What BCAR requires of an inspection record

There is no statutory form prescribing every field that must appear in a BCAR inspection record.

For works subject to statutory certification, the Building Control Regulations require the completion submission to include the relevant compliance documentation and the Inspection Plan as implemented, or suitable equivalent documentation where applicable.

The detailed guidance on inspection records comes from the Code of Practice for Inspecting and Certifying Buildings and Works.

Inspection and certification carried out in accordance with the Code is treated as indicating compliance with the relevant requirements. The Code does not prevent an appropriate alternative inspection approach from being used.

That distinction matters.

The Regulations establish the legal requirements. The Code provides an accepted approach to demonstrating compliance. Practice notes and templates can help with implementation, but they do not replace the Regulations or the Code.

The four-part test

Section 7.6 of the Code says that inspection records should be maintained by the person and firm responsible.

The records should be sufficient to identify the work inspected and any non-compliance.

It then describes what adequate records should show:

1. what works were inspected;
2. the results of the inspection;
3. any remedial action considered necessary; and
4. when that remedial action was carried out.

That is the practical test.

A note saying “reinforcement inspected” may identify the general subject, but not the location, extent or result.

A note saying “satisfactory” may not explain what was checked, which drawing was used or what acceptance criteria were applied.

A defect marked “closed” does not show how or when the corrective work was verified.

Who is responsible

The obligation applies to the person and firm responsible for the particular inspection.

It does not fall on the Assigned Certifier alone.

The Assigned Certifier undertakes inspections and coordinates the inspection activities of others. This does not remove the responsibilities of the Building Owner, Builder, designers, ancillary certifiers, specialist contractors or other competent persons for their own work and duties.

The Assigned Certifier’s role does not include supervision of the Builder.

Instead, they carry out planned inspections, review compliance evidence, and using reasonable skill, care and diligence, form a professional opinion that the completed building appears to comply with the Building Regulations. They certify compliance based on inspections and evidence, not on continuous supervision of the construction process.

The clause that’s often overlooked

The Code also says that where the work inspected is not shown on drawings available to the inspector, the inspection record must contain a more detailed description of what was inspected.

This is particularly relevant to:

• as-found conditions;
• site-agreed changes;
• specialist details;
• builder-designed elements; and
• work completed before revised drawings are issued.

Where an adequate drawing clearly identifies the element and detail, the inspection record can refer to it.

Where no adequate drawing exists, the record has to carry more of the technical description itself.

A photograph and a comment saying “agreed on site” may not provide enough traceability later.

What a useful record should carry

There is no single checklist suitable for every project.

The level of detail should reflect the nature of the work, its complexity and the consequences of failure.

Depending on the work and risk involved, a useful project record will commonly identify:

• the project and inspection reference;
• the inspector and firm;
• the date and time;
• the exact location and extent of the work inspected;
• relevant drawings, specifications and revisions;
• the inspection or hold point being addressed;
• the findings and inspection result;
• any non-compliance;
• the corrective action required; and
• how and when the matter was closed.

This is a practical checklist, not a prescribed statutory form.

Photographs, measurements and test results should be referenced to the inspection record rather than stored as an unrelated collection of files.

Another competent person should be able to understand what was inspected without having been present on site.

Closing the loop

Contractor’s confirmation that the work has been corrected is not, by itself, sufficient to close a non-compliance record.

The Code indicates that the person responsible for the inspection should check that the matter has been resolved satisfactorily.

Depending on the issue, close-out may require:

• reinspection;
• opening-up;
• revised drawings or calculations;
• test results;
• product information;
• installer records; or
• dated, location-specific photographs.

The level of verification should reflect the risk.

Structural, fire-safety, waterproofing and other safety-critical matters will generally require more robust evidence than minor workmanship issues.

The record is not the whole file

An inspection record does not stand alone.

CE marking or a product declaration does not, by itself, confirm that a product is suitable for a particular use.

The declared performance still needs to be assessed against the design requirements, intended use, exposure conditions and installation details.

Construction-product legislation is also subject to transitional arrangements. Current official guidance should be checked rather than relying only on older templates or project procedures.

Keep the Inspection Plan current

The Preliminary Inspection Plan is prepared at commencement.

For works subject to statutory certification, the completion submission includes the Inspection Plan as implemented.

Those documents may not be identical.

The plan should be reviewed where there are:

• design changes;
• new specialist packages;
• revised construction methods;
• additional testing requirements;
• changes in project risk; or
• changes to the ancillary certification schedule.

If the plan is not updated during construction, it may not accurately describe how the completed works were inspected.

What goes in at completion

For works subject to statutory certification, the completion submission includes:

• the Certificate of Compliance on Completion;
• the relevant plans, calculations, specifications and particulars demonstrating compliance; and
• the Inspection Plan as implemented.

Where the completed works differ from documents previously submitted, the completion documentation must identify those differences in accordance with the applicable regulatory requirements.

That requires design and inspection changes to be tracked during the project, not reconstructed at the end.

The practical test

A reliable inspection record should allow someone who was not present to answer four questions:

If the project file cannot answer those questions clearly, the inspection trail may not be sufficient to support certification.

If you want to check a project file against these questions, the BCAR inspection record and completion-file checklist below is a tick-box version of the same test.

For a wider view of how your site records hold up, the Site Records Scorecard takes about three minutes.