher certifcates annually thereafter (see below).

Abrasive Wheel Certification is available at Essential Skills.

In addition to the submission of documents, applicants must agree to adhere to the BIFIS Standards & Guidelines and Code of Conduct.