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The Client’s Guide to the Building Safety Act

Construction professionals reviewing building plans for Building Safety Act complianceMitigating risk, protecting your reputation and safeguarding your investment.

If you commission building work, you are “The Client” under the Building Safety Act. That role now comes with clear legal duties, and responsibility is non-transferable.

This guide explains what the law expects, what good looks like in practice, and how to make safer decisions throughout the lifecycle of a building project

Download The Client’s Guide To The Building Safety Act

Cover of The Client’s Guide To The Building Safety Act by BESA

The Building Safety Act Has Changed The Rules

Clients are now statutory dutyholders. That means you are legally accountable for building safety and compliance, from early planning through to occupation.

You cannot outsource compliance.

This guide has been developed by BESA with support from industry partners to give clients clear, practical guidance that can be used on real projects, not just interpreted in legal terms.

A Clear, Practical Overview Of Your Responsibilities

Building Safety Act compliance process with construction cranes and site workersThe guide will help you:

  • Understand your legal duties in a clear, concise way
  • Set projects up for safe, compliant delivery from day one
  • Appoint competent dutyholders and supply chains
  • Make better decisions and reduce costly mistakes
  • Protect your organisation’s reputation and investment
Residential construction risk management under the Building Safety Act

If you commission the building, you own the safety outcome

The culture you set, the teams you appoint, and the decisions you make early will shape whether safe, compliant outcomes are achieved.

What You’ll Learn

The guide covers:

  • Who the Client is under the Act, and what that means
  • The client’s main duties across all buildings
  • What changes for Higher-Risk Buildings (including Gateways)
  • How to demonstrate competence and evidence decisions
  • The consequences of non-compliance
  • What compliant clients do differently
Competent appointments under the Building Safety Act in construction development

Good Procurement Yields Better ROI

Good procurement decisions are not just about cost. Underthe Building Safety Act, competence and capability matter.

Poor quality decisions can lead to rework, delays, disputes and increased risk. This guide helps clients understand what to ask for, what to evidence, and how to set the project up to succeed.

Built With Industry Partners

This guide has been developed by BESA with support from cross-industry partners because safer buildings require a system-wide approach.

Better-informed clients deliver better buildings, and that benefits everyone.

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The Client’s Guide To The Building Safety Act

Reduce risk. Protect your reputation. Safeguard your investment.

For BESA members and contractors: looking for guidance on how to use this with your clients? Log into the BESA Member Portal.

Client duties under the Building Safety Act in residential building development
Frequently Asked Questions

Who is considered the Client under this guide?
Under the guide, the Client is the person or organisation that commissions building work, including design, construction, refurbishment or maintenance. If you are a building owner, developer or commissioning work, you are the Client and a Dutyholder under the Act.

Can a Client pass their legal duties to someone else?
No. The guide makes clear that Client duties are non transferable. Even if you nominate someone to make an application or manage part of the process, legal responsibility remains with you.

Do Client duties apply only to Higher Risk Buildings?
No. The guide explains that Client duties apply to all building work requiring Building Regulations approval. Higher Risk Buildings carry additional responsibilities, but the core duties apply to all projects.

What are the Client’s main duties at the start of a project?
Clients must make suitable arrangements for planning, managing and monitoring the project. This includes allocating sufficient time and resources and appointing competent Principal Designers and Principal Contractors where required.

What does the guide say about appointing competent teams?
Clients must appoint dutyholders and supply chain members who demonstrate the required Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Behaviours. Procurement should prioritise competence and organisational capability, not lowest cost alone.

What are the Client’s responsibilities during construction?
Clients must oversee safe construction, ensure compliance with Building Regulations, monitor progress and risks, and maintain clear records of inspections and decisions.

What are the Client’s responsibilities after construction?
Post occupation, Clients must ensure the building is maintained safely, appoint competent facilities management teams, keep maintenance and safety records up to date, and act promptly on hazards or defects.

What additional duties apply to Higher Risk Buildings?
For Higher Risk Buildings, Clients must follow the Gateway process, maintain the Golden Thread of information, develop a Construction Control Plan, register the building, prepare a safety case and report relevant safety occurrences.

What happens if a Client gets it wrong?
The guide states that non compliance can result in regulatory action from the Building Safety Regulator, financial penalties and criminal prosecution, as well as reputational and commercial risk.

What makes a Client compliant according to the guide?
A compliant Client ensures applications are complete, competent and evidence based, appoints the correct dutyholders, verifies supply chain competence, coordinates design information properly and understands that legal responsibility always sits with the Client.

More Building Safety Act Content From BESA

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Just like football, ensuring building safety requires teamwork. Clients, architects, engineers, contractors and residents all have vital roles. With clear goals, strategic planning and seamless coordination, we aim for victory in safety.

Let’s keep our buildings safe – because in this game, safe buildings for all is the ultimate goal.

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