Principal Designer Services London
Engineer-led Principal Designer services across London, design coordination, design risk management, pre-construction information and coordination with architects, engineers and contractors under CDM 2015.
What is a Principal Designer?
The Principal Designer is a dutyholder role defined by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). On projects involving more than one contractor, the client must appoint a Principal Designer to plan, manage and monitor health and safety during the design and pre-construction phase. In practice the role means coordinating the design team, helping designers identify and reduce foreseeable risks early, compiling the pre-construction information that contractors will rely on, and liaising with the Principal Contractor so that health and safety information carries cleanly into construction. It is a coordination and risk-management role focused on getting the right information to the right people at the right time.
Discharging the Principal Designer duties
Engineer-led Principal Designer support, applied proportionately to the size and complexity of your project.
- Advice on whether a Principal Designer is required for your project
- Planning, managing and monitoring the pre-construction phase
- Design coordination across the design team
- Design risk management to reduce foreseeable risks at source
- Compiling and issuing pre-construction information
- Coordination with architects, engineers and contractors
- Liaison with the Principal Contractor on health and safety information
- Awareness of Building Regulations dutyholder requirements where applicable
- Construction-stage support where appointed to continue
- Clear, proportionate documentation rather than unnecessary paperwork
Who needs a Principal Designer
A Principal Designer is required on any project with more than one contractor, which covers most projects beyond simple single-trade work.
- Developers
- Commercial clients
- Homeowners on larger projects
- Architects
Our role through the project
A clear, proportionate path through the duties, focused on coordination and design risk rather than box-ticking.
Establish
Confirm whether a Principal Designer is required and agree a proportionate scope for the project.
Gather
Collect existing information and prepare the pre-construction information the design and build team will need.
Coordinate
Coordinate the design team so designers work together and information is consistent.
Manage risk
Help designers identify, eliminate or reduce foreseeable health and safety risks at the design stage.
Handover
Liaise with the Principal Contractor so health and safety information flows into the construction phase.
Support
Provide construction-stage support where appointed to continue through the build.
Services that work alongside the Principal Designer role
Our Principal Designer work often runs together with these services.
Principal Designer questions, answered
Do I need a Principal Designer?
Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, a Principal Designer must be appointed on any project involving more than one contractor. In practice this means most projects beyond simple single-trade work need one. If you are unsure whether your project meets the threshold, we can review your project and advise on the requirement.
What does a Principal Designer do?
The Principal Designer plans, manages and monitors the pre-construction phase and coordinates health and safety in design. This includes identifying and helping designers reduce or control foreseeable risks, coordinating the design team, compiling pre-construction information for the project, and liaising with the Principal Contractor so health and safety information carries through into construction.
How does this relate to CDM 2015?
The Principal Designer is a dutyholder role defined by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The role focuses on managing health and safety risks during the design and pre-construction phase. It is a distinct concept from the separate Principal Designer dutyholder role introduced under the Building Regulations, and we are careful to clarify which duties apply to your specific project.
Can EMA act as Principal Designer and structural engineer?
Yes, where it is appropriate for the project. Combining the Principal Designer role with our structural engineering input can give a single, well-coordinated point of technical responsibility through design and into construction. We will only take on the role where we have sufficient knowledge and resources to discharge the duties properly.
Need a Principal Designer for your project?
Tell us about your project and we will advise whether a Principal Designer is required and how we can fulfil the role.