Understanding Compliance Schedules and BWoFs

Understanding Compliance Schedules and Building Warrants of Fitness (BWoFs) is crucial in the world of building regulations. Whether you are a building owner, a building professional, or curious about building compliance, we’ve streamlined the information to provide you with a clear overview, breaking down the key points into easily digestible insights.

Understanding Compliance Schedules

A compliance schedule is a document typically issued by a Building Consent Authority (BCA) for certain types of buildings that contain specified systems, it is usually issued alongside a Code Compliance Certificate.

What is a Specified System?
It is a system or feature of a building that contributes to its proper functioning. These could include sprinkler systems, ventilation systems, lifts, automatic doors, residential cable cars, fire separations, and emergency exit signs.

What’s Included in a Compliance Schedule?
A compliance schedule must state and describe each of the specified systems, including its type and, if known, it’s make. Additionally, it must state the performance standards the specified systems are required to meet and describe the procedures for Inspection, Maintenance, and Reporting (IMR) to ensure the ongoing functionality of these systems.

The compliance schedule must also provide information about who is responsible for carrying out inspections, tests, maintenance, and their respective frequencies. This information is to be listed within the reporting and recording section of the compliance schedule.

Clearing Up a Common Misconception

It is important to clarify that IMR procedures fall within the definition of plans and specifications under the Building Act. This means that they should be submitted to a BCA when applying for a building consent. Consultants who specify or design specified systems should include the IMR procedures as part of their design documentation. When not provided, a BCA is entitled to request this information.

Compliance Schedule Statement

During the first 12 months after a compliance schedule is issued, the relevant territorial authority (Council) must issue a compliance schedule statement that must be publicly displayed in the building. It must also contain information relating to the specified systems, the compliance schedule’s location, and any other prescribed information.

Understanding BWoFs

A Building Warrant of Fitness ensures that the specified systems outlined in the compliance schedule are performing to their standards and will continue to do so.

Where a building owner has been issued a compliance schedule, they must engage an independently qualified person (IQP) to verify that the Inspection, Maintenance, and Reporting procedures in the compliance schedule have been adhered to. The IQP does this by issuing a Form 12A: Certificate of compliance with IMR procedures for each specified system in the building.

Subsequently, the owner must supply a BWoF to the Territorial Authority. This process must occur annually and include details about the IMR procedures, include all Form 12A Certificates, and any recommendation made by an IQP to amend the compliance schedule.

Authorised agents of Territorial Authorities are entitled to inspect a building, and the specified systems in the building, at any time within working hours.

Reach out to the Farsight team if you have any questions.

Disclaimer: This publication is general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for legal or other professional advice. Please seek specific professional advice before acting in relation to any statement contained in this publication.