Your first week on a UK building site
What to bring on day one, what the induction is for, what you sign and why, how the hours and the pay actually work, and who to talk to when something feels wrong. Written for people starting out in UK construction.
Checked October 2026 against GOV.UK, HSE and CITB guidance. General information, not legal advice.
- Bring: CSCS card, passport or ID, share code, UTR or NI number, bank details
- Induction first, then RAMS, then work
- Hard hat, hi-vis, boots, gloves, glasses as a minimum
- Sign in and out every day: it is your proof of hours
- CIS: 20% off your pay if registered, 30% if not
- Unsafe? Stop and tell the supervisor. You are allowed to.
Before day one: what to bring
Most sites will not let you past the gate without the right paperwork, and most firms will not pay you until they have the right details. Put these in your bag the night before.
- CSCS card (or a CITB test pass and a booked card for a labourer's first week, if the site agrees). Read how to get your first CSCS card.
- Passport or national ID. Sites check it is really you, and the firm needs it for the right-to-work check.
- Right-to-work share code if you are not a British or Irish citizen. Free from GOV.UK, valid 90 days. How to get one.
- UTR number if you are self-employed on CIS, or your National Insurance number if you are on PAYE. Without a UTR the firm must take 30% instead of 20%.
- Bank details in your own name. Never let someone else's account receive your pay.
- Your own PPE basics: steel-toe boots at least. Many sites lend a hat and vest; boots are almost always yours.
- Food, water, a charged phone, and a small notebook or the notes app for your hours.
Photograph your CSCS card, share code, UTR letter and the site sign-in sheet on day one. If a dispute about pay or hours ever comes up, these photos are your evidence.
The site induction
Every new person on a UK site gets an induction before they start work. It takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. The site manager or a safety adviser explains the site rules, where the welfare (toilets, canteen, drying room) is, what to do if the fire alarm goes, the main hazards on that particular job, and who to report to.
You will be asked to show your CSCS card and ID, fill in a form (name, trade, employer, next of kin, any medical conditions that matter for safety) and sign to say you attended. Keep your induction sticker or card if they give you one: some sites ask for it every day.
Inductions are in English. If you miss something, say so. A good site manager would rather repeat a point than have you guess at it. The phrases you need are in our free Site English phrasebook, with sound.
RAMS and toolbox talks: what you are signing
RAMS stands for Risk Assessment and Method Statement. It is the document that says what the dangers of a task are, how the firm has reduced them, and the step-by-step way the task should be done. Before you start a new task you will be asked to read the RAMS and sign a briefing sheet.
Your signature means "I have read this and I will work this way". So do not sign a RAMS you have not understood. Ask the supervisor to walk you through it. If the way the work is actually being done on site is different from the RAMS, that is a problem for the supervisor to fix, not for you to cover.
A toolbox talk is a short (10 to 15 minute) safety talk, usually first thing in the morning, on one topic: working at height, manual handling, a recent near miss. You sign an attendance sheet. These sheets are also used to prove you were on site that day, so make sure your name is spelled right.
Our site rules glossary explains permits to work, hot works, scaffold tags and the rest in plain words.
PPE: the minimum and who pays
Almost every UK site runs a five-point PPE rule: hard hat, hi-vis vest or jacket, safety boots, gloves and safety glasses, all the time, everywhere past the gate. Specific tasks add more: ear defenders near loud plant, an FFP3 mask when cutting or drilling dusty materials, a harness when working at height without edge protection.
If you are employed or working through an agency or umbrella, the employer must provide the PPE the job needs free of charge and cannot charge you for it (Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations, extended to workers in 2022). If you are genuinely self-employed on CIS, you normally bring your own basics, and firms often supply task-specific items like masks and harnesses. Ask before day one what is expected.
If the firm says "just start, we'll sort PPE later", that tells you how the rest of the job will go. A site that lets you work without a hat and boots is also a site that will cut corners on your pay.
Signing in, hours and breaks
You sign in when you arrive and out when you leave, every day, on paper, a tablet or a card reader. Do it yourself, every time. That register is the first thing anyone checks when hours are disputed.
A typical site day is 7:30 to 16:30 or 17:00 Monday to Friday, with a 10 to 15 minute tea break and a 30 minute lunch. Saturdays are common on busy jobs and are often paid at a higher rate, but only if that was agreed.
- If you are an employee or agency worker, the law gives you a 20 minute break when you work more than 6 hours, 11 hours rest between shifts and a 48 hour average week unless you sign an opt-out in writing. You cannot be punished for refusing to opt out.
- If you are self-employed, those rules do not apply to you by law, but the site's hours and break times do, and your day rate should reflect the hours it covers.
- Keep your own record of start and finish times for every day, with the site name. A photo of the sign-in sheet or a day sheet in the Graftum app is enough.
How the pay actually works
Most site labour in the UK is paid one of four ways: self-employed through CIS, employed on PAYE, through an agency, or through an umbrella company. Our guide How a UK firm pays you compares them. In your first week, these are the things to pin down:
- 1Agree the rate and what it coversDay rate (a fixed amount per day, usually 8 to 10 hours), hourly rate, or price work (per metre, per plot). Ask: is Saturday the same rate? What about overtime past 17:00? Get it in a text message if nothing else.
- 2Know your deductionOn CIS, the firm must deduct 20% for tax if you are registered with HMRC and they have verified you, or 30% if not. Registering is free. CIS explained. On PAYE, tax and National Insurance come off according to your tax code and you get a payslip.
- 3Know the pay day and the lagMost firms pay weekly, often one week in arrears: you work week 1, you are paid at the end of week 2. Ask "when is pay day and how many days behind is it?" on day one, so you are not surprised when the first Friday passes with nothing.
- 4Send your hours in on timeMany firms will not pay a week unless your timesheet or day sheet was in by a cut-off, often Monday morning. Find out the cut-off and who it goes to.
- 5Check the first paymentCompare days worked × rate against what landed, allowing for the 20% or 30%. The Was I paid right? tool does the sum in 30 seconds. On CIS you must also receive a monthly payment and deduction statement from the contractor.
Who is who on site
Runs the whole site for the main contractor. Does inductions, enforces the rules, can send anyone off site. Rarely the person who pays you.
Your trade's lead on that site, usually from the subcontractor you work for. Gives you your tasks, signs your hours, is your first stop for any problem.
A working tradesperson who leads a small gang and passes on the supervisor's instructions. Often the one who tells you what to do minute to minute.
Checks the site against the rules. Will stop work that is unsafe. You can speak to them directly and in confidence.
The main (principal) contractor owns the site. Your firm is probably a subcontractor to them. You are paid by your firm, not by the main contractor, which matters if pay goes wrong.
Payroll, HR, the contracts manager. Pay questions ultimately go here, in writing, not to the chargehand.
The site English you need in week one
You do not need perfect English. You need about forty phrases said clearly. These are the ones that matter most in the first week. Every one is in our free phrasebook with audio.
If something feels unsafe
Falls from height, being struck by plant and collapses are what kill people on UK sites, and in most cases someone saw the danger first and said nothing. You are allowed to stop and ask. A site that punishes you for raising a safety concern is breaking the law and is not worth your time.
- Stop. Do not continue the task. Move yourself and others away from the danger if you can do it safely.
- Tell the supervisor and, if it is serious, the site manager. Say what you saw. "The scaffold on the east side has no guard rail on the top lift" is better than "it looks dodgy".
- Report near misses. Most sites have a card or app for it. It is not grassing; it is how the next person avoids the accident.
- If nothing changes, you can raise it with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) through the concerns form on hse.gov.uk. You can do it anonymously. Serious injuries must be reported to HSE by the firm under RIDDOR.
Employees and workers are protected against being sacked or treated badly for raising a genuine health and safety concern. If you are self-employed the protection is weaker, but a firm that would rather lose you than fix a guard rail has told you everything you need to know.
Who to ask about pay, and how
If a payment is short or late, do not argue with the chargehand at the gate. He did not run the payroll. Ask the supervisor who deals with pay, then contact that person in writing (text or email is fine) with the facts: the days, the rate, what you received, the difference.
Keep every reply. If it is not sorted within a week, read Not paid for work on a UK site: what to do step by step. It covers the free letter generator, the Construction Act, the small claims court and the employment tribunal.
Enter the days you worked, the rate and what landed. The tool tells you whether 20%, 30% or something else was taken and what to do next. Free, in 7 languages.
Check my payLet firms find you for the next job
The Graftum crew list is a free register of people looking for site work. You enter your trade, your cards and the area you can travel to. Firms using Graftum that need your trade can see your profile and text you. No account, no fee, no agency in the middle.
Firms that use Graftum also run day sheets and CIS pay through it, which means your hours and your 20% are recorded as you go, not reconstructed from memory at the end of the month.
Questions workers ask
Can I start work before I have a CSCS card?
On most sites, no. Some will accept a CITB Health, Safety and Environment test pass plus proof that your card application is in, for a short period. Ask the site before day one, and read our guide to the first CSCS card.
Do I need a UTR number before my first day?
Not legally, but without it the firm must deduct 30% instead of 20% from a self-employed worker's pay. Register as self-employed with HMRC as early as you can; it is free and you get the UTR by post in a few weeks. You can reclaim any excess deduction through your tax return.
Who pays for my PPE?
If you are employed, including through an agency or umbrella company, your employer must provide the PPE the job needs free of charge. If you are genuinely self-employed, you usually bring your own basics (boots, hat, hi-vis, gloves, glasses) and the firm supplies task-specific items. Agree it before you start.
How many breaks am I entitled to?
Employees and agency workers working more than 6 hours in a day get at least one 20 minute break by law, plus 11 hours rest between shifts. Self-employed workers follow the site's break times. Most sites give a short morning break and 30 minutes for lunch.
When will I get my first pay?
Most firms pay weekly, often a week in arrears, so your first payment may arrive at the end of your second week. Ask on day one when pay day is and how far behind it runs, and when timesheets must be in.
What is a day rate?
A fixed amount for a day's work, usually 8 to 10 hours, agreed before you start. On CIS, 20% (or 30% if unregistered) is deducted from it for tax. Check whether Saturdays and overtime are paid at the same rate.
Can I refuse to do something I think is dangerous?
Yes. Stop, move away from the danger and tell your supervisor what you saw. Employees and workers are protected by law against dismissal or detriment for raising a genuine safety concern. If the site does not act, you can report it to HSE, anonymously if you prefer.
Sources and date
GOV.UK: What you must do as a CIS subcontractor; Prove your right to work; Rest breaks at work; Maximum weekly working hours. HSE: Personal protective equipment at work; Competent person; Report a concern. CSCS: Applying for cards. Acas: National Minimum Wage. Checked October 2026. General information for workers, not legal advice. Rules change: check GOV.UK.
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