Not to sound overdramatic, but a pending Building warrant of fitness could be challenging for many building owners or managers. Are you confused by the following words such as BWoF (Building warrant of fitness), IQP, Form 12 and Form 12A? To make life a bit easier let’s dive into some basic understanding of the BWoF system we have throughout canterbury.
So, what is a building warrant of fitness (aka BWoF or Building WoF)?
So, what is a building warrant of fitness (aka BWoF or Building WoF)?
A building warrant of fitness (aka BWoF or Building WoF) is a certificate that annually gets issued by the building owner (who appoints an IQP to do the job on their behalf) upon completion of maintenance & inspection for all the specified systems such as fire alarm, emergency lighting, evacuation signs etc in the building. As per the Building Act building warrant of fitness, certificates is also known as Form 12.
What is meant by IQP (independent Qualified person)
An IQP or Independent Qualified Person is registered with the local territory (local Council) and is authorized to inspect, maintain, and provide technical services for the specified systems (fire alarm, emergency lighting, etc.) in a building. Some IQP’s hold one or two specified system registrations which means you may need to engage/contract multiple IQP to get your system maintained & inspected. At BWoF Ltd we hold registration for all the specified systems for the building which means when you engage us, we can look after the complete building warrant of fitness process for you. We are also more than happy to collaborate with your current IQP provider to provide additional technical services if required.
What you need to understand about a Compliance Schedule:
It’s a document that has been issued by the council to you as a building owner. If you do not have a current compliance schedule, fear not, a simple email to the council should solve the issue.
buildingwof@ccc.govt.nz (Christchurch)
bwof@selwyn.govt.nz (Selwyn)
building@hurnui.govt.nz (Hurunui)
or simply request through any council’s generic e-mail and they will reply to you a pdf copy of the compliance schedule. Typically, the compliance schedule comes with:
- A detailed description of all the specified systems installed in your building. Number of systems and possibly indicating their location (some councils do a great job keeping necessary information in the document)
- The maintenance procedures and performing standards to follow during routine maintenance and inspection to keep your specified system in good working condition.
So in a nutshell, the Compliance schedule outlines what are systems you have in your building that require inspection & maintenance to obtain the Building Warrant of fitness.
So Who is responsible for the Building Warrant of fitness, property owner or tenant?
By Law, it is the responsibility of the property owner to organise the BWoF certificates and all necessary documents, yes you are welcome to allocate the task to the occupier/tenant of your building but if they failed to complete the task, it falls back on the property owner because at the end of the day by law the council’s communicate with the building owner or their authorised agent to ask for more information if needed.
In a nutshell, every year the property/building owner is obliged to:
- Send the copy of BWoF form 12 and form 12A certificates to the local council and pay their BWoF admin
- Display a copy of BWoF certificates ( Form 12) in a visible location of the property
Form 12A & IQP’s related few words:
Before issuing the BWoF certificate (form 12), Each specified system in the building that was inspected, tested, and maintained by the IQP needed to be signed off the paper that is known as Form 12A. All the 12A’s also contains the record for ‘what was being maintained/inspected etc, like a testing sheet/report. All these documents need to be collected before issuing any BWoF certificates (aka form 12).
The IQP can also provide recommendations to amend a compliance schedule, for example, a bathroom extraction fan in the current compliance schedule needs monthly inspection but after careful inspection and observation, IQP can recommend that 3 monthly/yearly inspections which eventually saves the building owners cost.
The local council will assess the BWoF and the submitted Form 12A and any additional testing/inspection sheet etc. confirming everything is in full accord and up to standard with the Building Act and all of its regulations. The local council may also include amendments on the compliance schedule. All submitted Form 12s and BWoFs will be stored for life by the Council.
Building owner and IQP need each other for this BWoF Process:
Ultimately the building owners/managers can contract an IQP (check out: How to find the right IQP) to manage their building warrant of fitness process or as a building owner you can also manage the Building WoF process which requires a lot of coordination, time & homework (you still need an IQP at the end to complete the inspection & maintenance as it mentioned on the building compliance schedule for your building)
Christchurch (and throughout Canterbury) Building WoF Compliance Consultants:
A Building WoF or BWoF can be a complex matter. It definitely pays off to have someone on your side who can review your building compliance issues, handle a BWoF or a BWoF audit from the council on your behalf. If you are in Christchurch (or throughout any places in canterbury) and need building compliance support or expert advice on an amendment to an existing compliance schedule, consult with BWoF Ltd today!
We strive to pinpoint what an upcoming compliance schedule will need, encompassing everything that requires for your Building WoF to be successful at the first attempt, every time on time! With BWoF Ltd, be at ease knowing that your building warrant of fitness (AKA BWoF or Building WoF) process is being handled correctly and sensibly. For Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF) any IQP Inspection related queries in Christchurch and throughout Canterbury, call us 0204 296 369 or email us: info@bwof.nz
