Keep construction credentials current by recording what each claim covers, where it appears and who checks it before renewal or expiry. The website needs to reflect the evidence you hold today. A badge uploaded during a redesign should not stay in the footer indefinitely simply because nobody owns its removal.
Start with a claim register
Search the website for every membership, registration, qualification, insurance statement and approval claim. Include footers, team biographies, service pages, project pages and downloadable capability documents.
For each item, record the exact wording visitors see. That matters because a logo and a sentence can imply different things. A valid registration for one legal entity does not automatically support a claim about every company in a group.
The ASA’s guidance on substantiation says objective advertising claims need documentary evidence before publication. For your website, connect each factual credential statement to the record that supports it, rather than treating the visual badge as sufficient evidence.
What belongs in the register?
- The organisation or person covered by the credential.
- The issuing body and the exact credential or membership name.
- The activities, locations or other limits that matter to the claim.
- The evidence location and any public verification link.
- The issue, renewal or expiry date where applicable.
- The person responsible for confirming the status.
- Every website page, document and image where the claim appears.
Not every item has the same kind of expiry date. Record the actual status rules rather than forcing every credential into an annual renewal model. If you are unsure what the evidence means, ask the issuer or the person responsible before changing the public wording.
Keep sensitive documents in an appropriate internal location. A public website does not need unrestricted copies of everything in a tender pack. Publish the useful, approved information and provide a controlled route for buyers who need more.
Distinguish the business from an individual
A staff member’s qualification belongs to that person. If it is relevant to the service, explain their role and the scope accurately. Do not turn it into a company-wide claim without a basis.
The same distinction applies to memberships and certifications. Use the issuer’s correct wording and approved logo assets. Avoid improving a modest but meaningful description into a stronger status because it looks better in a row of badges.
For example, a hypothetical contractor might have evidence supporting a particular inspection service. The copy should name that service and the organisation covered, not imply that every service on the website has the same approval. This is a content-control example, not a statement about any DC Digital client.
Make renewals a publishing event
Give the credential owner a reminder early enough to obtain updated evidence. The web editor should receive the approved wording, current asset and any changed verification link together.
After the update, check the public page and download. It is easy to replace a document in the media library while leaving a button linked to the old file. Also check mobile footers, where duplicated logo blocks can survive unnoticed.
If renewal has not been confirmed, remove or qualify the current claim as appropriate rather than silently carrying it forward. An application in progress is different from an approval held. The wording needs to preserve that distinction.
How should historic project pages be treated?
Separate a dated account of a project from a statement about the business today. A case study may describe the circumstances at the time, but a current credentials panel attached to it should use current evidence.
If a project refers to a certification or member of staff, keep the date and context clear. Avoid automatically rewriting historic facts to match the current team. Equally, do not leave an undated statement that makes a former arrangement look current.
The wider construction buyer proof guide covers which evidence helps buyers assess a contractor. This guide deals with the maintenance job after that evidence is published.
Check beyond the website footer
A renewal review should include capability PDFs, tender downloads, email signatures and social profile graphics where those assets are controlled by the business. Keep the scope manageable by listing the locations once and assigning an owner for each.
When an old asset cannot be edited directly, record the replacement or removal request and follow it through. A register marked updated is only useful if the public material actually changed.
A second person can check the highest-impact claims: compare the approved wording with the public version, follow the verification link and confirm the correct entity. This is a practical editorial check, not a substitute for the issuer’s requirements or a formal compliance review.
Build upkeep into the website process
Review the register when a service, legal entity or responsible person changes, as well as at scheduled checks. Ask whoever updates the website to leave a short record of what changed and which pages were checked.
For broader wording questions, read keeping safety and compliance claims accurate. Our construction marketing page and industry overview show how factual credentials fit alongside projects, services and useful enquiries.