What Is an Approved Contractor?

An approved contractor is a business that has passed a defined assessment — insurance, competence, health and safety, standing — and been admitted to a list that an organisation procures from. The phrase carries weight precisely because approval means someone did the checking. The important questions are always: who approved them, against what criteria, and how recently?

Who does the approving

• Client organisations — FM companies, managing agents and landlords maintain internal approved lists built through their own vetting; our guide to building an approved contractor list covers the process
• Third-party accreditation schemes — assess contractors' health and safety or competence arrangements and issue recognisable accreditations
• Professional networks — such as Regency Contractors Network, which reviews contractors before listing them and structures their credentials for client review

These layers stack rather than compete: a contractor might hold third-party accreditations, be listed on a reviewed network, and still go through a client's own onboarding for a specific appointment.

What approval typically covers

A meaningful approval process examines insurance cover, relevant qualifications and certifications, health and safety documentation, trading history and references — the substance of a proper contractor vet. Approval should also be dated: businesses change, insurance lapses, and a 2019 approval says little about today.

What approval does not mean

Approval is a filter, not a guarantee. It does not promise a specific job will go well, that pricing is right for a given scope, or that the contractor's credentials cover every variation of work in their trade. Appointing organisations should still match specific credentials to the specific work — a fire safety business approved for alarm servicing is not thereby approved for fire door remediation. Nor does approval transfer responsibility: the appointing organisation still owns its procurement decision.

Approval on the Regency network

Contractors join Regency Contractors Network through a structured vetting and approval process covering business information, insurance, credentials and experience. Approved contractors maintain profiles that client organisations — facilities managers, property managers and managing agents — can search and review before making direct contact. The network's role is to make the approved layer visible and organised; appointment decisions remain with the client, as they should.