Division 43 of the UK SIC 2007 list. It holds 13 codes, listed in full below with the number of active UK companies filed under each.
This is the trades division, and one of the biggest classifications on the UK register. Electricians use 43210. Plumbing and heating engineers use 43220. Roofers use 43910. Plasterers, painters, glaziers, floorers and scaffolders each have a code of their own. Two broad codes swell the numbers further. Code 43999 covers specialised activities not elsewhere classified. Code 43390 covers other building completion and finishing. Both soak up general trades and multi-skilled firms. Most companies here are small. Many are one tradesperson who went limited for contracting or tax reasons.
Lots of firms sell to the trades, because their needs are predictable and repeat every year. They buy public liability insurance, accountancy for CIS refunds and company compliance, van leasing, tools and trade credit from merchants. Lead generation and website services aim at the poor-website filter. A tradesperson whose site fails basic checks loses local work to rivals who show up in search. New incorporations are the standout signal. They usually mark the jump from sole trader to limited company, when insurance, banking and bookkeeping all get chosen in a few weeks. Heating firms under 43220 also attract renewables sellers, especially heat pump distributors.
43120, Site preparation43210, Electrical installation43220, Plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation43290, Other construction installation43310, Plastering43320, Joinery installation43330, Floor and wall covering43341, Painting43342, Glazing43390, Other building completion and finishing43910, Roofing activities43991, Scaffold erection43999, Other specialised construction activities n.e.c.If one trade brings in most of your income, use its own code. That means 43210 for electrical work or 43220 for plumbing and heating. Specific codes read better to insurers and merchants. Genuinely multi-skilled firms use 43999 or 43390, or list up to four codes covering their main trades. The choice is yours. Companies House records it without judgement, and you can change it on any confirmation statement.
There is no formal link. Gas Safe registration, NICEIC enrolment and similar schemes are checked on their own registers, not at Companies House. Matching the code to your trade is still worth doing. Customers, insurers and finance providers do look at it, and a mismatch invites questions. If the business changes direction, update the code on your next CS01 confirmation statement.
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