5 Post-construction stage

At this stage, the building work should be substantially complete. However some building work may still need completion or resolution, as well as the collection of outstanding documentation such as producer statements, warranties, certificates and so on.

5.1 Contract completion

Building Code compliance

Time limit
Be aware that, under the Building Act 2004, a 2-year time limit is set for issuing the code compliance certificate.

An extension may be applied for and granted by the BCA if circumstances are considered to warrant an extension.

Part of the consultant's responsibility should be to ensure that all outstanding items are completed and approved by the BCA. Owners often need to be guided through these final steps including the application for and obtaining of the code compliance certificate. Depending on the terms of engagement, the consultant may act as the owner's agent.

Records and other documentation

Required documentation
Ensure all required documents are collected prior to final payments - otherwise it may be difficult to ensure these are completed.

The consultant should already be familiar with the BCA requirements for documentation such as producer statements, certificates, warranties and other records, and ensure that the relevant parties provide these.

The BCA may require a 'marked-up' set of contract drawings in order to record approved amendments to the building consent. How replacement timber framing is to be recorded should have been clarified as part of the tender process, and the BCA should be consulted on any specific local requirements.

Final meeting
A final meeting should be held involving the consultant, contractor and the owner to hand over all the documentation, including:

- code compliance certificate
- final as-built drawings
- warranties and guarantees
- technical instructions and data sheets
- lists of important trades and contacts
- any other important information.

Minutes of this meeting should record the handover of the documentation.

Release of defects retentions
The period of liability applying to defects retentions will have been set by the special conditions of contract (or by default by the general conditions). The consultant should review the building work before the expiry of this period, and notify the contractor of any items requiring attention.

5.2 Post-contract matters

5.2.1 Project information

Providing the owner with guidance about building maintenance will allow them to manage the building to achieve ongoing weathertightness and pass maintenance information on to successive owners.

Warranties, guarantees, compliance certificates, technical data sheets and other manufacturers' information on installed materials and components should be collected by the consultant on behalf of the owner.

A list of names and contact details for the contractor, subcontractors and suppliers involved in the project (with their areas of responsibility) can also be included.

The collection of documents shown in Figure 17 can form a basic 'building envelope manual' for the owners and provide a framework for developing a maintenance plan for the building. Additional information can be added to provide more detailed maintenance and monitoring guidance, if appropriate to the scale and complexity of the building.

Durability under the Building Code
The effective maintenance of claddings is important to ensure compliance with Building Code Clause B2 Durability (which requires certain minimum durability periods to be achieved for various parts of a building). Maintenance is the responsibility of the building owner. The Code bases the durability requirements on 'normal' maintenance, although that term is not defined in the Act.

The Department has stated (in various determinations) that normal maintenance is considered to be work generally recognised as necessary to achieve the expected durability for a given element. For claddings, this will depend on the material or system, its geographical location and the level of exposure (refer to 'Normal' Maintenance').

Although the Building Code sets minimum requirements, building owners may elect to go beyond these minimums to consider longer-term maintenance planning as discussed below.

'Normal' maintenance
The Department has stated (for claddings) that normal maintenance tasks should include, but not be limited to:

- where applicable, following manufacturers' recommendations
- washing down surfaces, particularly those subject to wind-driven salt spray
- re-coating protective finishes
- replacing sealant, seals and gaskets in joints.

5.2.2 Maintenance and monitoring

Owners of large and complex buildings should consider the benefits of commissioning a detailed maintenance plan. Consultants may be able provide advice on this.

Maintenance planning involves describing and scheduling inspection, monitoring and maintenance tasks. The maintenance plan for a building is unique and should reflect the building's cladding systems, its geographical location and the level of exposure (refer to 'Maintenance planning').

A maintenance plan should also reflect the technical competence of those who will be involved in following the guidance provided. Specific guidance will be needed for owners or residents (in contrast to professional and experienced building managers). Specific guidance on maintenance will be particularly critical for any cladding areas that have been left in place and that may rely on sealants to remain weathertight.

Maintenance planning
A maintenance plan should identify and describe the:

- particular building component (eg, wall claddings, windows, flashings)
- type of inspection required (what to look out for)
- routine maintenance required (such as washing, repainting etc.
- the time frame or frequency (eg, annual, 6-monthly)
- work needed if problems noted (eg, for joint seals, gaskets).

This should be outlined for all important visible components.

5.2.3 Planning for renewal

Planning for renewal identifies the timing, cost and nature of the expected repair and the replacement of elements and components that have a limited expected serviceable life.

At the same time, this planning allows for renewal of some items that have deteriorated prematurely. A renewal plan is likely to be based on a theoretical knowledge of expected durability and information from the applicable manufacturers.

Maintenance plans help with renewal planning, as inspections will trigger the renewal of some materials (and will keep the renewal plan up to date). The benefit of renewal plans for larger multi-unit developments is that they allow a body corporate to prepare for gradual financing (refer to 'Renewal plan').

Renewal plan
A renewal plan should identify and describe:

- the particular building component (eg, the cladding material, windows, roof)
- the renewal recommendation (eg, recoating, replacing)
- the likely time until replacement (or phased replacement if applicable)
- any warranty expiry dates applicable
- code durability dates if applicable
- the replacement cost (in current dollars).This should be outlined for all important visible components.

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