Register of Heritage Contractors
The Register of Heritage Contractors is an accredited listing of competent main contractors and specialist contractors in the field of built heritage conservation. Each member of the Register meets a set of predefined criteria, experience and expertise that enable them to carry out restoration projects.
The Register is overseen by an independent Board comprising senior figures from the construction industry, the professions, third level institutions and conservation bodies (including: Construction Industry Federation, Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, Office of Public Works, The Heritage Council, Irish Georgian Society, Technological University Dublin, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and Fingal County Council).
This Board works to ensure that all heritage projects in the fields of conservation and restoration meet the highest quality standards. Registered Heritage Contractors are assessed against prescribed standards by an assessment committee, which reports to the main Board.
Requirements for registration include:
- Prior validated experience
- Business/industry requirements
- The requirement for annual renewal and continuing professional learning and development, and
- All Registered Heritage Contractors are required to observe a Code of Ethics
The Register of Heritage Contractors thus represents an increasingly regarded quality standard for contracting within the field of conservation and restoration (heritage) projects.
The register’s dedicated website www.heritageregistration.ie
Services
Provided by Register of Heritage Contractors
Additional services
What does membership of the Register of Heritage Contractors mean for your business?
Registered Heritage Contractors are at an advantage when it comes to tendering for heritage work, not only by virtue of their registered status, but also by the level of recognised traditional building skills in- house. Support for traditional building and conservation skills is essential to the on-going repair of our built heritage. And, it is widely acknowledged that the economic recession severely impacted construction to the extent that the industry now faces a serious skills deficit.
Government investment in this sector is beginning to mirror the long held view of the heritage contracting industry itself. That view is that targeting investment in this skilled sector results in the creation of sustainable construction jobs and contributes to economic regeneration. Actions introduced by Government to date such as the ‘Town and Village Renewal Initiative’ and the ‘Living City Initiative’ are steps in the right direction. Furthermore, jobs created in conservation tend to be locally based in small to medium-sized enterprises with a balanced regional spread.
Mechanical & Electrical Engineers on the Register of Heritage Contractors
It is widely accepted that mechanical and electrical engineering works play a critical and often a central role in many of today’s prestigious heritage projects – particularly those of a national, economic and cultural importance. Mechanical and electrical engineering works have the power to be one of the most transformative factors to ensuring the practical utilisation of such buildings; thereby preserving them and sustaining their fabric into the future by putting them to productive use.
In 2016, the Heritage Registration Board together with the OPW sought to identify those in the Specialist Mechanical and Electrical Contracting sector with the capacity and competence to undertake works of this nature. The Heritage Registration Board has now produced a special application form for those interested in applying for registration on the Register of Heritage Contractors as a Specialist Contractor – Building Services (Mechanical and Electrical).
Find out more
A full list of Registered Heritage Contractors can be found in this Directory as well as on the Register’s dedicated website www.heritageregistration.ie, along with further information, news and CPD events, together with applications forms and guidelines.
If you are a main contractor or sub-contractor engaged in restoration and conservation work and would like to have an informal discussion with regard to Heritage Registration, please contact any member of The Register of Heritage Contractors’ team.
Key Contacts
On Register of Heritage Contractors
Gillian Ross
Manager, Register of Heritage Contractors
Gillian Ross is the manager of the Register of Heritage Contractors alongside her responsibilities in the specialist contracting department within the Federation. Gillian administers a range of member services activities covering marketing and promotion of associations, lobbying and representation, while dealing with member queries on procurement, tendering and contractual matters, amongst other issues.