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Higher Risk Buildings Registration
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Higher Risk Buildings Registration

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Relevant information for anyone seeking registration with the Engineering Council’s HRB Register.

The Engineering Council’s Higher Risk Buildings (HRB) Register is publicly accessible and consists of engineers who are assessed as competent to work on HRBs.

The Institution of Structural Engineers and the Institution of Civil Engineers have been jointly granted a licence to work together to administer the HRB (Structures) Register. This means that eligible members of the ICE and IStructE can apply via the IStructE for HRB registration at CEng, IEng or EngTech level.

To become registered, ICE and IStructE members need to demonstrate competence in the requirements that are set out in the Engineering Council’s UK-SPEC HRB standard. The UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence is contextualised for Higher-Risk Buildings that sets out the competences and commitments expected of engineers and technicians who work in the built environment sector, in particular on higher-risk buildings.

The Register is not just open to applications from engineers working on building design. It is open to a broader spectrum of ICE and IStructE engineers working on HRB projects, for example engineers working in the regulatory sector. All applicants need to be able to provide evidence of their knowledge, experience and ability in the core competency areas for HRBs, but this evidence can come from a range of different roles held within the sector.

The status of a member on the HRB Structures Register can be checked by contacting [email protected].

Listen or download to hear members of the Joint Committee discuss the HRB Competency Register.


Chris O'Regan FIStructE and Ruth Haynes FICE discuss the Register and it's importance to the engineering profession. A full transcript of this recording is available to download.
 

Review the HRB Register value statement
 
HRB competences
You will be assessed against the UK-SPEC HRB Competences, as set out in the Structures Annex. The full list of competences can be found in the HRB Application Guidance Notes, along with information about the level of competence required and examples of how you might demonstrate the competences.

There are five broad competence areas in UK-SPEC HRB, as set out below, with a total of 21 sub competences:

AA: Knowledge and understanding
BB: Design, development and solving engineering problems
CC: Responsibility, management and leadership
DD: Communication and interpersonal skills
EE: Personal and professional commitment

Please note, the competences are different for CEng, IEng and EngTech registrants, so please ensure you refer to the correct section of the guidance document.
 
Steps to HRB registration
First step: Eligibility
To be eligible to apply to join the HRB (Structures) Register you must be a current member of the ICE or IStructE in a professional grade of membership. You do not need to hold current CEng, IEng or EngTech registration.

You need to have met the academic standards in force at the time of your application for ICE/IStructE professional membership, and this may have been determined through an assessment of your academic qualifications.

You need to have at least five years of experience since gaining your professional grade of membership with the ICE or IStructE.

Second step: Collate and submit your application
Along with the application form and a CV, you will need to submit five Experience Report Forms, one for each of the five main UK-SPEC HRB competences, which sets out the experience you hold that allows you to demonstrate the competence to the required minimum standard. The standards for assessment are detailed in the HRB Application Guidance Notes.

In addition to the five Experience Report Forms, you also need to prepare a portfolio of supporting evidence and submit this with your application.

Final step: Assessment
After your application has been checked, you will be invited to an interview that will be conducted by two HRB registrants. Please be aware that due to reviewer availability it may take several weeks to arrange your interview.

Your reviewers will contact you to agree on a date and time for your interview. The interview will be held online and will last around 60 – 90 minutes. You will be asked to give a brief 10-minute introduction (without slides) setting out where you have gained your HRB experience before the interview commences.

Your reviewers will submit a report with a recommendation to the ICE/IStructE HRB Joint-Committee which makes the final decision on whether to approve or reject applications. The Joint-Committee meets quarterly.
 
Find out more
The HRB Application Guidance Notes set out the assessment criteria with examples, details on what to include in your experience reports and portfolio, and an overview of the application process and interview. Download the appropriate guidance for the grade of membership you currently have.

Chartered Engineer HRB guidance
Incorporated Engineer HRB guidance
Eng Tech HRB guidance
 
Apply
Once you’re ready to apply click on the link below to access the application form and the experience report form.

You will need to return the following documents to [email protected]:
  • Application form
  • Experience report form x5, one for each of the Competences, AA to EE
  • CV
  • Portfolio of evidence to support the statements you have made in the five Experience Report Forms

Full details of what is required for each of these documents can be found in the appropriate HRB Application Guidance Notes available above.

You can also check out the Engineer Council's UK-SPEC-HRB guidance for more information.

Download application form
Download experience report form
Appeals procedure notes
 
Fees
Application fee: £250
Charged upon submission of your application. The registrations team will contact you to request payment.
 
New HRB (Structures) Registration fee for 2026:
CEng: £64.31
IEng: £54.29
EngTech: £22.26
 
Charged upon successful completion of the HRB assessment process and payable to the IStructE. The fee is transferred to the Engineering Council in full and covers your first year of HRB registration.
 
Annual renewal fee for 2026:
CEng: £49.45
IEng: £41.97
EngTech: £24.06
 
After your first year of registration, the renewal fee will be added to the annual subscriptions notice of either your IStructE or ICE membership, whichever you pay your standard CEng registration through. The fee is transferred to the Engineering Council in full.

Concessionary fees are available to those in receipt of the low income reduction on their annual subscriptions, or the retired rate. Please contact the registrations team for more information.