NAPIT Certification Scheme NAPIT OR NIC

[chris day]

Hello guys

I am really conflict as to who I should go with as i am looking to go it alone this year.

Napit are cheaper and less fuss - however the brand is not recognized that well
Napit appear to be allot easier to start off with because they only want to view one job, they also seem cheaper.

NIC are more well known - more fuss and much more expensive.

can anyone say my sweeping comments are correct?

 

[LeeH]

I guess it will depend on your customer base.

If you work for large commercial/industrial business maybe NIC.

If you work for smaller companies or just domestic use the cheapest.

But on the other hand we work for the likes of Pepsi Co and we have zip.

Do you really 'need' either?

 

[Soulsurfer]

I'm just weighing up the same mate, I live in Jersey and I either have mates business which is NIC full scope go over testing, do some tests again and sign off to LABC or I have to sign up myself and cover all my own works.
Napit will fly me to Bristol and sort all my competencies after tests for £480 and cover me full scope. Whereas to get the same NICEIC will cost £1,000 and need to come here and look at 2-3 jobs to get full scope registration. A lot of companies here have gone NAPIT whereas my mates place were under both but left NAPIT and stayed only NICEIC saying he thought they were better !

 

[chudson]

Even Householders recognise NICEIC. Some ask for it, not too many, but it does happen. I registered with Napit some 10 years ago but changed to NICEIC a year later as no one recognised it. Probably a little different now. I still tell potential customers to get other quotes from another NICEIC approved contractor though.

 

[westward10]

NAPIT originally started out as a testing based organisation only hence National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers. This was limited and they broadened their horizons.
About ten years ago I got involved in a dispute over some works by one of their members, the NAPIT representative told me that they knew some contractors were not up to scratch but if we turned these away we would have no members.

 

[Soulsurfer]

NAPIT originally started out as a testing based organisation only hence National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers. This was limited and they broadened their horizons.
About ten years ago I got involved in a dispute over some works by one of their members, the NAPIT representative told me that they knew some contractors were not up to scratch but if we turned these away we would have no members.

Oh not good at all ! Why don't NIC stop being greedy then and drop their prices then and get all decent ones onboard ?

 

[westward10]

It was ten years or so ago, things may have changed.

 

[chudson]

They charge for their reputation. We're going BAFE and NSI gold this year...That's £3k..

 

[rolyberkin]

Go with Stroma, cheaper £288 all in, one job (but two new circuits) required and they are currently building a death star with a view to taking over the world. If you are mainly doing domestic most customers wouldn't even know what a scheme was, never had anyone ask me who I was with, just am I part P. Just ask yourself what you are joining a scheme for? I don't subscribe to the NAPIT or NIC are more well known argument as a reason for spending more money, it's a big con, as long as your work is good the customer doesn't really care.

 

[Leesparkykent]

They charge for their reputation. We're going BAFE and NSI gold this year...That's £3k..

How much is BAFE? I've heard NSI gold is a PITA and based on turnover?

 

[chudson]

How much is BAFE? I've heard NSI gold is a PITA and based on turnover?

Well on our turnover, which is the lowest tier, first year cost is £3k

 

[Soulsurfer]

Well on our turnover, which is the lowest tier, first year cost is £3k

Bloody hell ! £3K

 

[Soulsurfer]

Some turnover

 

[Andy78]

Oh not good at all ! Why don't NIC stop being greedy then and drop their prices then and get all decent ones onboard ?

That's not their business model. It's based on high turnover not quality. They see the legacy of their reputation as one that cannot be sullied so do whatever they like to make lots of money.

 

[mhar]

I changed to Stroma as they were the cheapest. However after my first assessment with them I felt that they were more thorough than Elecsa and therefore their acceptance standards are higher. I was a bit wary of changing but I think I definitely made the right choice.