What a Method Statement Actually Is
A method statement is the part of your RAMS that says how the job's going to be done. Not what could go wrong, that's the risk assessment's job, but the actual practical plan: what you do first, what you do next, what kit you use, and how you get in and out safely. Think of it as an instruction sheet good enough that another tradesperson in your line of work could pick it up and follow it without ringing you to ask what you meant.
For a lot of routine domestic jobs nobody asks to see one. But for anything higher risk, working at height, confined spaces, hot works, excavation, or any job on a site with a principal contractor, a method statement isn't a nice-to-have. Under CDM 2015, contractors have to make sure work is properly planned before it starts, and the method statement is how you show that planning on paper. Turn up without one and you might not get past the gate.
There's a reason it's worth doing properly beyond keeping the paperwork happy, too. Writing a real method statement forces you to walk through the job in your head before you're stood in front of it with the clock running. That's usually when you spot the problem, the access route that doesn't work, the tool you forgot, the step that needs two people, not on site under pressure.
What Goes Into a Method Statement
There's no single legal format for a method statement, but principal contractors expect to see the same set of sections whichever trade you're in. Miss one out or leave it vague and that's usually the reason it comes back:
- Project details, the site, client, and principal contractor, plus a document reference and version number so nobody's working from an old copy
- Scope of work, what's included and what isn't, so there's no argument later about who was doing what
- Sequence of work, numbered steps from arriving on site to demobilising, in the order they'll actually happen
- Plant and equipment, named specifically, model or type and capacity where it matters, not just 'tools'
- Materials, quantities and anything with hazardous properties, flammable, toxic, heavy, that changes how they're handled or stored
- Access and egress, how workers get to the work area, get to height if needed, and get out in an emergency
- PPE, specific to each stage of the work, not one generic list for the whole job
- Emergency procedures, specific to this job's actual hazards, not a line about following site rules
- Competence, who's doing the work and what qualifies them, trade quals, tickets like IPAF or PASMA, supervision arrangements
- Sign-off, name, qualification, and date of the person who prepared it
A method statement missing two or three of these will usually get sent back with a list of questions attached. Better to answer them yourself the first time round.
The Sequence of Work, the Bit That Matters Most
If a principal contractor only reads one section properly, it's this one. The sequence of work is where you describe, step by step, exactly how the job gets done. It has to read like an instruction, not a summary. "Set up access equipment, carry out works, make good" isn't a sequence, it's three headings wearing a sequence's coat. It tells the reader nothing about what access equipment, what work, or what making good involves.
Here's the difference in practice. For a first-fix electrical job in a new-build house, a proper sequence might read: confirm the consumer unit location and circuit routes against the drawings; mark cable routes on walls and ceilings before fixing anything; install cable supports at the correct spacing, 450mm for horizontal runs, 900mm for vertical; run cables from the consumer unit to each outlet and light position; secure cables to the supports; fit back boxes for sockets, switches, and accessories; terminate cable ends at the consumer unit only, leaving accessory ends until second fix; test every circuit for continuity and insulation resistance before anything gets covered over; make good any chases or holes cut during the work.
Every one of those steps can be checked. A principal contractor reading it can see exactly what happens and judge whether it's safe. An electrician reading it has a clear instruction, which cuts down the chance of a step getting missed or done out of order under pressure.
How This Differs From a Risk Assessment
The method statement and the risk assessment get submitted together as a RAMS package, but they're not the same document doing the same job. The risk assessment tells you what could go wrong, who could be hurt, and the risk rating before and after controls. The method statement tells you how the job gets done in practice.
The two should work together rather than repeat each other. A method step can point back to the relevant hazard, "drill 16mm holes through the stud wall, hazard: struck by falling debris, eye protection mandatory, debris screen used below the work area", rather than listing every hazard again from scratch. If you want the full breakdown of what goes into a risk rating and the five-step framework behind it, that's covered in our guide on how to write RAMS for construction work.
Method Statements by Trade
The structure stays the same across trades, but what actually needs covering in the sequence changes a fair bit depending on what you do.
Electrical
Your method statement needs to cover the safe isolation procedure for every circuit being worked on, confirm dead working as the default, and describe the live testing procedure if live work's genuinely unavoidable. Name every source of energy that could re-energise the work area and describe the lock-out tag-out arrangement that stops that happening mid-job.
Plumbing and Heating
Cover the isolation of water, gas, and heating systems before work starts, confirm gas pipework gets purged and tested before use, and describe the procedure for working on boilers, cylinders, and other plant. Manual handling of heavy items, cylinders, boilers, radiators, needs its own line, not a passing mention.
Carpentry and Joinery
Set out the sequence for first fix and second fix separately, name the access equipment used for any height work, and describe dust control for cutting and sanding. Manual handling of sheet materials, long timber lengths, and heavy doors needs covering too, that's where a lot of site injuries actually happen.
Roofing
Working at height is the obvious one, so the access and edge protection arrangements need to be specific: the type of scaffold or MEWP, the fall arrest or restraint system, and how fragile roof lights or sheeting are identified and protected. Weather limits, wind speed, wet surfaces, need a line of their own, since that's often what changes the plan on the day.
Common Mistakes That Get Method Statements Sent Back
Principal contractors see the same handful of problems again and again from anyone not using a proper template. Worth checking your own against this list before you submit.
- Written as a checklist rather than a sequence, a list of things to remember instead of a step-by-step account of the work
- No real sequence, vague headings like 'set up' or 'carry out works' standing in for actual steps
- Generic equipment lists, 'tools' instead of the specific item, type, and capacity being used
- Missing or generic emergency procedures, a line about calling 999 instead of what to do for this job's actual hazards
- No competence evidence, no named person, no qualification, no ticket number
- No sign of worker consultation, CDM 2015 expects workers to have had input into the plan, not just be handed it
None of these are hard to fix once you know they're being checked for. They're just easy to skip when you're writing the method statement at the end of a long day.
Who Can Write and Sign One Off
A method statement needs preparing by a competent person, someone with the knowledge and experience to plan the work safely and understand its hazards. For most routine jobs, a competent tradesperson with the right qualifications and enough experience can write and sign their own. For higher-risk work, substantial height work, confined spaces, asbestos, it's worth having someone with specific experience of that type of work involved.
Whoever prepares it needs to sign and date it. That signature is them saying they take responsibility for the method as written. A method statement without one isn't a finished document, it's a draft.
Submitting It and Getting Through Review
Method statements usually go over as part of the RAMS pack, alongside the risk assessment and whatever else the principal contractor's asked for. Send it with enough time for them to actually read it, 48 hours is reasonable for straightforward work, longer for anything complex where they might need to check with a client or specialist advisor.
If it comes back with comments, treat them as useful rather than annoying. A principal contractor picking holes in your method statement is usually finding a real gap in the plan, not being difficult for the sake of it. Fix the specific points raised, resubmit, and don't start until it's approved. When they review it, they're mainly checking: is the task description specific to this site, is the sequence a genuine step-by-step account, does the equipment section name actual kit, are the emergency procedures specific to the job, is there named competence evidence, and is it signed and dated.
How RAMS Builder Helps You Get It Right First Time
RAMS Builder's generator is built around exactly what principal contractors check for, a genuine sequence of work, specific equipment, emergency procedures tied to the actual job, and a competence sign-off section ready to fill in. Tell it your trade and the job details and it gives you a proper starting point for your method statement, one you can check against your own site and adjust rather than write from a blank page.
- Trade-specific method statement templates for 15 construction trades
- Sequence of work steps that reference the relevant hazards from your risk assessment
- Named equipment and materials sections instead of generic placeholders
- Competence and sign-off sections built in
- One-click export to a professional PDF
- Version history so you're never working from an old copy
Have a look at our pricing or head straight to the free generator to build your first method statement.