Construction Phase Plan Template: CDM 2015 for Small Sites
If you're a sole trader or small builder, "construction phase plan" might sound like big-project bureaucracy. It isn't. Under CDM 2015, a construction phase plan is required for every construction project — including the small domestic jobs many tradespeople assume are exempt. The difference on a small job is scale, not whether you need one at all.
This guide explains what a construction phase plan (CPP) is, who has to draw it up, what it must contain, and gives you a practical template structure proportionate to a small site.
What is a construction phase plan?
A construction phase plan is the document that sets out how health and safety will be managed during the construction phase of a project. It's a CDM 2015 requirement — distinct from your individual risk assessments and method statements (your RAMS), though it draws on them. Think of the CPP as the site-level management document, and your RAMS as the task-level documents that feed into it.
The legal basis is the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/51). For a fuller breakdown of the duty-holder roles under CDM, see our CDM 2015 guide for small builders.
Who has to draw up the construction phase plan?
This depends on how many contractors are on the project:
- More than one contractor: a principal contractor must be appointed, and the principal contractor draws up the CPP. Regulation 12(1) requires this "during the pre-construction phase, and before setting up a construction site."
- Only one contractor: there's no principal contractor, so the contractor themselves must draw it up. Regulation 15(5) states the contractor "must draw up a construction phase plan, or make arrangements for a construction phase plan to be drawn up, as soon as is practicable prior to setting up a construction site."
For a sole trader doing a domestic extension or a single-trade job where they're the only contractor, that means you are responsible for the construction phase plan. There's no getting around it by being small — the duty applies, the plan just needs to be proportionate to the work.
Does CDM 2015 really apply to small and domestic jobs?
Yes. CDM 2015 contains no lower size or duration threshold for the requirement to have a construction phase plan. Regulation 4 requires that before the construction phase begins, "a construction phase plan is drawn up by the contractor if there is only one contractor, or by the principal contractor." There is no exemption for small or domestic projects.
Two things people commonly confuse:
- Notification (F10) is not the same as the CPP. A project must be notified to HSE (form F10) only if it lasts longer than 30 working days with more than 20 workers at any point, or exceeds 500 person-days. But notification is a separate duty. The construction phase plan is required regardless of whether the project is notifiable — a one-day domestic job still needs a (proportionate) CPP, even though it's nowhere near the F10 threshold.
- The plan must be proportionate. A CPP for a kitchen extension is a short, focused document. A CPP for a multi-trade commercial fit-out is far more detailed. HSE is explicit that the level of detail should match the risk and complexity of the work — a small job doesn't need a 40-page plan.
What a construction phase plan must contain
Regulation 12(2) requires the plan to "set out the health and safety arrangements and site rules taking account, where necessary, of the industrial activities taking place on the construction site." In practice, a CPP should cover:
| Section | What goes here |
|---|---|
| Project description | Site address, client, description of the work, start date and duration, key dates. |
| Management of the work | Who's responsible for health and safety; how the work is supervised; arrangements for cooperation between trades (if more than one). |
| Site rules | The rules everyone on site must follow — access, PPE, permits, no-go areas. |
| Welfare arrangements | Toilets, washing facilities, drinking water, rest area — required before work starts. |
| Specific risks and controls | The significant health and safety risks for this project and how they'll be controlled — drawn from your risk assessments. Working at height, asbestos, services, etc. |
| Pre-construction information | Relevant information from the client about the site (asbestos surveys, existing services, structural issues). |
| Emergency procedures | Fire, first aid, nearest A&E, incident reporting. |
On a small single-contractor job, several of these sections will be brief — a couple of lines each — but each should still be present. The plan ties your individual RAMS together into a coherent site-level picture.
A proportionate CPP template for a small site
For a sole trader or small builder on a single-contractor job, a workable construction phase plan structure is:
- Project details — address, client, scope, dates.
- Who's in charge — you, named, with your contact details and competence.
- The work in brief — what's being done, in what order.
- Key risks and controls — the 3–6 significant risks for this job, each with its control (cross-referencing your task RAMS).
- Site rules — access, PPE, any permits, segregation from occupants.
- Welfare — what's provided and where.
- Emergencies — first aid, fire, nearest A&E, who to call.
- Review — how the plan is kept current as the job progresses.
The CPP isn't meant to duplicate your RAMS — it sits above them. Your risk assessments and method statements provide the task-level detail; the CPP references them and adds the site-level management arrangements.
Frequently asked questions
Is a construction phase plan a legal requirement for small jobs?
Yes. CDM 2015 requires a construction phase plan for every construction project, with no exemption for small or domestic work. The plan must be proportionate to the work — a small job needs a short, focused plan, not a lengthy one — but it must exist before the construction site is set up.
Who writes the construction phase plan?
If there's more than one contractor, the principal contractor draws it up (Regulation 12). If there's only one contractor, that contractor must draw it up themselves (Regulation 15(5)). For a sole trader who is the only contractor on a job, that responsibility falls on them.
When must the construction phase plan be ready?
Before the construction site is set up. Regulation 12(1) requires the principal contractor to draw it up "during the pre-construction phase, and before setting up a construction site"; Regulation 15(5) requires a single contractor to do so "as soon as is practicable prior to setting up a construction site." In short: it must be in place before work starts on site.
What's the difference between a construction phase plan and RAMS?
A construction phase plan is the site-level document describing how health and safety will be managed across the whole project — site rules, welfare, management arrangements, and the significant risks. RAMS (risk assessments and method statements) are task-level documents for specific work activities. The CPP draws on your RAMS and ties them together; it doesn't replace them.
Does a small job need an F10 notification as well?
Only if it exceeds the notification threshold — more than 30 working days with over 20 workers simultaneously, or more than 500 person-days. Most small domestic jobs are below this and don't need an F10. But notification and the construction phase plan are separate duties: a non-notifiable job still needs a proportionate construction phase plan.
The bottom line
The construction phase plan is the one CDM document many small builders don't realise applies to them. It does — for every project, sized to the job. Get it in place before you set up site, keep it proportionate, and use it to tie your individual RAMS into a site-level picture of how the work will be managed safely.
If pulling together the documentation for every job is the part that eats your time, TradeRAMS is built to generate site-specific RAMS for UK trades from guided questions. Join the waitlist for early access.