For many years we have noticed how hard it is for builders/suppliers/contractors to sign off their work with respect to Section J. We have tried to help by producing an itemised summary in our Section J assessment reports so that it is clear which parts of Section J need addressing.
Yet, when it is time to ask for certificates from contractors it seems very difficult to obtain relevant and compliant certificates.
We have found that asking for certificates at the end of construction is too late. It is far better to have a kick off meeting at the start of construction to orientate the site staff to the Section J report and work through with the site staff what would be the best way to document compliance at the end. That way the relevant certificates can be obtained progressively during construction.
We have produced a short video on this topic which may be helpful.
We also have a PDF guide to producing certificates. Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like a copy.
Initial Assessment: A Section J compliance assessment and report should be conducted before construction begins [00:54]. The findings should be incorporated into the construction drawings [01:02].
Kickoff Meeting: Ideally, a kickoff meeting at the start of construction helps onsite staff manage the process and facilitates easier sign-off later [01:17].
Checklist: A checklist, derived from the executive summary of the original report, should be created to track compliance. This checklist should be periodically updated and shared with relevant parties [01:39].
Contractor Certificates: Contractors must provide certificates verifying their work complies with the relevant code requirements [02:12].
- These certificates are not just bureaucratic hurdles but a formal representation that the work meets compliance standards [02:42].
Certificate Components: A certificate has two main parts [03:16]:
- The Certificate Itself: This should include [03:51]:
- The Certificate Itself: This should include [03:51]:
Today I want to talk about the most difficult thing people face when complying with Section J of the building code. It will come as a surprise to you that the Energy Efficiency section of Volume One of the Building Code of Australia is called Section J, and it affects new commercial buildings. I want to keep this video short, so we will look at this one aspect in this video and hopefully cover other aspects in future videos.
The most difficult thing in complying with Section J seems to be how to sign off Section J at the end of the project. This step seems unnecessarily difficult for many contractors, and that is the reason I want to start here. I want to show that it does not need to be hard. I also want to show you why it is important to get it right.
To put things into context, we do a Section J compliance assessment and report before the start of construction. The findings of the assessment should then find their way into the construction drawings, and the builder and the suppliers and subcontractors then set about building the building. The next thing we hear about the project is when we are asked to come back and sign off Section J for occupancy. Ideally, we should come to the site at the beginning of construction for a kickoff meeting. This is a big help for the on-site staff so they can manage the process during construction to make sign-off at the end easy.
Anyway, our first job at sign-off is to make a checklist. I will put an example up on the screen. This checklist is derived from the executive summary of our original report. In the checklist, we leave space under each item so that we can progressively record how compliance has been demonstrated. The checklist is circulated to the relevant people periodically so it is clear to all where we are up to and which items still need to be ticked off.
Now we are getting to the difficult bit. As part of the sign-off, we need certificates from relevant contractors. Getting those certificates is unnecessarily difficult. Now, I am aware of some of the problems, and I have some sympathy for contractors who are suddenly asked for a certificate at the end of the job. However, it is every contractor’s responsibility to be able to certify their work against the relevant code requirements, whether they have been asked for it or not. It should be part of their work method. I want to stress that a certificate is not just a piece of paper or a bureaucratic hurdle; it is a representation to a third party that the work done is compliant. It must mean something.
So, what is involved in providing a certificate? I will be focusing on Section J of the code, but a lot of what I say will apply to other parts of the code. I will also be referring to the sign-off checklist we produced to assist the process. If you have not seen a Section J checklist for your job, then ask for one as it will form the basis of the certificate.
There are two parts to the certificate. The first part is the certificate itself, which has a formal or prescriptive aspect to it. We will go through that in a moment. The second part is the attached supporting information, which is usually missing, but this is the key to producing a meaningful certificate. By the way, the regulations governing certificates are found in Part A1 little e of the building code.
So, let us start with what should be on the certificate. I can only summarise here, but if you want more information, we have it in PDF. If you would like a copy, please contact us, and we will email it out to you.
What should be on the certificate? Well, it should be on company letterhead, and that is the company that was contracted to do the work, not another company. It should specify in the header which job is being certified, the address, and the scope of work covered by the certificate. It should have information about the person signing the certificate. It must be the most senior person with personal knowledge of the project. It should include job title, qualifications, brief work experience, including any relevant accreditations and licences. It should list the part of the code the work being certified is affected by. If a detailed Section J summary is provided in the attached supporting information, then the certificate can summarise the relevant parts of the code and refer to the attached details. The certificate must be signed. Under the signature should be the full name of the person signing, the job title, and the date.
The second part of the certificate is the attached supporting information. Now, this gets very detailed and will vary depending on who is writing the certificate and their scope of work. For our purposes here, it is important to note that it is based on our checklist. Each item in the checklist relevant to your scope of work must have a statement about what you did in relation to that item. In some cases, it might turn out that the item is not applicable for some reason. It is important to state that and to state the reason. It is difficult to explain this fully in this video, but we do have a PDF version which goes into more detail. Please get in touch if you would like a copy.
Thanks for persevering to the end of this video. I hope it has been useful.
