Building standards verification during construction: handbooks

These handbooks promote a consistent level of building standards service during verification of construction by using a risk-based approach to inspection and other forms of assessment e.g. photographs. 

They also outline the steps that verifiers must follow when processing building warrant applications and completion certificates for defined High Risk Building to support implementation of phase 1 of the Compliance Plan Approach.  A separate document explaining the background and implementation is also available. 

These documents are to enable local authority verifiers to maximise their effectiveness in deploying their resources for the monitoring of building work. This points clearly to the importance of a risk assessed approach and that resources should be applied where the greatest risk of non-compliance may exist. 

This guidance does not seek to define 'reasonable inquiry' in terms of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003. However, it will aid the application of reasonable inquiry as it relates to each individual building warrant. 

High Risk Buildings (HRB) include major works to create or alter a: - 

• domestic or residential buildings higher than 11 metres 

• educational, community, sport buildings 

• non-domestic public buildings under local authority control 

• hospitals 

• residential care buildings 

The decision on whether a building warrant proposal is considered major works in terms of the applicability of the Compliance Plan Approach rests with the relevant local authority building standards verifier. 

• High risk buildings - verification during construction: phase 1 of compliance plan approach - verifiers guidance
• High risk buildings - verification during construction: compliance plan approach - background and implementation 

Building Standards Verification During Construction - Non-Domestic

File type

49 page PDF

File size

1.2 MB

Building Standards Verification During Construction - Domestic

File type

29 page PDF

File size

1.5 MB