Construction compliance is its own world: CDM 2015 duties, RAMS for every activity, a construction phase plan before work starts, subcontractors whose documents you must check, worker cards and competence, and the accreditations clients demand. This guide covers what to look for, and how the options compare, specifically for construction — for the broader category, see the best compliance software in the UK.
What construction firms need from compliance software
RAMS
Site-specific risk assessments and method statements per activity, generated fast and kept current — and the ability to review subcontractor RAMS you receive.
RAMS builder →Construction phase plans
CDM 2015 regulation 12 CPPs, proportionate to the job, produced before work starts and updated as it changes.
construction phase plan software →CDM duties
Understanding your role — client, principal designer, principal contractor or contractor — and the duties that follow.
CDM duty checker →Contractor onboarding
Collect and verify subcontractor documents, insurances and accreditations before they set foot on site.
contractor onboarding →Worker competence
CSCS/CISRS cards, tickets and qualifications per worker, with a portable passport and expiry alerts.
worker competence →Site records & inductions
QR site inductions, sign-in and site rules, so you know who is on site, inducted and briefed.
site inductions →Toolbox talks
Deliver and record toolbox talks with attendance — the everyday evidence of active safety management on site.
toolbox talks →Accreditation readiness
Prepare the evidence for CHAS, SafeContractor and SMAS, with a live score tracking what is in place.
construction compliance software →Which construction compliance software is best?
Best all-in-one for construction firms
ComplysRAMS, CPPs, CDM duties, contractor onboarding, worker competence, site records and toolbox talks in one platform, with accreditation readiness built in.
Best for RAMS specifically
HandsHQ, swiftRMSFocused RAMS tools — strong at method statements, but not a wider construction compliance system for contractors, workers and sites.
Best for outsourced H&S
CitationConsultancy plus templates for firms that prefer to hand construction H&S out rather than run it in-house.
Best for large enterprise contractors
Enterprise EHS suitesBroad suites for major contractors with dedicated H&S departments, at enterprise cost and implementation weight.
Competitor positioning is indicative and at a category level — check each vendor's site for current features and pricing.
Construction compliance and CDM 2015
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 sit under everything a construction firm does on compliance. Software should produce the construction phase plan required by regulation 12, hold the RAMS it references, and track the worker competence and contractor documents the regulations expect. Check where you stand with the CDM duty checker, and test a document you already have with the free RAMS checker.
Related
Managing subcontractors is a discipline of its own — see the best contractor management software. Trade businesses getting their documents in order and winning work can use the Complys for trades toolkit, and everything is compared in the broad compliance software guide.