The scenario every tradesperson faces
A homeowner gets three quotes for their kitchen extension. One of them asks for your RAMS document before they'll sign. You know you're good at your trade, but you're not sure whether you actually need a RAMS for this job. Is it just the homeowner being over-cautious? Or is there a legal line you need to know about?
It is a common spot, and there is a concrete answer.
What counts as "domestic work" under CDM 2015
CDM 2015, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, cover virtually all construction work in the UK. Domestic projects are not exempt from the regulations. The previous version, CDM 2007, did exempt domestic clients from most duties, but that changed when CDM 2015 came in.
A domestic client is anyone having construction work done on their own home, or a family member's home, that is not connected to any business. If you are renovating someone's house as part of a property development business, that is not a domestic client. But a homeowner having a new extension built for their own family is a domestic client.
The regulations treat domestic clients differently from commercial clients, but they do not ignore them. The duties still exist. They just pass to someone else on the project team.
When RAMS is legally required for domestic work
The F10 notification is the trigger that most people have heard of. Under CDM 2015, a project must be notified to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) using an F10 form when either of these thresholds is met:
These thresholds are about notification, not about whether the work needs to be planned and risk assessed. On multi-contractor projects, a written construction phase plan must be in place before construction starts. On single-contractor domestic jobs, the paperwork duty is not the same, but the contractor still needs proportionate planning, risk assessment and method statement arrangements before work begins. The F10 notification is a separate legal requirement on top of that, triggered only when the project crosses one of those thresholds.
If you are on a domestic project that meets either threshold, you need to submit an F10 notification to the HSE. You also need a principal designer if there is more than one contractor, and a principal contractor. The client does not need to do this themselves. On a domestic project, the contractor or principal contractor takes on those client duties.
When RAMS may not be required for a domestic project
For the majority of domestic jobs, the F10 threshold will not be met. A two-week kitchen renovation with a sole trader and maybe one or two helpers will not cross 30 working days or 500 person days. A small bathroom refit certainly will not.
But here is the part that surprises a lot of people. Even when F10 notification is not required, CDM 2015 still applies. On a multi-contractor project, the principal contractor needs a written construction phase plan. On a single-contractor domestic job, you still need to think about risks, plan the work safely and record enough detail to show how those risks will be managed. The threshold for F10 notification and the threshold for having sensible RAMS-style planning are not the same thing.
The practical answer is that for most genuine small domestic jobs, you will not need to file an F10. You will still need safety planning that is proportionate to the work. That is what a concise RAMS document helps you evidence.
The F10 notification trigger explained
The F10 is a simple form submitted online to the HSE. It must be filed before construction begins. For domestic projects, the contractor or principal contractor is responsible for submitting it.
The notification thresholds exist to make sure the HSE knows about larger projects where the risks are higher and where there is more need for regulatory oversight. They are not a target to aim for. They are a line that, once crossed, triggers a specific set of obligations.
For a typical domestic extension or renovation, it is unusual to hit these thresholds. A house extension taking 6 weeks with a small team of tradespeople will likely involve fewer than 20 workers on site at any one time and less than 30 working days of duration. Even if the total person days creep above 500, it is worth doing the calculation carefully. A project with 5 workers for 80 days is 400 person days, so it does not trigger F10 even though it runs a long time.
If you are unsure whether a project crosses the threshold, calculate it before you start. It is better to know than to get it wrong.
What contractors actually need to do on domestic work
For single-contractor domestic projects, the contractor takes on the full client duties under CDM 2015 as well as their own contractor duties. That sounds like a lot, but the HSE guidance is clear that for small domestic projects, it should involve little more than what a competent contractor would normally do in managing health and safety risks on site.
In practice, that means:
Common misconceptions cleared up
CDM 2015 does not apply to small domestic jobs.
This is the most widespread misconception, and it is wrong. CDM 2015 applies to all construction work, including domestic projects, regardless of size. The difference between a small job and a large one is what the regulations require of you, not whether the regulations apply at all.
A domestic client asking for RAMS is just being difficult.
Not really. A domestic client asking for RAMS documents is showing that they have some awareness of their duties. Under CDM 2015, a domestic client is not expected to know the detail of the regulations, but they are expected to make sure that whoever is managing the project is competent and making proper arrangements. Asking for a RAMS document is a reasonable thing for a homeowner to do.
You only need RAMS if the project is notifiable.
Notifiability is not the test for whether safety planning is needed. On multi-contractor projects, the principal contractor must produce a written construction phase plan. On single-contractor domestic projects, a formal construction phase plan is not required in the same way, but the contractor must still plan and manage the work safely. A RAMS document is a practical way to record the risk assessment and method statement detail that supports that planning.
The homeowner is responsible for CDM compliance on domestic projects.
The domestic client has duties under CDM 2015, but because they are not expected to be familiar with the regulations, those duties transfer to the contractor or principal contractor. The homeowner does not need to notify the HSE or appoint duty holders themselves. If you are the contractor on a domestic project, you are carrying those duties.