The New Building Standards System Completion certificates

Same intention as currently, but presented differently now made explicit by having applicant submit the completion certificate verifier must accept if satisfied

Completion certificate for what? After construction; demolition; provision of services, fittings or equipment; conversion After work required by a notice

Submitting completion certificate Must be submitted by the ‘relevant person’, who is - the person doing work for themselves the person for whom a contractor is doing the work and where the above fail to submit, the owner

Accepting completion certificate 1 Verifier must accept if, after reasonable enquiry, satisfied that – The work was carried out in accordance with the building warrant and - for construction and conversion, the building as constructed/converted complies with the building regulations

Accepting completion certificate 2 for the provision of services, fittings or equipment, the services, fittings or equipment provided comply with the building regulations The requirement for demolition is that the work was in accordance with the building warrant

Rejection of completion certificate Apart from normal reasons of non- compliance, must have sufficient information – e.g. a SAP rating for dwellings now required at this stage When rejecting, must notify the owner if the submission is by someone else

Certification of construction A completion certificate submission may be accompanied by a certificate from an approved certifier of construction Certification is that specified construction complies with the building regulations

Offences – completion 1 Certifier issuing, knowingly or recklessly, certificate which is false or misleading (in a material particular *) Submission of a completion certificate, knowingly or recklessly, which is false or misleading* Acceptance by a verifier of a completion certificate containing a statement known to be false*

Offences – completion 2 Occupation or use of a building knowing no completion certificate has been accepted, or without regard to whether a completion certificate has been accepted (Note – does not apply to alterations)

Temporary occupation or use Before a completion certificate has been accepted, a verifier may grant a relevant person permission for temporary occupation or use A time limit must be set (may be extended on further application)

Continuing requirements – limited in completion certificates A continuing requirement may only be applied to an acceptance of a completion certificate when a warrant was not obtained when it should have beenA continuing requirement may only be applied to an acceptance of a completion certificate when a warrant was not obtained when it should have been (Note continuing requirements, and consultation, covered elsewhere)(Note continuing requirements, and consultation, covered elsewhere)

Completion certificates – multiple buildings on warrant The relevant person must submit a separate completion certificate for each dwelling covered by a warrant For non-dwellings, either a separate completion certificate may be issued for each building covered by warrant or a single completion certificate covering all the buildings

Multiple buildings - limitations For buildings containing multiple dwellings, the first completion certificate may only be accepted when all the communal areas are complete For sites with multiple dwellings, the last completion certificate may only be accepted when all communal matters covered by warrant are complete

Deemed decisions and appeals An appeal to the sheriff is allowed when a verifier rejects a completion certificate a verifier imposes a continuing requirement (only applies when no warrant obtained) Period for deemed decision is 14 days