Building Surveyor Salary Index

Building control surveyors: salary and registration

England guide · last reviewed September 2026

Building control has changed more than any other part of surveying since the Building Safety Act 2022. Everyone doing building control work in England must now be registered with the Building Safety Regulator and pass a competence assessment, and there aren't enough registered inspectors to go round. That shortage is pushing pay up. This guide covers the registration classes, how to get registered, and what the job pays.

What building control surveyors do

A building surveyor advises a client on a building. A building control surveyor is an independent regulator, checking that building work meets the Building Regulations: fire safety, structure, energy, drainage, access and more. The work involves checking plans, inspecting work on site at key stages, dealing with designers and builders when something doesn't comply, and recommending completion certificates. You can work for a council, for a private Registered Building Control Approver (the new name for approved inspectors), or for the Building Safety Regulator itself.

Council roles often include an out-of-hours rota for dangerous structures. Many council teams are short of staff, so workloads can be heavy.

Registration: the Registered Building Inspector classes

Since 2024, anyone doing building control work in England has to be a Registered Building Inspector (RBI). The register is public, so anyone can check an inspector's class and the buildings they're allowed to work on. There are four classes:

  • Class 1, trainee. No competence assessment needed, but you can only work under supervision. This is where new entrants start.
  • Class 2, registered building inspector. Can work unsupervised on standard buildings up to 18 metres, within the building categories they're registered for (A to F).
  • Class 3, specialist building inspector. Adds non-standard buildings (category G) and higher-risk buildings (category H): residential buildings of at least 18 metres or seven storeys, and hospitals and care homes of that height.
  • Class 4, technical manager. An extra class for people managing building control teams, held alongside Class 2 or 3.

The categories run from A (a single house under 7.5 metres) to H (higher-risk buildings). The regulator has revised what each class can do several times, so check the current guidance on GOV.UK for the details.

How to get registered

  • Pass a competence assessment with one of the three approved schemes: CABE's Building Inspector Competence Assessment Scheme (CBICAS), the Building Safety Competence Foundation, or Total Training Development. Chartered RICS members are assessed through CBICAS, under an agreement between RICS and CABE, without having to join CABE.
  • Register with the Building Safety Regulator. Registration costs £336 and lasts four years, with an annual fee of £216 after the first year (2026 to 2027 fees). The assessment schemes charge their own fees on top.
  • Keep it up. You must be reassessed at least every four years, keep up CPD, and follow the Code of Conduct, which includes working only within your class and your own competence, and telling the regulator about any change in your details within 28 days.

Being chartered with RICS or a member of CABE doesn't replace registration: you need both. The Building Safety Regulator left HSE in January 2026 and is now a standalone body, so older guidance that mentions HSE is out of date on that point. Wales has its own register and rules.

Ways in

  • The LABC Academy runs a funded two-year trainee programme for local authority building control: three days a week working, two days studying for Level 4 and 5 diplomas, leading to a funded competence assessment. Trainees starting in September 2026 were paid £23,500 to £27,500.
  • The building control surveyor degree apprenticeship (Level 6) takes about four years, with the employer's apprenticeship funding paying for the degree. You need to be employed in building control. See the apprenticeships guide.
  • From building surveying. A building surveying degree or chartership is good preparation. Most people moving across start as Class 1 and work towards the Class 2 assessment, but existing experience may shorten this.
  • Government funding. In March 2026 the government announced £55 million to train up to 700 new building inspectors, including funding for trainees seconded to councils through LABC and for upskilling existing inspectors to work on higher-risk buildings.

RICS also has a Building Control pathway for the APC, and CABE offers its own membership grades. See the APC guide.

Pay

Prospects gives £25,000 to £30,000 to start, £30,000 to £50,000 with a few years' experience, and up to £70,000 for senior roles, but those figures predate the shortage. Council adverts in 2025 and 2026 show pay rising above that:

  • Trainees: £23,500 to £27,500 on the LABC Academy, and more for graduate trainees at some councils.
  • Surveyors and senior surveyors (Class 2): commonly around £45,000 to £55,000 at councils, once market supplements are included. Bradford, for example, advertised a senior post at £49,282 to £52,413 plus a £5,000 supplement.
  • Principal surveyors: around £50,000 to £72,000 including supplements, with some London boroughs adding up to £20,000 a year.
  • Heads of service: around £75,000 to £85,000. Liverpool advertised its head of building control at £78,297 to £83,919.

Private approvers generally pay more. One London approver advertised a Class 2 role at £60,000 to £85,000 in August 2026, and senior specialist roles are reported at over £100,000. Contract rates are high too.

Many councils now pay market supplements, golden hellos or recruitment allowances to compete. These are usually reviewed every year or two, or end on a set date, so check how long they last before relying on one. Your registration class makes a big difference: 3H inspectors, who can work on higher-risk buildings, are in the shortest supply. For building surveyors' pay, see the salary guide.

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