Returning to Work After a Career Break

SiteKiln gives general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Talk to a qualified professional before making big decisions.

‍‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‍# Returning to Work After a Career Break

People step away from construction for all sorts of reasons. Injury, illness, mental health, family, burnout, prison, or just needing a change. Whatever the reason, coming back means checking a lot of boxes before you pick up your first job. This guide walks you through it.

Rule of thumb: assume everything has expired or changed. Check every card, every policy, every registration. It's cheaper to spend a week sorting paperwork than to find out on site that your ticket ran out two years ago.

CSCS Card

First thing. Check the expiry date on your CSCS card. If it's lapsed, you'll need to book the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test and apply for a new card. Budget four to six weeks for the whole process, sometimes longer if there's a backlog.

The test costs £22.50 (2025-26 rates). The card itself costs £36. If your trade qualifications are still valid, the process is straightforward. If they've lapsed too, you may need to re-qualify or provide evidence of competence.

Don't try to blag your way onto site without a valid card. Main contractors check, and getting turned away at the gate on your first day back is not the start you want.

Tip for new starters: book the CSCS test as your very first step, even before anything else on this list. It takes the longest and everything else can happen while you wait.

Tickets and Qualifications

Go through every qualification, ticket and certificate you hold. Check every single expiry date:

• SMSTS / SSSTS - these expire and need refreshing
• IPAF (powered access) - valid for 5 years, then a refresher
• PASMA (mobile towers) - valid for 5 years
• Asbestos awareness - should be refreshed annually
• First aid at work - expires after 3 years
• Confined spaces - check the specific certificate
• Hot works - check the specific certificate
• Gas Safe (plumbers/gas engineers) - annual renewal, non-negotiable
• Part P / electrical competence (sparks) - check your scheme membership

Write them all down. Work out what needs renewing and what's still valid. Budget for the courses. Some can be done online in a day, others need classroom time.

Insurance

Has your public liability or professional indemnity insurance lapsed? If you let it drop when you stopped working, you need to renew it before your first job back. Not during. Not after. Before.

Get fresh quotes. Your previous insurer may offer a returning customer rate. If your break was due to a claim or injury, be upfront about it. Lying on an insurance application voids the whole policy.

If you had employer's liability insurance and you're coming back as a sole trader, you won't need it again until you take someone on.

Tools and Equipment

Service everything. Especially:

• PAT test any electrical tools, or at least inspect them properly
• Check calibration on laser levels, measuring equipment and testing gear
• Inspect ladders for damage, especially if they've been sitting in a damp garage
• Replace blades, discs and bits that have been sitting around rusting

If you sold your tools when you left, budget carefully for replacements. Buy the essentials first and add specialist kit as the jobs come in.

Tip for new starters: don't blow your return budget on brand new everything. Get the basics right and earn your way into the upgrades. A clean, serviced set of decent tools beats a van full of new gear you can't afford to insure.

Van

If you've still got your van, check:

• MOT - is it current?
• Tax - is it taxed?
• Insurance - commercial van insurance, not just social/domestic
• Breakdown cover - worth having when you're relying on the van for income again

If you need a new van, don't overstretch. A reliable used van with a fresh MOT beats a financed new one when you're rebuilding income.

CIS and Tax

If you were registered for CIS before your break, check your verification status. Call HMRC to confirm you're still in the system and your UTR is active.

If you weren't registered before and you'll be doing subcontract work for contractors, register now. Without CIS registration, contractors deduct 30% instead of 20%.

Check whether you owe anything from your last Self-Assessment return. HMRC don't forget, even if you've been away for years. Better to find out now than get a surprise letter.

Rebuilding Work

Start with what you know:

• Old contacts. Text or call people you worked with before. Let them know you're back. Word of mouth is still the fastest route to work in construction.
• Agencies. Sign up with a couple of construction agencies for day work. It bridges the income gap while you rebuild your own client base.
• Social media. Post on local Facebook groups. Update your Google Business Profile if you had one.
• Trade platforms. Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Bark. They cost money but they generate leads while your reputation rebuilds.

Start with jobs you're confident on. Don't take a complex loft conversion or a full rewire on your first week back. Pick straightforward work, get your rhythm back, and build from there.

Look After Yourself

Coming back after a break, especially after injury or mental health problems, takes more than just sorting paperwork. Pace yourself. Construction is physically and mentally demanding. Ease back in rather than trying to prove something on day one.

If your break was health-related, talk to your GP before returning to heavy physical work. A fit note or occupational health check gives you and your clients confidence.

Sources

• CITB, "CSCS card application and renewal process," 2025
• HMRC, "CIS registration and verification," 2025-26
• HSE, "Returning to work after illness or injury - guidance for self-employed"
• gov.uk, "Check your National Insurance record"

This topic is sponsored by The Online Accountant.

www.theonlineaccountant.com/?utm_source=sitekiln&utm_medium=sponsor&utm_campaign=business-section →

SiteKiln's editorial team writes every guide independently. Sponsors do not review, edit or sign off on content. See our editorial standards.

Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.

In crisis? Samaritans 116 123 · Mental health support