ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for quality management systems. Certification is increasingly required by large commercial clients, housing associations, and public sector bodies. It demonstrates a systematic approach to quality and continuous improvement.
| Issued by | UKAS-accredited certification body |
|---|---|
| Typical cost | £4,000 |
| Renewal | Every 3 years |
| Who needs it | Electricians, gas engineers, heating engineers, plumbers, builders, groundworkers, roofers |
What you need to get it
6 requirements, and what counts as evidence for each.
Develop a Quality Management System
Write and implement a QMS covering: quality policy, objectives, process mapping, document control, records management, and customer feedback. Your QMS must address all requirements of ISO 9001:2015.
Evidence: QMS manual and associated procedure documents.
Internal Audit Programme
Conduct at least one full internal audit of all QMS processes before your certification audit. Internal auditors must be trained.
Evidence: Internal audit schedule, completed audit reports, and auditor training records.
Management Review
Hold and document at least one management review meeting covering QMS performance, customer satisfaction, and objectives.
Evidence: Management review meeting minutes.
Corrective Action Process
Establish and demonstrate a process for identifying non-conformances and tracking corrective actions to closure.
Evidence: Non-conformance register with examples of corrective actions.
Customer Satisfaction Measurement
Implement a method for measuring and analysing customer satisfaction.
Evidence: Customer satisfaction survey records or feedback log.
Stage 1 & Stage 2 Certification Audit
Engage a UKAS-accredited certification body (BSI, NQA, Bureau Veritas, etc.). Stage 1 reviews your documentation; Stage 2 assesses implementation on-site.
Evidence: Engagement letter from certification body. Completed Stage 1 document review.
What you have to keep doing
Getting it is the easy part. Keeping it means:
Annual Surveillance Audits
Annual surveillance audits in years 1 and 2 of the 3-year cycle. Re-certification audit in year 3.
Ongoing Internal Audits
Continue internal audit programme annually.
Ongoing Management Reviews
Hold management reviews at least annually.
Is it worth it?
At £4,000, the question isn’t the fee — it’s whether it wins you work. For electricians it usually does, because it’s the first thing a cautious customer or a commercial buyer checks. Most trades hold accreditations and then hide the logos in the footer. If you’ve paid for it, it belongs where customers actually look.
Apply via UKAS-accredited certification body
Tracking it
Accreditations lapse quietly. The renewal date lands in a busy month, nobody spots it, and you find out when a customer asks for the certificate. Gaffer keeps your accreditations, evidence and renewal dates in one place and reminds you before they expire.