The Property Care Association describes itself in its damp section as the trade body for the industry, but membership and the qualifications are voluntary. If you have been told to use a PCA member or a CSTDB surveyor, this guide explains what those terms mean, how the PCA says it audits its members and what the qualifications are.
What the Property Care Association is
The Property Care Association is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England. In its damp section the organisation describes itself as the trade body for the industry. It is not a government department or a statutory regulator, and the qualifications article on its site says it became an independent trade association in 2006.
The PCA's home page says members are held to strict membership criteria through regular audits. Its homeowner advice page says all members are audited and checked regularly to ensure they are meeting its expected standards, and that members must hold appropriate training to use the PCA badge.
Which specialists the PCA covers
The home page lists the areas the PCA covers.
- Damp control
- Flood protection and flood restoration
- Ground gas protection
- Invasive weed control
- Residential ventilation
- Structural repairs
- Structural waterproofing
- Timber rot and woodworm, where members are described as qualified and regularly vetted
Membership types and what they mean
Not every member does the same work. The home page lists five membership types, which are Contractor, Provisional Status Contractor, Independent/Freelance Surveyor, Ground Gas Verifier and Manufacturer/Distributor.
For full contractor membership, the PCA says applicants must have traded for a minimum of 2 years, with 2 years of full published trading accounts, and must have appropriately qualified surveyors holding CSRT, CSSW or CSJK. Membership is granted to companies that show technical competence, financial solvency and Health and Safety requirements. Contractors are audited by a Technical Manager on application and every 2 years thereafter.
A company may remain in Provisional Status for a maximum of two years. The PCA says companies in provisional status are not entitled to use the PCA logo and do not get a vote at the AGM.
The PCA's homeowner advice page says contractor members hold Government TrustMark accreditation. The PCA's TrustMark page describes TrustMark as the only Government-Endorsed Quality Scheme for work carried out in or around your home, and a not-for-profit social enterprise established in 2005. The PCA says it is subject to extensive annual audits to hold the TrustMark operator's licence, and that contractor members must adhere to TrustMark's Code of Conduct and Customer Charter.
CSRT, CSTDB, CSDB and CSSW explained
The PCA has qualifications for surveyors who work on damp and timber. They are the PCA's own qualification names and not a licence. The Certificated Surveyor in Remedial Treatments was introduced in the 1990s and brought the main areas of timber and damp surveying together. Candidates had to show knowledge of dampness, timber infestation and decay, health and safety, and the legal responsibilities of surveying and remedial work.
|
Letters |
What it is |
|---|---|
|
CSRT |
Certificated Surveyor in Remedial Treatments, introduced in the 1990s to cover timber and damp |
|
CSTDB |
Certificated Surveyor of Timber and Dampness in Buildings, which replaced CSRT in 2018 |
|
CSDB |
Certificated Surveyor of Dampness in Buildings, a dampness-specific route |
|
CSSW |
Certificated Surveyor in Structural Waterproofing, recognised beyond PCA membership |
The PCA says CSTDB is accredited by ABBE at Level 3 and that existing CSRT qualifications remain recognised. It also says NHBC Standards identify designers who have completed CSSW as generally acceptable when choosing a waterproofing design specialist. The qualifications article does not name a body that runs the CSTDB. The PCA qualifications article outlines how these qualifications developed.
Independent surveyors and contractors
Contractors may offer treatment. For independent and freelance surveyors, the PCA's membership page says members must hold the relevant qualifications, have a minimum of five years of relevant experience and hold Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance. Both independent and freelance surveyors must not undertake any remedial works, and a freelance surveyor cannot be a Director of a Contractor company. For costs, read our guide on what an independent damp survey costs.
On woodworm, the PCA's treatment page calls members who specialise in timber preservation the recommended first port of call. It advises engaging a qualified surveyor before treatment to judge whether infestation is active, with people holding the CSRT or CSTDB given as examples. Read our guide on when you need a timber survey for more.
Audit statements side by side
The PCA talks about audits and checks in several places. The table sets out each statement and where it appears so that you can see what is claimed for which type of member.
|
Where |
What the PCA says |
|---|---|
|
Home page |
Strict membership criteria through regular audits |
|
Homeowner advice page |
All members are audited and checked regularly against expected standards |
|
Contractor membership page |
Contractors are audited by a Technical Manager on application and every 2 years thereafter |
|
TrustMark page |
The PCA itself undergoes extensive annual audits to hold the TrustMark operator's licence |
The last row is about the PCA's own licence and not about a member's individual job. None of these statements says what an audit finds on a particular site.
PCA guarantees and what they cover
Contracting PCA members can offer a written guarantee on the work they carried out. The PCA's repair guarantees page notes that a contractor may cease to trade during the guarantee period. PCA members can also offer an Insurance-Backed Guarantee, which will honour the terms of the long term guarantee if the original contractor stops trading. It applies only where the contractor has ceased to trade as defined within the policy document, and it must be obtained through a PCA contractor.
The Remedial Work Promise
The PCA also runs a Remedial Work Promise. Its page says the Promise covers contracts with PCA members for damp proofing, dry rot, wet rot, woodworm, structural waterproofing and structural maintenance. It applies to domestic premises where the contract price including VAT is more than £250 and up to £50,000.
The page says there is no additional cost to customers. If a contractor member goes out of business while work is being done, another PCA contractor will complete the work to the original specification at no extra cost to the customer. The Promise covers work in progress and deposits.
If something goes wrong
The PCA's complaints page says its role as a trade association is to mediate between the customer and the PCA member to resolve technical issues. It can generally only get involved in disputes about the following matters, and only for current members in the sector in which they are registered.
- Quality of works or workmanship
- Guarantee disputes
- Unprofessional conduct
- Suspected illegal conduct
The PCA cannot assist with complaints of a financial nature or if legal proceedings have started. It states that it has no legal sanction and that any claims for compensation must be addressed through a legal process in a court of law.
Before the PCA will mediate, you must have discussed the matter with the member and gone through its own complaints procedure. The PCA lists the paperwork it needs, which is correspondence with the contractor, the original report and quotation, the original guarantee, the original invoice and your terms and conditions. It warns that the contractor is under no legal obligation to keep any paperwork. It will endeavour to acknowledge a complaint within 5 working days but is unable to provide a timescale for resolution.
How to check a company or surveyor
The home page names two ways to find a member, and a phone number. You can use the Find a specialist tool, which lets you filter by service, such as damp control, structural waterproofing and timber preservation, and by type of specialist, including Surveying and Contracting Company and Independent/Freelance Surveyor. You can also use the Check if a Company is PCA registered search, a box where you type the company name. Alternatively, you can call the association on 01480 400000.
Do not assume that a register of CSTDB holders exists. Ask the surveyor which qualification they hold.
What PCA membership proves and what it does not
What membership shows, according to the PCA:
- The PCA says audits are part of how it holds members to its criteria.
- Contractor members hold Government TrustMark accreditation, as the PCA states.
- The PCA requires its independent and freelance surveyors to hold PI insurance and to have five years of relevant experience.
- PCA contractors can offer an Insurance-Backed Guarantee.
What membership does not show:
- That a register of CSTDB holders exists.
- That a contractor will stay in business indefinitely.
- That the firm is regulated by a government body.
- That an independent surveyor will carry out physical repairs for you.
- What a firm charges.
A worked example
Suppose you are told you have timber rot and are advised to use a PCA member. The PCA's woodworm page advises engaging a qualified surveyor before treatment, so you might ask whether the surveyor holds CSTDB or the older CSRT. If the person is an independent or freelance surveyor, the PCA says they must not undertake any remedial works, so any treatment would come from a separate contractor.
If a contractor member then offers a written guarantee, the PCA says an Insurance-Backed Guarantee may also be available through that contractor. For contracts in the £250 to £50,000 band, the Remedial Work Promise may apply as well. Those are the PCA's schemes, so check each one's wording on its own page before relying on it.
Common questions
Do I have to use a PCA member?
No. Membership and the qualifications are voluntary.
Is a surveyor with the old CSRT letters still recognised?
Yes, the PCA says existing CSRT qualifications remain recognised.
Who runs the CSTDB qualification?
The qualifications article does not name one. It says only that ABBE accredits it at Level 3.
What is a Provisional Status Contractor?
It is a membership type for companies that may stay in provisional status for up to two years. The PCA says such companies cannot use its logo or vote at the AGM.
Can the PCA order a member to pay compensation?
No. It says it has no legal sanction.
Does the Remedial Work Promise cover every job?
It covers six types of work for domestic premises, within a contract price band stated on its page.
Is TrustMark run by the PCA?
The PCA says contractor members must adhere to the TrustMark Code of Conduct and Customer Charter, and describes the scheme as the only Government-Endorsed Quality Scheme for work in or around your home.
Which company details does the PCA ask contractor applicants to show?
Technical competence, financial solvency and Health and Safety requirements, as set out on its contractor page.
Is the Remedial Work Promise an extra charge?
The PCA says there is no additional cost to customers.
Next steps
Ask whether the person you are dealing with is a contractor or an independent surveyor, because the two roles differ. Use the Find a specialist tool or the company check to look up a firm, or phone 01480 400000.
If you need a survey, you can find a surveyor near you to discuss it.
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