Question 1

What is a Principal Designer under the Building Safety Act 2022?

Accepted Answer

Under the Building Safety Act 2022, the Principal Designer is the designer who plans, manages, monitors, and coordinates health and safety during the design phase of a building project. For domestic clients, the BSA 2022 automatically assigns PD duties to the lead designer — often the architect — unless another designer is formally appointed.

Question 2

Do I need to be a Principal Designer if I only work on houses and small domestic projects?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Building Safety Act 2022 applies to all building work in England that falls under Building Regulations, regardless of project size. If you are the only designer on a domestic project, the PD duties transfer to you automatically under Section 11 of the BSA 2022.

Question 3

What is the difference between BSA 2022 and CDM 2015 Principal Designer duties?

Accepted Answer

The BSA 2022 Principal Designer role focuses on compliance with Building Regulations (Parts A–T) and applies to all projects including domestic work. The CDM 2015 Principal Designer role focuses on health and safety during construction and only applies to projects with more than one contractor.

Question 4

What does non-HRB mean and does it apply to my projects?

Accepted Answer

Non-HRB stands for non-Higher-Risk Building. Under the BSA 2022, higher-risk buildings are residential buildings over 18 metres tall or with 7 or more storeys. If your project is below these thresholds — covering the vast majority of domestic architectural work — it is classified as non-HRB.

Question 5

What documents does PD Pathway generate?

Accepted Answer

PD Pathway generates key compliance documents automatically including a Client Care Letter, PD Appointment Letters, a Personal Competence Statement, a CDM PD Appointment letter, a Non-HRB Completion Statement, and a BSA Compliance Declaration. All documents are produced as Word files.

Question 6

How does PD Pathway follow the RIBA Plan of Work?

Accepted Answer

PD Pathway organises all tasks and compliance milestones across RIBA Stages 0–7, from initial PD appointment at Stage 0, through design coordination and Building Regulations tracking at Stages 2–4, to construction-phase duties at Stage 5 and handover documentation at Stages 6–7.

Question 7

How much does PD Pathway cost?

Accepted Answer

Your first project is completely free — no credit card required. After that you can pay per project (£10 for RIBA Stages 0–4 or £25 for the full 0–7), upgrade a 0–4 project later for £15, or take an annual subscription: Solo at £99/year (1 seat, unlimited projects) or Studio at £249/year (up to 5 simultaneous logins, unlimited projects).

Question 8

Is PD Pathway suitable for sole practitioners and small practices?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. PD Pathway was built specifically for sole practitioners, small practices, and newly qualified architects who need to meet their BSA 2022 obligations without a large compliance team.

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