How Much Does CHAS Cost? (2026 Pricing)

CHAS (the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) is an SSIP-approved health & safety accreditation scheme that prices membership by employee headcount. Standard costs £429/year +VAT at the smallest band and covers the core SSIP badge most subcontractors need. Advanced costs £659/year +VAT and adds PAS 91-style pre-qualification. Elite costs £909/year +VAT and adds the Common Assessment Standard across 13 risk areas. A free CHAS Foundation account exists for basic data-sharing and is not a membership tier. Unless a client specifically names those extra features, Standard is the package you need.

Last reviewed 16/09/2026. Figures checked against the CHAS packages page on 05/06/2026 — see sources below.

Do you pay CHAS again every year?

Yes. CHAS is a rolling annual membership, not a one-off joining fee — you're billed the same banded rate every 12 months to keep your certificate live, and you resubmit evidence at renewal if anything has changed (new sites, updated RAMS, a fresh accident record).

Year two is not cheaper. There is no discount for having done it before. The joining fee falls away, but the annual fee is broadly the same and every certificate you rely on — Employers' Liability, Public Liability, waste carrier, F-Gas, NICEIC, Gas Safe — has to be re-uploaded, often because it expired and was renewed in the meantime.

2026 CHAS price table

How is the CHAS accreditation cost calculated?

CHAS uses a dynamic pricing system: prices vary by tier and by the number of employees your business has. The definition of "employees" is where people get caught out. CHAS counts direct employees, PAYE staff, permanent, temporary and part-time workers — and labour-only subcontractors. Bona-fide subcontractors with their own tools and insurance are excluded.

If you're a six-man electrical firm who regularly uses three labour-only mates, CHAS prices you as a nine-employee organisation. Under-declaring is not a saving; it is a problem waiting to surface at renewal.

Two more things that move the number:

• Prices exclude VAT. Every headline figure needs 20% adding. Recoverable if you're VAT-registered; a real 20% if you're under the threshold.
• A joining fee applies to new members. CHAS says so but doesn't publish a figure. Get it itemised on your quote — it is a year-one-only cost, and you need it in the total if you're comparing against SafeContractor or SMAS Worksafe.

A worked example: a 10-engineer M&E subcontractor

Rather than repeat bands you can read off the CHAS slider, here is the shape of the invoice for a ten-engineer mechanical and electrical firm asked by a main contractor for CHAS Elite to stay on a commercial maintenance framework.

The extras that aren't on the pricing slider

These are the line items that land on real invoices but don't appear when you're comparing schemes.

VAT on everything

CHAS quotes ex-VAT. Normal for B2B, easy to miss when comparing. Add 20% to every figure.

The joining fee for new members

Confirmed by CHAS but unpublished. Always ask for it broken out.

Reopen fees if you fail

If your application closes and it has been less than 14 days, CHAS will reopen it for a fee — once. Any further failure means buying a new application. That is not a scare story, it is the mechanism, and a vague health & safety policy or a training matrix that doesn't mention CDM is enough to trigger it. See the CHAS documents checklist for the paperwork that tends to bounce.

Upgrading mid-year

Starting on Standard because it's cheapest, then finding three months later that the client wants Elite, costs real money. You pay to upgrade and your renewal date can move — check with CHAS at the time.

Fast Track

Standard turnaround is up to 10 working days once your assessment is complete. Fast Track cuts it to two, for a fee. If a tender deadline is looming you will pay it.

A second scheme you didn't mean to buy

CHAS Elite delivering the Common Assessment Standard does not register you on Constructionline's directory. If a client wants both, that's two scheme fees. Check what the PQQ actually names first — do I need more than one accreditation? covers how to avoid buying overlapping cover.

Consultant fees you don't need to pay

CHAS Foundation and the CHAS guidance pages are free and designed to get your evidence ready before you pay for an assessment. No step of the application requires a paid consultant — the documents are the ones you already hold for insurance and HR. Weigh any "we'll handle your CHAS application" quote against working through the free checklist yourself.

What CHAS doesn't include

CHAS buys you SSIP-recognised health & safety compliance and nothing more. It does not automatically cover client-specific PQQs, Constructionline Gold, or the Common Assessment Standard unless you bought Elite. SSIP mutual recognition means a client running one SSIP scheme should accept your CHAS badge rather than making you join theirs — but that has real limits. Read what SSIP mutual recognition does not cover before assuming one badge opens every door.

The packages

Starting figures for the smallest headcount band, quoted ex-VAT. CHAS is now branded Veriforce CHAS and is a founding SSIP member.

Which package do you need?

1. 1
   Just need SSIP / a health & safety badge? Standard covers it. It's the one most subcontractors buy.
2. 2
   Client wants a PAS 91-style pre-qualification? Advanced adds the former PAS 91 standard and a PQQ system.
3. 3
   Client names the Common Assessment Standard? You need Elite, which carries it across 13 risk areas. Nothing below Elite satisfies a Common Assessment Standard requirement at CHAS. See the Common Assessment Standard question set for what that assessment covers.

Three legitimate ways to pay less

1. Buy the tier your clients actually name, not the one above it. The gap between Standard and Elite is £480/year +VAT at the entry band. Ask the main contractor which they require, in writing, before upgrading.
2. Get the evidence right first time. A reopen costs a fee and a fortnight. Working through the documents checklist before you submit is free.
3. Check whether another SSIP scheme is cheaper at your size. Mutual recognition means the badge is largely interchangeable for the health & safety step — see which is the cheapest SSIP scheme.

Is CHAS the cheapest?

For the smallest businesses, Constructionline's entry tier starts lower (around £219/year), and SafeContractor Standard — which used to undercut CHAS — now sits above it at £540/year following a 29% increase in 2026. Each scheme prices differently — CHAS and SafeContractor by headcount, Constructionline by turnover — so the cheapest for you depends on your size and shape.

For the full lowest-cost-by-size comparison, see which is the cheapest SSIP scheme. Compare the schemes side by side in CHAS vs SafeContractor vs Constructionline, or see SafeContractor cost and Constructionline cost. Not sure which badge you need? Start at the comparison hub.

Frequently asked questions

How much is CHAS membership per year?

From £429/year +VAT for Standard at the smallest headcount band, rising with your employee count. Advanced starts at £659 and Elite at £909, both +VAT. A free CHAS Foundation data-sharing account is also available.

What's the difference between CHAS Standard, Advanced and Elite?

Standard is the core SSIP health & safety package. Advanced adds former PAS 91 compliance and a PQQ system. Elite adds the Common Assessment Standard across 13 risk areas. Most subcontractors only need Standard.

Does CHAS include VAT?

No — CHAS prices are quoted ex-VAT, so add 20% when budgeting.

Does CHAS count subcontractors in my headcount?

Labour-only subcontractors, yes. Bona-fide subcontractors who bring their own tools and carry their own insurance are excluded. Get the distinction right before you declare, because it sets your price band.

Is CHAS cheaper than SafeContractor?

No — not since SafeContractor's 2026 increase. CHAS Standard is £429/year +VAT against SafeContractor Standard at £540, so CHAS is around £111 cheaper at entry level. SafeContractor was marginally the cheaper of the two before the rise. Both price by headcount, so the gap moves as your team grows — see SafeContractor cost for the full banding.

Does CHAS cost more for sole traders?

No. CHAS prices by headcount, so sole traders and micro businesses sit in the smallest band and pay the entry-level £429/year +VAT for Standard. There's no sole-trader surcharge, but confirm your exact quote with CHAS, as banding changes.

Do I pay CHAS again every year?

Yes — membership renews annually at the same banded rate for your headcount. You resubmit or confirm your evidence at renewal, and the joining fee applies only in year one.

What happens if I fail CHAS first time?

CHAS tells you which areas didn't meet the standard. If the application has closed and it's been under 14 days, they will reopen it for a fee — but only once. Any further failure means purchasing a new application. Check your renewal date so a resubmission doesn't leave you without live certification.