ACT Certification

10/08/2026

Such brilliant news 👏👏👏

Following years of AIBS advocacy, Building Surveyor is now recognised as a distinct occupation in Australia's official occupation classification (ANZSCO). 🎉

When completing your Census on 11 August, if you're a building surveyor, please enter Building Surveyor as your occupation. This data will help build a clearer picture of our profession, providing valuable insights to support future advocacy, workforce planning and policy development.

10/08/2026

Huge shoutout to our trainee certifiers Jack (checking in remotely), Ashil and Kian, who just knocked over the first 2 of 4 days at UTS's Short Course for aspiring registered building certifiers, approved by NSW Fair Trading 🎓

Four days deep in the NSW planning system, legislation, certification processes and legal frameworks... basically the certifier equivalent of a boot camp, minus the push-ups and plus a LOT of acronyms.

We're pretty sure the team weren't complaining about trading -5° mornings for a warm office 🥶➡️🏢

Two days down, two to go. Watch this space, three more certifiers are (slowly, legislatively, very thoroughly) being built.

👏 Proud of the team for putting in the work. This is exactly the kind of professional development we love investing in.

07/08/2026

🛠️ The Friday Compliance Check Issue #3

Fire Resistance Level - this week we are trying something a little different and showing you a real life example of what we look for!

05/08/2026

📖 The Certifier Dictionary 📖

Part 2 - Class 1a

Buildings get 'classified' under the National Construction Code based on their use, not how well-behaved they are. Class 1a covers your standard single detached home, one of the most common building types we assess as part of our residential Building Approval and Certification Compliance services across Canberra and surrounding NSW.

29/07/2026

📖 The Certifier Dictionary 📖

A new 5 part series helping you to understand Certifier jargon!

Part 1 - BCA (Building Code of Australia)

No, it's not a bank, and no, it's not a law firm. The BCA is the historical name for what's now part of the National Construction Code (NCC), the rules that govern building performance, safety and compliance. As a trusted building certifier in Canberra, understanding the NCC inside and out is at the heart of every Building Approval we deliver.

28/07/2026

Site Snaps 📸

A little look behind the scenes at some of our recent site inspections.

One of the best parts of what we do? Bringing our trainees along for the ride.

There's only so much you can learn in a classroom, or from sitting at a desk, the real learning happens on site, standing in front of a wall frame or a balustrade and working through what compliance actually looks like in practice.

Our trainees get to see firsthand what goes into a thorough inspection, ask questions on the spot, and start building the eye for detail that makes a great Building Certifier. It's how we've always done it, and it's how we'll keep building the next generation of certifiers here at ACT Certification.

Swipe through for a few snaps from the last few weeks 👉

24/07/2026

🛠️ The Friday Compliance Check Issue #2

Incorrect Balustrade Heights

They're meant to keep people safe on stairs, decks and balconies. But balustrade height is one of the most common non-compliance issues we come across on site. 🪜

👀 What we often find
A balustrade that might look ‘about right’ but then comes in under the required height once measured.

❌ Why its is a problem?
A balustrade isn't just a design feature, it's a fall-prevention barrier, and there's a minimum height it must meet. Once floor finishes like tiles, decking or carpet go down, the effective height can drop below the minimum requirement without anyone realising.

The scary part? A balustrade can look structurally sound and still fail a compliance check, often only picked up at inspection, well after it's been installed and fixed in place.

✅ How to avoid it
Confirm the required balustrade height with your certifier before installation, not after. Factor in your finished floor level when setting out the balustrade, and double-check the height once finishes are complete rather than assuming the measurement will hold.

💡One Practical Tip
It's not just about height, gap spacing matters too. Openings need to be small enough to prevent someone slipping through, so it's worth checking your balustrade design against the relevant standards before installation, not after.

🔎The ACT Certification Take
A balustrade that's a little short doesn't just fail an inspection, it fails at the one job it has. Getting it right the first time saves you the cost and hassle of rework later.

17/07/2026

People always say to us 'oh, you guys do what that guy on Tik Tok does when he goes around showing all the defects in a house build?'

Well.......not exactly.

So we've decided we are going to start 🛠️ The Friday Compliance Check with a new post each and every Friday. As a way of highlighting and educating what compliance elements we look at during construction from a Building Certifier perspective.

So here we go.......

🛠️ The Friday Compliance Check Issue #1

Bathroom Niches
These have become one of the most popular features in modern homes. But they're also one of the most common places we see waterproofing failures. 💧

👀 What we often find
A bathroom niche that wasn't correctly waterproofed before tiling.

❌ Why its is a problem?
A bathroom niche creates multiple internal corners, joints and penetrations, all areas where water can find its way behind the tiles if waterproofing hasn't been installed correctly.

The scary part? You often won't know there's a problem until water damage starts appearing in the walls or adjoining rooms. By then, the only solution may be removing tiles and repairing the waterproofing system.

✅ How to avoid it
Don't treat the niche as 'just another part of the wall.'

Ensure your waterproofer follows the manufacturer's installation requirements, correctly reinforces all corners and appling the waterproofing membrane continuously throughout the niche before any tiles are laid.

💡One Practical Tip
In the ACT, waterproofing isn't routinely inspected by the Building Certifier. Instead, the licensed installer must provide a compliant Waterproofing Certificate confirming the work has been completed in accordance with the relevant standards.

In NSW, waterproofing is required to be inspected during the construction process as part of the certification process and documentation is also provided as a part of the certification process.

No matter where you're building, good waterproofing is something you should never assume has been done correctly.

🔎The ACT Certification Take
Great building compliance isn't just about what you can see, it's about making sure the parts hidden behind the walls are done right the first time.

16/07/2026

🐜 Termites don't apply for a Certificate of Occupancy... they just move in uninvited. 😬

If you're building a new home, renovating or adding an extension, as your Building Certifier we'll be checking that your termite management system is in place correctly before it's covered by the slab or flooring.

Why? Because once it's hidden, neither you nor we can confirm it's been installed correctly.

Think of it this way: termite protection is like insurance for your timber, it's much better to install it now than discover later you've accidentally built a timber buffet for them to enjoy. 🍽️🐜