The UKCA (United Kingdom Conformity Assessed) marking is the latest legislation required for construction products used in the UK. UKCA marking replaced CE marking on 1st January 2021 following the UK’s exit from the EU. Until the 30th June 2025, however, businesses will be able to continue using CE marking during the transition period.
How does the legislation change affect roofing products?
Most roofing materials such as slates, tiles and stone must carry CE marking. Therefore, after the transition period, they must switch to UKCA marking. This legislation is part of UK building regulations requirements and is a legal requirement for construction products. Once the transition period is over, all roofing materials used in the UK will switch to UKCA marking except for in Northern Ireland where they will continue to use CE marking or their own UKNI marking.
UKCA testing has been in place since January 2021 for UK produced roofing and cladding products. To achieve UKCA marking, products must have been assessed and tested in the UK by an approved body. The technical requirements assessed during testing are generally the same as they were for CE marking. This means that if a roofing material was CE marked then it should have no problem achieving UKCA accreditation.
General rules for UKCA marking
Where possible, all construction products should be clearly marked with UKCA marking. If it is not possible to affix the labelling to the product itself, then it should be clearly affixed to the packaging. Other general rules surrounding the proper use of UKCA marking include:
- UKCA marking must be applied by the product manufacturer or an authorised representative
- The product manufacturer is fully responsible for compliance
- You must not use other markings which impact the visibility of UKCA marking
- UKCA marking must be at least 5mm in height
- All UKCA marking must be clearly visible, legible and within the required proportions
For more detailed information visit the government advice page at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-ukca-marking
At SSQ, all our roofing slates are fully compliant with UKCA legislation. If you’d like to find out more about using SSQ slates for your next roofing project, contact us today. You can call us on 020 8961 7725 or send us a message online.
