Have Your Say on the New Floorcovering Competence Framework

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has published the draft Floorcovering Competence Framework for industry feedback. The consultation runs until 20th October 2026.

In December 2025 the Contract Flooring Association (CFA) published a guidance document, Competence in the Contract Flooring Sector, which set out why competence matters for the contract flooring sector (section 5.3 covers installer competence). A qualification is not the same as competence. A floorlayer who has finished an apprenticeship or holds an NVQ Level 2 or 3 is not automatically considered fully competent under the new regime. Competence also depends on experience built up over time, after the qualification as well as during it. Existing pre-qualification schemes, accreditations and CSCS cards do not currently cover these requirements.

CFA has been working with the Construction Leadership Council and CITB, supported by a working group of flooring contractors, to set out the Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Behaviours (SKEB) a floorlayer needs to show competence. The draft framework now out for consultation is a major step in that work. Once it is finalised, CFA will work with CSCS to reflect it in the card scheme floor layers use to prove their competence on site.

The framework covers textile, resilient and timber-based floorcoverings, and specified design installations. It has three layers:

• Core construction competencies: shared across construction trades, covering health and safety, productive working, handling resources, working relationships and coordination with others
• Core trade competencies: interpreting information, safe work practices, selecting resources, minimising the risk of damage and working to allocated time
• Twelve trade-specific units (FC001 to FC012): assessing and preparing subfloors, assessing site conditions, underlays, setting out, surface preparation, installing textile, resilient and timber-based floorcoverings, joining and repairing textiles, and specified design work 

Competence is becoming central to how our industry is regulated, procured and trained. Frameworks like this one will increasingly shape qualifications, card schemes and what clients and main contractors expect from flooring contractors. It is vital that the final version reflects real site practice. Feedback from people who install, supervise, employ and subcontract floorlayers is the best way to make that happen.

What you can do

• Read the framework: CITB Floorcovering Competence Framework
• Complete the feedback survey by 20th October: CITB feedback survey
• Share this with your installers, supervisors and supply chain