If you are buying or specifying structural steel in the UK, “CE marking” is shorthand for one thing: proof that the fabricated steelwork was made to a recognised standard, under a controlled factory system, with the performance of the steel declared in writing. It is not a quality badge a fabricator awards itself. It sits on top of the BS EN 1090 standards and a document called the Declaration of Performance. This guide explains what that means in practice, and why the CE versus UKCA question is not as simple as a single deadline.
T C Rowan is CE approved and works to the BS EN 1090 execution standards on its structural steelwork and wider steel fabrication projects. The detail below is general guidance, not a substitute for your structural engineer or building control body.
What CE marking means for structural steelwork
Fabricated structural steel (beams, columns, braced frames, portal frames) is treated as a construction product. Construction products covered by a harmonised European standard are expected to carry a conformity mark and to come with a Declaration of Performance. For structural steelwork, the harmonised standard is BS EN 1090-1.
In plain terms, the mark tells the buyer, the engineer and building control that:
- the steelwork was fabricated under a documented quality system, not ad hoc
- the performance characteristics relevant to safety have been declared
- a recognised standard, not the fabricator’s own opinion, defines what “compliant” means
This is why “CE approved” is a meaningful trust signal for a fabricator, and why thin operators who cannot point to a 1090 system tend to avoid the subject entirely.
BS EN 1090-1 and Factory Production Control
BS EN 1090-1 is the standard that lets a fabricator declare structural steel components against the harmonised standard and apply the conformity mark. The engine behind it is Factory Production Control (FPC): a documented system covering how the workshop sources material, tracks it, welds it, inspects it and records what it did.
FPC is what gives you material traceability on request, qualified and coded welders following approved procedures, and inspection that is recorded rather than assumed. A fabricator operating a 1090-1 system is being audited against that paperwork, which is the practical difference between a controlled workshop and one that simply says it does good work.
BS EN 1090-2 and execution classes EXC1 to EXC4
If 1090-1 is about declaring the product, BS EN 1090-2 is about how the steel is actually executed on a given project: the technical requirements for fabrication and erection. The headline output of 1090-2 is the execution class.
There are four execution classes, EXC1 to EXC4, in rising order of stringency. The higher the class, the tighter the requirements on welding qualification, inspection, tolerances and traceability.
The class is not picked at random. It is determined by combining three factors:
- Consequence class: how serious failure would be (a garden canopy versus an occupied building or a bridge)
- Service category: the type of loading, broadly static and quasi-static versus fatigue, seismic or impact loading
- Production category: how the steel is made and connected, for example the welding involved
Put simply, an everyday domestic or light commercial frame typically sits toward EXC2, while large, highly loaded or safety-critical structures move up toward EXC3 and, in special cases, EXC4. The specifying engineer assigns the execution class for your project. It is not something a fabricator chooses to suit itself, and you should expect the class to be stated in the project specification.
The Declaration of Performance
The Declaration of Performance (DoP) is the document that ties everything together. For structural steelwork it links the supplied components to BS EN 1090-1 and states the declared performance. It is the formal basis for the conformity mark: no DoP, no legitimate mark.
For a buyer, the DoP is the thing you (or your engineer) can ask to see. It is the auditable trail that the steel on your project was made to the standard, rather than to a verbal promise.
CE or UKCA: the honest current position
This is where you should be careful with anything that states a single hard rule. The UK’s position on CE versus UKCA marking for construction products has changed repeatedly since Brexit, and the deadlines have moved more than once. CE marking has continued to be recognised for construction products rather than being switched off on a fixed date.
So the accurate guidance is: do not treat UKCA as a settled, mandatory replacement, and do not assume CE has lapsed either. Confirm what your specific project needs with your building control body and the latest official government guidance at the time you specify. A good fabricator will work to the BS EN 1090 standards regardless of which mark the current rules call for, because the underlying engineering control is the same.
What this means when you choose a fabricator
For load-bearing and structural work, ask three things: does the fabricator operate to BS EN 1090, can they provide a Declaration of Performance, and have they confirmed the execution class with your engineer? Beam sizing and the execution class both need a structural engineer’s calculation, and load-bearing work needs Building Control sign-off.
T C Rowan is a single fabricator from drawing to final bolt, working to BS EN 1090 with in-house design, its own Banbury workshop and its own erection team. If you want the CE and execution-class questions answered against your actual drawings, get in touch for a free quote.
Frequently asked questions
Does structural steelwork need CE marking in the UK?
Structural steel components placed on the market as construction products are covered by a harmonised standard (BS EN 1090-1), which means they are expected to carry a conformity mark and a Declaration of Performance. The UK requirement around CE and UKCA marking for construction products has changed several times since Brexit, and CE marking has continued to be recognised, so confirm the current position with your building control body or the latest government guidance before you specify.
What is the difference between UKCA and CE marking for steelwork?
They are two conformity marks for the same idea: showing a product meets the relevant standard so it can be sold and used. CE relates to the European system and UKCA to the Great Britain system introduced after Brexit. For construction products the rules and deadlines have shifted repeatedly and CE marking has continued to be accepted, so do not treat either mark as the single settled answer; check what your project and building control currently require.
What are execution classes EXC1 to EXC4?
Execution classes are four levels of stringency in BS EN 1090-2 (EXC1 is the least demanding, EXC4 the most). The class sets how tightly fabrication, welding, inspection and traceability are controlled. It is determined by combining the consequence of failure, the type of loading (static or fatigue and seismic) and how the structure is used, so a domestic beam and a major bridge sit at very different ends of the scale.
What is a Declaration of Performance for structural steel?
A Declaration of Performance (DoP) is the document a manufacturer issues for a construction product covered by a harmonised standard. For fabricated structural steel it links the product to BS EN 1090-1 and states the declared performance characteristics. It is the formal basis for the conformity mark, and your specifier or building control can ask to see it for the steelwork on your project.