Top 10 builders’ acronyms to help you understand your project.
If you’ve recently employed a builder or construction company to complete a piece of work for you, it might pay to take a few minutes to learn their lingo. This will save you time and make you feel more empowered at your next project meeting. Giving you confidence to manage the project without confusion. It doesn’t matter the size of the project, but your ability to confidently assess quotes from the beginning, through to answering any questions that might pop up during the project.
All Building and Construction Managers are different, however there are a few key acronyms that are found industry wide. Have a look at these ones which tend to reoccur in day-to-day construction work.
- BWOF: Building Warrant of FitnessThis is a declaration issued annually by a building owner proving that the requirements of the compliance schedule have been fully complied with for the last year. However this only applies to commercial premises.
- CCC: Code compliance CertificateCode Compliance Certificates are usually issued by a local council confirming that certain building works have been completed and comply with the building consent.
- LBP: Licensed building practitionerA building practitioner is someone whose name has been entered onto the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s register of licensed building practitioners, and who is permitted, within his or her licence class, to design, construct or supervise restricted building work. You can logon at any time and check the people responsible for your project are licenced. Check it out here https://lbp.ewr.govt.nz/publicregister/search.aspx
- National Building Consent Authority competency assessment system (NCAS)This is MBIE’s system for assessing the competency of employees and contractors performing building control functions. This is mainly for building officials to use internally so you may not here them talking about this.
- Notice to Fix (NTF)A legal document normally issued by a local council instructing a specified person to remedy a contravention of building legislation.
- Project Information Memorandum (PIM)A document issued by local council that includes information relevant to proposed building work.
- QA or QC: “Quality Assurance” and “Quality Control”.These two are often mistakenly used as interchangeable terms when discussing the broad issue of quality in construction; however, these two terms describe very different activities. Quality Assurance (QA), refers to the implementation of proactive processes that aim to prevent defects. Quality Control (QC) simply refers to the process of inspecting the product to identify and correct defects
- Resource Management Act (RMA)The Resource Management Act 1991 is available on this website https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1991/0069/latest/DLM230265.html and details restrictions on use of land for works, subdivisions, water, noise etc.
- Certificate of Title (COT)This is a document usually held by the local council acknowledging the rights of ownership to a piece of land, held for all private (and most publicly owned) land in Lands and Deeds Registry Offices. It includes details of owners, type of ownership, area, legal description, etc.
- Fire resistance rating (FRR)After a detailed test is completed, the FRR is allocated to a property. Minimising fire spread is usually addressed by providing fire-rated systems that have been tested to, and meet, specific standards called up by the relevant building code.
These are just two handfuls of acronyms to help you out if you need more answers head to the links below. Or if you still have questions, why not give us a call to help you? We have a team of building experts ready to assist.
Alternatively view this handy video to help you understand when you need certain documents, certifications or standards in your next build https://www.building.govt.nz/projects-and-consents/planning-a-successful-build/scope-and-design/choosing-the-right-people-for-your-type-of-building-work/use-licensed-people-for-restricted-building-work/video-build-it-right-restricted-building-work/
https://www.building.govt.nz/building-officials/bca-accreditation/terms-and-abbreviations/